Starting a Business? A Blog of Free Plans and Ideas

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

• October- A Month to Celebrate Women’s Small Business

  October 12, 2009, by Jackie

  In addition to National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October is also the home for another women’s cause- Women’s Small Business Month. Women-owned small businesses employ 23 million people and have an economic impact of $3 trillion. In a study released this month, it is clear that women businesses are playing a huge role in our economic recovery efforts.

  The study, The Economic Impact of Women-Owned Businesses in the United States, marks the first time research has been conducted on the impact of women owned businesses and the purchasing power of their employees.

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  Posted in In the News, Women in Business | 5 comments
• BookFresh Featured on Mashable

  October 09, 2009, by Jackie

  BookFresh was featured today on Mashable, one of the largest blogs on the web. In the article, Mashable reviews our product describing BookFresh as "online appointment booking With a Facebook twist." The BookFresh review is one of several companies Mashable chose for their "Sparks of Genius" series which highlights different start-up companies. Check out the complete story at Mashable!

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  Posted in In the News | 3 comments
• Occupational Winners and Losers

  October 05, 2009, by Jackie

  Friday’s unemployment report confirmed the fears many people have about an economic rebound that does not produce jobs. The 9.8% unemployment rate that lost another 263,000 jobs comes despite billions of dollars in stimulus spending.

  While this news is disheartening, many believe the US economy is rebounding. The big question on everyone’s mind is where growth will come from and which industries will fare the best. Today, BusinessWeek released a two-year occupational chart from 2007-2009. The chart shows the percent change in employment in the major industries.

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  Posted in In the News | 1 comments
• Intuit Entrepreneur Day - BookFresh is Invited

  October 01, 2009, by Ryan Donahue

  BookFresh is thrilled to have been invited to participate in the 2009 Intuit Entrepreneur's Day event.  The event will give the senior management of Intuit the opportunity to learn more about BookFresh and for executives from both companies to brainstorm ideas on potential partnership opportunities.

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  Posted in In the News | 2 comments
• 16 Rules For Success from GoDaddy CEO

  October 01, 2009, by Jackie

  Last night , I was buying a domain name on GoDaddy.com and came across their CEO’s (Bob Parsons) blog. While some CEO blogs only provide company news, Parsons’ blog is so much more. During my two hours on his blog, I found an inspiring, funny, and informative post titled “16 Rules For Success in Business and Life in General”. Below are a few of my favorites. For the entire list and blog post on success in business, click here .

  1. Get out of your comfort zone.

  I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers."

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  Posted in In the News | 3 comments
• Attention Small Business Owners: Sometimes It is OK to Act Like a Child

  September 29, 2009, by Jackie

  With all of our stresses and responsibilities, the times are few and far apart that we get to kick back and act like a kid at work. Instead we grow older, get wiser, and become more and more pessimistic. But according to blogger Melissa Cessera, it may pay off to act like a kid while running your business.

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  Posted in In the News, Women in Business | 3 comments
• Mobile Coupons for Small Businesses

  September 28, 2009, by Jackie

  I have never been one to clip coupons from the newspaper or direct mail. Even when I took that rare next step of cutting out a coupon, by the time I wanted to use the coupon it was either at home or misplaced. As we become more tech-savvy and eco-friendly, coupon cutting is quickly being replaced with mobile coupons.

  The New York Times recently reported on this topic, which sparked my curiosity on the new trend. Mobile coupons can be sent via email or text message directly to a customer’s mobile phone. That way, it is easily accessible for use all the time. Many innovative small business owners use mobile coupons to push last-minute deals or sales to their customers.

  

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  Posted in In the News | 0 comments
• Small Business Owners are the Happiest Workers in America

  September 22, 2009, by Staff Writer

  For a new small business owner, it may seem like your job is long on hours and short on pay. But there is a silver lining. According to a recent Gallup poll in the New York Times, self-employed workers are the happiest. Even though the same poll found that the self-employed worked the most hours per week (49% working more than 44 hours/week), over 72% of business owners were happy with their jobs.

  A few reasons for the happiness despite the longest hours in the workforce are flexibility, independence, and having a real sense of purpose.

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  Posted in In the News | 3 comments
• Surviving the Recession

  August 21, 2009, by Jackie

  As many small business owners fight the recession and try to find that light at the end of the “bad economy tunnel”, it only makes sense to be open-minded and try new ideas that worked for other owners. I came across a great post by The Small Business Blog that gave a few tips that worked for them.

  Use Your Connections

  Many of our first customers came from friends, family, and friends-of-friends. The key to using your connections is not be shy- ask for help. “We sought (and still seek) the advice of peers and industry experts. We know lawyers, accountants, and sales and marketing pros. We’re never afraid to ask for advice. Remember, as much as you think you know, there’s always the opportunity to learn more”.

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  Posted in In the News, Uncategorized | 2 comments
• Minimum Wage Increases: What does this mean for business owners?

  August 04, 2009, by Staff Writer

  Last week, the federal minimum wage increased 70 cents from $6.55 to $7.25. For those small to medium business owners in California, this increase is irrelevant due to higher state minimum wages (for us in CA, it is $8.00!). But for many other states, this increase is worried to cause owners slashing hours to save money.

  According to the Economic Policy Institute, the increase in minimum wage will bring $5.5 billion more into the economy. Others are hoping that the hike will cause an increase in the quality of applicants for minimum wage positions.

  Here are a few tips to that can help you stay profitable despite the increase in minimum wage.

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  Posted in In the News, Tips and Tricks | 2 comments
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