The SMB NOW Blog

Author: Sarah

3 Trends Currently Driving New SMBs

August 7, 2010 by Sarah Leave a Comment

3 Trends Currently Driving New SMBs

Let’s face it, the American economy is still far from perfect. Even so, people are still starting small- and medium-sized businesses and some of those businesses are still thriving. Why? Simply because there are some business trends that are hot right now, even in this economy. The reasons vary, so let’s take a look at a few of them.

1. Going Green. Going green is big business right now. Many companies now include some kind of environmentally friendly incentives in their sales pitch for their products and services. What can this be attributed to? Government incentives are one reason companies are clamoring to be green. From automakers to the electric industry companies are receiving millions of stimulus dollars that revolve around creating and using renewable energy. Also, people are now understanding the importance of clean energy. Overall, the public sentiment about saving the environment has changed over the last decade or so.

2. Senior Citizens. Our population is getting older. Baby boomers are becoming senior citizens. Right now there are over 37 million seniors and in twenty years they’ll make up 20% of the United States population. They’ll also be looking to spend over $1 trillion. If that’s not incentive enough to get into the business of seniors, I don’t know what is. From anti-aging cosmetics and senior dating services to nursing homes and technical assistance if you’re thinking of starting a business, you may want to turn to your elders for guidance. As a matter of fact, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics says aging-services – home health care, elderly and disabled services, and community care facilities – make up three of the top ten fastest growing businesses.

3. Buying Local. There’s a desire to buy locally grown and made products sweeping the nation. That means more mom-and-pop stores. Farmers’ markets seem to be at the heart of this movement; there are currently about 5,000 across the United States and over the past five years that number has been growing at a 5% rate. Almost 60% of consumers say they try to shop locally. National chain stores like Wal-mart have tried to gain more business by adding “locally grown” sections to their grocery departments. The USDA has launched a program called “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food,” which encourages people to buy locally, and several cities, such as Orlando, Florida have been starting “buy local” campaigns.


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Tagged: Buy Local, environment, Farmers Markets, Green, health care, Mom-and-Pop Stores, Senior Citizens, Small Business Trends, SMBs, Wal-Mart

Help for Florida SMBs Affected by Oil Spill

July 27, 2010 by Sarah Leave a Comment

Help for Florida SMBs Affected by Oil SpillOn April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, killing eleven workers and injuring several others. It also caused a sea-floor oil gusher, which has caused a massive oil spill. The spill, which has been called the largest offshore spill in United States history, resulted in hundreds of millions of gallons of oil polluting the Gulf of Mexico. Several governors of states along the Gulf Coast declared a state of emergency, as did the federal government. Marine life and wildlife habitats have been harmed, as have many small businesses.

Fishing was banned in about one-third of the Gulf by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and people canceled their vacations. BP gave the state of Florida $25 million to help promote their beaches, which were said to be unaffected by the oil spill. Hotels offered discounts and free deals and packages. Even so, a University of Central Florida economist called the spill, “the worst disaster in the history of Florida tourism.” It is estimated that Florida’s Paradise Coast could lose $3 billion in revenue this year.

However, the United States Small Business Administration has announced that it will be helping several of Florida’s small businesses. The SBA is offering loans and loan defermention options to fishing-related businesses who were shut down due to the oil spill. Hope is that the loans and deferments will provide temporary assistance to “overcome the loss of revenue” they have experienced this spring and summer.

Many Florida counties are included: Bay, Citrus, Collier, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Monroe, Okaloosa, Pasco, Pinellas, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Taylor and Walton. The adjacent counties of Alachua, Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, Desoto, Gilchrist, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Holmes, Jackson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Marion, Miami-Dade, Polk, Sumter, Wakulla, and Washington. Some Alabama and Georgia counties are included, as well.

The program will offer working capital loans for up to $2 million at 3% interest for non-profit organizations and 4% for businesses with terms up to 30 years. Loans can be used to make payroll, pay debts, accounts payable, and other bills that have been impacted by the oil spill. The SBA is also encouraging small businesses to file claims with BP.

Fishing, shrimping, crabbing, and oyster fishing who fish in the waters that have been shut down are among the main businesses being targeted. Other small businesses that are dependent on shrimp, crabs, and oysters are included, too. Also, businesses who supply fishing gear and fuel, docks, boatyards, processors, wholesalers, shippers, retailers, and other businesses that rely on recreational and sports fishing can get involved.

If you’re a small business in any of the Florida counties mentioned above and you think you may qualify for assistance, contact the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955. The deadline to return applications is February 14, 2011.

