If you are struggling to get your online presence running like a finely tuned engine, you are in good company. More often than not, small business owners are too busy working in their business to work on  their business.

The challenge, especially for small businesses these days, is a tough one. There is an overabundance of information surrounding the products and services at our disposal in the marketplace, yet apparently our attention span is down to only a mere seven seconds.

As I sat down by the water's edge, feeding a group of ducks, I noticed something unusual on the water that captured my attention. Usually on the relatively quiet lake by my house I see kayaks and pontoon boats, paddle boards and canoes. But this time (...) read more

Almost everybody uses Google search. It’s by far the most popular search engine on the web today. You probably use Google search personally to find all those things you couldn’t find otherwise. And when it comes to your business, you can also use Google to help you get smarter about your customers, your competition and your industry.

If you are just dipping your toe into the social media world, your first impulse may be to sell, sell, sell. But small business expert Chris Brogan says that’s the wrong impulse. Listen first, and figure out how social media works.

And while some seasoned sales pros embrace the challenges it presents and view cold calling as an opportunity to create new relationships, even they would probably appreciate a tool can make the process easier and more effective. 

In business — especially small business — finding the right people to fill holes in your organization is critical to success. But finding candidates that best align with your company’s culture and needs isn’t always an easy or inexpensive endeavor. Recruiters can be costly and Craigslist can be unreliable. Referrals are great, but you have to be more proactive to find the best talent. Enter LinkedIn.

It sure seems like everyone has a blog now, doesn’t it? CEOs have blogs. Celebrity chefs have blogs, and the teenager you hire to baby sit your kids has a blog, too. Thinking about blogging yourself? Some considerations to take into account...

It seems like every business these days, big or small, is interested in adding Pinterest to their marketing mix. In case you haven’t heard, Pinterest (www.pinterest.com) is a visually-oriented social network, kind of like Facebook — only it’s (...) read more

Posting a video on your website can be a great way to share information about who you are and what you do. An interview-style format (think of a TV show like “60 Minutes”) is a popular approach. One person can act as the interviewer and ask questions, while the person being interviewed (the business owner, employees or past customers) answers them. Sounds simple, right? But there are a few tricks of the trade to ensuring interview responses are concise, impactful and easy to edit together when filming is done.