Goliath Clout (SM): The Official BizUnite Blog

Small Is No Excuse

BizUnite — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:01:19 -0400

Should small businesses whine? That's the question marketing guru, Seth Godin asked himself last week. The answer - no.

Some businesses use their size as a crutch. Others promote it as a badge of honor. Whatever your strategy, you should know that consumers couldn't care less about your size. As Godin put it, "I just want good service."

What are you business pains? Whatever they are - there are web tools available to help you thrive in your marketplace. Many are free and easy to use. In fact, BizUnite is such a tool:

Immediately save money on payment processing, consumer financing, office supplies, and more.
Get the lowest possible rates on your business insurance.
Promote your business quickly and easily with low cost email, direct mail and online advertising tools.
Discover ‘how to’ insights so you can achieve your business goals.

- Sonciary

Our Release

Ben Carcio — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:04:11 -0400

We're excited to issue our first press release. Here's the requisite and unfiltered excerpt from Evan, our President:

“The business environment is tumultuous and independent businesses don’t want to navigate their way alone,” said Evan Hackel, President of BizUnite. “BizUnite offers these businesses advantages that were never before possible in this market sector. The independent business now has the combination of Goliath Clout and nimbleness necessary to not only survive, but to thrive in an ever increasingly complex and competitive global marketplace.”

Some more good news, we've removed our BETA password requirement, so now anybody can register for Goliath Clout, for FREE. I've covered some of what you'll find (groups and cost savings), but a demo is still the best test. In addition, I've created the Early Adopters Group for those interested in collaborating with other like-innovative indy biz people.

Here's the rest of the release on Yahoo News.

- BC

The Real Value of Saving Money

Ben Carcio — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:37:59 -0400

Most independent businesses don't care much about saving money. Since their founding, the independent is so focused on new customers and revenue, they forget about saving money. But here's the real value of sharpening your pencil, given the high costs of running a business, saving $1,000 off your bottom line can equal up to $20,000 in new revenue. That's a huge amount of new business to generate. So, for the established business cost savings is the absolute best way to improve profitability. The Goliaths know this. They use their massive clout to negotiate the best possible rates for shipping, credit card processing, consumer financing, and business supplies. With BizUnite, you get this Goliath Clout(sm) day one. We've negotiated Goliath rates with the likes of Chase Paymentech, Citi Financial, Waste Management, and FedEx for all of you.

But it can't stop there. The more Davids that unite together the better the deals we can get. In addition, by creating and building their own groups though BizUnite, businesses can negotiate for better rates on the local level, or barter for services to avoid costs all together. The fact is, when the Davids decide to come out of isolation and unite together there's no "big box" in the world that could compete. It's truly the best of both worlds, local uniqueness with low cost goods and services of a Goliath.

Keep uniting.

What's in a Group

Ben Carcio — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:10:31 -0400

As we roll through our BizUnite private BETA period, I'll take you through some of our major features. First up, the cornerstone of our platform, BizUnite groups. The idea of a group is nothing unique, in fact, groups constitute a major part of the daily life of an independent business. Typical business groups include local networking groups, buying groups, chamber of commerce, etc. With BizUnite, independents can create and join an unlimited number groups to collaborate on revenue ideas and ways to save money. BizUnite groups are a place where Davids can meet, discuss, share, and exchange ideas with other like businesses. It's this participation with similar businesses that builds clout, and with enough it, you can achieve Goliath Clout^sm. With Goliath Clout^SM, Davids can easily compete with and defeat their competition.

Try creating a group, or find an established group and help build Goliath Clout^sm. As always, we are open to new ideas and suggestions. Our BETA is still closed, so reach out and we'll be happy to send you an invite.

Next feature - Cost Savings

BizUnite = Launched

Ben Carcio — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:12:48 -0400

It's with much pleasure that we announce the private beta launch of BizUnite!

BizUnite, the Independent Business Platform, delivers independent businesses (Davids) "Goliath Clout^SM" through:

Cost Savings (credit card processing,
consumer financing, insurance, shipping, etc.)
Marketing Tools (email, direct mail, and online ads)
Insurance
Hiring
Best Practices

We also provide collaborative tools (groups, wikis, discussions) that Davids or organizations can use for free. In fact, the platform is entirely free to the independent business person.

What's Goliath Clout^sm?

BizUnite gathers independent businesses (Davids) together, creating networks of power. It's something we call Goliath Clout^sm because these networks give Davids the power and strength of a Goliath, while still allowing them to maintain the uniqueness of an independent.

We're currently in private beta, so you need a beta password to sign up on BizUnite.
Be sure to contact us to request one.

See you on BizUnite!

Ben & the BizUnite Team

What BizUnite Means to Me

Jen Stevens — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:43:45 -0400

If you ask BizUnite employees what BizUnite means to them, you will get a different answer from everyone. To me, BizUnite means hope. Hope that independent businesses will be able to compete with the “big box” and that Wal-Mart will no longer be found in every town.

To help make this happen, BizUnite will provide independents with cost saving tools, helping them cut costs and increase revenue!

I believe that with the help of BizUnite, independent businesses can be hopeful that their future will be stronger then ever. Watch for our launch next month!

Same Price as Big Box Stores

BizUnite — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:56:07 -0400

Big box stores aka corporate conglomerates aka Goliaths continue to put the h-u-r-t on independent businesses.

It's difficult for independents (Davids) to compete on price. We don't have the same Goliath leverage as the big guys. You know, that kind that drives suppliers to lower product prices.

But we could, if we united with other independent businesses. And we would use our power for good.

That's just what we propose to do. Stay tuned.

BizUnite will launch in July 2008.

- Sonciary

Haha, David and Adam are wearing the same shirt!

Adam Barlow — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:02:53 -0400

Independent businesses provide us with unique products and services that the big box retailers can’t. If it wasn’t for the independent businesses reaching niche markets, who would? I know Wal-Mart and Home Depot are not going to spend the time and money to go after to many small niche markets. Without independent businesses, there would be a lot more of those awkward moments when you show up to work and your co-worker is wearing the same shirt as you. I’m a big supporter of independent business and the uniqueness they can bring to our communities.

- Adam

What I Love About BizUnite

Evan Hackel — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 09:28:13 -0400

BizUnite is still evolving, but in a nutshell, we deliver tools to independent businesses that until now, only much larger companies had access to. Also, through BizUnite, independent businesses can network and collaborate - in ways never before possible - to become more successful.

The future of BizUnite is exciting, but the real excitement lies in how BizUnite will shift the balance of power back to independent businesses. It’s our goal to offer new ways of cutting costs and increasing revenue by uniting them together. The world is going to change and BizUnite is going to help make it better.

- Evan

Making the Big Box Better

Ben Carcio — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:19:51 -0400

The goal of BizUnite is to make independent businesses stronger through what we call Goliath Clout^sm. So essentially we provide Goliath-like tools to Davids, so they can compete better in the marketplace.

We have no grudge against Goliaths, like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Home Depot. In fact, we respect them, and want our Davids to emulate much of what they do well (marketing, hiring, and cost savings). This is why Wal-Mart Watch caught my eye. Like we seek to make the Davids better, Wal-Mart Watch seeks to work with the Goliath, Wal-Mart, to make it a better citizen. Wal-Mart Watch does this by embracing Wal-Mart and by trying to work with the Goliath without overtly attacking it. We share this positive angle on the David vs. Goliath struggle, and wish them well.