
<?phpxml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<rss version="2.0" 
xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
>
<channel>
<title>bizSugar / suzyQ / All</title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com</link>
<description>bizSugar RSS feed</description>
<pubDate>Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:43:27 -0500</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[How To Boost Employee Morale On A Budget]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/EmployeeBenefits/How_To_Boost_Employee_Morale_On_A_Budget/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/EmployeeBenefits/How_To_Boost_Employee_Morale_On_A_Budget/</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:43:04 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Employee Benefits</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/EmployeeBenefits/How_To_Boost_Employee_Morale_On_A_Budget/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[&quot;Money can't buy happiness&quot; is not a cliche when it comes to boosting morale around the office. In these uneasy times, when many entrepreneurs are pinching every penny, knowing how to reward employees without spending a lot is crucial.Greenbacks are nice, of course, but barring those, most employees crave communication, involvement and autonomy. While a hearty pat on the back always feels good, extra attention and sense of ownership feel even better.<br/><br/>8 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Ad Advantage to Local Online Media]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Ad_Advantage_to_Local_Online_Media/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Ad_Advantage_to_Local_Online_Media/</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:51:42 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Online Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Ad_Advantage_to_Local_Online_Media/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[According to a new report by the Online Publishers Association, local media sites hold a distinct advantage when it comes to delivering results for advertisers. The study finds that consumers trust advertising on local newspaper, magazine and television Websites, and are very likely to take action after viewing ads on these sites.Newspapers rank first, with 46% of consumers taking action, including making a purchase, going to a store, conducting research, after viewing a local ad, as compared to 37% of consumers acting after viewing a local ad on a portal.<br/><br/>7 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Jason Calacanis On How To Get PR For Your Startup: Fire Your PR Company]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/PublicRelations/Jason_Calacanis_On_How_To_Get_PR_For_Your_Startup_Fire_Your_PR_Company/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/PublicRelations/Jason_Calacanis_On_How_To_Get_PR_For_Your_Startup_Fire_Your_PR_Company/</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 23 Aug 2008 14:54:13 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Public Relations</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/PublicRelations/Jason_Calacanis_On_How_To_Get_PR_For_Your_Startup_Fire_Your_PR_Company/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The CEO of Mahalo has gotten more press than any entrepreneur could dream of and has never had a public relations firm working for him.Calacanis's philosophy of PR is summed up in six words: be amazing, be everywhere, be real.You don't need a PR firm, you don't need an in-house PR person and you don't need to spend ANY money to get amazing PR. You don't need to be connected, and you don't need to be a &quot;name brand.&quot;<br/><br/>17 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Seven Ways to Leverage E-Mail as a Real Time Marketing Tool]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Seven_Ways_to_Leverage_E-Mail_as_a_Real_Time_Marketing_Tool/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Seven_Ways_to_Leverage_E-Mail_as_a_Real_Time_Marketing_Tool/</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:28:16 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Online Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Seven_Ways_to_Leverage_E-Mail_as_a_Real_Time_Marketing_Tool/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[E-mail's potential and complexities are both seemingly endless, according to Morgan Stewart, director of research and strategy for the Minneapolis-based e-mail marketing firm ExactTarget. Stewart offers a number of pointers on how to make e-mail work in real time as a marketing tool.<br/><br/>6 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Two Things You Should Never Tell Clients]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Sales/Two_Things_You_Should_Never_Tell_Clients-1/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Sales/Two_Things_You_Should_Never_Tell_Clients-1/</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:08:03 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Sales</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Sales/Two_Things_You_Should_Never_Tell_Clients-1/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Potential clients will ask a lot of questions before they hire you. They will want to know about your experience and qualifications, when they can expect the project to be completed and, of course, the price. But there are two pieces of information you should never reveal, no matter how many times they ask, or how many ways they ask.<br/><br/>12 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Changing scenery cures newsletter banner blindness]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Changing_scenery_cures_newsletter_banner_blindness/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Changing_scenery_cures_newsletter_banner_blindness/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:35:08 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Online Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Changing_scenery_cures_newsletter_banner_blindness/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Banner blindness has been around since, well, the invention of banner ads. Ever since, experts have been discussing the ins and outs of banner blindness and ways in which advertisers can lessen the effect.