May 21, 2013

• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013
  	Infographic: Micro Business 'Do you define yourself as a micro business owner? If you employ less than ten people, the chances are that your business is not just small but is in fact a micro business. Business Infographics Micro Business infographic micro business MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS LABS | TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013
  	Using Twitter's Promoted Tweets 'Promoted Tweets are basically paid ads for Tweets. They are described by  Twitter  as "ordinary Tweets purchased by advertisers who want to reach a wider group of users or to spark engagement from their existing followers."  They recently changed this policy and now anyone can pay to their Tweets promoted.  MORE >>

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• DUMB LITTLE MAN | TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013
  	The Man of Steel Myth Debunked 'The summer of 2013 is gearing up to be an action movie junkies’ dream come true. With releases set from Hollywood heavy hitters like DeNiro, Smith, Hanks and Cruise, I have already prepared to beat the heat of summer in the movie theaters. As usual, I look forward to a couple of films that were adapted from comics. That’s what matters most to men. MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013

  The Four Phases of Constructing a Successful Team and How Team Building Activities Can Help 'A happy and productive team can deliver great success for a business, whilst a dysfunctional team often results in failing projects and poor company performance. The successful construction of a team is essential to avoid the common pitfalls which can cause a team to be ineffective. Business Advice relationships team building team members teamwor MORE >>

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• SERVICE UNTITLED | TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013

  A practical approach to dealing with customer service frustrations 'No doubt, it has been a tough week for customer service. Internal Revenue Service acting agency head, Steven T. Miller who is resigning from his post stated earlier this week: “I can say generally, we provided horrible customer service. Of course, one can always just punch in “0″ for operator; that works fine on some systems. MORE >>

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• ON THE JOB | TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013

  Why It's Not Complicated to Be More Productive At Work 'The following “It’s Not Complicated” AT&T commercials may be fun and cute, but they also are full of advice on how to be more productive at work. In politics and in sports the phrase “keep it simple” is often repeated like a mantra as a way to win the contest. But in the workplace, it can be a different matter. Absolutely. you can ask. MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013
  	How a Small Business Can Use Big Data 'Big data is big news in today’s digitized world. With the explosion of Internet usage and social media networks, there’s a massive cloud of data being generated about people all over the world, and it’s growing at an exponential rate. However, technology has advanced in power—and come down in price. Analytics: The Key to Using Big Data. MORE >>

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• DAILY WRITING TIPS | TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013
  	Shift Syntax to Strengthen Sentences 'English syntax is flexible, enabling writers to shape a given sentence in various ways, and we should take advantage of this lack of rigidity to enhance the impact of our statements. Here are several sentences that benefit from rearrangement. Complex adaptive systems can respond more quickly the more complex they are.”. What’s the key point? Styl MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013

  Self-Employment Do and Don’ts: Create the Right Balance 'When you are planning to start your new business and become self-employed, you need to know about the things you need to do. But that is not all. You also need to know about the things you need NOT do. Properly Balancing Do and Don’ts. Customers – Too Few or Too Many? Suppose you work as a self-employed Web designer. Funds – Too Much or Too Little? MORE >>

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• BRILLIANTLY BETTER | TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013

  Being A Digital Nomad – The Book – Soft Launch 'I’ve been a digital nomad for more than 3 years now. It’s not an easy lifestyle. It’s spectacular, that’s true, it has this aura of freedom and joy, and, to a large extent, this aura is perfectly justified. But it’s also a very demanding lifestyle. It takes courage, persistence and a lot of hard work [.]. MORE >>

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• Hangout Magix: New Tool Lets You Add Branding to Google Hangouts SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013

• Yikes! When Mistakes Happen in Your Email Marketing | Business 2 Community DENISE ADAY | TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013

• Main Streets May Soon Be Without a Bank SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013

• Android pic at Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park this. DENISE ADAY | TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013

• How Mansa Systems Crossed $2M Leveraging Salesforce AppExchange SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013

• Inspiring and Courageous: Popular Resistance Percolates Throughout the Land DENISE ADAY | TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013

May 20, 2013

• SMALL BUSINESS CEO | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

  What Small Businesses Need To Know About Rolling Forecasting 'Budgets are no longer unchanging entities. In the midst of the information age, with transactions moving faster, business spanning the globe, and technology providing helpful tools to re-plan and re-think budgets, many small businesses are adopting a new way of thinking about their financials. It allows for uncertainty. It keeps your data relevant. MORE >>

