It’s time for another Small Business News roundup.  Here are the news links and blog posts that are shaking up the small business online community for March 8, 2010 hand picked by the team at Small Business Trends . Operations Small Business celebrates the Oscars! Hey, what small business leader has time to watch a movie? But if you happen to slip one into you’re busy schedule, here are some cool lessons you can learn, from author and speaker Barry Moltz.  Small Business Trends Motivating employees in a small business might be a no-brainer for some. Here’s a primer for those of us who may need a bit more help. HarvardBusinessReview.org Need to sell your business? Call a lawyer. An attorney with entrepreneurship in his blood answers some questions about how they can help. NYTimes.com Social Media Just say no to more LinkedIn invitations. When is it time to put an end to endless network building? Global Copywriting But before you write off that LinkedIn account completely! Here are five ways to make your virtual Rolodex turned business media network really rock. Online Marketing Blog What Rambo could teach every marketer and small business owner about blogging. It’s all about the risks you take. Much like this post. Flowtown.com Marketing What small businesses can learn from Obama, Dunkin Donuts and American Express. And why your business simply can’t ignore the texting revolution. OpenForum.com Do you have free content about your business online? If not, it could be costing you and your business huge numbers of new customers. Duct Tape Marketing Forget about e-commerce and get ready for m-commerce. The M stands for “mobile” and it will completely change the way you do business online … again.   SEO-SMO.net Tech Touch screen technology enables more mobile small business. Read a review of the latest in tablet computer technology for the small business owner or professional on the move. SmallBizTechnology.com Who is the “mayor” of your small business? Don’t know what we’re talking about? Better read this. Catalyst Marketers What if online content creators can’t make money from advertising? An increasing number of online visitors not only want their content free but are employing software to block the advertising that pays for it. WSJ Policy Not every cloud has a silver lining. Despite economic gains and government efforts, a recent survey shows optimism among small business owners has not improved.  NFIB You ain’t seen nothing yet. A proposed health care reform package still being fought over in Washington will likely cost us WAY more than we thought. National Review Online Startup Nowadays even a “startup out of a garage” must be global. But managing the cultural intricacies of dealing with a world market instead of one just around the corner takes much more than just an Internet connection. NYTimes.com From Small Business Trends Small Business News March 8, 2010

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Small Business News March 8, 2010

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Santa Clara, California based July Systems, a provider of integrated mobile internet publishing and monetization solutions for the media entertainment and sports segment, has secured a new $7 million Series C investment.

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Rajesh Reddy founded July systems raises $7 Million

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When you’re a small business, positive word-of-mouth is critical to growth. One of the best ways to get that buzz going is through publicity.  But how do you compete with the big guys, and get publicity?  Here are the only three steps you need to get great publicity FREE : Step 1:  Have A Great Product, Service or Business Most small businesses think that what they sell is great.  The Key:   To get publicity, you need to provide what the media thinks is great. Here are some examples of what makes products interesting to the media: A truly new product (just launched in the last few months or about to be launched) Unique, breakthrough product Works well, tastes great, etc. (In most cases the media will test out your product if they are interested in featuring it in a story) Colorful packaging / visually appealing – especially important for visual media Product ties into trends – organic/green, political, etc. Priced right – less than key price points ($100, $50, $25, $10) or priced high if truly a luxury item Here are some examples of what makes services and businesses interesting to the media: New service, company or book (just launched in the last few months or about to be launched) Unique, breakthrough service, concept or business Provides ways to save money Offers something for free High rate of revenue and employee growth Ties into trends Step 2:  Approach The Right Media Contact With A Great Pitch You should only approach media that cover your type of product or business.  This means that you’ll need to read, listen to or view these media outlets prior to pitching them. Once you determine that your business or product is a good fit for their editorial coverage, you need to find the right contact.  You can do this in several ways: Call up the media outlet and ask who the person is who covers your area Look at the print masthead or producer credits Search online  Buy a list – you can find these online Then you need to pitch the contact. Include why your product or service is a great fit for that media outlet, as well as a product or service description.  Don’t forget to include your contact information. You can pitch via phone or email.  Here, you can see a  sample pitch for a product or service business . Step 3: Follow Up This is the part that trips up most do-it-yourself publicists and even P.R. folks.  Once the media has expressed interest in your product or service, you must be persistent in contacting them.  Often you’ll need to follow-up with them several times, via the phone or email, until you have gotten media coverage. By following these steps, your chances of getting publicity are greatly increased.  And once you get publicity, you’ll see more buzz, more sales and more credibility for your business. From Small Business Trends 3 Steps to Free Publicity for Your Business

