By Maria Valdez Haubrich

Did you participate in National Small Business Week this past year? The Small Business Administration hosts Small Business Week every spring; this past year’s was one of the most successful ever. But the SBA is already getting ready for the 2012 National Small Business Week, which will be held May 20-26, 2012 in Washington, DC.  (Click here to get the details about the event.)

As part of National Small Business Week, every year the SBA honors entrepreneurs from every U.S. state and the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as State Small Business Person of the Year. From those state winners, one National winner is chosen as National Small Business Person of the Year.

The SBA is looking to you to nominate candidates for these honors. Criteria for nominees are as follows:

1. Staying power — a substantiated history as an established business.
2. Growth in number of employees — a benchmark to judge the impact of the business on the job market.
3. Increase in sales and/or unit volume — an indication of continued growth over the last three years.
4. Current and past financial performance — financial reports substantiate an improved financial position of the business.
5. Innovativeness of product or service offered — an illustration of the creativity and imagination of the nominee.
6. Response to adversity — examples of problems faced in the nominee’s business and the methods used to solve them.
7. Contributions to community-oriented projects — evidence of the use of his/her personal time and resources.
8. If applicable, a description of the products exported and markets served.

After being nominated, nominees can benefit from these SBA Guidelines to help them put together a winning nomination package.

In addition to the Small Business Person/s of the Year, the SBA is also seeking nominations for the following categories:

·          Champion Awards honor individuals or organizations dedicated to supporting small businesses in a variety of categories.

·         Phoenix Awards for individuals (business owners, volunteers and public officials) whose efforts and contributions have enabled their businesses or communities to recover successfully from a disaster.

To find out more about nominations, as well as learn the full schedule, and about other events at next year’s National Small Business Week, visit the official National Small Business Week website. If you have questions about the nomination process, contact your local SBA District Office.

Image by Flickr user TexasGOPVote (Creative Commons)

6^th Annual New York XPO for Business

Voted New York’s number-one B2B tradeshow, the New York XPO for Business focuses on networking opportunities as well as providing workshops and events to help businesses form innovative strategies to run profitable businesses. The event takes place Wednesday, November 16, 2011, in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Last year attendance went over 15,000 with 76 percent of attendees being small businesses (from five to 50 employees). Session topics include technology, sales, marketing, best business practices and more. Special events include a kick-off breakfast, a women in business luncheon and an after-hours networking event.

By Rieva Lesonsky

If your business is getting involved in mobile marketing, one avenue you might be using is sending or texting ads to customers’ mobile phones. But does this tactic really get results? That depends on whom you’re targeting.

The Survey of the American Consumer by GfK MRI reports that millennials and Gen X consumers are far more likely to pay attention and act on ads they get on their mobile phones. But baby boomers are far less responsive to cell phone advertisements.

The number of mobile users overall who respond to mobile ads is still small. Just 6.2% of adult mobile phone users (12.5 million people) had looked at an ad sent by text in the last 30 days. However, the response rate was pretty astounding: 2.65% of adult mobile phone users had used text messaging to respond to ads or buy things in that 30-day period. Clearly, although the percentage paying attention to these ads is small, they’re highly motivated.

Millennials (born between 1977 and 1994) were more motivated than the average mobile phone user. They were 57% more likely to have looked at texted ads and 93% more likely to have responded or purchased using texting.

There’s a big gap between the Millennials and the next oldest group. GenXers (born between 1965 and 1976) were only slightly more likely than the average mobile phone user to have looked at a texted ad or responded.

And as for older adults? In announcing the results, GfK MRI said companies shouldn’t bother trying to reach them by text since “if [they] were going to take to texted ads or text as a response mechanism, they would have already done so.”

I’m not so sure that’s true. GfK MRI also found that the mobile users who were comfortable with texting in general were 66% more likely than average to have viewed a texted ad and 70% more likely to have responded or purchased based on the ad. But as older generations get more familiar with texting, I contend they’re likely to get more comfortable with ads as well. Many of my Baby Boomer friends text constantly to keep up with their kids or grandkids.

Overall, text ads currently appeal to just a small percentage of consumers, making it somewhat of a “cutting edge” marketing method. But the pace of technology is changing so fast, it won’t remain cutting edge for long. And if you’re targeting Millennials or even younger groups as customers, you’d better start getting your feet wet in mobile marketing—or get left behind.

Want to learn more about mobile? Join me and Network Solutions for a Small Business Mobile Livestream event tomorrow, May 17^th, from 1:30 to 2:30 pm EST. I’ll be moderating a panel of experts including small business technology expert Ramon Ray, technology therapist Jennifer Shaheen, and Navin Ganeshan, Network Solutions’ chief product strategist. Register here.