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• DAILY WRITING TIPS | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013
  	The Rationale for the Serial Comma 'Do you employ a serial comma — the final comma in a sentence such as “I bought one apple, two bananas, and three oranges”? If you determine a business or organization’s style, or you self-publish in print or online, the decision is up to you. This omission is also common in British English.) strongly favor the serial comma. Punctuation MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

  Use the F word to ensure your business stands out 'Conformity is a real business problem especially in the field of marketing promotions. In fact it’s a disease that left unchecked, sends companies to the wall. When you’re promoting your business, you naturally want your message to stand out, be remembered and ideally go viral. Funny Business fun funny promoting your business viral marketing MORE >>

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• PRODUCTIVE & ORGANIZED | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013
  	Are You Engaging? Do You Really Know What That Means? 'Engagement is a word that many in the information marketing and social media industries are using lately.    I have been using the word a lot recently too. In fact, I have been curating some groups lately and asked for my connections to share people that they felt were "active and engaging." That got me curious. your people. MORE >>

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• VIRTUAL MOXIE | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

  Why It's Easier to Not Get In Than to Get Out of a Relationship 'For as long as I can remember, I’ve taught that one of the best reasons to move more slowly when interviewing a prospective client is that it’s easier to never get into the relationship, than it is to get out of it once it’s begun. For the record, this is true for any kind of relationship you can choose to get into. That ends today. MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS LABS | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013
  	R.I.P Lotus 1-2-3 'IBM recently announced that it's no longer selling Lotus 1-2-3.  Most readers of this blog likely have never heard of Lotus 1-2-3.  But more experienced readers (meaning old) will remember 1-2-3 as their first PC spreadsheet and the first "killer app" for the PC. Lotus 1-2-3 rose and fell quickly. They were the first U.S. MORE >>

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• DUMB LITTLE MAN | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

  6 Ways to Improve Relationships by Tackling Self-Consciousness 'When I was growing up, I was a great soccer star, a swimming champion, and a well-read student. Deep down, though, I was struggling to make more than a few good relationships with other people. One of the biggest hindrances in my life has been self-consciousness. sweat. sweat so much I have to carry around a little cloth with me. MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013
  	Infographic: Signs 'How important is your business signage? According to the infographic below, the answer is very. massive 8 out of 10 American consumers have entered the premises of a business simply because the sign caught their interest. Business Infographics Business signs Digital Signage infographic Signs small business infographic MORE >>

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• SIMPLE PRODUCTIVITY BLOG | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

  Does Being Connected Make You Sloppy? 'Mondays are productivity days at SimpleProductivity blog. was doing the standard morning commute, listening to Stever Robbins talk about being disconnected (transcript here ) when something he said brought me to full attention. Stever said that being connected all the time had made him sloppy. began to wonder if it was making me sloppy, too. MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013
  	A Lesson From Beckham 'On the day that David Beckham announced that he will be retiring from professional football, I felt compelled to put aside the theme I’d been planning and write this piece instead. Business Mentoring lessons learnt MORE >>

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• Q&A With Lisa Duncan, Co-Founder of Flipside Workspace THE SOLOPRENEUR LIFE | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

• 5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Good Content SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

• Quote of the Week: Start THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

• 10 Ways to Improve Your Business with Mobile Technology SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

• Your chance to pitch to a former “Dragon” THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

• 12+ Pinterest Apps and Tools for Pinning While Mobile SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

• Eventfulness PRODUCTIVITYIST | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

• $1 Billion Tumblr Deal Turns 26-Year-Old Founder into Mega-Millionaire SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

• MailChimp Email Marketing Blog – How Writers [and others] Can Use Email to Share Their Work DENISE ADAY | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

• Stay Alive. It’s Good for Business SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

• New BlackBerry Q5 Device Makes Three So Far This Year By BlackBerry SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

May 19, 2013

• BUSINESS WRITING | SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2013

  Email: A Great Place for a One-Track Mind 'In a recent Better Business Writing class, several participants had a challenge that most of us have: They could not get readers to respond to everything they requested in their emails. They tried to be efficient by covering more than. Email MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2013
  	Systems That Build and Grow A Business 'Keeping track of activity is a common challenge for small business owners. We wear many hats and are responsible for many things. One of the places where we fall down is with our sales process. am a huge fan of systems because I believe systems keep us on track and focused. Systems To Build Business. They are: Prospecting. Selling. Follow up. MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2013