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3 Steps to Free Publicity for Your Business

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There’s plenty to watch in today’s small business news roundup from Small Business Trends . Here are links to the highlights from the news and blogs we follow. Operations How do you get more customers even in a tough economy? How about setting prices based on value not cost? Sound crazy? Read on. BusinessWeek Let’s make a deal. Being successful in small business is about getting what you’re worth, but the key is to make sure you’re giving as good as you get. The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur 87% of business owners are satisfied with their jobs. A recent poll suggests business owners enjoy the highest job satisfaction (even over doctors and lawyers.) The pollsters suggest it’s partly because business owners make more money.  While that’s true in some cases, it’s not true across the board.  We at Small Business Trends think that a large part of the satisfaction comes from feeling in control … and being self-sufficient. Gallup.com Marketing Where is your online traffic? They’re on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and it’s time to go get them. Here’s how. America’s Best Business Practices How is your business standing out from the crowd? Are you a helpful book or an annoying direct mail flyer? Open Forum Why your business really needs a blog. We know, we know. You’ve heard it all before.  But John Joyce explains why you really can’t afford to neglect this most important marketing tool. The Small BizNest Startup When should an entrepreneur say no to a paying customer? When doing business with the wrong partner could cost you much more. The Rise to the Top How do you grow your business on a budget? One word: Magnets! Small Business CEO Legal Long Time Coming. The SBA under the Obama Administration has finally proposed a rule to implement a law increasing the share of federal contracts to women-owned businesses  … a decade after it was passed. NYTimes.com Watch out for “unethical tax schemes”. A recent IRS e-News bulletin warns about schemes specifically targeting home business. While we at Small Business Trends believe you should get the deductions you’re entitled to, don’t fall for tax schemes that seem “too good to be true.” IRS.gov Policy Should small business people be calling the shots? A poll finds 51 percent of Americans believe the business community makes better financial decisions than Washington. Rasmussen Reports How will health care reform really affect your business? Business owners have been screaming for years about the rising cost of healthcare/insurance.  But could the cure be worse than the ailment?  Learn what Washington’s prescription for a healthier America will cost you, according to the NFIB Washington to the rescue? Really? Congress has OK’d more money for popular SBA backed loans and the media is again portraying small businesses as needing a bailout. But one community banker has a different view. The video is more interesting than the text story — watch it. CNNMoney.com The Cadillac health care tax. OK, it’s not a tax on your car. But the health care plan being proposed may actually hurt those small businesses already offering coverage. Kaiser Health News From Small Business Trends Small Business News for March 4, 2010

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Small Business News for March 4, 2010

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Reliance Media World’s radio division 92.7 Big FM has joined hands with a large telecom VAS provider, OnMobile Global, to roll out the radio experience on the mobile platform.

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Reliance Media World, OnMobile to roll out radio experience on mobile

