Tracey Harding is one smart business woman. She is co-owner of Kidz Enterprise Toys, in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, just a few miles from New Hampshire, where shoppers can save money instantly because they don’t have to pay sales tax.

The Future Is Mobile

by Geri Stengel on Oct 16, 2012 - 12:20am

mobile apps Nonprofit online nonprofit outreach Small Business small business marketing social media Trends

Klunk! That was the personal computer landing in the e-waste recycling bin. At least, it sure sounds like that. Mobile phones are more prevelant than toothbrushes, worldwide and the numbers are growing. Just about every demographic group is turning to mobile for shopping, news, and entertainment.

How Doing Good Grows Your Business

by Geri Stengel on Sep 18, 2012 - 12:20am

Commentary / Opinion increasing profit Small Business small business marketing Social Entrepreneurship social entrepreneurship Social Responsibility social responsibility

Social and environmental problems are growing at a faster rate than philanthropic dollars can keep pace. What’s the world to do? I’ve recently written about a couple of ways people and organizations can do more good -- impact investing, crowd funding and scaling effective and efficient nonprofits.

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How to Use Online Press Releases to Drive Website Traffic and Revenues

by Geri Stengel on Jun 12, 2012 - 12:20am

Case Studies online marketing online press releases Small Business small business marketing Social Media using metrics

Andre Liu and his partners at MimoMonitors brought an online PR expert on board before they built their website. Online press releases and the reviews by bloggers and columnists that they generate are very important to them. In fact, they are virtually the only form of marketing the company does, other than appearances at a few trade shows.

Less Time, Better Results When You Listen to a Marketing Expert

by Geri Stengel on Feb 9, 2012 - 12:20am

basic marketing for small businesses Commentary / Opinion How To Small Business small business marketing small business planning

Oh, the many hats that small business owners wear! One of the most important -- and often most ill-fitting -- is that of marketing manager. Marketing is critical to keeping your business alive but it often gets lost in the shuffle of all those daily tasks, like customer service, employee management, inventory control, bookkeeping, and delivering the product or service you sell.

Local Projects Can Be Great Causes for Small Businesses

by Geri Stengel on Feb 2, 2012 - 12:20am

cause marketing Commentary / Opinion Small Business small business marketing Social Responsibility

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: Cause marketing is a great way for small businesses to build their brands, increase customers loyalty, and grow. Successful entrepreneurs know this.

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3 Rules for Surviving as a Brick-and-Mortar Store in a Cyber World

by Geri Stengel on Jan 24, 2012 - 12:20am

e-commerce online marketing Small Business small business customer service small business marketing Trends

With online stores offering how-to videos, discussion groups, and a homey, we’re-among-friends shopping experience, how can small brick-and-mortar businesses compete?

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A Social Enterprise Learns, Grows From Its Mistakes

by Geri Stengel on Jan 12, 2012 - 12:20am

Case Studies marketing for social good Profile: Company Small Business small business marketing social enterprise Social Entrepreneurship

Editor’s note: To help social entrepreneurs anticipate and avoid some of the problems of starting a social-good business, Ventureneer is doing a series of blogs about the progress of Greenway Grameen Infra, a social enterprise in India.

When last I wrote about Greenway Grameen Infra, its non-polluting stove, fuel efficient stove for rural homes in India was just on the market and hopes were high that 50,000 units would be sold by March 2012.

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The Grinch Really Did Try to Steal Christmas This Year!

by Geri Stengel on Dec 20, 2011 - 12:20am

Commentary / Opinion Small Business small business holiday sales small business marketing small business saturday

Wow! The Grinch really did try to steal Christmas this year … from small businesses at least … but in life as in fiction, he failed.