  Feisty Enterprise Tip #2: Get a Support Network Behind You, Say ‘I’ll Get Back To You’ and Then Phone a Friend 'The scariest words to a prospective or existing small business owner are ‘I’m from the government (or bank) and I’m here to help you’. If the schemes and websites of free support for starting a business are primarily run and sponsored by government and financial services companies then B-E-W-A-R-E. MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2013
  	Google+ Less Popular With Brands Than Facebook, Report Claims 'Have you updated your company’s Google+ page today? How about in the last week? Or month? … Year? Maybe your company doesn’t even have a Google+ page yet, and if that’s the case or you’ve been abandoning that page in favor of other social media networks, you’re not alone. Google+ vs Facebook. Social Media MORE >>

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• DAILY WRITING TIPS | SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2013
  	What Is a Clause? 'A clause is a statement or a question that generally consists of a subject and a verb phrase and constitutes a complete thought. Sentences can consist of a single clause, but they often include two: a main, or independent, clause and a subordinate, or dependent, clause. main clause can form a complete sentence. Original Post: What Is a Clause? MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2013

  What is Gangnam Style? And What Does it Mean for Business? '“Gangnam Style” is a song and music video by South Korean musician Psy. The phrase has become a metaphor for having a unique and authentic style. The video was first released in July 2012 and soon went viral on YouTube. In December 2012, the Gangnam Style video became the first YouTube video to reach one billion views. Marketing Tips MORE >>

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• OFFICE DYNAMICS | SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2013
  	How Color Affects Mood 'Hello, Monday Motivators! I’m going to take a new twist on wellness today. Let’ think color, clothing and attitude. How does color affect mood? Just look at the colors below and what they represent or emotions they evoke. Imagine if you wear orange this week, how much more determined and creative you might be? If so, wear blue. MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2013

  Read “Spank The Bank” to Choose the Right Financing for Your Business 'It was just a couple of years ago that I lamented about the lack of finance guides aimed at small business owners. Meanwhile, the number of non-traditional finance resources has increased, competing with traditional banking sources. As a result, business owners have clamored for books outlining all finance options available. Business Book Reviews MORE >>

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May 18, 2013

• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2013

  Why I’d Choose a Woman Business Partner Every Time? 'Ouch! think that hissing is the sound of knives flying through the air aimed at my back. This is where I may upset most business women and most business men. I’ll be accused of stereotyping and other words I find difficult to spell. I’m old but not wise – who knew? on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG. MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2013
  	How to “Own the Room” in Any Presentation 'Have you ever “owned a room?” I don’t mean in terms of actual real estate, but rather in terms of mental real estate? If you have, you’ll never forget the feeling of having every eye in the room on you, people practically breathing along with you. think that’s what they mean when they say having them “eating out of your hand.” WE are in control. MORE >>

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• CLUTTER COACH | SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2013
  	Your Brain: Distracted 'Originally posted 2010-02-03 17:10:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter Your brain craves novelty and will be distracted by it whenever it appears. Period. It's neuroscience. In his article about why it's hard to focus , David Rock explains that attention uses up brain resources, so it's limited (although more coffee sometimes helps). MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2013
  	Twitter Suspension? First Step: Don’t Panic 'Since last week, lots of legitimate business accounts have been suspended and then unsuspended on Twitter. Here’s more on what’s been happening and what to do if you find yourself in the same situation. Legitimate Business Accounts Getting Suspended. It’s been fairly common for pure spam accounts to get suspended. What’s up? MORE >>

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• DENISE ADAY | SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2013

  The AP Seizures and the Frightening Web They’ve Uncovered | NationofChange 'The AP Seizures and the Frightening Web They’ve Uncovered | NationofChange : Mainstream media finally realizes it’s just as vulnerable as the rest of us and has been making deals with the devil in its cooperation, complicity, utter docility. Now what? MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2013

  Our Latest Hand-Picked List of Events, Contests and Awards 'Welcome to our latest curated list of events, contests and awards for small businesses, solo entrepreneurs and growing companies. To see a full list or to submit your own event, contest or award listing, visit the Small Business Events Calendar. Featured Events, Contests and Awards. Access to Capital Chicago. May 22, 2013, Chicago, Illinois. MORE >>

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May 17, 2013

• ECO-OFFICE GALS | FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
  	How Your Office Can Go Green in 2013 'We’re all in it Together! ??Owing Owing to increased global warming and rapidly depleting non-renewable resources, we have all started to look into ways in which they can save the environment and the Earth. Here are a few ways in which offices can contribute towards conserving the environment without much expense. ??Reducing Go digital. MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS CEO | FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
  	Top 5 Online Marketing Techniques For Small Business Growth 'For small businesses, deciding which online marketing techniques to use is a daunting task. With many online tools at your disposal, which ones really perform? To find out, we took a look at 15 online marketing tools and their performance rankings by 500 CEOs and other executives in professional services. MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
  	Infographic: Commuting 'Everyone knows that the cost of commuting can be prohibitive to many small businesses, but are you aware of exactly how much it costs you on an annual basis? This infographic (based on US data) reveals how much the average person will spend on their annual commute. Business Infographics commuting infographic telecommuting teleworking MORE >>

