Small Business Entrepreneurship Articles
The following articles offer practical advice from a wide range of business experts, from marketing specialists to management consultants. New articles will be posted here monthly, so be sure to check back for the atest small business tips and entrepreneurial advice.
Mary Ellen Merrigan, President
Connecting Point Communications
Public Relations Puts Your Business on the Map -- for Free!
Mary Ellen Merrigan, Connecting Point Communications, July, 2009 – Across the country, traditional media (newspapers, magazines, television and radio) have cut resources to save money. Today's reporters begin research online and you can help them by providing information they can access 24/7 on your website. In this article, Mary Ellen Merrigan shows you five sectors where you can start getting the word out about your business for free.
The Importance of Business Networking
Wally Drangmeister, WESST, November, 2009 – Online social networking is all the rage these days, but it's important to remember that good old fashioned face-to-face business networking is as important as ever for developing new relationahips and business connections.
WESST's Training Goes the Distance to Reach Clients
Wally Drangmeister, WESST, October, 2009 – New Mexico spans over 121,000 square miles, and is nearly the size of New England and New York combined. There is a tremendous need for WESST’s services across all of New Mexico, but the sheer geographic size makes reaching every entrepreneur a challenge. Distance learning is helping WESST overcome these challenges and serve more entrepreneurs.
12 LinkedIn Tips for Job Seekers
Nina Anthony, WESST, April, 2009 – Whether you’re looking for a job or looking for new clients, having a presence on LinkedIn means that people who are looking for someone with your experience will be able to find you. Knowing how to leverage LinkedIn to its full extent can help you connect with people who can make an introduction that might eventually lead to work. The key, of course, is knowing how to make the right connections.
How SEO and Social Media Can Help Small Businesses Combat the Recession
Nina Anthony, WESST, February, 2009 – In response to the severe credit meltdown and ensuing economic repercussions that have been felt across all sectors around the globe, many businesses – from large corporations to small companies – are dialing back their marketing budgets as part of their cost-cutting measures. As companies search for ways to spend their limited marketing resources more efficiently, more and more businesses are shifting their focus from traditional mass media spending to online media. Despite the weak economy, studies continue to show evidence of growth in the internet marketing industry. In uncertain times, one thing is certain: smart companies are relying more on inbound marketing strategies such as search engine optimization (SEO), pay per click advertising (PPC), and social media to save money and create revenues.
Is Business Incubation Right for Me?
Doug Lee, WESST Enterprise Center, October, 2008 – Is necessity truly the mother of invention? It was certainly the case nearly 50 years ago with the unintended creation of the business incubation industry. The international business incubation movement began in New York with a businessman, an empty building and an idea of mentoring young companies through their early years – the most vulnerable period of their lives. That idea has grown worldwide to over 6,000 incubators, 1400+ of which are located in the United States.
Eight Steps to Small Business Banking Success
Kim T. Blueher, WESST, April, 2008 – Getting a loan to start or grow your business can be time consuming and frustrating especially if you don't know what lenders look for when deciding whether or not to loan you money. Loan officers all want basically the same thing: to loan money that gets repaid. From their perspective it's about that simple. But from the perspective of the person seeking a loan, there are several steps you must (or at least should) follow to have the best chance possible of getting the loan officer to say yes.