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How to Keep Your Business Card Effective in a Changing World

August 15th, 2011 :: grownetadmin

By Bill Post

Nobody can stop the onward march of technology. But one thing we can always do is to step back and see how that march affects all the things in its path. Some things get stepped on, trampled over and left behind. If you don’t believe me, look at that slide rule gathering dust in your attic. But technology is not always this cruel. Some things join the parade and become better (e.g., TVs, computers). And then there are things that never seem to go away, like the good old reliable business card. It’s been around forever and probably always will be. But does that mean technology hasn’t left its mark? Not really. That little card is evolving and changing with the times too. Here are just a few of the ways the business card is adapting to the digital world:

Customized business cards:

Cards no longer have to be boring and predictable. It’s now very easy and cheap to add your own innovative touches to your cards. Just go online and you’ll see lots of sites that let you design your own cards. You can even make them all slightly different by using your own photographs to create several cards, each with its own personalized image. And to make them even more unique, you can now print them on aluminum, plastic or magnetic material.

Cards on your phone instead of in your wallet:

There are now apps for your smart phone (e.g., ScanBizCards) that let you take a picture of a business card and the card (image plus content) is instantly downloaded to your phone. Not only can the data be imported into your contacts, but you can now flip through your cards visually on your phone as if they were in your wallet!

Smart business cards:

How about tiny electronic chips in your business cards? Well, the technology already exists and when you have these, all you need to do is wave your smart phone near the card and presto—the information on the card is downloaded to your phone.

Technology marches on, but don’t worry— that trusty old business card isn’t likely to disappear anytime soon. But it will change, and we are already seeing the changes! Your business card was always an effective tool—and in the digital world it can now be even more effective.

Bill Post, Small Business Research Analyst, has been providing research on issues of concern to small businesses for 123Print.com Business Cards for three years. Prior to his involvement with 123Print, Bill was a small business owner himself, providing marketing and branding services to other small businesses in the Washington, DC, metro area. Before working with 123Print on Business Card Templates, Bill spent several years after receiving his degree in the fast-paced corporate world. It was there that Bill not only honed the skills he uses to help small businesses get ahead, but it is also where he realized that he’d rather help the little guy prosper than make huge corporations money.

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Tags: business cards, small business marketing, small business networking
Posted in Branding, Marketing, Networking, Small Business, small business, Technology | 2 Comments »

What Kind of Business Traveler Are You?

August 15th, 2011 :: Rieva Lesonsky

By Rieva Lesonsky

Where do you fit into the five types of business travelers uncovered in a recent Global Business Travel Association survey? The survey of about 800 businesspeople who travel at least 4 times annually on business found that business travelers fall into five categories:

1. The Veteran – These experienced travelers take an average of 12 trips per year with an average of four nights away from home per trip; 88 percent are age 35 or older. Their key goal when traveling is ensuring they aren’t hindered by a lack of equipment of connectivity; as a result, they’re always looking for new technology to make them more productive on the road. This group enjoys traveling, and a whopping 94 percent bring laptops on the road.

2. Road Weary – This group takes an average of 15 trips taken per year with an average of three nights away from home per trip; 74 percent are age 35 or older. Their most important goals on the road are feeling safe when on a trip (42 percent) and staying in touch with family (41 percent). Perhaps due to safety concerns, the Road Weary travelers are the most likely of all traveler groups to bring a portable GPS device.

3. Wide-eyed and Anxious – These novice travelers tend to be younger (89 percent are under 55). They take an average of 11 trips taken per year with an average of four nights away from home per trip. They have less experience on the road than other groups, so while they enjoy travel, they get nervous navigating new destinations and following policies.

4. Passionate High-Tech – These enthusiastic travelers take an average of 13 trips per year with an average of four nights away from home per trip; 91 percent are under age 54. Passionate High-Tech travelers love to travel for work and look to technology to make them more productive help them keep in touch with friends and family. They tend to spend more per trip than other groups and are more likely to fly. This group embraces new technologies such as tablet devices (25 percent) while on the road.

5. New Recruits –These less experienced travelers take an average of 14 trips year with an average of six nights away from home per trip. They are the youngest group with (98 percent) under age 54. This group is eager to explore new destinations while on business and eager to travel more and share experiences. They tend to work in high-tech industries and travel internationally on business, and they often use social media to meet up with friends and colleagues on the road.

Whatever group you belong to, despite the fact that nearly half (46 percent) of those surveyed say they are dealing with tight travel budgets, 78 percent agreed that there is no substitute for being there in person.

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Tags: small business sales, small business travel
Posted in Business Development, Networking, Sales Process, sales process, Small Business, small business, Workforce | No Comments »

You’re Ready to Hire—Now, How Do You Land Qualified Candidates?

June 20th, 2011 :: Rieva Lesonsky

By Rieva Lesonsky

Small business hiring is frequently cited as the engine that will lead the U.S. to economic recovery. Well, that engine may finally be revving. According to a study by Manta, an online community for small businesses, 57 percent of small business owners surveyed plan to hire this year. The majority of companies surveyed had fewer than 10 employees, which is encouraging news since these are the companies that often find it hardest to afford to hire.

