Too Busy to Market? PMA to the Rescue!
from PMA
It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of running your business. Slow down and take a moment with PMA Marketing Moments. These quick, 1-2 minute podcasts pack quite a punch. Each week, business owners share tips and ideas for inspiring creative marketing concepts. It’s actionable advice, delivered in minutes, that can be applied immediately. A new PMA Marketing Moment is available each Tuesday and, like all PMA® podcasts, is available for subscription through iTunes or another "Pod-catcher." More

Twitter 101 for Business
from Twitter
Every day, millions of people use Twitter to create, discover and share ideas with others. Now, people are turning to Twitter as an effective way to reach out to businesses, too. From local stores to big brands, and from brick-and-mortar to internet-based or service sector, people are finding great value in the connections they make with businesses on Twitter. More

What Higher Wages Mean for Small Business
from SmartMoney's Small Biz
Many of the nation's small-business owners are about to see their labor costs rise, but that's not entirely a bad thing. Thanks to a three-tiered federal minimum wage-hike that Congress approved two years ago, starting Friday employers are required to pay hourly workers at least $7.25 per hour. This third and final rate hike – the last in a three-stage process - represents a 70-cent jump from $6.55 per hour. Here's the good news and the bad news for small-business owners facing a new higher minimum wage More

Why Should Your Employees Like You?
from Entrepreneur
Managing employees isn’t a popularity contest, but if your workers like and respect you as a person, your company’s bottom line is likely to show it. Handling problems gently is one way to build positive relationships with employees, who in turn can help your business grow. More

Nine Ways to Cut Energy Costs
from Inc.
You changed the light bulbs and lowered the thermostat and for a long time, that was enough. But energy costs have been rising in recent years and new taxes are on the horizon, so every business has a reason to become more efficient. Here's how. More

Choosing a Business Credit Card
from BusinessWeek
As small business lending has dried up, small business owners are increasingly relying on business - and personal - credit cards to finance their operations. The issuance of new credit cards was also down early this year over last year, but if you have established credit cards, make your payments on time, and have a decent personal credit score, you should not have difficulty getting a business credit card. More

A Case Study on Competing: Book Soup for the Soul
from Marketing Profs
At Book Soup on West Hollywood's Sunset Strip, you'll pay full retail for the latest bestseller, and you won't find an exhaustive midlist inventory. But the small, independent bookseller competes with heavyweights like Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble by providing its loyal customers an experience they're unlikely to find elsewhere. More

How One Grasshopper is Boosting Employee Morale
from Fast Company
The author recently spoke with David Hauser, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Grasshopper.com about employee incentives and corporate culture - two topics that a lot of companies talk about but generally don't truly get beyond paying them superficial lip service. One thing you won't glean from David's lofty title, but that you'll pick up on within seconds of speaking with him, is that he truly cares about this stuff and that he spends an incredible amount of time thinking up new ways to engage their team. More