Starting a Business? A Blog of Free Plans and Ideas

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

• 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 | 3 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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• Cyber Monday: Accept Payments Online

  November 20, 2009, by Staff Writer

  Have you thought about accepting online payments for your small business? Especially this holiday season when any extra revenue can help, offering payments online will provide convenient and easy way for you customers to do their holiday shopping.

  BookFresh has partnered with PayPal to make it easy for your customers and clients to pay online when they schedule a service at your business. They'll be able to pay with a credit card, a debit card, or directly from a bank account. It is immediate and secure.

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  Posted in Tips and Tricks | 1 comments
• Tis the Season to Give

  November 18, 2009, by Staff Writer

  For most small business owners, community outreach and philanthropy seem like great ideas but are usually put on the back burner due to lack of time. Well, this holiday season you make a difference using the same social media tool that provides your business with cost-effective and highly targeted advertising.

  On Monday, Chase announced a partnership with Facebook to power the finance company's inaugural "Community Giving" campaign, which will allocate a total of $5 million to small, local nonprofits voted on by Facebook members.

  Facebook users can vote for their favorite small charities on the Chase Community Giving Application. Once you vote, you will have the option to publish your vote on your status feed for all of your friends to see.

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• Small Business Guide to Facebook

  November 13, 2009, by Staff Writer

  Unless you live under a rock, you are probably familiar with Facebook, the online social networking site. Many of us use the popular site to connect with old friends, acquaintances, and family, but what about for business? Facebook can be a great marketing and sales tool for small to medium businesses. For many, it helps find new customers, build relationships with current customers, and provides insight into demographics. The New York Times provides a small business guide for using Facebook to market your business. Below are a few tips from the guide:

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