Biz Tactics

51 Loans, Grants and Programs to Help Your Small Business

By Staff
Wednesday, September 20, 2023 8:15 AM NEW YORK—Whether you’re starting a new small business or looking to grow the one you already own, finding funding can be a challenge for businesses of all sizes. A regular update on specific programs is shared by CO, the special information resource website for small businesses developed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Each week, an updated list of loans, small business grants or other opportunities to connect with programs and organizations are available to help small businesses.

Mastercard Is Ramping Up Services for Small Businesses to Help in an Increasingly Digital Environment

By Staff
Thursday, September 7, 2023 8:15 AM Mastercard is augmenting a suite of services that it provides for small businesses, including new tools to help companies accept payments, obtain financing, protect against cyber crimes and more, the company said. As small businesses work to adapt to an increasingly digital business environment, Mastercard International’s Ginger Siegel, North America Small Business Lead, told CO, the U.S. Dept. of Commerce resource site, “Many small business owners wear multiple hats and lack dedicated personnel in key areas, such as finance, marketing and technology."

Family Business Magazine’s Transitions Fall Conference to Explore ‘The Art of Ownership’

By Staff
Thursday, August 24, 2023 8:15 AM NEW YORK—What does it take to be a good and effective owner of a multigenerational family business? Responsible owners play the most critical role in ensuring the long-term survival and success of a family business. They know how to balance the needs of the business with their own needs. Find out what it takes to be a good and effective owner at Transitions Fall 2023, November 1-3 in San Diego, Calif. The conference, sponsored by Family Business Magazine, will take place at the Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa.

How Improving Psychological Safety Reduces Staff Turnover

By Staff
Thursday, August 10, 2023 8:15 AM Do you know why staff leave you? It may be because they don’t feel psychologically safe with you. Here’s how to fix that. “The Great Resignation” refers to an ongoing trend of workers voluntarily leaving their employment (aka “quitting”). It is a global situation many blame on the pandemic, but in reality the trend was in place prior to 2020—particularly in the health care industry (one-in-five health care workers quit their jobs in 2020-2021). Small businesses have been hit especially hard.

Did You Know LinkedIn Offers Special Tools and Resources for Small Businesses?

By Staff
Wednesday, July 26, 2023 8:15 AM NEW YORK—Most people know that LinkedIn is a special type of professional-focused social media platform used around the world. It’s a helpful platform to showcase your individual skills and work achievements, but did you know it also offers detailed help for small, independent, entrepreneurial businesses to raise their profile, build business relationships, attract future employees and more?

PwC’s Latest Global Family Business Survey Shows Opportunities for Building Trust and Prioritizing Customers and Employees

By Staff
Thursday, July 6, 2023 8:15 AM NEW YORK—Investing in technology, prioritizing trust and consistently focusing on the health of the business are some of the opportunities that small business owners say are important to them in the latest PwC Global Family Business Survey, which offers a range of helpful tips for those running their own business. Trust, in particular, is a vital “competitive advantage” that requires strategy and diligence to build, PwC’s survey says. In the U.S., 78 percent of family businesses say they believe it’s essential for customers to trust their companies. But only 52 percent believe their customers fully trust them and just 44 percent believe their employees do.

Small Business Owners Remain Concerned About Future Business Conditions

By Staff
Monday, June 26, 2023 8:15 AM NEW YORK—The latest NFIB Small Business Optimism Index shows a small increase of 0.4 points in May, taking the index to 89.4. However, this is still the 17th consecutive month the index has been below the 49-year average of 98—the last time the index came in at or above average was in December 2021. Of particular concern is that small business owners expecting better business conditions over the next six months have declined one point from April to a net negative of 50 percent.

Number of Job Openings on Main Street USA Remain High, NFIB Report Says

By Staff
Thursday, June 8, 2023 8:15 AM Small business owners continue to struggle to find workers, with 45 percent (seasonally adjusted) of all owners reporting job openings they could not fill in the current period, according to a recent jobs report by NFIB. The share of owners with unfilled job openings exceeds the 49-year historical average of 23 percent. Of those hiring or trying to hire, 92 percent of owners reported few or no qualified applications for the positions they were trying to fill.