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• SIMPLE PRODUCTIVITY BLOG | FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013

  Open Loops 5/17/2013: Articles I Think Worth Passing Along 'Fridays are open loop days at SimpleProductivity blog. This is something I have seen happen to my laptop…it uses the wireless even when connected by wire. From Lifehacker’s “Catch Paint Drips with Yogurt Cups” Smashed fingers are no fun. You can use a bobby pin or a comb to help. For Twitter, look for @SmplProdBlog. MORE >>

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• DAILY WRITING TIPS | FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
  	The Reality of Freelance Writing 'A recent Craigslist job posting invites readers to apply to write twenty or more 1,000-word online-marketing articles per week. The pay rate? Twenty dollars per article to start, thirty dollars each after the first ten articles, and forty or fifty dollars apiece after a couple of weeks. The problem? I’ve done so — for a while.) MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
  	What did Beckham teach us? 'David Beckham certainly made a lasting impact on the world of professional football (or soccer, for our American readers) but he also taught us some valuable lessons that could be transferred to the world of business too. on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG. Business Advice business success news stories soccer success stories MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013

  61% of U.S. Voters Think Rich Entrepreneurs are Good for the Economy 'You may sometimes wonder whether Americans hate the rich. With all the TV air time given to tax increases vs tax cuts for the wealthy that politicians love to argue over, it would not be surprising to get that impression. Entrepreneurs take their money and reinvest it into their companies, benefiting the whole economy. ” The post 61% of U.S. MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
  	How to build an experiential campaign 'Experiential marketing isn’t something reserved for big business with equally big budgets – elements of experiential marketing can feed into campaigns, whatever the size of your company. This post… Read the full article here: How to build an experiential campaign on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG. MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
  	Groupon Expands Breadcrumb POS, Shifts its Small Business Strategy 'Still thinking of Groupon as a company that sends out daily deal emails all the while incurring the ire of small businesses that lose money on one-time customers? Well, think again. That’s an old story. Groupon has a much more compelling small business story to tell in 2013. It’s a positive story, in fact.  ” he said. MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
  	Will your business last 350 years? 'You might have designs for your business to be around for a long time, but could you ever conceive of it outliving you by centuries? For one seventeenth century scissor-maker in China named Zhang Jiasi that’s exactly what happened, because the fruits of his labour are still very much alive today. on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG. MORE >>

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• Top Small Business News This Week: May 17 SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013

• Over half of all businesses do not survive 5 years THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013

• Alexei Dunayev of TranscribeMe: Necessity is the Mother of Invention SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013

• Next on my business reading list > The New Inbox: Mobile's Impact on Email Marketing and Social Media DENISE ADAY | FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013

• The Plus Side to Low Sales: More White Space SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013

• "If Press Loses Freedom, Democracy Is Sunk. Let’s put a stop to current abuses now." DENISE ADAY | FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013

May 16, 2013

• SMALL BUSINESS LABS | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013
  	Self-Employment Shifting to the Creative Class 'Well known author and academic Richard Florida has written extensively about the rise of the creative class. According to his work, the creative class - a grouping of knowledge-based professions - has rapidly increased its share of total employment over the last 2 decades and now  comprises about one third of all U.S. MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013
  	10 Visual Social Media Tips for Image Success 'So your online business has always experienced praise for its crisp quality content from customers and admirers? But as of late, maybe you’ve noticed that your posts are facing a lot of stagnancy in reaching your perfect target audience? Below are some tips to get you back on track. Social Media Tips for Image Success. Show it with Words. MORE >>

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• PRACTICALLY PERFECT PA | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013
  	How can I ruin your day? 'The other day I was asked what features I like in my new flat. It is terrible but I could instantly list a few things I didn’t like before I answered positively (the sofas too close to the telly, the dining room table is in a weird place etc etc!). Instead of asking our managers ‘what can I do for you?’ What details bother you? MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013
  	4 Essential Role Players You Want On Your Team 'Do you have a mentor, accountability partner, confidant and evangelist on your business team? “Nobody has ever before asked the nuclear family to live all by itself in a box the way we do. With no relatives, no support, we’ve put it in an impossible situation.” ” ~ Margaret Mead. That is not a survivalist formula. Mentors. MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013
  	Infographic: Improving Customer Service 'This excellent infographic from GetApp has some great ideas for any business wanting to improve their customer service. According to their figures, poor customer service costs $338.5 Billion annually. Business Infographics customer care Customer Service infographic MORE >>