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Learn more about what’s important to your small business today. Here is our latest roundup of the news articles and blogswe’re reading and what’s important, from Small Business Trends . Policy Is health care reform already hurting small business? Learning from Massachusetts. Small business owners decry health costs. SouthCoastToday.com Is insurance regulation helping or hurting small business? A perspective from Hawaii. HMSA seeks 7.8% hike in small-business rate. HonoluluAdvertiser.com Why FICA-tax breaks for hiring the unemployed won’t encourage new hires. Fifteen Billion Dollars but Not a Lot of Sense. The article notes that the Senate proposal “encourages companies to violate the most basic tenet of good business, which is to hire the most qualified people.” NYTimes.com Congress will not be acting on credit card interchange reform this year — and less government interference is probably a good thing. No Interchange reform legislation in 2010. If your small business accepts credit cards, this article gives tips for how to shop around for the lowest interchange rates. Vantage Viewpoint Credit Small business borrowing is up…but so are delinquencies. Exclusive: Small business lending up third straight month. Reuters Small businesses need more sales, not more loans. Economists Argue Small-Business Concerns over lending overblown. WSJ Blogs No credit? No problem. Start your business with a 401k. But we here at Small Business Trends would add, “be very very careful – not everyone can afford to risk their retirement.” SmallBusinessFinancing.com Marketing Women make most small-business B2B purchasing decisions. National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) Honors Office Depot. MarketWatch.com Be sure to weigh your return on investment in the new online marketing world. Services Combine Social Media, Marketing. WSJ Small Business Michael Katz explains why your small business needs deadlines. I Walk the Line – Newsletter Marketing Tips. Charlie Cook’s Marketing For Success Blog Don’t leave word-of-mouth marketing to chance. Use Case Studies to Increase Word-of-Mouth Marketing. HubSpot.com Unlike the post office, the e-mail is going strong! Email Marketing For Small Business Slowing Down? Understanding Marketing Operations Ever wonder how your state ranks on energy costs? The “Energy Cost Index 2010″ ranks the 50 states and District of Columbia, as they affect small businesses, individuals and families.  The lowest cost states for energy costs are Wyoming, Kentucky and Missouri, in that order. Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council Some great advice from venture capitalist Fred Wilson on the real nature of entrepreneurism. Rolling Up Your Sleeves and Getting Your Hands Dirty. A VC Blog If these things really bug customers, why do businesses keep doing them? Are you listening to what customers are saying?  Watch this video to see what they are.  AllBusiness.com Startups Emma Jones says “Move over, Rupert Murdoch!” Become a media magnate from the kitchen table. Create a publishing empire from your home. Microsoft Small Business Blog A surpising message to startups from local government leaders: Be adaptable and self-sufficient. Small businesses advised to think big. Recordnet.com Jim Kukral talks about the importance of focusing on who you are. “I’m Not As Smart As Chris Brogan,” says Jim.  Then he explains why you should be you and quit worrying about trying to be someone else. JimKukral.com Entrepreneur Johns Wu talks about finding the niche online marketing brass ring. Johns Wu – Founder, Developer, Sole Employee, and eventual Seller of Bankaholic.com.  This is a real-life story of a young Internet entrepreneur who became a millionaire before age 23, and retired. MO.com From Small Business Trends Small Business News for March 2, 2010

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Small Business News for March 2, 2010

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Are small business owners becoming more or less optimistic about prospects for their businesses and the overall economy? Policy makers, the media, small business owners themselves, and interested observers all seem to care about small business owners’ perceptions, making the monthly optimism figures put out by the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) and Discover Small Business Watch (DSBW) watched statistics. Because these measures get reported and discussed in the media, it’s important to recognize their strengths and weaknesses as indicators. First, these measures combine the views of very different business owners. Some are male, and some are female; some sell products and others provide services; and some serve consumers and others serve businesses. The respondents vary in age, income, number of employees, and years in business. If the optimism and pessimism of all of these business owners moved in lock step over time, the tendency to focus on the average of all of them wouldn’t be a big deal. Whether optimism was high or low would pretty much