As the calendar turns to 2012, many of you will be setting resolutions for your professional or personal lives. If you are looking for ways to step up your company’s marketing game, here are five disciplines areas that might be able to net you success.
If you are already using these mediums, what ones are you looking to add in the New Year?
Earlier this year we rolled out a new feature on this blog called Micro Business Tips Thursday. The idea stemmed from a number of great tips left on our Facebook wall by Vistaprint customers to help other customers with small business advice. We decided to make it a weekly feature where we could get the front line view of pressing business questions and would publish the best answer as a blog post. Below is a list of the top five tips that came in from our community:
Click here to view all of the Micro Business Tips Thursday posts.
Be sure to tune into our Facebook page each Thursday for your chance to have your tip on this blog.
Last week, we asked our Facebook community what they wanted as a present this holiday season in response to a gift guide we posted on this blog. Within minutes of the post we were flooded with great gifts that small business owners wanted Santa to bring them. Below are the top five gifts that our community wished for:
Click here to see all of the responses.
What would be the one thing you wish someone would give your business this holiday season?
Image - chucka_nc
It’s Friday, which means we’ve searched the Internet for five interesting stories we think are worth a read. This batch has one thing in common: change. Whether it’s crafting a brand-new marketing plan, switching payment methods or deciding it’s time to hire new employees, it looks like as the New Year approaches, so do new trends for small businesses.
5 TIPS FOR WRITING YOUR 2012 MARKETING PLAN-We’ve all been asked before, and we’ll probably be asked again: “So, what’s your New Year’s resolution?” And while that’s a standard conversation-starter (or ender, depending on how tired you are of publicly vowing to go to the gym more) this time of year, a more interesting question to pose to a small business owner might be, “What are a few marketing goals you have in mind for 2012?” Sure, it’s a more daunting question — devising a marketing strategy can be a difficult process — but giving this question some serious thought will likely pay off long-term. In fact, as Wendy Kenney writes in her Startupnation.com piece, “your marketing plan can make all of the difference in your success.” The article is particularly helpful because it gives readers five easy-to-follow tips on writing a marketing plan, as well as a few insightful bits of advice from other small business owners. Have you started your marketing plan yet? Do you plan on writing one?
NEW YEAR GOALS GOT YOU PARALYZED? TINY STEPS WIN THE RACE. –It’s not very difficult to gather what this story is about. But Pamela Slim’s advice is good: Sometimes carving huge goals into smaller, more attainable ones is the first step to success. To paraphrase, think big? Yes! But maybe start small first.
SMALL BUSINESSES PLAN TO INCREASE HIRING-Here is a sentence we haven’t seen or heard that often over the last four years or so: “Some good news in the job market.” And good news it is, indeed. A recent New York Times article highlights a National Federation of Independent Business survey given in November, which had encouraging results regarding hiring. According to the report, small biz hiring might be on the rise. Of those surveyed, “the net share of companies that were planning to hire workers was at its highest in 38 months.” While that’s exciting news to be sure, we’re particularly curious to hear from you about why you think this is: What do you think is the biggest reason behind this spike?
WHEN WILL SMALL BUSINESS OPTIMISM TURN TO ACTION?-SurePayroll, an online payroll-service company based in Illinois, reports that, among its over 35,000 small business clients, optimism is on the rise. According to the article, “In late summer and early fall, only one in three of [SurePayroll’s] small business clients were positive about the future, a figure it said increased to one in two in November.” Why is that a big deal? The article includes a video with SurePayroll’s President and Co-Founder Michael Alter, where he speaks to what this optimism might mean for small business owners in the future, when it comes to growth. His prediction? Expect some hiring in the next two to three months.
CONVERTING TO SQUARE FOR CREDIT CARD PROCESSING-This is an interesting article, written by a small business owner, explaining why (and how) she chose to forgo the traditional credit card processing route, and switch to Square. Here’s a hint: fees. The author also details a few other payment systems, such as Google Wallet and Dwolla. Have you ever thought about changing payment methods for your small business? If not, what would it take for you to convert?
Photo by: Images_of_Money
For this week’s edition of the Micro Business Tips Thursday, we kept up with the holiday trend, asking the Vistaprint Facebook community if they altered their website for the holidays and if so, what changes were made.
We received a number of great responses but couldn’t pick a clear winner between the answers of Mackinzie Kilma and Kelly Keans Engelkens. Since it is the holiday season we figured we’d spread the love and select two winners. Below are their answers, be sure to click on the links to their sites to see their tips in action:
“We do Christmad theme, we are a non-profit dog rescue. We also add Christmas music.” – Kilma, St. Francis of Assisi’s Bully Breed Rescue
“I sure do! This is my 1st Holiday and I wasn’t sure what I should do…so I played and I change it often! We added a Holiday 2011 page to our index and added lots of items that are just for the holidays and most are limited quantities. I also added a vote for your favorite Holiday scent running for 2 weeks then changed to vote for your favorite Holiday item that ran for 2 weeks as well as posting running results.” – Engelkens, Made2Burn
Click here to see all of this week’s responses.