<br/><br/>8 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[When Play Becomes Work]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/When_Play_Becomes_Work/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/When_Play_Becomes_Work/</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 09 Aug 2008 10:39:32 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Management</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/When_Play_Becomes_Work/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[It happens all the time: Two guys in a garage come up with a cool new technology -- and dream of making it big. A thousand people take time off work to campaign for a visionary politician because they feel they are doing something to change the world. A million kids hit baseballs -- and wonder what it would take to become a pro. Then the brainiacs, volunteers and Little Leaguers grow up. What they did for fun becomes . . . work. Paychecks and bonuses become the reasons to do things. Pink slips and demotions become the reasons not to do other things.<br/><br/>11 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Online Sellers Face New IRS Rules]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Taxes/Online_Sellers_Face_New_IRS_Rules/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Taxes/Online_Sellers_Face_New_IRS_Rules/</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:45:58 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Taxes</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Taxes/Online_Sellers_Face_New_IRS_Rules/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[If you regularly sell items on online auction sites, you may find yourself on the Internal Revenue Service's radar. Recent legislation aims to help the IRS collect more taxes from online enterprises, many of which either don't know about their tax obligations or are ignoring them, according to the agency.The provision, part of the housing rescue package that President George W. Bush is expected to sign within days, will require PayPal and other processors of online payments to report annual gross receipts to the IRS for all but the smallest online merchants.<br/><br/>12 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[12 New Requirements to Secure Credit Card Transactions]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Finance/12_New_Requirements_to_Secure_Credit_Card_Transactions/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Finance/12_New_Requirements_to_Secure_Credit_Card_Transactions/</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:39:44 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Finance/12_New_Requirements_to_Secure_Credit_Card_Transactions/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[As of June 2008, if your business processes credit card payments, you are required to comply with new security standards to prevent fraud, hacking, and various other security vulnerabilities and threats, or risk losing this ability and being audited or fined. Any company or government agency that processes, stores, or transmits payment card data must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, a set of requirements to enhance data security. Some of the PCI standards are common sense, such as building and maintaining a secure network through common practices and not using vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords.<br/><br/>9 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Company security, not size, important to cybercriminals]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Technology/Company_security_not_size_important_to_cybercriminals/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Technology/Company_security_not_size_important_to_cybercriminals/</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:32:02 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Technology/Company_security_not_size_important_to_cybercriminals/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Cybercriminals aren't so much worried about the size of their targets as they are the security they are forced to navigate. To that end they are increasingly targeting SMBs due to a lack of security measures implemented by that sector.<br/><br/>6 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Find an Undervalued Asset. Fix It Up. Flip It. (Now Ita4s Web Sites, Not Houses)]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Strategy/Find_an_Undervalued_Asset-_Fix_It_Up-_Flip_It-_Now_Itrsquos_Web_Sites_Not_Houses/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Strategy/Find_an_Undervalued_Asset-_Fix_It_Up-_Flip_It-_Now_Itrsquos_Web_Sites_Not_Houses/</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:04:11 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Strategy</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Strategy/Find_an_Undervalued_Asset-_Fix_It_Up-_Flip_It-_Now_Itrsquos_Web_Sites_Not_Houses/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Dave Hermansen did not own a bird or a cage when he bought bird-cage.com, an online store, for $1,800 three years ago. He simply saw a Web site that was &quot;very, very poorly done,&quot; and begged the owners to sell it to him. He then redesigned the site, added advertising and drove up traffic. Last December, he sold it for $173,000.Mr. Hermansen is among the latest wave of entrepreneurs who, like the day traders and real estate investors before them, are looking to make a lot of money without much effort.