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• OFFICE ORGANIZATION SUCCESS | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013

  Help! I Hear This All The Time From Biz Owners 'I hear it all the time from business owners, “Help! need systems and I don’t know where to start!” Key Systems To Set Up When You Don’t Know Where To Start Workshop. During this free online webcast you’ll discover: The one system you absolutely need to have in place if you are to grow your online solo service business. MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013
  	The Importance of the Name Badge 'The decision of whether or not to have name badges as part of your staff uniform can seem like a trivial thing, but clever use of this tool could become part of your marketing as well as for the customer experience. Guest Blog badge name badge staff MORE >>

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• DAILY WRITING TIPS | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013

  45 Synonyms for “Old” and “Old-Fashioned” 'Our culture’s attitude toward age is reflected in the often-pejorative meanings of words synonymous with old and old-fashioned , though some are neutral or even reverent. Here are forty-five words that refer to people, places, and things that are, or are considered, old or old-fashioned. Unrelated senses are also listed.). Démodé : unfashionable. MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013
  	Countdown to Independent Retailer Month 'Clare Rayner, The Retail Champion, is the mastermind behind the Independent Retail Campaign dedicated to providing support and advice to independent retailers in the UK. Independent Retailer Month is the annual centrepiece of the UK’s independent retailers which make up 92% of all retail businesses. MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013
  	How I Outsourced My Non-Core Sales Tasks 'As a small business owner and also the person who is responsible for the sales for my company, it is important that I focus on sales tasks that generate revenue. One day, I stopped and looked at all the different sales tasks I was doing and realized that I was doing stuff that took away from generating revenue. Outsourcing Non-Core Sales Tasks. MORE >>

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• Top 5 Tips for Recent College Graduates THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013

• Inefficiency Hinders Your Job Search JOB ADVICE BLOG | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013

• UK: Bank of England upbeat THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013

• Google+ Upgrade Rolls Out: Beautiful New Look SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013

• The Appeal of App.net PRODUCTIVITYIST | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013

• Nokia to Introduce a New Lumia Windows Phone With a Metal Case SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013

• Like Bacon and…well, Bacon. TIPS FROM T. MARIE | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013

• Cat Patrol DENISE ADAY | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013

• The Welcome Package – Turning New Clients Into Loyal Clients STEP IT UP VA COACHING | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013

• ecowatchorg: AL GORE: 400 ppm For the first time in human. DENISE ADAY | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013

• My daughter brought this to my attention yesterday. I love that. DENISE ADAY | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013

May 15, 2013

• LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO WORK | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013

  Laughing all the Way to Work - Untitled Article 'Minute taking can seem scary at first but once you know what you need to record, you will get better at it over time. My next minute-taking webinar will be on May 31 at 1 p.m. EST and I will go over the basics of minute taking as well as the actual process so you will feel more confident in this role. MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS LABS | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013
  	Temps Working More Hours Than Employees 'Prior to the Great Recession temporary workers worked, on average, fewer hours per week than regular employees.    But as the chart below (from a NY Times Economix blog post ) shows, this shifted in 2009 and temps now work, on average, 30 minutes more per week than regular employees. This means the average U.S. MORE >>

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• EAT YOUR CAREER | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013
  	Cover Letters: Why Bother? 'A lot of people think cover letters are relics of the past. But truth be told, they’re still a crucial part of the job search process. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should just throw one together and check the box. You want to use the cover letter as an opportunity to differentiate yourself from the crowd. Watch and learn! Digg this! MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS CEO | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013

  Too Much On Your Plate? Here Are Some Tips To Clear Your Desk Of Tasks 'We’ve all been there, in today’s world, it’s hard to keep everything going at once. You have tasks from your job, home, kids, personal life, medical appointments, and who knows what else. It can be difficult to manage these tasks, even if you employ an electronic organization system. Get organized. Block out time. Create rules. Insert downtime. MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013
  	The Agile Manifesto 'Last Saturday I had a fantastic day running a workshop on personal effectiveness with some software developers at BSkyB. The theme was Personal Effectiveness within an Agile environment. For the uninitiated Agile is a method of working developed in the software industry. Personal Effectiveness Agile business conference MORE >>