Are you making changes to your site similar to the two above? Or are you doing something different for your site? We’d love to hear more in the comments below.
If you’re like me, holiday shopping hasn’t even crossed your mind yet.
Waiting to the last minute to buy holiday gifts is often rite of passage in December. But no doubt a holiday list is waiting in an iPhone, on a to-do list in the kitchen or rattling around in your head. But when thinking about what to get the loved ones in life, don’t forget the small business owners in your life. Being a part of a community means frequenting local businesses that work tirelessly year round to provide the highest quality products and services. When you have a good relationship with a small business owner, sometimes even a small gesture can mean the difference between a good year and a great year for them.
But what do get a small business owner? Here are five suggestions on both the low and high end, depending on how generous you’re feeling this year:
Basket of brainstorming toys: under $30
Small business owners are typically thinkers, which means that whenever they have time alone they’re trying to dream up new ways to make their business better. That means they could use a noise maker, a mindless puzzle to keep them preoccupied or even a stress ball to squeeze while on the phone. Package as many of these “brainstorming” toys as you want into a basket so wherever they are, a toy to fool around with and help them think is never far away.
Donation to favorite charity: minimum $25
It’s rare to find a small business that doesn’t have an affiliation of some kind with a local charity of organization. Giving a donation to the one that means the most to them is always a nice thought and doesn’t have to break the bank. Even if they are a member of a local chamber of commerce, that’s a donation possibility as well.
Small business book: $30 (if you go with a new book)
Knowledge is power, and giving it is never a bad idea. There isn’t a small business in the world that can’t learn something new every day, including tactics or ideas on how to make their business more of a success. Amazon will give you hundreds of options to choose from, but a few suggestions include the Accidental Entrepreneur by Susan Urquhart-Brown or the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.
Quickbooks:
Cross pen (or another brand): $40 – $250
If there’s one thing an entrepreneur is always looking for, it’s a pen. To jot down ideas, scribble notes or sign a check. That’s where a nice ballpoint pen or even an engraved pen can make for a great gift.
Quickbooks: $200 – $500
This would only be for those truly in the giving mood, or for those with family members that own a small business. But Quickbooks has become the de facto accounting software for any business that can’t outsource that function. It allows you to forecast, budget, generate profit and expense reports and makes life that much easier come tax time. For any small business with just a few employees, it’s a must have.
What will you get the small business owner in your town or family? What would add to the list?
As 2011 comes to a close and we look ahead to a new year, it’s time to start thinking about tax season and preparing to either file your own taxes or hire an outside vendor to assist you. If this is your first year filing taxes as a micro business owner, the process can appear daunting.
However you decide to prepare your taxes this season, here are a few tips to help save you time (and more importantly, money!)
Did you become an entrepreneur in 2011? If you started your micro business in 2011, you may be eligible to deduct some of the money you invested to get your business off the ground. Start-up expenses such as advertising, utilities, office supplies, and repairs can be deducted as current business expenses, but not before you have physically opened your business up. There is a catch though… your micro business needs to be losing money. If you are profitable from the get-go (not a horrible situation to be in!), you may not be eligible for this deduction.
Did you hire friends or family members? Micro business owners who hire their children (or any child under the age of 18) can deduct their wages as a business expense. To do this properly you should write up a job description, cut them a company check every pay period, and fill out and file a W-2 form. As a reminder, children can earn up to $5,700 tax free during the calendar year.
Does your business require you to drive? If your micro business demands that you drive to different locations for business-related appointments, you can deduct some of those costs on your taxes. To help easily keep track (and file accordingly), be sure to keep a notebook in your vehicle to record the date, mileage, tolls, parking costs and the purpose of your trip. At the end of the year, you have two choices. You can total the mileage and add in the tolls and parking to calculate your deduction. Once you have your mileage total, multiply it by the current amount for deduction. Your other choice is to measure your business usage against your personal driving and deduct that portion of your auto-related expenses. You can also factor in car payments expenses. Be sure to include your payments if you are leasing a vehicle, or if you bought an automobile, factor in the interest on your loan and depreciation on your vehicle.
Other helpful reminders when preparing your tax returns include:
How do you prepare for the upcoming tax season? Any advice you’d share with entrepreneurs going through the process for the first time?
This Friday’s Micro Business Roundup features stories that grabbed our attention this week, 
including what happens to your retirement fund when you’re a small business owner or employee, how customer research can be affordable and an attempt at figuring out if payroll tax cuts will actually help your business. We also highlight sweet trends and a sweet deal…
SMALL BIZ EMPLOYEES WANNA RETIRE, TOO -Whether it’s traveling, enjoying time with friends and family, or just spending unlimited hours of free time doing, well, whatever you want, we’ve all envisioned our retirement. But what does retirement really look like for a small business owner and his or her employees? Turns out, the real question is, does retirement even exist? As a recent Business Opportunities piece points out, not only do most small business owners neglect to set aside funds for their own retirement, their employees are often overlooked, too. In fact, “only 10% of small businesses offer some type of retirement plan.” Not surprisingly, those surveyed chalked the lack of a program up to cost, and the small size of their business. Our biggest takeaway from the piece, though, is what happens when a retirement plan is in place. Of business owners surveyed, “78 percent…say having a retirement plan is effective in helping to attract qualified employees.” We’re curious: Do you think having a plan in place is beneficial for new hire quality?
