About this column:
Marketing can be one of the toughest tasks for small business owners in today's times, with the down economy and a confusing digital landscape combining into one perplexing mess. Columnist Bill Lipp will use his expertise to help make sense of it all and provide marketing tips to local owners.In my inaugural marketing column here on Patch.com, I asked the business owners out there if you have crossed your "t"s and dotted your "i"s when it comes to making sure that your business has a reasonable opportunity to appear in your prospects' search results when they search on Google, Yahoo and other search engines. It's three months later and we're three months older ... have you done what you needed to get on your prospects radar? (If you're new to Patch ... welcome aboard! You can read the article to which I refer by clicking here.) If not, what are you waiting for? If you're stuck, …
The multiple heat waves that we have experienced during the past several weeks have made it feel like we're already in the grip of summer. The reality is that summer has just started. Does your business change to adapt to the summer season? Interestingly, many of the contacts with the businesses and vendors that my firm deals with seem to go into the Federal Witness Protection Program between now and the Tuesday after Labor Day. My clients are working six-day weeks (which sounds great to me!), but as business owners, we are generally working seven-day weeks in response to the needs or our …
One of the first things that business owners do (or consign one of their partners or employees to do) is to join a business networking group. These groups can take the form of chambers of commerce, community organizations, formal networking groups and other groups that involve networking but exist for other purposes. Determining which networking groups to become involved with can make the difference between being a drain on your time, resources and energy and being one of the most rewarding experiences in your career as an entrepreneur. Today we will take a look at the various options …
We have seen tremendous transformation during the past 10 years. Cellphones have gone from being bricks that gave us static-filled conversation to devices with slim touch screens that allow you to text, answer email, update your Facebook status, or check for the best Zagat-rated local restaurant. The choice of viewing television has gone from over-the-air or cable to now include satellite, Fios or streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Radio now includes over-the-air HD, satellite and streaming services like Pandora and Rhapsody. Literally millions of us are connected to people that we …
