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...
Dr. Will Moreland is a successful speaker, author, and coach who decided early on that he was not going to let his start determine his finish. Growing up in Compton, California, he lived with his single mother in a city that was facing serious drug, crime and gang problems. His father was in jail,...
There is a symbol that has evolved from a pound side into a powerful tool that connects audiences on social media platforms: the hashtag. Hashtags help grow a social network, allow people to converse with a diverse audience, and increase online visibility. They also allow small businesses to play on the same level as...
ROI, or return on investment, is a well-known abbreviation in the small business world. ROI is the dollars and cents factor that drives most companies’ actions and decisions. A related abbreviation, one which may be new to you, is ROR. ROR stands for return on relationships, and it was the topic up for discussion...
The millennial generation has become the largest generation in the current workforce. It's comprised of people born between 1980 and 2000 and is currently attracting the attention of both sociologists and employers. Millennials now hold the key to business success, so companies large and small must learn how this generation is reshaping the workplace...
Many of us think of our business as “the corner store” in a high tech world. There’s personality and friendship, service and camaraderie. If something is going on with our customers, we’ll know. You won’t. The reality is that the technical divide is deep. There is an ocean of noise between us and our customers. Our customers...
Regardless of the quality of customer service you provide, you will find yourself in unpredictable situations with complaining customers. They might shout at you, call you names, berate you, and try to embarrass or humiliate you as they express their outrage and frustration. During these times, you must maintain self-control, stay calm and respond...
[content field="callout1" format="true" class="calloutwide"]Promoting your business is vital to its success, and if you are like most Smart Hustle readers, you’re always looking for new tools and tricks to add to your marketing tool bag. However, it can be easy to get tunnel vision depending on if you run an online or offline store....
[content field="callout1" format="true" class="calloutwide"] Running and growing a small business is hard work and often done with limited funds and hands. Thankfully, there are literally thousands of tech tools available to help us manage almost every aspect of a business. From project and social media management to travel and finance, you know there's an...
[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...