Check out these related stories:
1. Florida Computer Rentals
2. Independent Oil Producer Leader Says Senate Vote Sends Signal To Political Opportunists


Looking for a GeoVison Security Camera System to help secure your small or medium business? Call www.CameraSecurityNow.com today at 877-422-1907 for a free phone consultation. Ask about the new Hybrid DVR/NVR surveillance solutions.

Tagged: BP, disaster recovery, Fishing, Florida, Oil Spill, SBA, Small Business Administration, SMBs, Tourism

3 iPhone Apps Every SMB Owner Must Have

July 18, 2010 by Sarah Leave a Comment

3 iPhone Apps Every SMB Owner Must Have

More and more business-owners are relying on their smartphones to conduct business these days and as you can imagine, there are a million apps for that! But how do you know which ones will actually help you run your business effectively? To get you started, here are three that every small- and medium-sized business owner should look into for their iPhone.

1. Scanner Pro – $6.99

With this app, you simply use your iPhone camera to take a picture of a document and scan it into an PDF file. Once you take the picture of the document, you simply mark where the corners are and the app does the rest of the work for you. You can then email the PDF file to anyone who needs to see the document.

2. Good for Enterprise – Free

If you’re looking to sync your iPhone to Microsoft Exchange in a secure environment, this is the app for you. While iPhone normally supports Exchange, this app offers some added security. Features include the ability to keep data exchanged over a network encrypted and the ability to access your email, contacts, and calendar over a secure connection. It’s a great way to keep your company protected.

3. Recorder – $.99

For less than a dollar, this little app allows you to record outgoing calls. Ever forget what was discussed during an important phone call? This app can record for hours and provide you with the opportunity to play those calls back over and over again. You can also record voice memos. The best feature of all is that you can send those recordings via email to anyone. So, if your business partner missed an important call or a customer can’t remember what you told them, all you have to do is send them the entire phone conversation.


Looking for a GeoVison Security Camera System to help secure your small or medium business? Call www.CameraSecurityNow.com today at 877-422-1907 for a free phone consultation. Ask about the new Hybrid DVR/NVR surveillance solutions.

Tagged: Business Apps, Good for Enterprise, iPhone Apps, Recorder, Scanner Pro, Smartphones

Top Blackberry Apps for SMBs

July 11, 2010 by Sarah Leave a Comment

10 Great Blackberry Apps for Your SMB

Throughout the last decade, the Blackberry has made its mark as the leading business smartphone. E-mail capabilities, robust security, and Blackberry Enterprise Server are just a few of the reasons the device has heavily impacted the business world.

But in the last year, with new designs and marketing, nearly half of 32 million Blackberry users aren’t from the corporate world. They are consumers, pro-sumers, and small businesses. The Blackberry App store has over 3,000 apps, but it’s hard to know which ones are specifically SMB-oriented. Recently, bMighty.com teamed with Research In Motion to choose the top ten SMB Blackberry Apps. Here is a look at what they chose:

1. Blackberry Messenger – Connect with friends and co-workers by using a secure PIN or barcode password. Chat, share pictures and videos, or even hold a business meeting with the group chat feature. The app is free but it only works if the other people you are talking to have a Blackberry, as well.

2. Google Talk – Another great (free) way to connect but your friends and colleagues won’t need a Blackberry to respond. Have single or group chats, use emoticons, customize your status, and set up custom alerts for messages that come through while you’re not available. Google Talk is open and allows any third-party client to use its network. It’s also compatible with other Instant Messengers.

3. Yahoo Messenger – This one is relatively new to Blackberry but is just as popular as the computer version. It’s free, and allows you to check who is and isn’t online, customize your status message, create chat areas to talk with several people at once, and personalize your status with avatars, ringtone alerts, and emoticons. Talk with people who have Hotmail, Lotus Notes, and Windows Live accounts, as well as AIM or Google Talk with free account activation.

4. Documents to Go – Considered to be one of the ultimate business apps for Blackberry, this one lets you view and edit documents without changing the file’s format. If you like the free trial version, you can purchase the program for $70, but many business-owners say the price is well worth it. Especially if you need to read, create, and edit Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents and PDF files on your Blackberry.

5. Exgis Mileage Tracker – If you travel a lot for your business, this app is a must-have. It makes record-keeping a little easier as it records your vehicle’s mileage and locations quickly and let’s you record travel time directly against specific clients. You can also export your data in a spreadsheet to send to to your office. The app is easy to use and costs a mere $4.99.

6. Google Maps – This is another great free app for the SMB travellers and it’s more than likely something you already know how to use. Get maps, directions and even mileage to and from any destination. Find out where you are with the “My Location” feature, should you get lost. In some areas, you can even get traffic and transit information. Just like with the web version, you can use Street View, to help you get a visual idea of many areas.

