Starting a Business? A Blog of Free Plans and Ideas

BookFresh.com's blog about starting and running your own business

• 2010- The Year of Mobile Coupons?

  February 04, 2010, by Staff Writer

  According to a study discussed in Small Business Trends, customers are still hesitant to take advantage of mobile coupons. A very small 4 percent of users said they had redeemed mobile coupons; only 10 percent said they felt comfortable storing coupons on their mobile phone as opposed to printing them out. Not surprisingly, younger consumers are more open-minded to using mobile coupons.

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  Posted in Uncategorized | 1 comments
• Help for Haiti

  January 27, 2010, by Staff Writer

  As a small business owner, it is important to give back. Technology has made it very easy and effortless to donate money to great causes. In the wake of the tragedy in Haiti, there is a great opportunity to do good and help our neighboring nation. Not only will this foster a good reputation with your local community but it is for a worthy cause that needs help.

  A few things you can do to help Haiti:

  Include donation information on your website. A simple link for customers to donate money is a great way to help. Two trustworthy sites are Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and American Red Cross

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  Posted in In the News | 0 comments
• Lower Your Prices?

  January 21, 2010, by Staff Writer

  Many small business owners have spent a lot of time debating whether they should lower their prices during the recession or keep them consistent. While lowering prices may be a quick fix, it may make your business seem desperate-at least during the recession.

  Susan Reid of Small Biz Trends discusses that this may be the best time to lower your prices. As we slowly start to recover from the recession, consumers will begin to spend more money. As Reid puts it, “As consumer confidence grows, so should your business. And what better way to attract new customers than by offering them a smoking economic recovery deal by lowering your prices temporarily?”

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• Google’s Local Business Listings: Monitor Carefully

  January 13, 2010, by Staff Writer

  Google has been all over the news lately- first their Google Phone released last week and now their threat to withdraw from China over censorship and cyberspying. Aside from those two front-page stories, Google is also at the forefront of small business news. Small Business Trends reports that last week, many small business owners started receiving emails about their local business results from November. In addition to their own results was information about other local businesses that they had no affiliation with.

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  Posted in In the News | 0 comments
• The Smartest Products of the Decade

  January 08, 2010, by Staff Writer

  Inc., a magazine geared towards entrepreneurs and small business owners released their list of the “Smartest Products of the Decade”. All of these products have revolutionized the way we communicate, spend our time, and entertainment. Here are the winners…

  iPod

  On October 23, 2001, a digital music device called the iPod was launched by Apple. Since then, it has changed the way we live. With over 220 million of the devices sold since its introduction, it paved the way for iTunes and a spot in American culture.

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  Posted in In the News | 1 comments
• Go Green in 2010

  January 06, 2010, by Staff Writer

  Turning your business “eco-friendly” is not just a nice thing to do anymore but a financial opportunity. The good people at Small Business Trends recently wrote about their “7 Green Business Resolutions”. Here are a few of their suggestions.

  Write a Sustainability Plan

  Write down your eco-friendly goals so you have a roadmap to refer to throughout the year. Before you spend thousands of dollars installing solar panels, look into the small cost-effective things you can be doing. Printing less, using energy-saving modes on computers and other electronics and turning off the lights during the day (if you have ample sunlight!)

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• 2010-The Year of Social Media

  December 23, 2009, by Staff Writer

  Happy Holidays! For many of us, this week marks the end of business in 2009. As we set our goals and strategies for 2010, social media is going to be a big part of any small business next year. AdWeek recently wrote about “5 Social Media Implications for Brands in 2010”. I wanted to share a few of their findings with you.

  A Must-Have Marketing Tool

  It is hard to believe but there are still some brands that have not fully embraced social media marketing. 2010 will be the year that brands realize that social media marketing is a must have make-or-break tool.

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• “Bring Your Own Business” Holiday Party

  December 04, 2009, by Staff Writer

  Like every other business this year, caterers and party planners were bracing themselves for a bleak holiday season as companies cut back of extravagant holiday parties. But thanks to the innovative concept of company holiday party sharing, caterers may have a merrier holiday season.

  New York Times writer Mickey Meece recently wrote about the trend this year in corporate America. Instead of pulling a Mr. Grinch and cancelling your company’s annual holiday bash because of the cost, think about sharing it. By sharing the cost with 3-9 other small businesses, even companies of a tight budget may be able to have some holiday fun!

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  Posted in In the News | 1 comments
• Cyber Monday WEEK: Last Minute Tips For Your Site

  November 30, 2009, by Staff Writer

  First it was Black Friday, then Cyber Monday. Now many online retailers are taking part in Cyber Monday Week, which includes a week of online savings and discounts. To take advantage of the increased e-commerce traffic this week, make sure you keep these tricks in mind!

  The National Retail Federation reports that 87% of all e-commerce sites will be participating in some sort of promotion or deal for Cyber Monday. The NRF also reports that 61% of consumer will be researching products before they actually make a purchase this holiday season. To help convert these consumer "researchers" to customers:

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• Where Will Your Small Business Spend Money in 2010?

  November 20, 2009, by Staff Writer

  Yesterday, Small Business Trends discussed a study about where small business owners plan to spend their money in 2010. More than 25% said they would not cancel their health care if given a public option. On the marketing side was some interesting data worth taking a look at.

  • 74.1% will increase their email marketing budget
  • 68.3% will increase their social media spending
  • 23.8% will avoid search engine marketing
  • 54.2% will not spend any money for banner advertisements
  • 79.6% will not run TV ads
  • 72.7% will be invest in radio advertising

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