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• ON THE JOB | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013
  	Is Technology Making Your Rude? 'Nearly everyone has a story about someone at work who has been rude. Perhaps it was the boss who sent a snippy e-mail or the co-worker who made snarky comments, but workplace civility often seems to have gone the way of the typewriter. The deeper issue with workplace rudeness is how it affects the bottom-line success of a business. The response? MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013
  	Infographic: US Small Business Confidence 'This cool circus infographic showing US small business confidence is based on figures from 2012 but it is still well worth checking out. Business Infographics confidence infographic US economy MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013

  Tips for Writing Horrifically Effective Content with Stephen King 'It’s a little strange to acknowledge that someone as famous and prolific as Stephen King is perhaps the ultimate ghostwriter. Then again, what about Stephen King and his writing isn’t strange? In 1977, King was frustrated with the industry standard that made it difficult to publish more than a single novel per year. Really, Mr. King? MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013
  	How to… Increase Footfall by Utilising your Shop Window 'Before you’ve even got the keys to your first shop, you should be thinking about how you maximise your window display and get customers through the door. As is true with all modern-day shoppers, high street visitors want to be wowed, enticed and inspired before heading indoors to spend their hard-earned cash. MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013
  	7 Questions You Better Ask Your Copywriter 'Have you ever taken your car to get an oil change, only to decide four hours and forty dollars later that you would have been a lot better off doing it yourself? Well, you can get the same feeling in the pit of your stomach when you hire a copywriter. Questions to Ask Your Copywriter. Can I call you? It’s fast and easy. What’s not to love? MORE >>

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• The Media Diet: Corralling Newsletters SIMPLE PRODUCTIVITY BLOG | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013

• Email Marketing with MailChimp SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013

• Ready for Launch: The Productivityist Workbook PRODUCTIVITYIST | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013

• UK: Unemployment ‘Reality Check’ THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013

• Small Businesses Are Borrowing Less Again, Per PayNet Index SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013

• Don’t believe everything you see on TV THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013

• How to Pitch an Essay DAILY WRITING TIPS | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013

• Why Mobile Should Simplify Your Email Marketing Not Complicate It | Business 2 Community DENISE ADAY | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013

• Tell Eric Holder and the Justice Dept: Stop your attack on the First Amendment DENISE ADAY | WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013

May 14, 2013

• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013
  	Get people experienced in everything to do with SMEs! 'Today saw the publication of a report by Lord Young entitled ‘Growing Your Business’- one of a series of pieces by ‘The Dude’ (still don’t know why he has that nickname) to help Small Businesses in the UK. on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG. MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013
  	WordPress Dominates Top 100 Blogs 'If your business website or blog is using WordPress as its content management system (CMS), you’re in good company. The majority of  the top 100 blogs are using WordPress, says a new study from Pingdom. Pingdom gets the top 100 list of blogs from Technorati. But there’s also no denying that blogging is not gone. Image: Pingdom.com. MORE >>

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• OFFICE ORGANIZATION SUCCESS | TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

  My Top 5 Strategies for More Website Traffic 'I signed up for Hancock County’s Relay for Life earlier in the week. This is the first time I’ve ever done one of these events and I’m looking forward to it. I’m part of Team Body Fix, which is headed by Shawna, my Personal Trainer! Things are definitely gearing up for summer around here. your ezine. General Biz MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS LABS | TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013
  	Cleantech 2.0 = Cleanweb 'The cleantech industry has fallen on some hard times. The U.S. energy boom - and especially the "shale gale" of cheap natural gas - has led to lower prices for fossil fuels.    While good news for the U.S. So what is the Cleantech industry doing? Pivoting , of course. And they're calling their new focus the  Cleanweb. MORE >>

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• PRACTICALLY PERFECT PA | TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013
  	Feeling undervalued? 'I’ve been soooo busy with work over the last few weeks including business trips to Madrid, Amsterdam and the UK I’m still not quite sure which country I’m in at the moment! My new job has been great though and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, my colleagues really understand what I do, the skills I have and what I can offer. MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

  Millennials Are Rewriting the Rules of Work and Entrepreneurship '[Click for full infograph ]. What do Millennials want? Flexibility and independence top the list, according to a new study, “ Millennials and the Future of Work ,” from oDesk and Millennial Branding that polled nearly 2,000 people aged 19 to 30. Here’s some of what the study found, and what it means for your business. Employment Trends MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013
  	The Next Generation of Entrepreneurs 'This is an interesting article from Wired about the Technovation Challenge – the first ever computer science competition exclusively for girls. Over the last four years the tech competition has grown from a small event with just 45 girls to this year having more than 600 take part. Women Entrepreneurs entrepreneurship technology MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