7. Intuit GoPayment – Several SMBs need the ability to accept credit card payments but don’t always have one. This app processes any major credit card and emails the receipt directly to the handset. Transactions can be transferred into most financial software applications. Security is tight and trustworthy with this app which is free, but charges a monthly service of $19.95.

8. Poynt – Blackberry users have ranked this among their favorites, claiming it’s better than the Yellow Pages when looking for a particular place. This app points you to the nearest movie theater, restaurant, or any business or person you’re looking for, using GPS and cell tower technology to provide you with the phone number, website, maps, and directions. Book tickets or make reservations, and even use it to invite colleagues to a specific location. And yes, it’s free, too.

9. Viigo – This app is a free content gathering tool that lets you access information and content from Twitter to podcasts and everything in between. Get your news, sports, weather, stock reports, movie reviews and anything else you might look for online, in one place. Not only can you customize your content collection, but you will also have access to content from Business Week, and Website magazine, vendor resources such as white papers and from companies such as Oracle and Microsoft.

10. Worldmate Live – This is a free App and a favorite among business travelers (it’s even earned a five-star rating at Blackberry App World). Forward your travel confirmation emails to Worldmate and they build your online travel itinerary, making it available to access via your Blackberry. Synchronise your work calendar, to make that part of the database, as well. The app is integrated with Google Maps, Blackberry maps, TeleNav, MapQuest, OAG, Yelp, Expedia, Hotels.com, Flighstats.com and many more.


Looking for a GeoVison Security Camera System to help secure your small or medium business? Call www.CameraSecurityNow.com today at 877-422-1907 for a free phone consultation. Ask about the new Hybrid DVR/NVR surveillance solutions.

Tagged: blackberry, Blackberry Apps, Business Apps, communication, Google Talk, Maps, smartphone, SMB, SMB apps, Travel

7 Meeting Basics

June 4, 2010 by Sarah Leave a Comment

7 Meeting Basics

Every SMB has meetings, whether they include five or fifty employees, are held weekly or monthly. But does every SMB know how to plan a meeting so that they are effective? if you follow these ten simple tips, your meetings will most definitely improve!

1. Don’t hold unnecessary meetings. If you hold meetings all the time, for every little thing, you’ll take time away from other tasks your employees need to complete.

2. Make your objectives clear. Again, don’t hold meetings just to hold meetings. If you want to discuss new sales goals, hold a meeting and let attendees know what the meeting will be about so everyone can attend with the proper expectations.

3. If your meeting requires discussion of sensitive information, you’ll want to invite a neutral party.

4. Inform your employees ahead of time. Let them know when and where the meeting will take place and what they’ll need to bring. Understandably, the occasional last minute meeting comes about, but for the most part, preparedness is important.

5. Keep meetings on time. Being them on time, end them on time. It’s that simple.

6. Have someone take notes about what happens at each meeting and keep that information archived. Document any decisions that were made or assignments that were given. You never know when you’ll need to refer back to it.

7. Reflect on your last meeting and look for ways to improve your meetings or ask your employees what they would suggest.


Looking for a GeoVison Security Camera System to help secure your small or medium business? Call www.CameraSecurityNow.com today at 877-422-1907 for a free phone consultation. Ask about the new Hybrid DVR/NVR surveillance solutions.

Tagged: Improvement, Meeting Basics, meetings, SMBs, Tips

Keep Your Meetings on Time

June 2, 2010 by Sarah Leave a Comment

Keep Your Meetings on Time

Let’s face it, meetings aren’t exactly everyone’s favorite activity, and a meeting that runs long leaves everyone tired and dragging and behind on the rest of the day’s goals. And a meeting that starts late can be just as bad. But if you’re planning a meeting for your employees, there are steps you can take to ensure your meeting starts on time and finishes on time.

The first thing you must do is let your employees know you will not tolerate tardiness. Teachers and schools reward and punish students who are always on time or never on time and in a way, you, as the boss, manager, or meeting planner are much like a teacher. If you want to change your attendees’ behavior, you must change your own behavior. If someone is more than five minutes late to a meeting, let them know that this will not be tolerated unless circumstances are extreme. When everyone is on time, reward them. You’ll set the standard for proper behavior and let everyone know you are taking these meetings seriously.

But before you can punish or reward your employees, you have to make sure they know when your meeting will begin and they are expected to be on time. When you first announce your meeting, make sure you clearly state the time when your meeting will begin; make sure you you state that meetings will begin exactly at this time and that attendees should not be late. You can also send out a reminder, usually via email, about half an hour before the meeting begins.

