How Body Language Can Make You a Better Manager

Merrin Muxlow June 30th, 2009

A firm handshake, a welcoming smile, steady eye contact- all of these are the signs of a confident, competent leader, right? Well, maybe. Turns out, a strong handshake matters less than how you shake hands, smile wattage should depend on personal proximity, and steady eye contact can be read as confrontational in some settings. We’ve all heard that somewhere around 90% of communication…

[Read full article]

How BING Can Impact Your Business’ Online Marketing Strategy

Merrin Muxlow June 22nd, 2009

bing logoThe numbers are in- both Statcounter and ComScore show Microsoft’s Bing search engine, launched two weeks ago, chipping away at the solid hold Google has long maintained on search engine traffic.  Within a week after it launched, Bing had jumped Yahoo! for the #2 spot, and caused Google’s market share to drop 6 points.  Granted, the drop was from 78% to…

[Read full article]

Top 5 Companies on Facebook

Merrin Muxlow June 17th, 2009

facebook logo

It’s official- Facebook has become the most popular social networking site in America, edging out MySpace by a slim margin: 7.278 million U.S. users are now on Facebook, compared to 7.255 million using MySpace. To many, Facebook’s surge was inevitable, especially now that it offers one of the key features that differentiated the two sites: personalized URLS.

Over the weekend, over…

[Read full article]

8 Attractive Features of VoIP Phone Systems

gbravo June 10th, 2009

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a universal term for the technologies involved in the transfer of voice communication over an IP network.  For the most part, VoIP system users can make and receive calls just as they would from a traditional telephone network with only a home or business broadband internet connection.  Here are eight features that make VoIP attractive…

[Read full article]

The Places Where 5 Big-Name Entrepreneurs Got Their Start

Betsy Brottlund June 8th, 2009

Entrepreneurialism is characterized by an ability to find a way to flourish regardless of the setting or circumstances one finds oneself in. It is this individualism and spirit of resourcefulness that make the entrepreneur such an import icon in American economics, and world economics as well. So it is no surprise to find that the places where some of today’s…

[Read full article]

Follow The Money

Nell Merlino June 3rd, 2009

It might not feel like it, but there is actually a lot of money going around for small business owners, and most of it is coming straight from the Stimulus Package through the SBA.  I found this out from my friend Eric Ness, from the Wisconsin SBA office, when he and I were in Washington, D.C. for National Small Business…

[Read full article]

Google Scheduled to Change Trademark Policy

gbravo May 28th, 2009

Google’s new trademark policy, which will allow in certain circumstances the use of registered trademark names by non-trademark holders within an ad copy, will become effective on June 15th, 2009. Under Google’s current trademark policy, trademark names can be used without restrictions only in keyword lists. Trademark holders can request that Google bar the use of their trademarks in ad…

[Read full article]

Morning Meditation

Nell Merlino May 26th, 2009

My route to work each morning takes me past what is left of the New York Flower District. Passing the palm trees, orchids, rhododendrons and azaleas that line 28th Street, I think about the day ahead- what needs to be done, what I’m looking forward to. The plants and flowers themselves remind me of the passing of the seasons: Halloween pumpkins are…

[Read full article]

25 Tips by Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs

Betsy Brottlund May 18th, 2009

Yes, we are in an economic recession, but that doesn’t mean that starting your own business today is impossible or even especially difficult. The recent boom in online start-up companies is an example of how entrepreneurs all over the world are using new technology to launch their businesses with little money to start. So if you are thinking about venturing…

[Read full article]

Damned If I Know

Nell Merlino May 14th, 2009

I shared a podium yesterday with Aldonna Ambler - an award winning entrepreneur and founder of TheGrowthStrategust.com. She has the BEST ADVICE for writing a business plan that I have ever heard. When you start, she said, keep it simple. Before you start answering the questions though she strongly recommended taking a pile of about 10 sticky notes or sticky mailing…

[Read full article]