99designs CMO Pam Webber Discusses the Importance of Color and Design When Branding Your Business As a small business, your marketing will only be as successful as your branding elements. These visual representations of your business (found on your logo, website, social media, business cards, and so on) communicate vital information about your business and also...
Cost-cutting is an important strategy for small business owners to get more out of their financial resources. With smaller budgets than the large brands, small businesses must cut where they can in order to increase profit and channel more money to their most important ventures. One area where small business owners can be ‘nickel...
PR teams and reporters need each other, but up until now it’s been far from a perfect relationship. PR teams send out countless emails every day to only get a few ‘hits,’ and on the other side of the table, reporters receive an endless flow of PR emails while only a few will match...
When your customers receive courteous treatment, prompt answers, and satisfactory solutions, they spread the word of their positive experience. Providing excellent customer service, therefore, means getting free publicity, encouraging repeat business, and attracting new customers. Of course, such service only comes from a superb team that has the right customer service training to meet customers’...
National Small Business Week is an event that has taken place since 1963 - a dedicated week that gives us a chance to reflect on the importance of small businesses to our local and national economies. Small Business Week is celebrated with special events, awards, educational programs, and a rally cry for citizens to...
If you are a Smart Hustle subscriber, you might recall in January receiving a special email requesting your opinions in an exclusive Smart Hustle survey. We ran the survey campaign for about a week and we want to thank the many readers who took time out of their busy schedules to share feedback. Since...
[content field="callout1" format="true" class="calloutwide"]2015 brought to the fore a slew of interesting changes in the world of social media. It's no more about ‘likes’ and ‘tweets’ only, especially after the launch of live streaming apps such as Periscope, Meerkat and Snapchat. Not even a year old, Periscope counts 10 million active users already. Meanwhile, we also...
[content field="callout1" format="true" class="calloutwide"]With all the resources available today, it has never been easier to build a successful business from the ground up – even if you decide to go it alone and take a DIY approach. Although there are many aspects of building your business (too many to list here!) we’ve found quite...
[content field="callout1" format="true" class="calloutwide"]Dolls, trains, baseball – what was your childhood hobby? Did you ever think about making a career out of it? Today I have an interview with Cassy Saba of Cassy Saba Jewelry who did just that. Her story will provide inspiration to childhood dreamers and smart hustling entrepreneurs alike. Early Beginnings – Big Lessons Our...
[content field="callout1" format="true" class="calloutwide"]Time is an abstract concept. It’s not something we can see or touch, but it has a tremendous impact on our lives. We talk about spending time and wasting time as if it is some invisible form of currency that we can use to reach our goals and to get the...