  Six Secrets to Make an eCommerce Platform More Powerful 'Congratulations for your new online store. As you now have an eCommerce website with a finely tuned check out process, you may want to know how to make your eCommerce platform more powerful. More importantly, how to make your customers trust your eCommerce store. Well, it really depends on your hard work and the resources available. Retail Trends MORE >>

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• THE SOLOPRENEUR LIFE | TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

  Go Your Own Way? Musings on Fleetwood Mac, Collaboration, and Solopreneurship 'A s solo-business owners, we embrace the “solopreneur” lifestyle — we treasure the independence and flexibility that it gives us. But being a solopreneur doesn’t mean you shouldn’t collaborate with others. Look at the music industry, for example. I’ve always thought of musicians as solopreneurs. Consider Fleetwood Mac. MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

  Speak to Me: 4 Online Personalization Strategies for Your Business 'No matter what they’re shopping for or where the transaction takes place, customers like to feel as though the experience takes their preferences into consideration. This includes online shopping. In fact, conversion rates are typically higher when online personalization is involved. Online Personalization Strategies for Your Business. MORE >>

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• Answers to Questions About Tense DAILY WRITING TIPS | TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

• Self-Employed Work / Life Balance Tips THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

• Small Business Owners File Lawsuit Against IRS Over Obamacare “Power Grab” SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

• Infographic: Small Business Time Management THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

• Goal Setting 101 Is Live On Udemy.com BRILLIANTLY BETTER | TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

• Here’s which tech companies won’t turn your emails over to the feds [without a warrant] | SF Politics DENISE ADAY | TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

• Learn more about your customers THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

• 5 Things Customers Need To Hear You Say In Your Email Newsletter | Business 2 Community DENISE ADAY | TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

May 13, 2013

• DUMB LITTLE MAN | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

  It’s Not You, It’s Them: 11 Frenemies You Should Dump Today 'Relationships are an accumulation of life’s continuous serendipity, but friendships are intentional. We choose to let others influence us, and we rely on them to provide modeling, mentorship, and assistance. But what if those friends actually did more harm than good? Those are called “frenemies.” Debbie Downer: Life sucks and she knows it. MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

  Enterprise Rockers: Response to Lord Young’s Report Enterprise Rockers #MicroBizMatters enterprise rockers Lord Young micro business Micro Business Matters MORE >>

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• IAN'S MESSY DESK | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013
  	Be more productive with better sleep habits 'You just finished reading Be more productive with better sleep habits ! Consider leaving a comment! Recommended: Evernote Essentials. Productivity MORE >>

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• SIMPLE PRODUCTIVITY BLOG | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

  Decrease Distractions By Streamlining Reminders 'Mondays are productivity days at SimpleProductivity blog. Between the dings, the buzzing, the whirs and the beeps, reminders are everywhere. Each one of them shouts, “Look at me!” So what’s a modern person to do in the face of these distractions? Streamline your reminders. Sources of Reminders. Phone messages. Email. Games. Games. MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS LABS | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

  Will Obamacare Lead to Lots More Small Businesses? 'The Wall Street Journal's Will Health Care Law Beget Entrepreneurs? suggests that once fully implemented, the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare) could lead to a substantial increase in new small businesses. Key quote: The Obama administration has touted a boost for entrepreneurship as one of the health-care law's key benefits. MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013
  	Infographic: US Patent Trolls 'Last week we discussed the brave move by the New Zealand government to rule that software would not be subject to patent rulings. But why is this such a big deal? Business Infographics infographic patent patent troll patent trolling MORE >>

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• VIRTUAL MOXIE | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

  Problems With No-Shows, SOLVED! 'Martin wrote to pick my brain : "I have weekly calls scheduled with my clients. Two of them think nothing of blowing it off, with no notice, and nothing afterwards to apologize or explain. BOY that bugs me. How in the world do I talk with them about it?". You know what, Martin? feel ya on this. Almost nothing annoys me more than people who no-show. MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS CEO | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013
  	Small Business Owners Charge Full Steam Ahead 'Small business owners are feeling good about 2013 so far and even more optimistic about the year ahead, according to Manta’s Q1 2013 SMB Wellness Index. While only 17 percent hired new employees in the first quarter of this year, almost one-third (31 percent) plan to do so in Q2. But that’s not where they’re putting most of their money. MORE >>

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• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013
  	Important new cloud collaboration research announced 'We still have a lot to learn about the potential collaborative benefits of the Cloud and the different ways it can be applied around the world. Business Collaboration Cloud Computing online collaboration research MORE >>