Next you’ll want to follow through with your plan. If your meeting is to begin at 10:00 AM, begin it exactly at 10:00 AM, not 10:15 and not when everyone’s finally arrived. That means you must be on time, too. If you’ve made a big deal about being on time to your employees, you’ll be awfully embarrassed if everyone’s sitting there, waiting, when you’re ten minutes late. As a matter of fact, it’s probably best to be at least 10-15 minutes early, and it’s probably best to go over your agenda, make sure you know your material and what you need to cover.

So, if you’ve done all this and you still don’t have everyone attending on time, then it’s time to let your employees know you mean business. Close the door to the meeting room and put a note on the door that says the meeting was supposed to start at 10:00 AM. Latecomers will most likely be worried about the consequences and try harder in the future. Finally, if you do begin a meeting later than you intended, make sure you end it on time anyway. Chances are, your employees do have other tasks to accomplish and it’s wrong to punish those who were on time for your own faults.


Looking for a GeoVison Security Camera System to help secure your small or medium business? Call www.CameraSecurityNow.com today at 877-422-1907 for a free phone consultation. Ask about the new Hybrid DVR/NVR surveillance solutions.

Tagged: meetings, on time, punctuality, SMBs, time management

Help Keep Your Employees Healthy

May 27, 2010 by Sarah Leave a Comment

Help Keep Your Employees HealthyEncouraging your employees to stay health has a lot of benefits for you as an employer. Not only will you have to pay lower health-care costs, but you’ll see more production and less absenteeism. In 2007, a survey revealed that nearly half of all companies were working on some health-related program to benefit their employees and that for every dollar spent on encouraging employee health, companies saved five dollars.

Sure, big businesses and corporations have the money to roll out fancy health programs for their employees but there are things you can do as a small business owner, as well. There are many things you can do for your employees (and your company) on a smaller budget. Here are a few tips to help get you started.

1. Healthy Snacks – Every office has snacks lying around, many times purchased by the boss, but healthier snacks can make healthier workers. Instead of a big bag of M&Ms, go for a big bag of mixed nuts, which are a great source of protein. Instead of chips, get a vegetable platter. Put a water cooler next to your soda machines or keep your break room fridge stocked with bottles of water. If you have a company cafeteria, make sure the meals served are healthy.

2. Promote a Healthy Lifestyle – Hang posters or fliers that encourage exercise or offer advice on making healthy food choices. Maybe your local gym is offering a membership discount this month – put a flier in each of your employee’s paycheck envelopes or stick one in each of their mailboxes. Make health-consciousness the norm around the office. You may even be able to work a deal with a local gym or health food store, to offer a discount for your employees only.

3. Help employees make time for their health – Give fifteen minute stress relief breaks each day. If you have the space and money, bring some gym equipment into your office that employees can use during break times. Help employees find a route to walk or jog around your office. Allow health professionals to come in and give your employees health screenings for issues such as high blood pressure or high blood sugar. Or even hire a masseuse to come in and allow employees to pay for short massages.

4. Offer bonuses and incentives – Lots of offices have contests for those looking to lose weight, maybe throw in a prize for the winner. Offer your own discounts on gym memberships or include a gift certificate to a health food store in with yearly bonuses.


Looking for a GeoVison Security Camera System to help secure your small or medium business? Call www.CameraSecurityNow.com today at 877-422-1907 for a free phone consultation. Ask about the new Hybrid DVR/NVR surveillance solutions.

Tagged: employees, exercise, food, gym, Health, health care, Health Insurance, healthy food, snacks

Projector Rentals for Business Presentations

March 17, 2010 by Sarah Leave a Comment
Projector Rentals for Business Presentations

When you have to make a big business presentation, you know you have to sell something to your audience, whether it’s a service, topic, concept or product, and you’ve probably worked tirelessly to put it all together. You need the right pitch, you need to know everything there is to know about what you’re selling, and you need it to be perfect. With so much on your mind, what sort of equipment you’re going to use to make the presentation or how to set it up, should be the least of your worries.

That’s where RentOurProjectors.com comes in. If you’re planning to make your presentation in your own office or on the road, we can deliver any projector to any location in the United States. Without having to worry about picking up equipment or carrying it along with you when you travel, you’ll have extra time to work on the presentation. And because you’ll only need the projector for a short period of time, you’ll save money by renting a projector instead of buying. We have some of the most competitive rates in the business.

Remember, next time you need a Projector Rental for your Business Presentation one visit to Rentacomputer.com and you can book the highest quality Projector Rental. Together with your informative and engaging slideshow or multimedia presentation, a quality projector rental will help you leave a lasting impression with your employees, clients, customers, bosses, and co-workers.


