Seventy-two percent of companies say improving customer experience is a top priority, yet less than two-thirds are implementing tools to reach these goals, according to Forrester. Retailers should consider how they can leverage technology to gain insight and better meet their customers’ needs through in-store data collection; starting with shopper signals. Just as websites...
Today I got my copy of Gary Vaynerchuk's latest book "Crushing It". It reminded me of the desperate journey of so many to "be like Gary" or some other digital celebrity. Sure Gary, Seth Godin and other digital celebrities have zillions of followers, deservedly. They've been hard at work providing great content, amazing value,...
As 2018 gets underway, retailers across the country have one thing on their mind: sales. Small business optimism has been on an upward swing with the majority of small business owners citing increased sales and improved business conditions throughout 2017, according to the latest Capital One Small Business Growth Index. And with 60 percent...
Last year, most of the world swooned over new technological evolutions such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, the Internet of Things, and automation. Even though these technologies are proving to be catalysts for growth, many small business leaders have decided to concentrate most of their investments on data analytics. In fact, according to IDC’s infobrief...
Brent Leary is Co-founder and Partner of CRM Essentials LLC, a CRM consulting/advisory firm focused on small and mid-size enterprises. He has over 15 years of IT and management consulting experience working on projects for Microsoft, Research In Motion, BellSouth, Compaq and the state of Georgia’s Department of Economic Development. Leary received CRM Magazine’s...
How’s your website these days? Have you tweaked your SEO? Got your linkbacks all sorted? Do you have a thriving social media following and a dedicated AdWords account? Are you optimized for mobile display? Where are your restrooms? In the stampede to collect likes and mentions and pins, many small businesses have overlooked the importance of...
Scaling a business isn’t easy. But the founders of Wicked Good Cupcakes were able to do it fairly successfully, thanks to a little help from Shark Tank and some good old fashioned business savvy. Founders Tracey Noonan and Dani Vilagie recently spoke with Small Business Trends as part of our exclusive Smart Hustle Report. During the conversation,...
Some businesses are born out of innovation, while others are born out of necessity. AneaOno is a case of the latter. The company’s founder, Dana Donofree, recently spoke with us for our latest Smart Hustle Report. During the conversation, Donofree shared how her own experience with breast cancer led her to discover a serious gap in the...
Sometimes you have to get tired before you can get successful — physically tired, mentally tired, emotionally tired — basically, just ready to make a major change. That was the case for TrueMan McGee, founder of Funky Fresh Spring Rolls. In his case, the change initially came in his personal life. But it eventually led to...
Once your business makes a sale, your job is far from over. If you want to establish long-term success, you have to continue selling to those customers over and over again. Small Business Trends spoke with Jamie Domenici, global Vice President of Customer Adoption and marketing for Salesforce at the recent Dreamforce conference in San Francisco. Part of...
