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'Below is our 7th annual Top 10 Small Business Trends list. 2013's trend list is available here. To see earlier lists, click on the year: 2012 , 2011 , 2010 , 2009 , 2008. Our overall economic outlook for 2013 is for solid if moderate growth with U.S. GDP increasing 2.5% to 2.75%. We expect hiring and the job market to continue to improve with unemployment falling and finishing the year in the 6.5% to 6.7% range. Technology 1.
'“Paper or plastic?”. This is a simple question, asked millions of times per day in supermarket checkout lines across the country. Not too difficult to answer for most, but a question with major consequences for the planet. America’s addiction to plastic, perhaps most notably plastic shopping bags, leads to an enormous environmental problem. For example, in New York City alone the administration pays more than $10 million per year in order to send 100,000 tons of plastic bags to out-of-sta
'It is that time of year again – Christmas parties, sparkly dresses, an indescribable amount of mulled wine and a stash of minced pies to ward off unwanted hangovers. Yup you’ve guessed it – December, where the best kept secret in the office is who has whom for their secret santa. I must admit I have always encouraged secret santa when organising the office Christmas party but do end up rushing around on the day of the party trying to actually purchase something.
'Over the past few months, I’ve talked about this concept at length in numerous webinars, speeches and presentations. Career Academy members are already familiar with this, as are those who have attended my live training programs. But this is one concept that’s so important, it deserves a blog post of its very own. When it comes to career advancement, the biggest question has to do with your value to the organization.
Forgetfulness is costing you time, money, and a ton of missed opportunities. In the age of automation, it’s easy to underestimate the power of a well-trained human mind. But memory isn’t just a parlor trick, it's a strategic edge. Human memory is one of the most underrated business skills. Whether you’re managing people, leading sessions, or having high-stakes conversations, remembering names, details, and concepts can be transformative in building trust, absorbing knowledge, and driving perform
'Nearly half your working day takes place in the morning, but despite this many people accomplish much more in the afternoon than they do in the morning. If this sounds like you, here are our Top 5 Tips for improving your morning productivity: 1. Start planning what you need to do during the next workday… Read the full article here: Top 5 Tips for Morning Productivity on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG.
'Co-workers: Sometimes you love them and sometimes you hate them, but no matter what, you have to deal with them. Since you aren’t exactly in charge of hiring and firing, you better figure out a way to make the relationship work so you can do your job. When you don’t have to worry about the drama and politics of the workplace, you can focus on the task at hand.
'Categories: The Home Office I spend a lot of time talking about working from a home office. I even co-host a podcast called Biz Buddies for Virtual Professionals that focuses on tips and helps for those who provide virtual services from their home offices. What I don’t talk about as often is one of the best perks of having […] ( Read more. ).
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'Categories: The Home Office I spend a lot of time talking about working from a home office. I even co-host a podcast called Biz Buddies for Virtual Professionals that focuses on tips and helps for those who provide virtual services from their home offices. What I don’t talk about as often is one of the best perks of having […] ( Read more. ).
'Solar power isn’t something you think of often. Mostly, it’s something you hear about on TV and blasted all over the Internet. But, this technology has come a long way since the 1970s. Most businesses don’t think it belongs on their rooftops, but there may be applications where it’s legitimately useful. Prices Have Come Down.
'Like a lot of us these days I am glued to my iPhone and I have a lot of my life on my iPad. If I’m honest, I am really just lost without them (sometimes I am literally lost without them thanks to my dependence on Google maps to get me around!). I use my iPhone and iPad every day and I’ve found there are lots of fantastic apps that will really help assistants maximise their productivity.
'As we approach the new year, now is a perfect time for reflecting on the year that was—where you’ve been and where you want to go in the future. This is equally important for your professional life as it is for your personal life, which is why I always recommend doing an end-of-year career review. While I’ve written about this topic in the past, this year, I wanted to make the process even easier for you.