<br/><br/>10 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Venture Financing With a Mission Beyond Profit]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/RaisingCapital/Venture_Financing_With_a_Mission_Beyond_Profit/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/RaisingCapital/Venture_Financing_With_a_Mission_Beyond_Profit/</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:41:22 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Raising Capital</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/RaisingCapital/Venture_Financing_With_a_Mission_Beyond_Profit/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[CITIES have long offered tax incentives to encourage companies to stay and newcomers to relocate. But another option is gaining currency in old manufacturing cities looking to prop up their struggling economies - homegrown nonprofit groups that nurture new businesses from the ground up. Skip to next paragraph One of the more innovative of these groups is the five-year-old Jumpstart Inc., which provides seed money to entrepreneurs with promising businesses in the Cleveland area. Like a venture capital firm, Jumpstart identifies companies to invest in and advises them on their next steps. But unlike a venture firm, Jumpstart relies on charitable donations, many of them from the private sector, for its financing and does not return a share of profits to those who provide the investment dollars. The return comes as satisfaction for elevating a region's economic standing.<br/><br/>10 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[10 White Paper Marketing Tips]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/10_White_Paper_Marketing_Tips/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/10_White_Paper_Marketing_Tips/</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:32:18 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/10_White_Paper_Marketing_Tips/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[When done right, nothing pulls in qualified sales leads like a well-targeted offer for a juicy white paper. Offers for white papers and Webinars make up the bulk of ads in Web Digest For Marketers and the solo emails sent once a week to subscribers. I see what pops, and what lays an egg.Here are best practices gleaned after watching this marketing phenomenon for well over a decade now.<br/><br/>9 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA["OMG! The Coupons Are Here!" or why teens love direct mail.]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/DirectMarketing/OMG_The_Coupons_Are_Here_or_why_teens_love_direct_mail-/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/DirectMarketing/OMG_The_Coupons_Are_Here_or_why_teens_love_direct_mail-/</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:22:25 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Direct Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/DirectMarketing/OMG_The_Coupons_Are_Here_or_why_teens_love_direct_mail-/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In his book, The Age Curve: How to Profit from the Coming Demographic Storm, Kenneth W. Gronbach tells a story about stopping at the top of his driveway to retrieve the mail, getting back in the car and hearing his two daughters-aged 13 and 16-excitedly ask what came for them. Both, it turned out, received direct-mail offers from their favorite clothing retailer, and they immediately asked if he would take them shopping. &quot;This is not a real question,&quot; he writes, &quot;because they know I'm trapped. How else will we save all the money reflected in the coupons?&quot;<br/><br/>10 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Seven Lethal Business Mistakes to Avoid]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Strategy/Seven_Lethal_Business_Mistakes_to_Avoid/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Strategy/Seven_Lethal_Business_Mistakes_to_Avoid/</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:02:51 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Strategy</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Strategy/Seven_Lethal_Business_Mistakes_to_Avoid/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[From article: One of my vacation reads this year was &quot;Famous Last Words&quot; by Jonathan Green. This sometimes funny, frequently poignant compilation of deathbed quotations offers a glimpse at the characters of famous people as revealed by their final words. Whatever words you may utter if your business collapses, the failure can often be traced back to some &quot;famous last words&quot; you once said, if only to yourself. Here are some painful examples:<br/><br/>14 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[8 Experiential Ways to Make Your Web Site Sing]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/8_Experiential_Ways_to_Make_Your_Web_Site_Sing/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/8_Experiential_Ways_to_Make_Your_Web_Site_Sing/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:48:20 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Online Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/8_Experiential_Ways_to_Make_Your_Web_Site_Sing/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Whether you sell products in a store or a catalog, or on a Web site, marketing the experience of ownership is critical in making the sale. Studies show that even with high-ticket items like cars, consumers are driven more by desires than product features. The fantasy of experience offers rich opportunities for creative exploration on Web sites - and can lead to greater audience involvement and increased sales. Certainly the goal of every e-commerce Web site is to engage the prospect and sell the merchandise. But it has become necessary to look beyond traditional formulas.<br/><br/>6 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Visa offering free Facebook advertising to small businesses]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Advertising/Visa_offering_free_Facebook_advertising_to_small_businesses/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Advertising/Visa_offering_free_Facebook_advertising_to_small_businesses/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:38:12 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Advertising/Visa_offering_free_Facebook_advertising_to_small_businesses/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[As part of a small-business network Visa designed for Facebook, the world's largest credit and debit card processor is paying for $2 million of advertising on the socializing site. Visa is giving a $100 advertising credit on Facebook to each of the first 20,000 U.S. businesses that download the Web application needed to join the network, which debuts Tuesday. About 80,000 small businesses already have profiles on Facebook.Visa's service is designed to provide small-business owners with tools and tips on attracting new customers, trimming costs and other ways to make more money. Businesses that belong to the Visa network on Facebook also will be able to communicate with each other to share ideas or even negotiate deals.