be the same for everyone. But when the levels of optimism of different groups don’t all move in the same way over time (they aren’t that highly correlated), then knowing the average but not what’s happening with the different groups hides important information. I don’t have data on the Optimism Index for different groups of respondents to the NFIB survey, But I do have it for the DSBW. So for that index I can show you how highly correlated optimism levels are for different groups of small business owners from December 2006 through January 2010. While the optimism levels of all of the groups are positively correlated, the correlations aren’t super high. For instance, the correlation between the optimism levels of the owners businesses that are one to two years old and those that are six to ten years old is only 0.44 over this time period. Similarly, the optimism levels of business owners 18 to 29 only correlate 0.64 with those of business owners 65 and older, and optimism levels of owners making under $20,000 per year only correlate 0.66 with those making between $75,000 and $100,000. Thus something common affects the optimism of owners of different ages, those running different aged businesses, and those making different amounts of money, but different factors also drive their levels of optimism. Second, the responses of the business owners to different questions about what’s going on with their businesses don’t all correlate highly. For instance, there is essentially no relationship (correlation of -0.02) between the share of business owners who say that over the past 90 days, they have experienced temporary cash flow problems that caused them to hold off on paying some bills and the percentage of business owners who say that the economy is getting better. Clearly, you wouldn’t want to use perceptions of overall economic conditions to predict cash flow problems of small business owners. Nor would you want to use perceptions of overall economic conditions to predict planned spending on business development because those two measures are correlated at only 0.36 over the August 2006 through January 2010 time period. What about the question everyone wants to know about right now: are businesses going to hire? Over the August 2006 through January 2010 time period, perceptions of overall economic conditions aren’t very helpful in predicting whether business owners will be hiring more workers over the next few months. The percentage of business owners responding that overall economic conditions are getting better is only correlated 0.36 with the percentage of business owners that intend to hire more people. Planned spending on business development is a better predictor; it’s correlated 0.73 with the intention to hire. But here’s a piece of evidence that shows what a lot of people in Washington are worried about. If I split the data into two time periods – from August 2006 to June 2008 and from July 2008 through January 2010 – the correlation between planned spending on business development and intention to hire is much higher for the first period than for the second period. It seems that the factors driving the two are becoming more different post-financial crisis than they were in the pre-financial crisis period. What about the two optimism indices themselves? They’re pretty highly correlated. From December 2006 through January 2010, the NFIB and DSBW optimism indices correlate 0.85. Because the NFIB surveys its members who tend to run much larger businesses than the respondents to the DSBW, that level of correlation suggests that both indices are picking up general trends rather than factors affecting larger versus smaller small businesses or NFIB members and nonmembers. This overall measure correlates much better than specific items. For instance, the NFIB’s measure of the percentage of small business owners who answer “better” minus the percentage that answer “worse” to the question: “About the economy in general, do you think that six months from now general business conditions will be better than they are now, about the same, or worse?” correlates only 0.40 with the percentage of respondents to the DSBW survey who answer “better” minus the percentage who answer “worse” to the question “Generally speaking, are the economic conditions for your business getting better or worse in the next 6 months?” Unfortunately, we can’t tell whether this low correlation results from the types of businesses surveyed by the two groups or the difference between the NFIB’s focus on general conditions and the DSBW’s focus on the respondent’s business. None of this says that there is anything wrong with these surveys. Both of them provide us with useful information about what’s going on in the thinking of small business owners on an up-to-date basis. We just need to be cautious about how we use them. We can’t assume that the patterns over time are going to be the same for both surveys, between questions on each survey, or between different groups of respondents to the surveys. From Small Business Trends Assessing Small Business Owners’ Optimism