DHL Express U.S. Launches ‘GoGreen Giveaway’ to Help Small Businesses Expand Sustainably

By Staff
Thursday, May 25, 2023 8:15 AM PLANTATION, Fla.—Although Small Business Month concludes within the week, DHL Express continues to find ways to support these growing businesses year-round. Today, one of the leading providers of international express shipping services has launched its GoGreen Giveaway to help U.S.-based small businesses grow more sustainably. Those who enter the DHL GoGreen Giveaway have the opportunity to win the grand prize, which includes a $10,000 international shipping stipend to apply to transport costs and GoGreen Plus services, good for up to 12 months; $20,000 worth of sustainable business consulting; and GoGreen Carbon Reporting.

Are You a Candidate for America’s Top Small Business Awards?

By Staff
Thursday, May 11, 2023 8:15 AM WASHINGTON D.C.—Could your small business help inspire others? Want to get recognized for the small business you’re building? Applications are now open for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s America’s Top Small Business 2023 Awards. This year’s awards will recognize the contributions of small business to America. The deadline for submissions is July 8. And the Chamber says it is looking for examples of “Ingenuity. Grit. Perseverance.” Rules are posted online, but to enter, applicants must be legal residents of the U.S., they must be a for-profit business operating for at least one year, primarily within the U.S., the business has to have fewer than 250 employees or gross revenue or less than $20 million for both 2021 and 2022.

12 Small Business Marketing Best Practices for Social Media

By Staff
Thursday, April 27, 2023 2:15 PM America’s SBDC represents America’s nationwide network of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs)—the most comprehensive small business assistance network in the U.S. and its territories. SBDCs are hosted by leading universities, colleges, state economic development agencies and private partners, and funded in part by the United States Congress through a partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration. According to a recent feature from America’s SBDC, even the smallest of businesses and influencers can thrive with strategic social media marketing. You don’t need a stacked team of specialists or a paid partnership with a celebrity to launch your brand successfully.

A Spring Refresh for Your Messaging to Patients

By Staff
Wednesday, April 19, 2023 8:15 AM Now that springtime is underway, the messaging and marketing experts at Marketing4ECPs are offering, on their blog, some steps that practices can take to freshen up their interactions with patients. The site offers five marketing campaign ideas that can get underway right now to engage patients and help the bottom line. As Marketing4ECPs points out, ECPs can combine social media ads and email campaigns to boost awareness and measurement, remind current and prospective patients about important trends and eye health messages. The blog illustrates ideas for each of the five spring ideas.

Funding Options for Women-Led Businesses Offer Resources and Counsel

By Staff
Thursday, March 23, 2023 8:15 AM The growth in entrepreneur-led businesses has taken off, but women-led businesses still account for a minority of those enterprises even though the percentages have increased. In 2021, there were some 49 percent of entrepreneur-led businesses. But there are over a dozen government-led agencies and organizations out there to help female-led businesses. A great wrap-up on these can be found at CO - The Chamber of Commerce resource site for small business. A special article, recently posted to CO, explains 16 sources of funding and a brief summary of how they work as well as links.

Family Business to Spotlight Transformational Women of 2023 at its Special Event in Denver in June

By Staff
Thursday, March 9, 2023 2:30 PM NEW YORK—On March 8, International Women’s Day, the people at Family Business announced the women chosen by a panel of their staff members and advisors who will be featured in the May/June 2023 issue of Family Business Magazine, “Transformational Women of 2023.” As part of their Transformational Women in Family Business 2023 Event, the women will be celebrated at a special awards ceremony and dinner to be held in Denver, Colo. on June 7-8.

Getting Ready for July’s Independent Retailer Month

By Staff
Thursday, March 2, 2023 8:15 AM NEW YORK—Independent Retailer Month encourages consumers to shop local and celebrate indie retailers, creating more sustainable cities, towns and communities. Its organizers developed this “shop local” event that runs annually throughout July encouraging consumers to shop at independent retailers; highlighting their positive social and economic impact locally, nationally and globally. On the group’s website its team helps members around the country to encourage people to shop independent retail year-round and to use July as a time to celebrate the independent retailers that help build the country’s economy, creating more sustainable cities, towns and communities.