Image by Flickr user Natalia K. (Creative Commons)

By Tim Gorin

Ah, the brave new world of mobile marketing … it can be both exhilarating and vexing. As a vision care provider and optical retailer in the Washington, DC, area, my company is confronted each day with trying to reach a consumer that is increasingly beset by an avalanche of digital media.  But unlike ecommerce retailers, we face the additional challenge of trying to promote “click-to-brick”–that is, harnessing technology to encourage consumers to physically walk into our offices … no easy task in the face of so many online alternatives.

In the last 18 months we have virtually abandoned most of the conventional marketing strategies upon which we relied since opening our doors in 2001. That means no more print ads, no more TV, no more fliers and dramatic cutbacks in direct mail.

Instead we’re exploiting the power of technology by capitalizing on social media, maximizing SEO, embracing Internet deal giants Groupon and Livingsocial, and using Yelp! to push both internal customer service and external word-of-mouth to drive consumer engagement. At the forefront of that technology are smartphones and Internet-connected mobile devices such as iPads.

Still, it’s evident that mobile technology is not yet the retail promised land everyone has hoped for. Mobile marketing remains a digital minefield that demands both vigilance and creativity to succeed.  A recent report published on Tealeaf, a software company that monitors shoppers’ online behavior, provides some sobering statistics:

“In February 2011, Harris Interactive conducted a survey on the Mobile Customer Experience, commissioned by Tealeaf, the leader in online Customer Experience Management (CEM).

• Consumers surveyed expect the mobile experience to be better or equal to in-store and online (using a laptop or desktop computer) experience.

• More than four in five U.S. adults who have conducted an online transaction via a mobile device in the last year report experiencing a problem (84 percent).

• Businesses may be losing customers due to poor mobile experiences: 63 percent of all online adults said they would be less likely to buy from the same company via other purchase channels if they experienced a problem conducting a mobile transaction.”

And if that’s not scary enough, let’s not forget that when consumers have negative experiences they are likely to take action. Consider this Tealeaf data:

• 43 percent would abandon the mobile transaction and try later on a computer
• 16 percent would become more likely to buy from a competitor
• 14 percent would email or log a complaint with customer service
• 12 percent would abandon the transaction at the app/site and try a competitor’s app/site

So what does that mean for small businesses with limited budgets, staffs and time? Is there an effective way to safely and reliably use mobile technology to drive revenue, consumer loyalty and branding without jeopardizing our customers’ hard-earned trust? That’s what we will explore more deeply in Network Solutions’ upcoming Livestream event.

To learn more about ways to leverage mobile technology in your business, register for Network Solutions’ Small Business Mobile Livestream, May 17 from 1:30 to 2:30 pm EST.

Tim Gorin is a Yelp!.com Small Business Advisory Council Member, and is Vice President of Business Development at MyEyeDr.

Image by Flickr user Phil Roeder (Creative Commons)

By Jennifer Shaheen

The mobile umbrella is no longer about just the use of cell phones and smart phones or even about creating SMS campaigns as part of our marketing strategies. Mobility today is about leveraging the technology both internally as businesses for productivity and externally to connect with our customers. To be successful with mobile you need to take the time to understand the power it has, but most of all you need to take the plunge and go mobile.

What does that mean? That’s a great question and, for small businesses struggling to keep up with technology, an important issue that needs to be discussed. Going mobile means embracing the technology that is being used by your customers, learning what it can do for you and jumping in. Here are 5 ways you can start to leverage mobile technology for your business.

1. The Mobile Website

You may have noticed as you load many websites on your mobile device that you are being asked to use the mobile version of the website. Creating a scaled down mobile version of your website is a great way to give your customers what they want on the go. You will need to work with your Web developer to create a separate version of your website that runs on a mobile browser. Or if you’re just starting the Web development process you will want to make this an important part of the discussion.

Another great trick is to create a separate mobile style that loads automatically when a device loads your website.  Remember, mobile website access isn’t just for smartphones; we’re also talking about iPads and Droid tablets for shopping, reading and everyday use.  More and more of today’s users curl up with their tablet to do everything from finding a place to vacation to reading the local news.

2. Flip, Flip, Flip

Whether you’re an architect, graphic designer or restaurant owner you want your clients to see what you have to offer. Not only do you want them to see your portfolio, menu or products, but you also want them to engage with them. Why not create a flip book so tablet users can use their fingers to scroll through what you have to offer? This tool is great for sales departments to use at trade shows or in client meetings. Think about what you’ll save on printing costs, not to mention how eco-friendly you will be.

There are some great flip software applications for you to use and the best thing is they generate different versions of your flip book for compatibility with different devices. A word of warning: Not all flip book applications are created equal. Be sure to avoid Flash-based flip books as they are not compatible with many mobile technologies.