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Assessing Small Business Owners’ Optimism

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by Mike Myatt Determining whether someone is a social media expert or a just another wannabe can be a difficult task for the typical consumer. There is a tremendous amount of noise out there being created by a plethora of “consultants” professing expertise in what I refer to as the new social sciences: personal branding, social networking, social media marketing, etc. I just did a Google search for the term social media expert and had more than 96 million returned search results… give me a break. So my question is this: what constitutes a “social media expert,” and how do you tell the posers from the players? Which of these professed miracle workers are true professionals, and which ones are simply attempting to gravy-train a rapidly growing market niche in pursuit of a quick buck? Let me begin by dispelling a popular myth oft espoused online – It seems to be fashionable of late to state that there is no such thing as a social media expert. The thinking (albeit flawed thinking) of those who hold this opinion is that social media is so new, and so rapidly evolving, that there simply could not be any real experts. My answer? Ridiculous… Every industry has experts regardless of maturity of life-cycle. In fact, many of the real innovators and experts are those early adopters doing the heavy lifting and the ground breaking. There are experts in every industry and at every stage of maturation. Some early experts mature as the industry grows, and others fall by the way side because they don’t keep pace giving way to new generations of innovators building on what the first generation of experts created. The issue is not whether experts exist, as they most certainly do. The issue is finding them among the hordes of pretenders and wannabes. I’m going to cut right to the chase and give you six things to beware of when attempting to discern the true professional advisers capable of delivering a certainty of execution, from the rogues and scoundrels simply looking to separate you from your money: Beware the Part-Time Expert: My father has an old saying that I’ve found to be very accurate over the years: “part-time efforts, yield part-time results.” If the person seeking your business has a day job that constitutes something other than the services he or she is pitching, run for the hills. If your potential advisor is moonlighting then they really have no business asking for your business. Beware the Shoemaker without Shoes: Your position should be one of “don’t tell me… show me.” If your would-be social media guru cannot be found online, doesn’t blog, tweet, or is invisible on the major social networking platforms you might want to rethink their qualifications. Important Caveat: the mere existence of a blog, YouTube channel, LinkedIn profile, Facebook account, or a Twitter page doesn’t guarantee competence… any idiot can amass thousands of followers on Twitter just by following everybody and their brother, so look for someone who has amassed a quality list of followers, who has more people following them than they follow, and who actively engages with their followers. Beware the Expert without Clients: No referenceable clients equals zero credibility. It’s one thing to show you their own work, but quite another to show you demonstrated success on behalf of paying and satisfied clients. Beware the Expert without Industry Recognition: If your so called expert isn’t published, doesn’t speak, lecture or teach, doesn’t have a column, hasn’t won any awards, etc., then they might not be a true expert. Beware the Expert too Aggressive in their Pursuit: There is a big difference between professional follow-up and desperation. Let me be blunt… most professionals at the top of their game haven’t made a cold call in years. In fact, even in this down economy they typically have more business than they know what to do with. If your world-beater of a consultant is chasing you down like a hungry dog after the meat wagon then you may want to take pause. Beware of Bargain Basement Expertise: In most cases the reality is that you get what you pay for… True expertise doesn’t come cheaply, but is well worth the investment. Few things in business will get you in as much trouble as not getting advice and counsel when needed, or worse yet, getting poor quality or incorrect advice. I would much rather pay an expert a larger fee for 30 minutes of their time and get what I need rather than pay someone $50 dollars an hour who is faking it until they can make it… Questionable advisors will take much longer to get from point A to point B (if they get there at all), and will likely cost you more money at the end of the day when contrasted with true professionals. If you need help in integrating social media into your business I would recommend the following individuals (some you may know and some you may not) as they all pass the litmus test mentioned above. Those listed below are in no particular order of preference and you can rest assured they are not “info-product” sales people masquerading as social media professionals, but they are in fact the true subject matter experts who can get the job done: Chris Brogan ( @chrisbrogan ) – Chris is smart, approachable, innovative, has a high degree of integrity, probably the hardest working man on the planet, and a heck of a nice guy. I’ve enjoyed every interaction I’ve had with Chris, and he has earned my trust and respect. Mack Collier ( @MackCollier ) – I don’t know Mack personally, but have enjoyed reading his candid and ever straight foward opinions online. Mack is well respected and his the loyalty of his followers more than speak to his capabilities. Lee Odden ( @LeeOdden ) – I’ve known Lee for several years (before he was rich and famous). In fact, in a prior life as a corporate executive Lee was the consultant I chose to place on retainer. He is smart, seasoned and delivers on his promises. Amy Martin ( @DigitalRoyalty ) – I guess the moniker Digital Royalty says it all… Amy represents some of the biggest names and fastest growning brands online. Nothing bodes as well for an agency as success, and Amy has plenty of pedigree in that department. Ashton Kutcher ( @aplusk ) – Ashton combines his celebrity status, a fascination with social media, and a disarming and ever inquistive intellect to head one of the fastest growing social media agencies on the web. Liz Strauss ( @lizstrauss ) – Liz is well known for her approachability, friendliness and candor. She also happens to be one of the savviest bloggers and social media consultants online. And if you’re slumming @mikemyatt – nuff said… Enjoy this post? Subscribe to our RSS feed and join our Continuous Innovation group! Mike Myatt, is a Top CEO Coach, author of ” Leadership Matters…The CEO Survival Manual “, and Managing Director of N2Growth .

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Social Media Expert or Wannabe?

