Number Four: Google Apps
If you have a business, your e-mail address needs to end with @YOURDOMAIN.com. Using Gmail, yahoo, or other services can look unprofessional and hurt your credibility. Google Apps solves all of that for free (for up to 10 users), plus you will have access to familiar Google tools and applications and lots more from third-party developers to help you run your business from anywhere.
A reporter for a major news publication has approached Independent We Stand looking for entrepreneurs who have been vendors at street fairs and other outdoor summer events. They're seeking examples of lessons learned from these business opportunities – what to do and what not to do to. The entrepreneurs should be in only their second or third year of business and have some wisdom to share based on what they learned as an outdoor vendor last summer or the summer before.
Do you fit the bill or know someone else who does? Just email us at media@independentwestand.org!
Social networking is indisputably a global phenomenon. Its highly visible role in last year’s public uprisings around the world was only the latest example of a trend that has been steadily building for some time. A recent Forrester study of 95,000 Internet users in 18 countries showed that in addition to heavy social media usage in the U.S. and Europe, consumers in emerging markets are actually leading the world in social media usage and engagement.
Find the rest here:
http://news.efrontier.com/rs/efrontier/images/Adobe_Going_Global_Social_World...
Another free online service that has been very helpful for small business entrepeneurs.
Number Three: LogMeIn.com
You can access your desktop any time you need with the robust, free version of this remote desktop management tool. Perhaps the best thing about LogMeIn.com is the ability to quickly log in and use software on your desktop from anywhere, regardless of whether or not the device you are on has the same software.
We all know by now that having a strong visible presence in social media is critical to small business marketing. The way people shop and compare items has changed; people do not want to be sold to, they want to discover new and exciting things that can add value and beauty to their lives. There are many platforms and networks in use today, but the undisputed King of Social Networks today is Facebook. Having a Facebook fan page for your brand enables you to make connections with people who are interested in what you have - be they existing customers or new friends just met. The key to successful Facebook marketing is to build relationships. Talk to people. Seek out others who share you interests. Exchange ideas, techniques - interact with your fans, often. People like to make connections, and will appreciate your expertise and experience. Once they get to know what you are about, they will be much more likely to buy from you. Face it, no one appreciates having BUY MY DOODAH yelled at them twenty times a day. I've seen so many twitter users who just rebroadcast the same 'come see my shop, buy my xyz' and I got to tell you, I drop them fast as I can. It's boring and I think if they have nothing to say other than a poorly written sales pitch, well, I have better things to do with my time. Unfollow. Goodbye. If you want to gain loyal, and engaged fans on your Facebook page, you have to give them something to talk about. Post often, every day, more than once if you have something to say. Share tips, jokes, current events that relate to your shared interest and ask questions. That is one of the quickest way to see who is really engaged. The beauty of Facebook marketing is the ability to have your message spread by your fans, then by their friends, and friends of friends. Building real relationships online takes time and a lot of work. You cannot just build a page and sit back and wait for them. Go looking for fans. Invite your current customers. Like other pages with content similar to your own. Post there, get to know the people there and some will wander over to your page. Put the link to your page everywhere you can - on your business cards, your email signature, any printed work you do, etc.
