Few small business owners have ever experienced a summer like the one just ended, with its lockdowns, phased reopenings, re-closings and associated uncertainty. But one thing is certain: When you get an all-clear signal (and if you haven’t yet, you will), you can’t just crank the engine and re-start the business as if nothing happened.…

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It’s an exciting time to start a new business. Many of the basics of our economy are in a state of flux, creating potential opportunities that didn’t exist even a year ago. It’s also an intimidating time if you’re just getting started. As you ramp up your new venture, you’ll be spread thin at first;…

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The federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ended on August 8, marking a milestone in the nation’s small business sector. As we step back to assess results, we’ve learned a lot. We’re proud of our client businesses, who stepped up under extraordinary and difficult circumstances to secure available resources to weather the ongoing crisis. All…

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One of the most consistent fundamentals of marketing is to get noticed. That maxim holds for small businesses, both B2B and B2C—even during a pandemic that’s upending the norms and guardrails that define marketing and sales. Getting noticed is how you separate yourself from competitors. It’s how you give prospects a reason to look more…

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Lockdowns. Social distancing. Fever checks. Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). At some point, the pandemic of 2020 will move on; in some locations it already has eased. As the economy recovers, small business owners will begin addressing how, when, and in what form to re-start. Maybe you’ve already started down that road.…

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You already know your products and services, but how well do you know your customers and prospects? Marketers have a name for them: your target(s). They’re the people you sell to—or plan to. They’re the people you think about first when designing your offers, your marketing and advertising campaigns, your entire business, really. So it…

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All 50 states have started allowing some businesses to reopen, with limitations, after the coronavirus pandemic. For most businesses, particularly those that serve the public and have a physical presence, reopening will be a slow and careful process. Local and state requirements vary widely, so it’s essential to check in with those authorities for guidance.…

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In today’s economic climate, everybody is trying to drum up business. If you own or run a small business, pitching new business is probably not far from the top of your agenda anyway. So there’s never a bad time to take a good look at your whole relationship with sales. Whether you employ 499 or…

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On Friday, March 27, the president signed the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act into law, providing a wide range of urgently needed financial relief across many vulnerable economic sectors. Most notably for small business owners, the package includes low-interest loans (4 percent or less) to help small businesses (those with…

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If you think cybersecurity is a concern for other people, think again. The FBI’s Internet Crime Report estimated the total cost of cyberattacks at $2.7 billion in 2018, the most recent year for which data is available. That represents a lot of damage to a lot of bottom lines. Meanwhile, a recent Small Business Administration…

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If you’re uncomfortable with risk, entrepreneurship might not be for you. Building a business from scratch based on nothing but a good idea is inherently risky. Despite extensive planning, there’s so much that can go wrong. You can minimize risks but cannot eliminate them. Whether you’re investing in a brand-name franchise or developing a unique…

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