All posts in Micro Business Issues

5 Quick, Healthy Breakfast Foods for the Busy Small Business Owner

This post is written by Robbie Vogel, a writer/editor with Vistaprint. Robbie has worked for microbusinesses in both PR and advertising.

Let’s be honest, not many of us have time to sit down for breakfast before work. Many of us skip the meal entirely, a bad habit that leads to a slow metabolism and overeating later in the day.

A travel mug of tea might be the closest some people come to a healthy breakfast, so read on for five quick breakfast foods that can improve your mood and energy for the rest of your day. Read more…

Take Your Small Business With You On Summer Vacation

This post is written by Megan Totka, Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. She writes on small business news and small business tips and resources. ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses grow their business on the web and helps them find their local Chamber of Commerce.

As the weather heats up, the time for summer vacations draws near. It is estimated that nearly half the American population, or 140,000,000 people, will travel this summer.

If you own a small business, you need a vacation just as much as traditional employees but may not feel comfortable totally unplugging and disappearing for the length of your time off. After all, there is really no one who can completely fill in for you during the time you are away from your office, store or computer. There are some ways to find a happy medium, however, and still enjoy your summer plans to the fullest.

Here are some easy ways to make the most of your vacation, and keep your business going strong, this summer. Read more…

5 Quick Tips to Avoid Burnout

This post is written by Robbie Vogel, a writer/editor with Vistaprint. Robbie has worked for microbusinesses in both PR and advertising.

The life of a small business owner is not a walk in the park. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed, highly stressed, and mentally and physically exhausted at times. However, when these feelings combine with a general helplessness and a desire to simply give up, you might be perilously close to a burnout.

The differences between being stressed out and being burned out are subtle. According to Help Guide, stress is characterized by over engagement and produces urgency and hyperactivity. Everyone knows these feelings, when it seems that the day is too short and the to-do list is too long. Burnout, on the other hand, is characterized by disengagement and a loss of motivation. So if that passion that used to get you out of bed in the morning is nowhere to be found, use these five quick tips to prevent burnouts. Read more…

4 Unexpected Ways To Market Your Business

This is a post from Sara Nash; Sara earned her degree in Public Relations from Penn State University. From there, she worked a PR agency in Boston before joining the PR and Social Media team at Vistaprint.

There are a number of ways beyond email and direct mail to market your business. Some of the most effective methods can happen without people even realizing it! Try some of these less-obvious ways to spread the word about your business. Read more…

6 Networking Tips For Home-Based Businesses

This post is written by Robbie Vogel, a writer/editor with Vistaprint. Robbie has worked for microbusinesses in both PR and advertising.

We wrote a post a while ago outlining three tips for establishing good work habits at home. This is an important set of guidelines, as it encourages the separation of your “business” self from your “home” self. However, it doesn’t touch on one of the most important parts of home-based business: networking. When working from home, it can be difficult to network, and find new customers. Here are six quick tips you might find useful: Read more…

5 Ways To Boost Productivity

This post is written by Robbie Vogel, a writer/editor with Vistaprint. Robbie has worked for microbusinesses in both PR and advertising.

An average American, 25-54 years old, with children under 18, will work 8.8 hours on a typical workday. For a small business owner however, working a shade under nine hours every day may seem like Nirvana. However, with the right mix of hard work and these tips, you may see your productivity increase while your hours decrease. Read more…

[INFOGRAPHIC] 6 Simple Ways To Say It With Signage

When it comes to promoting your small business, there are so many options to choose from, it might be tough to select the perfect promotional product mix. Have you ever thought about using signage? There are a number of innovative ways to use products like banners, magnets, posters, lawn signs and more to get the word out about your small business. Here are six simple tips to spark some creativity, and help you get the most out of signage!
Read more…

How To Harness Your Motivation In Four Steps

This post is written by Robbie Vogel, a writer/editor with Vistaprint. Robbie has worked for microbusinesses in both PR and advertising.

Whether you’re starting a new diet or trying to get ahead in the business world, motivation is key. Many a great idea has been thought of on the couch or in the shower, only to be discarded due to a lack of motivation. It’s the difference between an idea and a goal, and the driving force behind every great project.

Important though it may be, motivation is often difficult to quantify. You may be the most strong-willed individual in the world, and have a great idea that you’re thrilled to begin work on, but none of that matters if you can’t turn it into meaningful work. Harness your motivation and turn it into a plan of action that you can use to accomplish your goals, whether they involve getting a job, securing a promotion, starting a business, or something else entirely. Read more…

5 More Advanced SEO Tricks You’ve Never Heard Of

5 SEO Tricks You've Never Heard Of

This blog post was written by Bobby Gaglini, who works on the external marketing team at Vistaprint, and specializes in search marketing.

There’s a lot more to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) than just keywords, links and content generation. In fact, there’s always something that you can do every day to improve your website and get your business seen by more potential customers. Here are five more advanced tricks to help aid your website’s SEO performance: Read more…

50 Days Of Business Card Design: Patterns

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This post is written by Kristen Johnson, a member of Vistaprint’s social media team who focuses on content marketing.

The theme for 50 Days of Design this week is patterns. Patterns are an awesome way to add a unique and distinctive look and feel to your business card. If you are looking for a way to make your cards special, check out the eye-catching content we have showcased this week for some inspiration. 50 Days of Design will continue for just three more weeks, so be sure to continue to follow along through Facebook for more design inspiration and helpful tips.

Here is this week’s collection of patterned business cards! Read more…