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• DAILY WRITING TIPS | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013
  	10 Functions of the Comma 'A comma is a versatile punctuation mark, serving ten basic functions. Here’s an enumeration, with examples. Separate the elements in a series: “Groucho, Harpo, and Chico developed the philosophy called Marxism.”. As language maven Bryan Garner observes, “Omitting the serial comma may cause ambiguities, whereas including it never will.”. MORE >>

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• The 10 Most Important Attributes of a Content Marketing Maven SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

• Effective Office Tips for a Greener Workplace ECO-OFFICE GALS | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

• 10 Simple Steps Will Improve Your Business Blog SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

• The Biggest Sales Challenge That Solopreneurs Face THE SOLOPRENEUR LIFE | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

• Looking for a Business Smartphone: Don’t Automatically Choose the iPhone SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

• 3 Needs of Time Management IAN'S MESSY DESK | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

• Reality is Weighing on Small Business Optimism SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

• Pic of the Day: Meetings THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

• Remembering Passwords Could Become a Thing of the Past SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

• Social Media, Joint Venturing and Building a Kick Butt Workshop Speaking Biz PRODUCTIVE & ORGANIZED | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

• Cloud Retail Brings Your Business Success SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

• How to manufacture your own lucky breaks THE SHRINK FOR ENTREPRENEURS | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

• Optimizing Pinterest for the Greatest Results PRODUCTIVE & ORGANIZED | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

• Lifetime Cloud Access without a Lifetime Subscription THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

May 12, 2013

• THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG | SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2013
  	Quote of the Week: Momentum 'We’re continuing with the return of the Business Quote of the Week for now, so appropriately the quote this week is on the topic of keeping things going: “Sometimes thinking too much can destroy your momentum.” Business Quotations business quotes MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2013
  	What is 3D Printing? '3D printing is like having a small-scale manufacturing device right in your home or office. 3D printers are devices that can create three-dimensional objects. Most 3D printers create objects in plastic. Some use ceramic, metal or other materials. There’s even a 3D printer that forms items out of chocolate or cheese. How does 3D printing work? MORE >>

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• PRODUCTIVITYIST | SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2013
  	Doing the Right Things 'The past week has been crazy. Very crazy. But a good kind of very crazy – because I’ve been able to manage it better than before. The biggest part of this past week on my calendar was Social Media Camp. was happy to have been part of it – and even more happy that I was able to truly be part of it. Possibly. and a better life. MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2013
  	Monster Loyalty: Savvy Engagement Tips From Lady Gaga 'To me, the fun fact about famous people is not the TMZ-style stories of who-left-whom-for-who.  It’s the business end. get a bit fascinated by musicians, and how they attempt to balance artistic statement with being accessible to the public – another way of saying, “Gimme enough sales so I can continue my artistic statements.”. MORE >>

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• DAILY WRITING TIPS | SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2013
  	What Is a Determiner? 'Among lists of parts of speech, you may see an unfamiliar word among nouns , verbs , conjunctions , and the other usual suspects. What’s a determiner? determiner is a word that modifies a noun or a noun phrase. The categories of determiners include the following: articles ( a , an , and the ). possessive pronouns (such as hers and mine ). Grammar MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2013

  Microsoft Now 5th Largest Tablet Seller, Propelled by Upbeat Ad 'Microsoft has joined the ranks for the top 5 tablet sellers according to research firm IDC. The Redmond, Washington based tech giant sold 900,000 units and had 1.8% market share for the first quarter of 2013. Now it might sound as if 1.8% market share isn’t much to crow about. Even more telling is Apple’s drop. Technology Trends MORE >>

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• DENISE ADAY | SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2013
  	From sweet daughter on Mom’s Day, with a thanks for always. 'From sweet daughter on Mom’s Day, with a thanks for always helping her untangle MORE >>

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• SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS | SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2013

  Merchant Versus Customer: Both Sides of a Chargeback 'If you are a business owner that accepts credit cards for payment, you may be already familiar with the frustrations of the dreaded chargeback process. This is when a customer contacts their credit card company to dispute a charge or have a charge reversed. But have you ever stopped to look at them from the point of view of your customers? Financ MORE >>

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• DENISE ADAY | SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2013

  Our Common Wealth: The Hidden Economy That Makes Everything Else Work 'Our Common Wealth: The Hidden Economy That Makes Everything Else Work : Excellent piece and a book to add to the reading list. “… the commons is not a relic. It is a parallel economy that does real work, a counterpoise to the market that provides antidotes to many pathologies of the modern age MORE >>

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