Looking for a GeoVison Security Camera System to help secure your small or medium business? Call www.CameraSecurityNow.com today at 877-422-1907 for a free phone consultation. Ask about the new Hybrid DVR/NVR surveillance solutions.

Tagged: Business Presentations, Business Projectors, Multimedia Presentations RentOurProjectors.com, Projector Rentals, Slideshows

SMBs are Hiring

March 7, 2010 by Sarah Leave a Comment

Are SMBs Hiring

New data suggests the smallest businesses in the country are beginning to add new jobs and some experts say that’s a great sign for bigger companies. This info comes despite a March 5th report from the Labor Department that suggests the United States is still losing jobs.

Intuit released some information on March 1st that suggests companies with less than 20 employees have been adding new jobs since June 2009. That’s based on the 50,000 customers using their online payroll service. Also, after two years of decline, the average paycheck amount for someone working for a company of less than 100 employees is beginning to stabilize over the last three months, and in some cases, is increasing. This includes data from salary, hourly, and contract workers. That information came out on March 3rd from a company called SurePayroll.

The numbers look like this: since June, employment at small businesses as been growing at 1.1% annual rate. With that information, Intuit suggests 150,000 jobs have been created by companies with fewer than 20 employees since June. That includes 40,000 last month alone. Granted that’s a long way from re-employing the 8.4 million who have lost jobs since December 2007, but it’s still a start and it’s left some people pretty hopeful.

Brian Headd, an economist at the Small Business Administration says this is a potentially good sign. He says that in 2002, recovery began when small businesses began hiring before larger companies did and in some cases when larger companies were still losing jobs. According to census data from 2006, companies of 20 or less employees make up 89% of all businesses and 18% of the private workforce.

Meanwhile, Congress is working on a number of different bills in an effort to put people back to work and one way they’re trying to do that is tax incentives. Last week, the House passed a bill that gives employers who hire people who have been out of work for two months a year free from paying the Social Security payroll tax. John Bishop of Cornell University has proposed a hiring tax credit that he says could will encourage about two million jobs in the next year. But a lot small businesses don’t wait on the government to pass bills before they hire and don’t sit around, waiting for incentives.

For example, Michael McKean, the CEO of the Knowland Group in McLean, VA told Business Week he has already hired ten people this year and hopes to hire about six more. The company makes sales, marketing, and lead generation products to help hotels attract conferences and events. He says he believes the industry is due to pick up soon and knows he can increase his credit line

Official data from the Labor Department about hiring won’t be available for several months, but if history is any indication, this data is good news. Companies with less than 500 employees have made up 64% of new jobs created between 1993 and 2008 and it looks like that trend will continue.


Looking for a GeoVison Security Camera System to help secure your small or medium business? Call www.CameraSecurityNow.com today at 877-422-1907 for a free phone consultation. Ask about the new Hybrid DVR/NVR surveillance solutions.

Tagged: employemnt, Government, hiring, Intuit, jobs, small business, Small Business Trends, SurePayroll

The South Financial Group Recognized for SMB Banking

February 25, 2010 by Sarah Leave a Comment

The South Financial Group Recognized for SMB Banking

The South Financial Group, headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, has won 2009 “Excellence in Small Business Banking” awards from Greenwhich Associates. The company won in both the regional and national categories. The bank was also one of nineteen national banks to be recognized for “overall satisfaction.”

The South Financial Group is actually a bank holding company, that focuses on serving SMBs in North and South Carolina (12% and 45% of customers) respectively, and Florida (43% of customers). At the end of 2001, it had about $11.9 billion assets and 177 branch offices. Its known as Carolina First bank in the Carolinas and Mercantile Bank in Florida.

Ernie Diaz, president of the Florida branches of the bank had this to say about the award, “These awards illustrate our commitment to understanding the needs of business owners and working together to meet their specific needs.”

The Market President of Carolina First Bank, David Lominack, added, “Delivering on our relationship banking model continues to be our goal, and these awards reflect the value our bankers place on exceeding customer expectations.”

The company won three awards overall: “Overall Satisfaction” in the National category, “Relationship Management Performance” in the National category, and “Overall Satisfaction” in the Southern Regional category.


Looking for a GeoVison Security Camera System to help secure your small or medium business? Call www.CameraSecurityNow.com today at 877-422-1907 for a free phone consultation. Ask about the new Hybrid DVR/NVR surveillance solutions.

Tagged: banking, Florida, Greenwhich Associates, North Carolina, SMB, South Carolina, South Financial Group
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