The one thing that every Smart Hustler knows is that learning is the key to growing a business. Our Smart Business articles are designed to provide the best information in every aspect of business – marketing, finance, social media and more.

Customer Conversation Channels Are Expanding. Are You Keeping Up? Salesforce Essentials Expands Opportunities.

Customer communication channels are growing and you can't control that conversation. You can't control where it happens or how it happens if you want to give your customers the best experience. Customers want to communicate with you, NOT just on on a phone, not just via web chat, but also through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and beyond. When...

Tips and Takeaways from the 2018 Smart Hustle Small Business Conference

Last week I attended the 13th annual Smart Hustle Small Business Conference, hosted by Smart Hustle Magazine Publisher and Executive Editor, Ramon Ray. For those of you who know Ramon personally, or have attended one of his events in the past, you know that Ramon is a tech and small business evangelist who imbues...

Creating a Business Strategy to Monetize Your Intellectual Property

This article offers a 10-step approach for creating a business strategy to monetize your intellectual property. Wondering why you should do this exercise? Your intellectual property can make up 70-80% of your business’ value if strategically optimized. By completing this exercise, you might find untapped resources right under your nose. Step 1: Broadly Assess Your Business Before...

Setting the Right Price for Your Products and Services. Lisa Hendrickson at the Smart Hustle Conference

The 13th Annual Smart Hustle Small Business Conference with Seth Godin takes place on Nov 8, 2018 - https://smarthustle.com/conference.  We wanted to give you a taste of what to expect and MORE at this years conference, by recapping a little of one of last year’s presentation. Lisa Hendrickson, founder and CEO of Spark City shared...

How A Local Ice Cream Store Uses Facebook Ads To Build Online Buzz and Traffic to their Store

Angie Ferrell and her husband Chris, owners of Sweet Rides Ice Cream in West Reading, Pennsylvania decided to open an ice cream business after a visit to the beach and watching a young girl selling ice cream from a bike. After a bit of research, they found that ice cream bikes were popular across England...

Shopify Exec Shares How Passion and Desire to Learn Help You Succeed with Online Sales

Michael Perry, the founder of Kit, the virtual employee app for small businesses acquired by Shopify in 2016, says there are three building blocks to entrepreneurial DNA: passion, curiosity, and focus. Now the Director of Marketing Technology at Shopify, Michael most recently led the team's efforts in launching Shopify Ping, a free mobile app that brings business conversations...

Salesforce Essentials Launches Today – Easier to Implement Sales and Customer Services Tools for Small Business

Successful business is about 4 things. The products (or services you offer), the team that helps you executive them, the processes and systems you have in place to make it all happen and most importantly your ability to deliver exceptional customer service to your customers. In order to make this happen, winning company implement CRM...

5 Ways to Improve Communication with Customers

If providing excellent communication isn’t always at the forefront of your mind, as a small business owner, it should be. Strong customer communication builds strong relationships. It’s a crucial key to success for every business. Take a look at these five strategies you can implement to improve your communication with customers today. 1. Make communication a...