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 is passed along by nonverbal cues- gestures, inflections, and body postures that are usually subconscious. What does your body language say about your management style?

Phrasing and “Energy” Projection

Phrasing is a term used by movement experts to describe when gestures and body movements align with the intentions of spoken words. Think of someone nodding his head up and down, but repeating a verbal “no”- that’s bad phrasing. In movement studies, the more calm, confident, worried, tense, etc. a person feels, the likelier it is these feelings will be projected in his or her body language.

This is good news and bad news for managers- the energy you feel is what’s projected. If you’re frantic, your movements will be tense, quick and agitated, if you’re calm, your gestures serene and soothing. Here are a few examples:

Posture

We all know that confident people stand up straight with shoulders back and head held high, but what about in a business setting, where you’re often sitting down, referencing materials, and conversing with multiple parties at once (sometimes via email and phone)? Typically, a head tilted down indicates negativity or disinterest- picking up a report to read it at eye level or just shifting your eye gaze is better.

Likewise, slumped shoulders connote defeat and unhappiness- taking a deep breath to lift your shoulders before a meeting can stave off these negative body movements. Your hands can also have a big impact on how your posture is perceived- displaying the thumbs (watch out for hands in pockets, balled-up fists, etc.), the physically strongest finger, is typically a sign of confident optimism and honesty- traits everyone hopes their manager possesses.

Handshakes

A firm handshake projects “outward” confidence only. Coupled with a palm-down grip (a “dominating” handshake), the person on the receiving end of the handshake may feel like you- quite literally- are trying to get the “upper hand” in the situation. Your grip should be natural, not forced. Don’t lean in too close- anywhere closer than 18 inches is considered the “intimate” zone of personal space.

A one-handed shake is good, but the “shake” should match your overall energy level. If you’re excited and talkative, a vigorous handshake is fine. Make sure it’s one handed when meeting someone for the first time- the two-handed “politician” handshake is often read as disingenuous or arrogant.

Facial Movements

Eye movements are one of the easiest body language cues to notice in business meetings. Traditionally, the eyes look to the right when someone is imagining or creating, and to the left when a person is remembering or recalling events. Looking to the right- even unintentionally- when explaining something can give a false impression of dishonesty. Try to look directly at the person you’re speaking with instead.

Finally, smile often. Yes, it’s cliché, but it’s true, real smiles (the kind using the whole face rather than just the mouth) release endorphins, causing a change in mood- and posture, too. Smiling naturally, and often, is the best thing you can do project the calm, confident management style your employees will respond to.

The 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 71.99%, but if early data is any indication, Bing could be poised to make even bigger gains as more users become familiar with its features.

So what does this all mean for the average business?  If you’re spending money on online marketing services, such as SEO (search engine optimization) services or PPC (pay-per-click) campaigns, the fact that there’s a new search engine on the block is big news- and can mean some big changes in your online marketing strategy:

Time to make adjustments? Not so fast…
If your web traffic has gone a little haywire in the past few weeks, you’re not alone. But don’t make any quick decisions to change your site or find a new online marketing service just yet. As users switch to Bing-which uses different algorithmic variables to return results based on certain keywords and business segments- you may have seen a huge spike, or a huge dip, in web traffic.  Google also made adjustments to a few processes during the past few weeks.

Think about content.
Rumor has it that Bing rewards content-rich pages more heavily than other search engines.  As Bing becomes more popular, it may be a good idea to focus on finding more quality content for your site.  Most online marketing services can help you with this- if they don’t provide copywriting services, they might be able to recommend a source that does.

Think about links.
Microsoft search engines typically give more weight to internal (inbound) links, as opposed to Google, which purportedly values external links more.  If you have the ability to edit site content yourself, make sure all internal links are working correctly.  You can also enlist web designers or search engine optimization services to create internal links that make your site more navigable, increasing your search engine ranking in the process.

Be thorough.
Bing removes duplicate results from search engine pages- one of the initial complaints about the service is that some search results return a “low ranked” page- for example, rather than displaying your site’s homepage, a product page would be displayed.  Don’t make the mistake of thinking that customers will see your homepage first, be blown away, and keep browsing.  They might just land on one of those other pages- you know, the ones you haven’t updated in a while.  Be thorough when you update information on your site.

Consider PPC.
As Bing becomes more popular, spending more on pay per click services might be good idea.  Microsoft typically produces a high return on investment for pay per click efforts.  Coupled with the highly qualified traffic Bing is predicted to generate, a PPC campaign might be looking like a better investment.  A skilled online marketing professional will be able to help you create the best PPC campaign for your goals.