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February and March have some great events, conferences and webinars coming up; note the early bird deadlines on some. This list of events for growing small businesses and entrepreneurs is brought to you twice a month as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com . – * * * * * BlogWell: How Big Brands Use Social Media February 16, 2009, San Diego, CA This conference teaches you through case study discussions on social media programs from Starbucks, USAA, Clorox, Intuit, Avery, State Farm and Community Medical Centers. Brought to you by the Social Media Business Council and Gaspedal.  (Although this event is about large businesses, it could be valuable for those of you who provide social media services to large businesses.) BlackBerry Small Business Success Strategies Webinars February 16, 18, 23 and, 25, 2010, 1pm EST, Webinar BlackBerry is hosting a series of four webinars aimed at helping small businesses like ours tackle some of the challenges we’re faced with today.  Register here for one or all of the series. Tools and Tactics for Connecting with Today’s Customers Tuesday, February 16, 2010, 1pm EST Brent Leary, Partner – CRM Essentials Building a “Customer-First” Company Thursday, February 18, 2010, 1 pm EST Rick Spence, President, Canadian Entrepreneur Communications Building a “Customer-First” Company Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 1pm EST John Jantsch – Author of Duct Tape Marketing Moving Your Business Forward Even When the Economy Won’t Cooperate Thursday, February 25, 2010, 1pm EST Anita Campbell – CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Small Business Trends Startup Riot 2010 February 17, 2010, Atlanta, GA Throughout this one-day conference 50 startups will take the stage and present themselves in 3 minutes and 4 slides. Presenters and attendees will have the opportunity to win prizes throughout the day. Click here to apply to attend or apply to present . American Express OPEN Women’s Business Summit February 17-18, 2010, Houston, TX The New Rules of Doing Business for Women Entrepreneurs Through the New Rules Summit, women entrepreneurs can learn what it’s going to take to thrive in the new economy by receiving real advice, business coaching and networking opportunities. All registrants have the ability to attend sessions in any of the three conference tracks: * The New Rules of Doing Business Seminars * Make Mine a Million $ Business Workshops * SCORE Speed Coaching Sessions Learn About Web February 18, 2010, Kennewick, WA Local and nationally-known online marketing experts will present a one-day seminar for small business owners. Learn About Web is scheduled February 18 at the Home Builders Association building on Clearwater Avenue. This full-day seminar is $99 through February 12. Sessions will focus on SEO and local search (Google Maps, etc.), social media (Twitter, Facebook), blogging, and web design. Make 2010 Your Most Profitable Year Ever February 18, 2010, 10:00AM PT, Webinar These days customers are pulling back and others are holding off on spending. That’s put pressure on small business profit margins. Times like these are perfect to take a long hard look at our business practices to see how to become more profitable. In this webinar, Anita Campbell of Small Business Trends, together with guest “profitable growth” expert Andy Birol , will outline practical strategies you can do TODAY to lead to higher profits and growth with profitability. This webinar is not about theory – but practical techniques you can start applying today. New Media & Technology Conference February 19, 2010, Frederick, MD Interactive seminars will provide an intensive review of strategies and tools that businesses can use to reach out to customers and grow their bottom line. There are breakout sessions for beginning, intermediate, and advanced participants on topics such as Twitter, Facebook, email campaigns, blogging, and more. Those with little or no experience will have as much to gain as those who are skilled users! Keynote “How is new media & technology changing the way we do business?” by Shashi Bellamkonda, Social Media Swami at Network Solutions. National Entrepreneurship Week February 20- 27, 2010, Across the U.S. On February 20 – 27, 2010, the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education will sponsor the 4th annual National Entrepreneurship Week. The focus is on entrepreneurship education and there will be events across the United States. (Note: not to be confused with Global Entrepreneurship Week, which occurs every November and is supported by the Kauffman Foundation.) For events, please see the National Entrepreneurship Week website , and click the interactive map. Start-a-Business Base Camp February 20 – March 20, 2010, Toronto, ON Are you a women entrepreneur who is ready to move forward with launching a business? In this 5-week workshop, we’ll take your vision from raw to ripe, guiding you through all the steps required to launch a successful business. Social Commerce Camp Washington DC February 20, 2010 from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM A FREE educational grassroots event for Small businesses, online merchants and entrepreneurs who want to start or grow their business. Speakers include Shashi Bellamkonda, Social Media Swami, Network Solutions, Steve Fisher of browncoatsmovie.com and Shonali Burke, Principal Shonali Burke Consulting & Editor of http://womengrowbusiness.com. How Small Businesses Can Leverage Social Media February 23, 2010, 8 to 10pm EST, Tweetchat #sbbuzz Timed to coincide with the release of third Small Business Success Index Report, this tweetchat will take place on Twitter, in the evening from 8 t0 10 PM Eastern U.S. time.  Anita Campbell, Editor of Small Business Trends will moderate the discussion to provide additional insight on how to effectively use social networks to generate results.  We’ll discuss findings of the Small Business Success Index relevant to social media usage during the chat, also.  Also participating will be Shashi Bellamkonda, Social Media Swami of Network Solutions.  