The mind is a powerful tool. If you think negatively about your business, your customers, your employees, the economy, etc., you’re sure to get negative results. Our internal beliefs are reflected in our external results. So before you dig any deeper, make sure you have the right attitude toward business success.
The number of independent contractors and freelancers is growing rapidly. According to MBO Partners, the market consists of approximately 16 million now and is expected to hit around 20 million in the next two years. The economy is responsible for the increase in independent workers. People who can’t find jobs eventually recognize the need to create their own income opportunity. Plus, businesses who don’t feel comfortable adding permanent employees to their team are utilizing independent workers on an add-needed basis.
If you’re searching for information to help you grow your small business, one of your first stops should always be SCORE. Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 9 million aspiring entrepreneurs start and grow successful businesses. Through both online and face-to-face mentoring, the nearly 12,000 SCORE volunteers help approximately 375,000 small businesses annually. And now SCORE is offering a new resource for small businesses — The SCORE Small Business Success Podcast.
True confession — I’m a social media junkie. Kred, an organization that measures social media influence, recently placed me in the top one percent of influencers on the Internet. Many small businesses are using social media as a part of their overall marketing strategy, but keeping up with the rapidly changing social media market can be overwhelming. For example, just recently new statistics showed that Google +, the new kid on the block, is now number two behind Facebook, overtaking Twitter, in the social media world. One popular tool Google+ offers is called Google + Hangouts, and savvy small business owners are finding it as useful tool to help them grow their businesses.
Social media is an excellent way to build brand awareness for your business and to engage with your customers. Yet many small business owners often worry about the time it requires to manage their social media marketing efforts. It’s sort of funny in a way. Small business owners used to say they didn’t have the money to market their businesses, and now they say they don’t have the time. Understandably, time is money, but you can enjoy the benefits of social media marketing without allowing it to consume your time. Here are three quick tips.