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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 5 million current users scrambled to get their hands on a vanity username- a feature already provided by MySpace.  Businesses with fewer than 1000 fans or users who created pages after May 31st, when the announcement was made, must wait until June 28th- next week- to register a username of their choice.

As it turns out, many popular companies have been using Facebook for a while. According to a 2008 study by Rosetta, 59% of the top 100 retailers maintain branded Facebook pages. Here are five companies you’ve probably already heard of that are harnessing the power of social media to build an online reputation:

1. Starbucks

The coffee giant uses Facebook as part of a successful online/offline marketing strategy.  Starbucks’ love for Facebook is mutual- Facebook recently announced Starbucks as one of three “Blue Ribbon Award” winners: companies with the “top most creative and innovative campaigns and most engaging pages each month.” (See #2 and #3 below for the other award recipients)

2. H&M

Also a Facebook award winner, the trendy discount clothing retailer has taken advantage of several different advertising tools on Facebook, helping boost it’s international and U.S. popularity.

3. Vitamin Water

The recent “Great Debate: Kobe vs. LeBron” campaign tied in television ads with a Facebook page asking fans to “state the case” for their choice in an online video.

4. Nutella

The fan-created page for the chocolate hazlenut spread ranked #3 on Facebook earlier this year- even though the company spent only $300,000 on advertising and didn’t even create the page itself.

5. Microsoft

Users with a Microsoft corporate e-mail address were among the first to be offered accounts when the service was extended beyond the student user base in 2006.  Microsoft also owns a small stake in Facebook, the purchase of which included the right to place ads on the site.

Facebook- and social networking in general- is becoming a very valuable tool for businesses of all sizes.  From corporate giants like Microsoft and Coca-Cola to smaller, local businesses, companies of all sizes are discovering the value of online marketing and social media.

If you need to improve your interactive marketing efforts, visit our quote center for online marketing services.

You can also follow us on Twitter where we provide the latest tools and resources for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

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 to the average user:

1. Price: With a basic service package for a VoIP phone system, you are provided with unlimited local and long distance calling within the United States (some offer unlimited calls to Canada and selected countries within Europe and Asia) for a low flat rate.
2. One Network:  Because VoIP systems use broadband connections you can run both your voice and data communications via one network which means you may be able to cut costs by getting rid of your traditional telephone connection.
3. Easy and Efficient:  VoIP systems are very simple to use.  For the most part, using a VoIP system is the same as using a traditional phone system—just pick up and dial.  The main difference between a VoIP and a traditional phone connection is the way the data is sent.  Since with a VoIP the data is sent via the internet, calls can be managed like data files on your computer as well as from a traditional hand phone set.
4. Features:  Many of the same paid features that the traditional phone companies offer are free with many VoIP services, such as voicemail, speed dialing, call forwarding, automatic redial, caller ID, caller ID block, and conference calling, as well as many other convenient features that are not available with a traditional phone network connection, such as the ability to forward voicemail to email; the ability to send data versions of voicemail messages, and the ability to manage address books and contacts from your computer.
5. Adding Lines:  By using a VoIP system, you are able to send out more than one telephone call over the same broadband internet connection which means that adding additional lines is simple and does not require an additional fee.
6. Fewer Location Restrictions:  With a VoIP system, only a broadband internet connection is needed; therefore, you are able to work from anywhere there is a fast enough internet connection allowing you fewer restrictions on your choice of calling environments.  Not only can you make calls from just about anywhere, you are also able to manage your VoIP system account from just about anywhere as well.  This means, those attractive features I listed earlier are able to be used on the go and not only in your home or office.
7. Compatibility and Integration:  Since VoIP uses one network, other internet services are compatible and integrate with your VoIP system, such as video conversation, message or data file exchange, internet gaming communication, and audio conferencing to name a few.  Also as mentioned in the features, you can also manage your address books and client information through your VoIP account from any computer with broadband internet.
8. Maintenance:  Overall, maintenance and troubleshooting are less complicated because of the simple fact that there are fewer devices to manage.

We have adapted our “on the go” lifestyle with our need for more efficient technology and the VoIP system is just one of the ways to make our lives simpler.  With the many attractive features of a VoIP system, it makes one wonder whether the traditional telephone service will soon become obsolete and instead we will all be conducting our communications on VoIP systems.

