There was an article by getbusymedia.com with some small business stats for 2011:

Small business is very important in the US.

U.S has more than 27 mi small businesses.

Small businesses with less than 100 employees represents 99% of all employers.

In most states small business accounts for about 30% of  all economic activity.  States with smaller populations usually have a higher % .  Montana’s % is highest at 47.6%   Wyoming 43.8% and Vermont 43.4%

Small business: Annual  payroll in the U. S 1.5 trillion =  30.2%  (total annual was 5 trillion)

Small business: Annual revenue 7.8 trillion = 26.1 % (total annual was 29.7 trillion)

Small business: Employment 42.7 million = 35.4%  (total employment was 120.6 million)

Small business: Establishments 6.2 million= 80.3% (total establishments 7.7 million)

Small business: Firms 5.9 million =98.2% (total firms 6.0 million

These stats are evidence a lot of our financial future depends on Main Street America.  Although a lot of businesses have not survived this economy over the past few years, many small business owners keep engaging customers, and continue to work hard for growth.  Small Business still remains the backbone of America.

Business for many companies may slow down during the summer. We listed our business with Manta and they email us tips every now and then. They have a few suggestions for taking advantage of the slower times. These little tasks may just give your business the boost it needs for the rest of the year.

1. Clear clutter. Go through folders and emails and get rid of stuff you don’t need.

2. Touch base with contacts. Reconnect and build new relationships.

3. Refresh your marketing material. Slower economy means more marketing. You might want to get new business cards, update your profiles on social media sites, write a few more articles or spend more time on your blog.

A slow period for your business is a good time to get those things done that you put off when business is at it’s peak.

The year 2011, we hope will be a year of growth for many, ourselves included.  What can you do to ensure growth this year whether you are a new or established company?

Keep yourself educated about what’s going on in your industry and share that with your current or  potential clients.  Times are changing and it is important to be relevant.

Stand back a moment and put yourself  in the client’s place and think about what they need to hear.  Show assurance that your ideas and services will produce results and clients will be open to your advice. 

Pick the right clients.  More isn’t always better.  Not every prospect will be a good fit for your business.   A business that may pay off well up front may not be “good business” down the line, especially if they kill your time, and make unreasonable demands.  Spend your time and resources on those that will benefit you the most.

 Know your competition.  What are they doing that you aren’t?  How much advertising do they do and how much do you do?   

Take your competitors best ideas and improve on them.  Competition should make you  better, more creative and stand out.

Seek out referrals.  Ask your customers for business referrals.  Let them know you appreciate the recommendation and offer them a referral reward or promotional item.    

Don’t be happy with who you are and what you know.  You can never know enough.

QR (quick response) square bar codes are popping up in magazines, on sales signs, business cards and on direct mail items. So what are these codes? These are codes that can be scanned and read by smart phones. Once scanned it can either send you to a website, provide directions from google maps, show a video, provide a coupon or give other information depending on what the maker of the code has set up. 

Suppose you see a house for sale that you like with a QR code on the sign or the brochure. You scan the code and you might get to see a walk through video of that property. QR codes may work better for some businesses than others. They provide another way of connecting the world to the internet. It would be important for anyone using this marketing tool to test the code before releasing it to make sure it is working and will not cause frustration for the person trying to use it.

These codes will certainly become more common and be another way to connect with the consumer and help grow your business. Here’s the full Wikipedia description.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code

You can easily generate a QR code using a site like one of these. 

  http://www.qrstuff.com   http://qrcode.kaywa.com/

Keeping your website updated lets your customers know your business is keeping up with your particular industry. Don’t give your customers the impression that your company is stagnant. Search engines aren’t fans of websites that have stale content. This could result in reduced visibility of your business. Original updated content is what search engines look for. So keep your website fresh and you have a greater chance of attracting and keeping customers. Contact us and we’d be happy to help.

Everyone knows that networking is important in order to compete with other businesess.  It is an investment in the success of your business.   For a lot of people however,  networking  is not easy to do.  If you are shy walking into a room of  strangers and starting a conversation can be intimidating.  Don’t fear.  There is hope.  Start slow and don’t wear yourself out.  Give yourself time to get comfortable.  Remember that a lot of the people around you may also be  feeling awkward.  Here is an article with some good tips and links to other helpful articles to get you started and help you connect with confidence.

http://blogs.wsj.com/in-charge/2011/02/23/how-to-network-%e2%80%93-when-youre-shy/

Social media will play a huge role in 2011.  People spend more time posting and tweeting with friends and colleagues than they do talking.  Facebook and Twitter make it easy for people who enjoy your products and services to tell their friends, family, and colleagues about your business.  Recommendations carry a lot of weight.  Facebook is “king”.  If you aren’t sure your business needs a Facebook page these statistics found on onlineschools.org may help you decide. 

 As of 2011 there are  500,000,000 active Facebook users.  That’s 1 in every 13 people on earth.

Facebook was the most -searched term in 2010 for the second year running.

The over 35 demographic now represents more than 30% of the entire user base.

57% of people talk more online than they do in person.

48% of 18-34 year olds check Facebook right when they wake up.

In 20 minutes on Facebook :

1,000,000 links are shared

2,716,000 messages are sent

1,972,000 friend requests are accepted

10,208,00 comments are made

1,587,000 posts are put on walls

These numbers are staggering.  If you don’t have a page try one.  Put up a page, get people to like your page and then engage them with good products, services, discussions and content and see what happens.   It doesn’t take that much time and it may bring valuable rewards.

Answer your questions for sharing in the comments section!

Getting a website designed can be expensive and time consuming.  Many people feel the “low cost do it yourself ” offerings from many companies will be a good solution.   Pick a template, add content and people will find you.  But will they?

In order for a site to look professional you need :

1. To understand color, images, navigation, and layout. 

2. To know now what content will address the needs of the user and have the right call to actions. 

3.  To know Search Engine Optimization including keywords, organic searches and social media so you can be found.  It’s  not enough to have a website up.  You need to have an internet marketing strategy to help get you listed in the top pages of search engines. 

Do it yourself websites may be an option for people on limited budgets but  beware because you will get what you pay for.  There are millions of businesses on the Internet  in the US alone and many will fail.  Can your business afford to take the low cost route or would it serve you better to hire a professional who can provide a custom solution for you?  Think hard about it before you decide.