Top 5 trends for small business as 2011 starts

I am not allow to post the link yet, but found this very interesting article to share and enjoy.

By Steve Strauss for USA TODAY
OK, here we are at the start of 2011, and based on the Top 5 Trends this year, it is a year that looks to be substantially better for small business than the past two.

Top 5 Trends

5. The rise of the mob discount: No, it is not just Groupon that I am talking about, but Groupon is a good place to start. Groupon (or Group Coupon) offers incredible deals if a certain number of people sign up for the offer. If so, they can expect to get "50 to 90% off." For the small business owner who participates, it is a double-edged sword: Yes, you can get a lot of traffic, but at what price?

6-10: Read the first part of the column

Does it work? Someone is using it. Groupon recently turned down Google's $6 billion buyout offer.

But the new mob discounts go well beyond Groupon. Wal-Mart (WMT) is using Facebook to try something similar called the "CrowdSaver." On Facebook, Wal-Mart posts some potential great deal. If enough people "like" it, the deal then goes live and everyone gets the discount.

Or consider the "flash sale." By making limited-time offers available on Twitter and Facebook, businesses like Dell Outlet (DELL) and the ice cream shop down the street create immediate sales.

4. Mobile marketing creates opportunity: How do people find out that the ice cream shop is having a sale if those folks are not already Twitter followers of that business? Mobile search. The proliferation of smartphones, iPads, netbooks, and tablets means that consumers are increasingly searching for businesses on the go as much as they are while sitting at a desk.

So your small business needs to be present on mobile local search results, and you might also consider creating geographic-specific mobile search ad campaigns. The next frontier in sales is going to be mobile searches and ads that result in on-the-go purchases.

3. The New Normal: Yes, I did say that the economy was not going to dominate my list this year, and it doesn't, but I never said it wouldn't make an appearance, and here it is: The long-term fallout from the Great Recession is that work has changed, forever. Businesses are looking to do more with less, at less cost, and will continue to do so. Working smarter and cheaper is one aspect of the New Normal.

Another is that the days of full-time jobs with full-time benefits are ending. If you have one of those, count yourself lucky. Businesses will continue to cut costs by creating more part-time and independent contractor work.

The good news for small business is that more contract work will be available.

2. It's a Facebook world and we are just living in it: Evidence of the total and utter dominance of Facebook is all around us: Mark Zuckerberg is Time's Man of the Year. The Social Network is one of the top movies of the year. Facebook topped 500 million users.

It is the very ubiquity of Facebook that has changed the business game.

At a recent webinar I gave, someone asked, "Does my business have to be on Facebook?" Of course the answer is no. But Facebook is where the action is right now, so it would be dumb not to have a presence there. Whether it is having your own Fan page, or learning how to advertise on the site, or using it to grow your reach and brand, tapping the popularity of Facebook is the way to go right now.

And the top trend in small business for 2011 is.. .

1. It's Apptastic! The only thing more ubiquitous, more buzz-worthy, than Facebook is the popularity and ubiquity of smartphone apps. People are using apps every day, all day long, not only to have some fun and kill some time (death to pigs by Angry Birds I tell you, death!) but to run their businesses as well.

The smart small business will tap into this trend by both finding and using those apps that make running their business simpler and more profitable, while also offering their own apps that make buying from them faster and easier.

So what do you think? Am I on the mark with my list this year or did I miss it? Post your comment below.

And a happy 2011 all!

[GordonJ]

http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallb...s-trends_N.htm

The TREND to cash in on is:

E marketing, considering 6 of these on their top 10 have to do with either Internet/email marketing or mobile marketing.

But, really, their top TOP trend IS old hat/old school...

help businesses find NEW customers/keep the old and/OR

Help consumers find bargains.

These trends have been supported for decades. The only difference is the ELECTRON element but advertising, selling and "discounts" have been staples of industry for years.

HOW are YOU going to cash in on these trends?

Well, I don't know, but my 2011 MANTRA IS;

Keep it Simple.
Get Back to Basics.

Hopefully, I'll follow that advice to back to the future of swell profits and controlled lifestyle without stress.

Keeping it simple:

I'll help businesses get new customers, retain their old ones.
I'll HELP consumers find bargains...hey, I'll work both sides of the street for the mutual benefit of all...back to WIN/WIN/WIN.

Gordon Jay Alexander

Originally Posted by sedna888

I am not allow to post the link yet, but found this very interesting article to share and enjoy.

By Steve Strauss for USA TODAY
OK, here we are at the start of 2011, and based on the Top 5 Trends this year, it is a year that looks to be substantially better for small business than the past two.

Top 5 Trends

5. The rise of the mob discount: No, it is not just Groupon that I am talking about, but Groupon is a good place to start. Groupon (or Group Coupon) offers incredible deals if a certain number of people sign up for the offer. If so, they can expect to get "50 to 90% off." For the small business owner who participates, it is a double-edged sword: Yes, you can get a lot of traffic, but at what price?