Use the hashtag #sbbuzz. Online Tools for Strong Offline Relationships February 24, 2010 10:00AM PT, Webinar Social media and online tactics are often viewed as tools to be used by global brands or companies primarily focused on Internet based services. The fact is social media tools and online technology allow even the tiniest operations to build stronger relationships with existing local customers, suppliers and prospects. This session features John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing and covers:  • How to create local community with online groups • How to access local bloggers and local media • How to use online communities to create offline events • How to mine social media platforms for local leads • How to enhance local search engine placement. How to Write a Business Plan February 24, 2010, Providence RI This workshop will provide a hands-on overview of what goes into a well-written business plan that will get read by investors and other people that you need to reach. It will be led by Jack Derby, president of Derby Management Consultants in Boston, one of New England’s foremost business development experts. This workshop is part of a series leading up to the Rhode Island Business Plan Competition starting in April 2010. How to Present Your Business Plan March 18, 2010, Providence, RI This interactive presentation will feature two veteran business developers who have worked with companies throughout New England on growth, turnaround, and acquisition strategies. This workshop is part of a series leading up to the Rhode Island Business Plan Competition starting in April 2010. How to Make Social Media & Email Work Together February 26, 2010 10am PT, Webinar Social Media has become a very important part of business. It can no longer be something you have heard of and needs to be something you are doing for you business. Join Janine Popick, CEO of VerticalResponse to discuss how to make social media and email marketing work together. Learn: – An overview of social media – Best practices for social media – How to get more followers and email subscribers by using email and social media together – How to make sure all audience receive and read your messages – Example of businesses that have successfully integrated social media and email marketing Turn Clicks into Conversations & Relationships March 10, 2010, 10:00AM PT, Webinar It takes more than a tweet to turn a follower into a customer, and a customer into loyal advocate. This webinar featuring Brent Leary will cover tools and techniques needed to turn content into conversations, conversations in the exchanges, and exchanges into long lasting customer relationships. Areas of focus will include tools for social listening, automating content creation and distribution, and steps for enhancing your customers’ experiences with your company by facilitating opportunities for them to connect with each other. GROWCO Grow Your Company Conference March 14-16, 2010, Orlando, FL In 2010, Inc.’s GROWCO Conference pulls together a dynamic program with a curriculum designed specifically for the nation’s rising entrepreneurial stars, including smaller organizations that want to make an appearance on the Inc. 5000 and Inc. 5000 honorees that want to break into the higher ranks of the list or repeat their success in years to come. High-profile growth experts teach seminars that will give attendees actionable information with which to develop or maintain their own growth initiative. Cost is $895. Fifth Annual Small Business Summit March 16, 2010, NYC The Summit is for small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to meet the challenges of the new economy head-on and THRIVE in 2010.  The theme this year is Business & Technology: Strategies for the New Economy. We have some incredible speakers lined up for this year’s Summit, including Seth Godin, who will be talking about being indispensable to your customers. The Summit is always about generating great ideas from some of the best talent in the business world, but also about networking, making profitable connections and having fun. New this year is the Small Business Strategy Award. One attendee will be recognized for entrepreneurial strategic excellence that has led to significant increased profits, expanded market and/or improved market position. Apply directly online . Early bird registration (before March 1st) is $149 for the all day event. E-3…Engage, Empower, Energize March 18, 2010, Newark, NJ A no charge full-day conference for experienced business women seeking to grow their businesses. Breakouts, individual consulting, “Pitch-it” contest, keynotes, etc. This will be at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and will include breakfast and lunch. Sponsored by New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners’ Women’s Business Center. The Stimulus Package: Update 2010 March 24, 2010, Brooklyn, NY This seminar, moderated by CNN contributor and president of Optimum Capital Management, Ryan Mack, is designed to show you how you can still benefit from stimulus funds. Panelists include Ann Kayman, CEO at New York Grant Company; Bruce Niswander, director of the Office of Innovation, Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship at Polytechnic Institute of NYU; and Michael Williams, dean at the Graduate School of Business at Touro College who will discuss the following: * The Stimulus Program: What’s the impact on the economy so far? * How can I still benefit from the Stimulus bill? * How will the government’s proposed three-year spending freeze effect small business and how can businesses plan now? * What are smart, “hidden” ways that businesses can save more money in the “new” economy? The 11th Annual Department of Energy Small Business Conference & Expo May 10-12, 2010, Atlanta, GA The Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, is proud to present The 11th Annual DOE Small Business Conference & Expo, at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA, May 10-12, 2010. The event will feature plenaries, educational workshops, an Exhibit Hall with 200+ exhibitors/sponsors, as well as business matchmaking sessions. Over 1,600 attendees will represent all levels of federal, state, and local government agencies, the small business community, large/prime contractors, and many more! Creative Freelancer Conference June 5-6, 2010 The Creative Freelancer Conference is the first and only full-scale business conference for self-employed creative professionals.  The goal? To help you maximize your freelance income by sharing best business practices and sage advice from seasoned solopreneurs who’ve learned through experience what works, and what doesn’t. The program is geared toward freelance graphic designers, copywriters, illustrators and photographers, as well as solo practitioners of interactive, interior and industrial design. Anyone who makes a living selling creative services on a freelance basis (or would like to) will benefit. Early bird pricing through March 12 . To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar . If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through our Events & Contests Submission Form (We do not charge a fee to be included in this listing — it is completely free to list your event.) Only events of interest to small business people, freelancers and entrepreneurs will be considered and included. From Small Business Trends Upcoming Small Business Events, Conferences and Webinars