<br/><br/>8 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Fighting the Good Fight: Lifecycle Emails]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Fighting_the_Good_Fight_Lifecycle_Emails/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Fighting_the_Good_Fight_Lifecycle_Emails/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:15:25 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Online Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Fighting_the_Good_Fight_Lifecycle_Emails/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[If a consumer were to scan her inbox of retail, corporate emails right now, each one would have a subject line that is an offer. Everybody wants the consumer's money, but nobody addresses the consumer's relationship to their company, though they can.Long-term, lifecycle emails train a customer into becoming a better one, and they enhance the relationship between customer and company.<br/><br/>9 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[What makes a great email welcome message?]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/What_makes_a_great_email_welcome_message/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/What_makes_a_great_email_welcome_message/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:28:52 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Online Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/What_makes_a_great_email_welcome_message/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[It should be a simple thing but simply saying, &quot;Hello, welcome to our email list&quot;, isn't the way to invite or welcome new subscribers into your database. Could not knowing what to say to new members be what is keeping most email marketers from sending welcome messages? It definitely could. Which brings me to the point: just what should an email welcome letter include?<br/><br/>6 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[The Myth of Differentiation]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/The_Myth_of_Differentiation/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/The_Myth_of_Differentiation/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:29:57 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/The_Myth_of_Differentiation/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Few would question this simple truth: Businesses must differentiate. Growth, profit-survival, even-hinge on their ability to set themselves apart from competition. But is the common wisdom correct? Is most everything you've read and heard about differentiation wrong?<br/><br/>9 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[A Practical Guide to Branding]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/A_Practical_Guide_to_Branding/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/A_Practical_Guide_to_Branding/</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 14 Jun 2008 14:14:45 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/A_Practical_Guide_to_Branding/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Talk to entrepreneurs about their marketing and communications efforts, and they'll often use the words &quot;branding,&quot; &quot;marketing,&quot; and &quot;advertising&quot; interchangeably. That reflects the pervasive confusion about the terms, says Gail Guge, managing partner of Wilkin Guge Marketing in Ontario, Calif.. &quot;About 15 years ago, 'branding' became a buzzword in the business vernacular, and people still get the words mixed up all the time,&quot; she says. That confusion is unfortunate, because understanding the concepts and how they mesh is vital to every company's bottom line. Studies show companies that market their products or services without first establishing their brand identities are not likely to achieve return on investment. &quot;If you're spending money to advertise and market without being connected to a brand position, you might as well pile the money up and burn it,&quot; Guge says.<br/><br/>10 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[How to Reduce Employee Turnover]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/How_to_Reduce_Employee_Turnover/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/How_to_Reduce_Employee_Turnover/</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:14:56 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Management</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/How_to_Reduce_Employee_Turnover/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[There is an old saying that goes; &quot;Employees don't quit working for companies, they quit working for their bosses.&quot; Regardless of tenure, position, title, etc., employees who voluntarily leave generally do so out of some type of perceived disconnect with leadership. Furthermore, while the accuracy of exit interviews are somewhat debatable, they nonetheless support the conclusion drawn in the previous sentence. The following list contains just five representative samples of the differences between solid company leadership and poor leadership as it relates to employee turnover.