3. We Do Love Our Apps

Some people would say we live in an “app based society,” and in some ways I agree. I never use the Twitter website on my BlackBerry or iPad; I use the app. I believe there needs to be a purpose behind creating an application for businesses, but it doesn’t need to be as trivial as Angry Birds. If you know what your customers or your staff need when they are on the go, then creating an app is just good business.  You may also want to see if the tools you use in the office have an app version to make your staff more productive on the road.  Many software developers are creating mobile application versions now that are optimized for the mobile user.

4. Are You Checking In?

You may not be a 16-year-old who needs to know where your friends are every minute, but checkins using services like Foursquare and Gowalla are a powerful marketing tool. People telling their friends, family and co-workers when they check in to your business is basically a way of telling the world they like your business.  Whether you are a doctor, restaurant owner or spa owner, allow your users and staff to check in to your location from their mobile devices.

5. Codes

Many of us have probably seen the QR codes at our local Best Buy on many of the products in the store, but these codes aren’t just for retail. QR codes are for businesses of all shapes and sizes. QR (or quick response) codes allow you to provide visitors with the QR reader’s access to information about your product, service or cause.  They’re perfect for mobile use in retail stores or even at a business trade show.

To learn more about these and other ways to leverage mobile technology in your business, register for Network Solutions’ Small Business Mobile Livestream, May 17 from 1:30 to 2:30 pm EST.

Jennifer Shaheen (@techtherapist), The Technology Therapist®, is an expert at helping business owners  harness today’s technology to effectively grow their businesses in the digital marketplace. As a monthly columnist for Entrepreneur.com, and with over 13 years of top-level experience, she has empowered businesses of all shapes and sizes to integrate effective digital strategies that boost sales, enhance staff productivity, expand customer base and increase market share.

Image by Flickr user Phil Roeder (Creative Commons)

By Rieva Lesonsky

Are you attached to your smartphone? Of course you are—most small business owners, just like most Americans, don’t leave home these days without their BlackBerry, iPhone, Android or other smartphone within easy reach. Like most tech phenomena, this presents both a challenge to and an opportunity for entrepreneurs.

Consumers today are Googling on the go looking for restaurants, shops, movie theaters—you name it. In fact 33 percent of mobile searches are for local businesses. Is your business prepared for this onslaught? When people search for your business on their mobile phones, what do they get?  Mobile marketing is increasingly vital for all small businesses.

Those who are searching on their mobiles are ready for action: 61 percent call the business, and 59 percent actually stop by. In total an overwhelming 88 percent of mobile searchers take action the same day they conducted the search.

To help you understand more about mobile marketing, Network Solutions is hosting a Small Business Mobile Livestream May 17^th (appropriately enough during the National Small Business Week). I’ll be moderating a panel of experts including small business technology expert Ramon Ray, technology therapist Jennifer Shaheen, business development specialist Tim Gorin, and Navin Ganeshan, Network Solutions’ own chief product strategist.

Together we’re going to share:

• What mobile marketing really is, and why you need to pay attention.
• The current state of small businesses and mobile technology.
• Some simple and cost-effective steps to going mobile.
• How you can incorporate mobile into your strategic marketing plans.
• Small business mobile best practices that you can learn from.

Join us on May 17^th from 1:30 to 2:30 pm EST. Register now to receive more details. I look forward to talking to you during the event.

Image Courtesy: Karen Axelton

Verizon Author Series

Starting Wednesday, April 27, Verizon is starting a new Verizon Author Series created to connect bestselling authors with their target audiences—small businesses across the country. The monthly live webinar will take place at the Verizon Small Business Center. Each month, each author will offer advice, tips and insights on what makes a successful small business. First on the agenda is Alan Gregerman, author of Surrounded by Geniuses, this Wednesday, followed by a live tweeting event on Thursday, April 28. Also, a limited number of books will be given away to business owners who interact with the Verizon Small Business team. Check the site for upcoming authors, times and more details.

ConferenceHound.com

Looking to attend or send an employee to an industry conference for networking and education? Check out ConferenceHound.com, a free online arena that has more than 45,000 searchable listings of conferences around the world. With an available mobile platform and integrated social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter, attendees can base their choices on factors such as topic, who’s speaking, location and even weather and attractions (in case you’re trying to combine the conference with a little R&R). And if you have an event to promote, ConferenceHound.com is a great marketing tool.

America’s Small Business Summit

Whether you’re looking to learn something new, network with other entrepreneurs or use your voice to help change small business legislation, America’s Small Business Summit in Washington, DC, will be the place to be May 23-25, 2011. Attend workshops on a variety of small business topics and listen to speakers such as former SBA Administrator Hector Barreto and Coupons.com founder Steven Boal. Plus find out this year’s winner of the Dream Big Small Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Sam’s Club. Be sure to take advantage of the events’ many networking opportunities. Register now and receive a discount on registration fees.