'Richard Branson built his company from a small record shop into one of the biggest brands in the world, so whenever he shares some entrepreneurial tips it is well worth paying attention to him! In this short video interview from 2011 he has some personal advice for entrepreneurs, particularly in relation to their dealings with… Read the full article here: Branson’s Advice for Entrepreneurs on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG.
In the climb from contributor to leader, the rules quietly change. If you’re aiming for the summit, the air gets thinner—and what got you here won’t be enough to get you to the top (a concept first popularized by Marshall Goldsmith in his book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There ). What made you successful early in your finance career—technical accuracy, sharp analysis, flawless execution—won’t be what carries you to the next level.
'The other day I was taking a walk with Danny (my ever faithful Havanese) and I really took in the look around us. We had an unusual cold snap a few weeks ago and all of our trees dropped their leaves at the same time. On one hand, it made quite a mess! On the other, we raked them all at once and have not had to rake since. That got me thinking about entrepreneurs and letting go. More specifically, this entrepreneur (me) and what she is letting go and encouragi
'Exciting news! You can now find one of my articles, “5 Reasons to Automate & Streamline Your Business” , inside the latest issue of the Business Rocks Magazine #BizRocks for #WomenInBiz. Click Here to download the FREE app from Apple iTunes today! And to celebrate, you can get a 3 MONTHS free subscription using code: 3Biz. .
'The process of making a transaction at a retail store and receiving a thermally printed receipt is so familiar that customers may think it is the only way to get a record of their purchase of products or services. But think about what happens to most of those receipts. They get crumpled up in pockets, lost on the dresser drawer or glove compartment, or thrown out.
'Over the last few months I have been designing a lot of presentations for the company I work with but also for my own little foray into the world of public speaking. When I say a lot of presentations I mean A LOT! So I’m really pleased I stumbled across Haiku Deck back in May and have been a massive fan of it ever since! If your Executive does many public speaking events or presents to staff then I’d seriously suggest you check out Haiku Deck.
The most overlooked, yet most critical, element of transformation is preparing people for change. Automation and AI aren't just technical upgrades, they’re cultural shifts which can challenge identities. That’s why change management isn’t a side project—it’s the foundation. In finance, where precision and process rule, navigating change can feel especially disruptive.
'In my work with Virtual Assistants, and people who think they want to become Virtual Assistants, one kind of statement is made repeatedly. I call it the “I have to do A before I do B,” statement. You hear it all the time, in and out of the business arena: “I have to retire before I can start my jewelry business.”. “I have to lose 10lbs before I go to the beach.”.
'For the majority of business owners, the way in which Google calculates their algorithm to determine where their business website shows up in searches is a mystical science akin to sorcery. There are in fact approximately 200 signals that Google takes into account. Today’s infographic is an (unofficial) compendium of 200 of the factors that… Read the full article here: Infographic: Google Ranking Factors on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG.
'Gone are the vibrant leaves of fall and the anticipation of cool breezes. As the wind turns bitter cold and the shortened days keep closing in, the winter blues come calling too. The routine remains the same but changes in the season mean arriving to and leaving work in the dark, thus missing out on sunlight, outdoor enjoyment and the optimism of summer.
'A powerful trend that gets little coverage is the growth of small manufacturing. As we pointed out in our 2012 article The Rise of Small and Micro Manufacturing , of the 330,000 U.S. manufacturing firms 80% have fewer than 50 employees and about 36% have 4 or fewer employees. And these numbers understate the number of small U.S. firms that make things.
'Today’s environmentally-minded companies are always looking for ways to make their carbon footprint smaller. From offsetting to telecommuting, we give you several ways to make this goal a reality: Computers. Unless you really need powerful computer equipment, say if you work in video editing or game development, look at whether you can replace inefficient desktops with more eco-friendly laptops.
'This is a guest post by Mike Martin… Some people think that fun and a sense of humor have no place at work, that work is very serious business. Our advice to them? Lighten Up. There’s a reason that Google has a giant waterslide on its main campus, and that tons of companies have ping pong tables, video games, or free popcorn to eat while watching movies on the giant screen at work.