6-10: Read the first part of the column

Does it work? Someone is using it. Groupon recently turned down Google's $6 billion buyout offer.

But the new mob discounts go well beyond Groupon. Wal-Mart (WMT) is using Facebook to try something similar called the "CrowdSaver." On Facebook, Wal-Mart posts some potential great deal. If enough people "like" it, the deal then goes live and everyone gets the discount.

Or consider the "flash sale." By making limited-time offers available on Twitter and Facebook, businesses like Dell Outlet (DELL) and the ice cream shop down the street create immediate sales.

4. Mobile marketing creates opportunity: How do people find out that the ice cream shop is having a sale if those folks are not already Twitter followers of that business? Mobile search. The proliferation of smartphones, iPads, netbooks, and tablets means that consumers are increasingly searching for businesses on the go as much as they are while sitting at a desk.

So your small business needs to be present on mobile local search results, and you might also consider creating geographic-specific mobile search ad campaigns. The next frontier in sales is going to be mobile searches and ads that result in on-the-go purchases.

3. The New Normal: Yes, I did say that the economy was not going to dominate my list this year, and it doesn't, but I never said it wouldn't make an appearance, and here it is: The long-term fallout from the Great Recession is that work has changed, forever. Businesses are looking to do more with less, at less cost, and will continue to do so. Working smarter and cheaper is one aspect of the New Normal.

Another is that the days of full-time jobs with full-time benefits are ending. If you have one of those, count yourself lucky. Businesses will continue to cut costs by creating more part-time and independent contractor work.

The good news for small business is that more contract work will be available.

2. It's a Facebook world and we are just living in it: Evidence of the total and utter dominance of Facebook is all around us: Mark Zuckerberg is Time's Man of the Year. The Social Network is one of the top movies of the year. Facebook topped 500 million users.

It is the very ubiquity of Facebook that has changed the business game.

At a recent webinar I gave, someone asked, "Does my business have to be on Facebook?" Of course the answer is no. But Facebook is where the action is right now, so it would be dumb not to have a presence there. Whether it is having your own Fan page, or learning how to advertise on the site, or using it to grow your reach and brand, tapping the popularity of Facebook is the way to go right now.

And the top trend in small business for 2011 is.. .

1. It's Apptastic! The only thing more ubiquitous, more buzz-worthy, than Facebook is the popularity and ubiquity of smartphone apps. People are using apps every day, all day long, not only to have some fun and kill some time (death to pigs by Angry Birds I tell you, death!) but to run their businesses as well.

The smart small business will tap into this trend by both finding and using those apps that make running their business simpler and more profitable, while also offering their own apps that make buying from them faster and easier.

So what do you think? Am I on the mark with my list this year or did I miss it? Post your comment below.

And a happy 2011 all!

For the past 6 yrs I've been placing a Card in Hotel Rooms.

This Card saves Time of the Hotel Staff in asking a common question;

'Where's the TV Channel Guide?"

When people stay in hotel rooms away from home...the TV Channels are usually DIFFERENT. So...the click on channel 9 and....what they were expecting...is NOI there...so...they have to "click around" to find their favorite TV Channels...get frustrated and call the front desk.

The front desk tells them there SHOULD be a TV Guide in their room. Well, these Guides are usually just "Printed Sheets"....easily thrown out with other papers.

So...along comes little ol' me....with a FREE Tv Channel Guide...that has the TV Channels on one side (along with a PICTURE or a mouth-watering PIZZA and phone # to have it delivered to their room)....and...on the other side are Ads for Restaurants, Gift Shops, Real Estate...etc.

I've been doing this very successfully in over 100 hotels.

Now...enter the "Cell Phone Era". How many Tourists, these days do you think...carry a "Mobile Device"? If you said, over 90% you'd be close.

So...what if...instead of having "regular" phone numbers on the TV Channel Guides....where they have to go to the In-Room Phone....dial 9...then the number. What if they could just dial a number on their Cell....or even.... connect to the Mobile Site of the pizza place or other biz and SEE the complete Menu?

Would THIS modern-age item be of interest to Pizzerias....or other businesses interested in reaching TOURISTS?

You betcha Red Ryder.

So....along with hooking Pizza Joints and other Biznesses up with a "Mobile Site"....that allows them to be SEEN by people staying at local hotels....the Mobile-Site can also be seen by LOCALS.

Thus....a nice, monthly RESIDUAL INCOME can be had by providing this "Modern-Day" service.

Anyway....thanks for bringing up this topic. "US" old-time sales guys are STILL coming up with "Unique" marketing ideas.

Don Alm....."ol' time Marketing Guy"