Deluxe Small Business Blog

Deluxe’s Social Media App Uncovers Small Business Owners

Eric Ellis — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:08:07 +0000

Strictly speaking, small business (SMB) owners may not be superheroes, but, like their caped colleagues, they do have secret identities. In celebration of National Small Business Week (June 17 – 21), we published a new social media-based app to help “unmask” SMB owners by asking what motivated them to start their businesses. Inspired by our recent research into the “DNA” of America’s Small Business Owners, the “ 7 Types of Small Business Owners” app is available on Deluxe’s Facebook page. This fast and easy quiz asks SMB owners 11 short “Yes” or “No” questions about the motivations behind their business startups – such as “Did you start your business because you didn’t want to work for someone else?”, “Did you start your business from a passion of yours?”, and “Did you start your business to get a fresh start?” Based on their unique answers, participants are categorized into one of seven distinct SMB owner profiles. They can also see what percentage of other owners fall into the same group. The “7 Types of Small Business Owners” app is based on the analysis of the DNA survey. Highlighting the distinct motivations and attitudes of SMB owners, the categories include: …

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[Infographic] Camp Chef Cooks Up Contests to Engage Customers on Social Media

Laurie Lee Dovey — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:09:44 +0000

What do the backyard, big game or race, RV, and hunting or fishing camp have in common? You got it. They’re perfect places to fire up the outdoor grill and enjoy an American pastime most everyone loves – barbequing everything from dogs to burgers and wild game. Relaxation, alluring aromas, great companionship, good eats, and outdoor fun, that’s all the 30 employees of Utah-based Camp Chef care about. Their goal is providing you the perfect outdoor experience. The company makes high-quality cooking equipment for folks who want durable, yet portable stoves, grills, smokers, Dutch oven gear, cast-iron cookware, and accessories for the back-yard deck, stadium parking lot, or vacation campsite. Camp Chef’s story (http://www.campchef.com/about-us.html) is as all American as its product line. Ty Measom is the engineer credited with envisioning the high-end product and business potential of a new camp cooking brand in 1990. Measom was involved in scouting and often charged with cooking for a dozen or more hungry boys at camp. At the time, the equipment available wasn’t designed for feeding 12 or 13 enthusiastic outdoor diners, three times a day. The stoves were too small and lacked power. At the time, Measom worked for Butro, a manufacturer …

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Small Business Dad “Was His Business”

Adam Dince — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:55:01 +0000

Written By: Adam Dince “Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue.” – Plato Every year on Father’s Day week, I get lost in memories of my dad, Bert Dince. Bert was an amazing dad, brilliant pianist and sole proprietor of his own career as a jazz musician. I’d like to share my story of Bert’s business with you. My dad grew up in a very modest New York home with his parents and his older brother, Paul. My grandparents understood the importance of music and the impact that playing music has on one’s life. Starting at a young age, a piano teacher started visiting their home and teaching Paul piano. My dad would watch Paul’s lessons and then afterwards practice what he’d just observed. In no time, my dad proved to be a prodigy behind the keys. Turns out, he was born with perfect pitch and what a gift it was. He had the ability to listen to a song on the radio and then play it perfectly while adding his own jazzy interpretation on top of it. After graduating college with an accounting degree, my dad decided to go against his …

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Dad Still Imparts Small Business Inspiration

Terri Shapiro — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:59:53 +0000

My father was truly one of the “pioneers” of the television industry, working with the inventors of broadcast technology even before the launch of any commercial TV station. Living in Chicago, he joined CBS in 1951 and his specialty became remote broadcast. Dad traveled a lot. Anytime there was a NASA space launch in Cape Canaveral, an inauguration in Washington D.C., or a Masters Tournament in Augusta, my dad was there making sure the technical operation worked so that the rest of us could share in the excitement of these events. Some of my most vivid childhood memories involve going to work with Dad. I was able to explore Wrigley Field in Chicago, arriving hours before the afternoon game, playing in the broadcast booths while Dad prepped the technical aspects of the coming broadcast. My brother Ken and I were extras on a Captain Kangaroo TV special. Dad even took me to a boxing match once – truly one of the most peculiar experiences of my past. He was proud of the reputation he had earned. He had a framed letter from the station manager thanking him for “saving” one of the local programs just seconds before the opening credits. …

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American Red Cross Preps Small Businesses for Emergencies

Bill Miller — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 15:21:05 +0000

As once again brought to the front page by the tornado disasters in Oklahoma and Hurricane Sandy, the American Red Cross is the preeminent organization at the ready to offer relief to victims in every way. Their services provide emergency housing, counseling, financial assistance, and human resources required to assist disaster victims to start putting their lives back together. Relief after the disaster is the work for which the American Red Cross is famous, but perhaps you don’t know the Red Cross services also encompass preparedness for emergencies and disasters including programs for small businesses. They offer some sobering statistics on the odds of unprepared businesses of all sizes recovering after an emergency: *94 percent of small business owners believe they will encounter an emergency situation in the next two years. *as many as 40% will not survive the emergency outright. *of those, 80% will go out of business permanently if they are not back in operation in one month or less. *additionally, four out of five businesses will fail after the loss of a key executive. The American Red Cross considers preparedness by small businesses and all their employees the key to beating these odds, and their action plan …