To learn more about VoIP systems, read Resource Nation’s buyer’s guide.

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 biggest companies got started are as varied as the individuals who started them. Here are some examples of the birthplaces of some of the best known companies today.

Hershey Chocolate Company: Lancaster, Pennsylvania

The chocolate giant got started when founder Milton Hershey decided in 1894 to coat his caramel candies with sweet chocolate. The first Hershey Chocolate factory in Lancaster, Pennsylvania turned chocolate from a luxury item into mass-produced commodity that everyone could enjoy. Today, the birthplace of the Hershey Chocolate Company is a top tourist destination for chocolate lovers. People can enjoy chocolate-themed amusement park rides, relax at the luxury Hershey spa, which offers special chocolate treatments, and take a tour of the original Hershey factory.

Wal-Mart: Bentonville, Arkansas

Sam Walton, late founder of Wal-Mart, opened up his first discount retail store in the small town of Bentonville in 1962, under the name, “Walton’s”. Prior to this, Walton had been operating 16 Ben Franklin franchise variety stores, but the Bentonville Five-and-dime was the first one he opened under his name. Nicknamed “the Hustler” by his fraternity brothers at the University of Missouri, Walton had always had a penchant for finding new ways to make a dime.

Today, you can still visit the original Walton’s Five-and-Dime in Bentonville. It looks, from outside, much like it did in 1962, but inside you will find a sort of museum of Wal-Mart’s corporate history.

Apple: Los Altos, California

Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs and Apple co-founder Stephen Wozniak built their first computer in the garage of the Jobs family’s home at 2066 Crist Drive in Los Altos, California. Job’s father cleared up his car-restoration equipment and helped the young men haul a large wooden workbench that served as Apple’s first manufacturing base. “It was just the two of us, Woz and me,” said Jobs in a Fortune Magazine interview. The Apple I was first sold by a local computer store called The Byte Shop. The store paid Jobs and Wozniak $500 for each order.

McDonald’s: San Bernardino, California

Dick and Mac McDonald opened their first McDonald’s restaurant in San Bernardino, California in 1940. Originally from New Hampshire, the brothers had moved to California in 1920. Their first restaurant become instantly popular and served as the hangout spot for teenagers in the San Bernardino area. In 1948, however, the McDonald’s brothers changed their business model completely. The car hopping and extensive menus that attracted young people to McDonald’s weren’t catering to the growing family demographic. So the new McDonald’s model focused on cheaper pricing and speedy service, sans the complicated menus.

The Original McDonald’s has since then been demolished. The location of the original McDonald’s is now the site of a Juan Pollo Mexican food restaurant. However, the owner of Juan Pollo has build a McDonald’s next to his restaurant, for visitors interested in seeing the birthplace of today’s largest fast-food chain.

Google Inc.: Stanford University, California

Larry Page and Sergey Brin started Google as a research project when they were both Ph.D. students at Stanford University. Their idea was to create a search engine that analyzed links between websites to produce better ranking results, whereas other sites ranked results solely based on how often the search term appeared on the site. The domain name google.com was registered on September 15 1997 and the company was incorporated on September 4 1998 in Menlo Park, California.

If you know of more top destinations where creativity and entrepreneuralism began, let us know by leaving a comment.

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 Week.

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the SBA has received $375 million to temporarily eliminate loan fees and raise loan guarantees up to 90%.  The SBA’s Microloan program also received additional $50 million in new loans, available today for loans up to $35,000.  Overall, the SBA is working to unfreeze small business lending from banks in order to help businesses compete for construction and service contracts, create new jobs and promote investment in small businesses.  Eric said, “We know small businesses have a prove ability to create new jobs and commerce.  The next phase of our economic recovery rests in their hands.”

If you’d like to find out more, you can read the article Eric wrote for SBA here.  M3 Racers are already receiving SBA loans to fuel their growth and writing about their experiences blow-by-blow, which you can see here.

We were both in D.C. a few weeks ago to cheer on a remarkable woman who has been a leader for women, for entrepreneurship, and for Count Me In. Laurie was named National Women in Business Champion by US SBA Administrator Karen Mills. Laurie is the CEO and Co-founder of Inacom Information Systems a Madison, WI., a company with revenues of $80million with more than 150 employees.

If your dream is to build your business like Laurie built hers, go to SBA.gov or contact the SBA office in your state and learn about new financing opportunities. You can also get in touch with many women who are finding and using SBA money right now by joining them in the M3RACE here.