'Originally posted 2009-01-06 18:56:59. Republished by Blog Post Promoter. This adorable wall socket cover provides a spot to park your phone while it's charging. The antlers are rubber, so they'll grip the phone, plus there's more antler space for draping the cord. And they come in three deer varieties!!! There's another model to cover a light switch.
'The festive period is a fun and often busy time for people and businesses. But it is also a time in which it is very easy to let your guard down and fall for scams that normally you would not think twice about, especially when you are online. The BBC has helpfully published a guide… Read the full article here: Christmas Scams on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG.
Documents are the backbone of enterprise operations, but they are also a common source of inefficiency. From buried insights to manual handoffs, document-based workflows can quietly stall decision-making and drain resources. For large, complex organizations, legacy systems and siloed processes create friction that AI is uniquely positioned to resolve.
'Prioritizing your work efficiently is one of the best ways to succeed as an administrative professional. Good work-management skills make it possible to manage multiple projects without missing deadlines or submitting subpar work. Use these tips to make work management easier no matter how many projects you are working on at one time. Administrative assistants and secretaries face more disruptions than many other office professionals because they often have to greet guests and answer the teleph
'I have to say when I first heard about this product I thought it might be a joke. But Fisher Price really is selling what they clumsily call the "Newborn-to Toddler-Appivity Seat for iPad Device" The picture below is from their website. The release of this product is getting quite a bit of media coverage, and almost all is negative: Time calls the seat a " kind of a harebrained idea" and points out the American Association of Pediatrics is against any electronic media expo
'Environmental performance; energy efficiency; eco-friendly; green- these are real buzz words and phrases within the business world at present. Not so long ago you would rarely have associated any of these phrases to a business, however they have now become a priority as the emphasis is placed on protecting the environment for generations to come and also cutting the cost of energy as prices to continue to rise.
'I’ve been working really lllllooooonnnnggggg hours recently and I can definitely say it has taken it’s toll! I can not wait to have a break over Christmas and New Year. I bet most of you feel the same! For me I know I can work pretty much flat out for about three months but then I need to have a holiday otherwise I can get run down and just a bit grumpy.
Payroll compliance is a cornerstone of business success, yet for small and midsize businesses, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of federal, state, and local regulations. Mistakes can lead to costly penalties and operational disruptions, making it essential to adopt advanced solutions that ensure accuracy and efficiency.
'I’m hosting a free training next week. It’s called: Create Your 2014 Strategic Business Plan. Click here to join me. I’m going to be sharing with you my proprietary business plan model; one that I’ve developed, tweaked, and fine-tuned during my 12 years in business. Once you understand how all the different systems fit together, creating a plan for your business becomes so much simpler.
'Some things in business can only be learned through experience, or by reading about someone else’s experience. Many people say that there are unwritten rules that govern your business, but often these “unwritten rules” are not written down for a reason – because they are wrong! Today’s infographic is based on an article by CEO… Read the full article here: Infographic: Unwritten Rules on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG.
'We encounter stress on a daily basis especially in our workplace. Sometimes it is part of our daily lives but it does not have to be. It is important to learn how to deal with stress and how to overcome it. If we just let stress rule our lives, it can cause serious damage to our health and to our overall well-being. We must learn ways to overcome it before it overcomes us.
'The post 3 “Needs” of Time Management appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Before you can start managing your time, you have to analyse how it’s being used. Keep a log of your daily activities for 2–3 weeks. Once you have a fair representation of your regular time usage, ask yourself the following three questions for each of the items in your log.
Technical degrees might open doors—but it’s the soft skills that keep them open. In the face of disruption, evolving workplace dynamics, and rising expectations of leadership, soft skills like communication, emotional intelligence, and presence have become core business essentials—not nice-to-haves. Inspired by stories from her father coupled with her own career journey, seasoned executive Chandra McCormack breaks down how to lead with impact, connect with purpose, and cultivate a workplace cult
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