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Andra Delores Design – Married to the Wedding Biz

ChrissiReimer — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 17:00:35 +0000

Written By: Chrissi Reimer Memorial Day is a trigger on my calendar that the seasons have (finally) shifted from spring to summer. While many Midwesterners lovingly refer to summer as “road construction” season, as someone in her twenties, I have come to consider it wedding season. If you are anything like me, your refrigerator has become a collage of beautiful save-the-dates and wedding invitations. Recently I had the chance to chat with Andra Christianson, owner of Andra Delores Designs, a wedding stationery business based out of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Andra is a young, enthusiastic small business owner who, truly, has entrepreneurship in her DNA. Andra Delores Design began in November 2012, a month before Andra graduated from University of Wisconsin — Eau Claire (UWEC). She began college pre-med, but she was quickly led down a different path to graphic design. While she was earning her degree, Andra had the opportunity to intern with two small business owners in Eau Claire – Molly Marie Photography and Eventful Occasions. Prior to these internships, Andra had never considered being a small business owner, especially straight out of college. Once the idea was planted in her mind, she had great mentors who encouraged her …

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Are You Married to Your Small Business?

Bill Miller — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:39:03 +0000

June. Weddings. Almost goes without saying right? Graduation parties, too. But as a small business owner, you may find yourself struggling to participate in these happy milestone events for family and friends. The details and responsibilities keep you just too tied down – maybe, almost like you’re married to your business? If you’re having trouble deciding, well, here are some telltale hints: 1) If you’ve ever seen a marriage counselor who gave you a word association test and when she said, “Anniversary” … you quoted the day, date and hour you opened your shop … you might be married to your small business. 2) If you’ve ever rolled over in the morning and planted a provocative kiss on … your accounts receivable report … you might be married to your small business. 3) If your idea of a family vacation … is a pay-per-view movie when you get home from work … you might be married to your small business. 4) If you get emotional when you lead a customer down an aisle … to show her where the crafting supplies are located … you might be married to your small business. 5) If you are visibly upset when the …

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Amazing New ID Resource for Military Veterans … and Small Businesses

Bill Miller — Thu, 30 May 2013 18:31:28 +0000

Businesses across America, small and large, genuinely want to show their appreciation for the dedication and commitment of those who voluntarily serve in our armed forces. These men and women of all ages and all walks of life give up a great deal to protect our freedoms and serve our country. They are unquestionably deserving of our thanks … not just on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but every day. The unfortunate problems start when legitimate businesses want to show their appreciation by offering discounts or special services for military veterans. Sad as it is, there are bound to be unscrupulous lowlifes who misrepresent their service … or any service at all … to fraudulently take advantage of these generous gestures of appreciation. The headaches and expense of vetting legitimate military service, particularly online, are often so great, well-meaning businesses frequently abandon consideration of offering such programs. Well, with the launch of a new American small business, these problems are solved for both businesses and for veterans. Enter TroopID. (www.troopid.com) In their own words, Troop ID is, “… an online ID card for the military designed to help businesses build lasting relationships with those who have served. Many businesses want …

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Small Businesses: Hire a Veteran and Serve Your Country

Adam Dince — Tue, 28 May 2013 14:24:26 +0000

Written By: Adam Dince Growing up, my grandfather, Irving Gellman, would share stories about his time served in the US Army during World War II. Films often portray the scene of a family sitting around the dinner table while the elderly grandfather bores the group with war stories. This wasn’t the case with my grandpa. We were always happy to hear about his experiences, even if we’d heard it many times before. As a civilian, grandpa took the discipline he learned in the military and applied it to everything he did. Until his health took a downturn later in life, he ran 5 to 7 miles a day—he was the epitome of fitness. He took the discipline his military services engrained in him and ran his own businesses. I admired him and wanted to follow in his footsteps. When I finished high school, I found myself working a dead-end job and stuck living at home with no opportunity to go to college. Even if I had the resources to enroll in school, I wouldn’t have known what field of study to pursue. It was at that point I decided to leave everything behind and sign-up for the military. The Navy taught …

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Infographic: The Contractor’s Marketing Tool Belt

Eric Ellis — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:57:57 +0000

As a contractor, there’s nothing better than a good recommendation. Word of mouth advertising will always be the primary tool for most contracting businesses whether you’re a general, a sub, or a specialty business. Yet, in today’s competitive market you must create and maintain a professional marketing presence to support those word of mouth recommendations. Even if a “best friend” talks up your services and performance, chances are high potential customers are going to check you out via online, social and traditional media sources. Successful contracting companies need to be visible everywhere! And they need to keep their names in front of the market. Deluxe wondered how most contractors spread their marketing resources across “everywhere” so we commissioned a survey to study the ways they promote their businesses. Here is what we discovered presented in an infographic titled, “The Contractor’s Marketing Tool Belt.”

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