AMERICAN EXPRESS OFFERS EVEN MORE ENCOURAGEMENT TO SHOP AT SMALL BUSINESSES THIS HOLIDAY SEASON -Small Business Saturday is getting a bit of an extension. Thanks to the program’s success, American Express is now offering a “Spend $10, Get $10” offer through foursquare. The limited-time deal promotes foursquare, but also encourages shoppers to stick with small businesses for their holiday gifting. Are you going to check-in to this deal?
10 FOOD BUSINESS TRENDS TO WATCH FOR 2012 -A recent article in Small Business Trends takes a look at what 2012 has in store for food-based businesses. A few of next year’s most drool-worthy trends include customized potato everything (fried or mashed); 24-hour-a-day breakfast, a trend that has some restaurants serving waffle sandwiches and eggs way past noon; and the reinvention of comfort food, which, according to the piece, means “…Smart chefs are putting new twists on old formats, like pizzas, wraps and sandwiches, or using exotic ingredients in familiar foods.”
FIVE AFFORDABLE CONSUMER RESEARCH TOOLS -Sure, prior to expanding your business, consumer research can be really important, but it can also be crazy-expensive! As entrepreneur.com’s Susan Gunelius points out, typically, when it came to research, it wasn’t a low-cost process: “Not only did you have to hire a company to conduct surveys, but you also had to pay to get the results tabulated and presented in interpretive reports you could use to make decisions,” she writes. Luckily, there’s now a handy list of the top five most reasonably priced research tools out there that can help keep your wallet happy, and your biz booming. Does this change your mind about researching your next big business move?
WILL PAYROLL TAX CUTS REALLY HELP YOUR BUSINESS? -This article poses a good question…and one that we’d be willing to bet more than a few of you have, or are, contemplating right now. This piece is worth a read because it not only decodes what, exactly, is going on in Congress regarding the tax cut debate, but it also explores how it might (or might not) impact you and your small business.
Photo by: ralph and jenny
For this week’s edition of Micro Business Tips Thursday, we asked the Vistaprint Facebook community if they had thought of a New Year’s resolution for their small business.
The top resolution came from Ellen Huxtable of Advantage Business Concepts of Batavia, Ill.:
Do a simple, practical business plan for 2012 – goals, strategies & tactics.
We love the straightforward approach Ellen! To see all of this week’s answers, click here.
Do you have a resolution for your business heading into 2012? If so, we’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
Be sure to tune into our Facebook page next Thursday to give your advice on a small business topic. If your answer is chosen, you will be showcased on this blog.
Over the past few months, you may have heard a lot about Google’s new social networking site Google+, which is set to take on the powerhouse social site Facebook. While you may be hesitant to create another social networking platform that will require you to monitor and engage with, Google+ does offer some unique capabilities. Google+ features include more control over what information you share with Circles, connecting with customers using Hangouts, and because Google+ runs on the powerful Google search network, the platform can help give your business more SEO value.
To help you get your Google+ business page up, follow these few instructions:
1.) Visit Create a Google+ Page to get started (NOTE: You will need a personal Google account to get started). Select the category that best describes your micro business (“Local Business or Place,” “Product or Brand,” or “Company, Institute or Organization” will likely be your best options). If you don’t feel your micro business fits in any of the given categories, you can simply select “Other” where you can enter your page name and website. You will not be required to provide any additional narrowing information of category selection.
2.) Continue through each step filling in all relevant information to your business. You will also be prompted to add a business logo. PRO TIP: Keep your information consistent with your website, Facebook page and other marketing materials to keep that clean, uniformed look.
3.) Once you’ve created your Google+ business page, you’ll be prompted to add additional information to your page to help give visitors a better idea of what your business provides.
4.) Similar to the five photos you can have on your Facebook page, you’ll be prompted to fill in your photostrip. These five photos will be displayed underneath your page’s name and tagline. Be sure you add photos that best represent your micro business. Images of your product or your service in action will likely work best.
5.) That’s it! You’ve created a Google+ page for your micro business that will give your customers another way to connect with you, as well as another location for potential customers to find you within Google search results.
So I’ve created a Google+ business page, now what? You’re probably curious what benefit a Google+ business page has over your existing Facebook business page. One advantage utilized by brands of all sizes is that you can follow your customers back and organize them into different Circles. So you could create a Circle for your loyal/VIP customers to share special deals and other, a Circle for all customers to share general news and promotions. You could even make a Circle for your employees as a way to share news, trends, etc. without others seeing. The ability to create new Circles gives you unlimited possibilities of organization and communication options!
Outside of that, continue to update your Google+ page with content as you would with Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms.
Still need assistance? Feel free to check out these helpful Google Learn More videos.
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