However, while small business owners are ready to hire, it’s not all smooth sailing. The Manta SMB Nation Survey found that small businesses are struggling to recruit qualified candidates.

Small business owners say that the biggest hurdle they are facing is compensation (27 percent say “larger companies can offer higher salaries”). Almost as big a problem is a limited talent pool (26 percent say “top candidates don’t want to work for a small company”). Also a factor: 15 percent said that job candidates perceive there are limited advancement opportunities at a small company.

Ironically, the rebounding economy may be hurting rather than helping small business owners, as 15 percent of small business owners surveyed said candidates think there are more job openings and better opportunities with bigger companies.

Competing with big companies has always been a problem for small businesses trying to hire. How can your company overcome the challenge? Here are some suggestions.

Use social media. Tools like LinkedIn and Facebook are good ways to search for job candidates and let those in your circle know that you’re looking to hire. Just as most job-seekers find positions through their personal networks, you can find job candidates the same way. People who are connected to you through a third party are more likely to give your company serious consideration.

Promote your job openings. Create a page on your website that talks about what it’s like to work at your business. Drive traffic to it by promoting it in your email signature, email newsletters, on your blog and in other marketing materials.

Emphasize your unique selling proposition. Just as in marketing you need to make your business stand out by focusing on what makes your product different and better, your job postings should explain what makes your company a fun, exciting, challenging, rewarding (you name it) place to work.

Offer perks. You may not be able to offer the 401(k) plans, health insurance packages and other benefits of a big company (although there are affordable ways for most small businesses to do so if you choose). But you can offer other perks that may be just as valuable. Perks such as flextime and work-at-home options are highly valued by employees today and don’t have to cost you a cent.

Image by Flickr user L. Marie (Creative Commons)

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Tags: small business hiring, Workforce
Posted in Networking, Small Business, small business, Social Media, Workforce | 1 Comment »

Small Biz Resource Tip: Gist

April 22nd, 2011 :: Maria Valdez Haubrich

Gist

Small business owners are everywhere in the normal course of a business day—including everywhere online. Gist can help you gather and organize all your contacts from your different email inboxes, online address books, social networks and other sources. More than just having everyone in one place, Gist will create a business profile of each contact that consists of the person or business’s most recent news, status updates and blog posts. And the information is automatically updated so you don’t have to search multiple sites and services over and over. You can also use Gist to share information with your contacts and to gather personalized information for your next meeting.

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Tags: CRM, customer relationship management, Marketing, Resources, Social CRM, Technology
Posted in Marketing, Networking, Resources, sales process, Social CRM, Social Media, Technology | 1 Comment »

Looking for Good Employees? Try Using Referrals as a Hiring Tool

April 20th, 2011 :: Rieva Lesonsky

By Rieva Lesonsky

Are you looking for employees, part-timers or even freelancers to help your small business carry its workload? Whatever option you’re considering, there’s one way of finding good workers that works great: using referrals.

I was reminded of the power of referrals recently when I read this blog post on BNet.com in which entrepreneur Grant Powell shares how he pulled together a standout team of creative people using referral hiring.

Referrals in hiring have always worked for me. Today, when so many of us use social networking tools like Facebook and LinkedIn to find people, it may seem like hiring with referrals is a no-brainer. But here are some tips that make this method work even better.

Know the source. If you put the word out on social media, you may get lots of referrals, and that’s great. But consider where those referrals come from. How well do you truly know that LinkedIn connection or Twitter follower—and how well do they know you and your business? People who have nothing to lose may throw out any old referral in an effort to “be helpful.” The best referrals come from people who know what type of worker you want on your team and what your standards are.

Enlist your employees. Your current staff is one of your best sources of referrals—after all, they’re on the inside of your business and know how things work. Encourage referrals by offering some type of incentive, such as a cash bonus or a day off with pay, for a referral that leads to a successful hire. (Note the key word “successful.”)

Consider contractors. Just like employees, your independent contractors can be a key source of referrals. Mindful that they could ruin their relationship with you if they refer you to a dud, they’re likely to be very careful about whom they refer. However, keep in mind that contractors don’t want to refer themselves out of a gig—so be sure you ask contractors only for referrals to people who aren’t competitive with them. For instance, if you are looking for a marketing copywriter or website designer, you could ask a graphic designer that you regularly use, since graphic artists regularly team with these types of people on projects.

Don’t ignore standard operating procedure. Just because someone is referred by your best employee, your top contractor or even your mom doesn’t mean you should ignore the essential steps of checking references, thoroughly interviewing the person and making sure he or she is qualified. In fact, it’s even more important to take these steps so your relationship with the person who referred the employee doesn’t go south if the employee fails to work out.

If you follow these steps, referral hiring can be a great way to find workers who are a perfect fit with your company’s needs and goals.

Image by Flickr user spring stone (Creative Commons)

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Tags: References, referrals, small business hiring, work force
Posted in Job Search, Networking, References, Workforce | 1 Comment »