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Upcoming Small Business Events, Conferences and Webinars

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by Idris Mootee Every time there is a new product launch, there is always hype around how innovative the product is. Not all innovative new products deliver on the hype like Apple. Although the Segway was a big engineering achievement, it didn’t live up to the hype. Its sophisticated system of dynamic stabilization certainly showcases electronic engineering excellence and did deserve some hype, but not to the level it soared. Paul Graham’s recent essay about why the Segway failed to change the world is interesting. He focuses mainly on the fact that the Segway basically makes people look dorky – and that a better design might have helped more people find it enticing. But at the end he notes: “Curiously enough, what got Segway into this problem was that the company was itself a kind of Segway. It was too easy for them; they were too successful raising money. If they’d had to grow the company gradually, by iterating through several versions they sold to real users, they’d have learned pretty quickly that people looked stupid riding them. Instead they had enough to work in secret. They had focus groups aplenty, I’m sure, but they didn’t have the people yelling insults out of cars. So they never realized they were zooming confidently down a blind alley.” The Segway Human Transporter (HT) was no question one of the most hyped engineering projects of the last 12 or 30 years. Starting with “managed leaks” to the press, the secret $100 million “Ginger” project that VC John Doerr said “could be bigger than the Internet.” I can’t think of anything bigger than the Internet. People then were guessing it was some sort of space program. Apple’s new iPad was also very hyped before it launched. It is a great product no question, but essentially the iPad is a big iTouch, or iPhone, doesn’t have a camera, doesn’t use facial recognition and doesn’t have any advanced interactions design or high definition video. But not all interesting ideas get over-hyped… Here’s a good idea which has the right ingredients for hyping up. A bunch of engineers have invented an adhesive technology has taken its cue from the gravity-defying gecko, but the Cornell team looked elsewhere – to a beetle native to Florida that can stick to a leaf’s surface, through wet adhesion, with a force 100 times its own weight. What does this mean? We are talking about the possibility to mass-produce Spiderman capability. Cornell University researchers Paul Steen and Michael Vogel are working on a palm-size liquid-adhesion device that could enable movements just like Spierman’s arachno-riffic moves. The design is based on bonding methods observed in the beetle. Their research was funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the National Science Foundation. The first application may be for the military. It is highly likely that there will be a ‘Spiderman’ team. Not sure they will adopt the stretchy red and blue tights. The mechanism includes a flat metal plate with micron-size holes and sits atop another piece holding a liquid reservoir. In between is a porous layer. An everyday 9-volt battery pumps tiny droplets of liquid through to the top layer and the surface tension of the exposed drops makes the device grip another surface. Just make sure you don’t run out of battery while you’re outside 29th floor of a building. Many science and technology innovations are hyped by the media. Nanoscience and Nanotechnology are hailed as some of the most exciting areas of science with promised to our current and future problems. But translational research in the emerging areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology is sophisticated, complex and expensive and the hype around the technological advance often overstates the applications of nanotechnology. But in this case, Spiderman may soon be real… Enjoy this post? Subscribe to our RSS feed and join our Continuous Innovation group! Idris Mootee is the CEO of idea couture , a strategic innovation and experience design firm. He is the author of four books, tens of published articles, and a frequent speaker at business conferences and executive retreats.

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Will Spiderman be real soon or is it just hype?

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