Online Marketing Basics for Small Business: Week 2 – SEO This is the second part of a five-part series on online marketing basics for small business. Today we shall focus on Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which is often a confusing topic for owners of small businesses. With over 90 per cent of online experiences beginning with a search engine, it is crucial for small business Full Article ..read more

The job market might be in a tough spot, but the staffing industry is still in high demand. From 2009 to 2012, the U.S. staffing industry has created more jobs than any other American industry. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, staffing companies added more than 786,000 jobs to their payrolls in this time period. In 2012 alone, the staffing… Continue Full Article ..read more

As a small business owner myself, I know how important it is to stay up-to-date with the ever changing trends that the business world throws at us. Because I watch very little TV, and rely heavily on the internet for keeping up-to-date with the news, it’s somewhat obvious that I’d also use the ‘online medium’ to learn, consume and also produce and market my own content. Bloggers (and increasingly, podcasters, as well as video producers – and many are wearing all three hats!) have the ability to express themselves in somewhat ‘real time’, and in an evergreen way, by keeping their content fresh ..read more

Wake up. Get ready. Drive to the bus stop or train station. Hop on the bus or train. Commute an hour or more to work. Get to work. Deal with a frustrated co-worker or boss. It doesn’t matter WHAT it is; there’s always something that interrupts your day. Stay two hours late because of interruptions. Get home extra late after sitting in traffic and then rest up to do it all over again. Full Article ..read more

SocialTriggers – As any professional marketer will tell you, ultimately marketing all comes down to the psychology of the buyer. Up until recently there were no blogs out there that focused solely on psychology and the psychological “triggers” it takes to get people to buy. That was until Derek Halpern came along. Full Article ..read more

Over the last ten years blogging has rapidly moved forward to become one of the prime learning resources of those looking for advice, first-hand experience, and a gateway to build relationships with others in the same industry or with the same hobbies. We’ve recently spoken about starting a restaurant blog, and it’s no surprise that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of restaurateur blogs talking about restaurant start-ups, restaurant management and restaurant marketing. Whether you are looking to start your first restaurant, trying to find like-minded business-people, searching for new mar ..read more

Learn from Industry Leaders Managing a restaurant is not a simple career move by any means. Members of restaurant management teams are responsible for the design, atmosphere, menu, hiring, operations… well, you get the point. While there is no single “right way” of managing a restaurant, there are several people and organizations who are very successfully managing restaurants. Not all of them have blogs, but many of them do. We have searched for the best in restaurant management blogs and gathered those that we think fit the bill. We looked for blogs that offered a wide range of topics, proven ..read more

Small and boutique retailers have their work cut out for them when it comes to staying in business. There’s a lot they need to know, and a lot that they need to take action on. Whether it’s the latest trends in omni-channel retail, engaging their most loyal customers over social media, or understanding the way technology and mobile are revolutionizing how they accept payments. Which is why I’ve taken the liberty of assembling the top 25 blogs that every small retailer needs to read and subscribe to if they want to stay ahead of the curve and thrive when it comes to selling in person. Whether y ..read more

There’s definitely no shortage of retail blogs out there to help you keep up with the latest retail trends and learn some tips to improve your retail store or your area of retail expertise. We filtered out some of the noise for you and put together a list of some of our favorite retail-specific blogs. The list below packs something for every company or executive – each blog we’ve selected approaches retail topics with its own unique perspective. Retail Touchpoints twitter The Retail Touchpoints blog is an excellent source to keep up on the latest tips and trends to serve retail customers bette ..read more

The National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) ruling that McDonalds is a “joint employer” of all of the employees of its franchisees has taken the next step in the process. The Service Employees Union (SEUI) has forced the issue by saying that McDonalds and its franchisees have engaged in anti-union activity. Although no one wants to say it yet but an administrative ruling would most likely allow the union to force union membership on every employee of every franchisee in the United States. The battle has now gone to a series of three administrative hearings run by the NRLB. Opposition to this rul ..read more