<br/><br/>8 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Alternative newspaper readership increasing]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Advertising/Alternative_newspaper_readership_increasing/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Advertising/Alternative_newspaper_readership_increasing/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:59:33 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Advertising/Alternative_newspaper_readership_increasing/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A new report issued by The Media Audit reveals that 43.8 million U.S. adults have read an alternative newspaper or visited an alternative newspaper's website in the past 30 days. The study, which compared past four issue readership among 117 papers across 88 U.S. Markets, reveals an average readership of 374,296 adults in 2007 compared to 362,938 in the previous year, a 3% increase. Further, the average number of unique monthly website visitors among the 117 papers is 113,469 adults in 2007 compared to 106,139 in 2006, a nearly 7% increase.<br/><br/>7 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Learning from older entrepreneurs about today's economy]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Strategy/Learning_from_older_entrepreneurs_about_todays_economy/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Strategy/Learning_from_older_entrepreneurs_about_todays_economy/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:25:42 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Strategy</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Strategy/Learning_from_older_entrepreneurs_about_todays_economy/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In the 2008 American Express OPEN Spring Monitor, they found a sharp contrast between business owners over sixty and the small business population at large as they manage their way through the current economic uncertainty.Entrepreneurs over sixty are taking actions that show they learned from their past experiences with inflation. Although they are generally more optimistic, they are nonetheless being more cautious in their business decisions.<br/><br/>13 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[How to Get More Work from Existing Clients]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Sales/How_to_Get_More_Work_from_Existing_Clients/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Sales/How_to_Get_More_Work_from_Existing_Clients/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:17:39 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Sales</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Sales/How_to_Get_More_Work_from_Existing_Clients/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[One of the best ways to increase your income is not to market for more work (ie, new clients), but to get it from existing clients. This is an often overlooked marketing method and missing it is like throwing money out the window.Following is a 3-step plan designed to get more work from your existing client base.<br/><br/>14 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Split Testing Adwords: You're Doing It Wrong]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Split_Testing_Adwords_Youre_Doing_It_Wrong/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Split_Testing_Adwords_Youre_Doing_It_Wrong/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 28 May 2008 17:38:55 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Online Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Split_Testing_Adwords_Youre_Doing_It_Wrong/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[I'm sure the title of this post is going to make a few folks upset. Don't worry, the content is going to really make you mad. Not at me, but maybe at yourself, and especially at whoever taught you how to split test.That's because, for most Adwords advertisers, the title of this post is very accurate. Most advertisers are doing split testing all wrong.<br/><br/>12 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[The growing influence of Yelp.com on small business]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/The_growing_influence_of_Yelp-com_on_small_business/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/The_growing_influence_of_Yelp-com_on_small_business/</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 22 May 2008 15:43:48 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/The_growing_influence_of_Yelp-com_on_small_business/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[THE Rooz Cafe, a restaurant and coffee shop in Oakland, Calif., signals its distaste for patrons who post reviews on Yelp.com with a small sign: No Yelpers. Rooz's owner, Steve Ranjbin, said he put the sticker up as a joke, but added that he had a complaint about Yelp.&quot;Yelp does not respect us as business owners,&quot; Mr. Ranjbin said. &quot;They don't listen to business owners unless you're an advertiser paying Yelp.&quot; Mr. Ranjbin, who said that amateur reviews can hurt his business, said some had misquoted him or called his employees names, but that Yelp had refused to take these comments down. Yelp rarely removes reviews, even when advertisers complain, preferring to let the crowd have its say. The proliferating reviews of Mr. Ranjbin's establishment offer a good illustration of people's newfound love of comparing notes via reviews online. According to Nielsen/NetRatings, 2.5 percent of all Internet users in March went to Yelp.com, and traffic there quadrupled over the last year. Yelp tracks its users through Google Analytics, and the company, which is almost four years old, said it had 9.5 million unique visitors in April, nearly double the 5 million it reported last October. There are more than 2.6 million reviews on the site. &quot;This site is having an impact on business,&quot; said Greg Sterling, founding principal of Sterling Market Intelligence, a consulting firm that focuses on the Internet's effect on local consumer and advertiser behavior. Mr. Sterling said that Yelp had become an early leader in that field, which also includes Judy's Book and Insider Pages.<br/><br/>16 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[How to Extend Business Credit in Today's Economy]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Finance/How_to_Extend_Business_Credit_in_Todays_Economy/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Finance/How_to_Extend_Business_Credit_in_Todays_Economy/</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 22 May 2008 14:54:10 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Finance/How_to_Extend_Business_Credit_in_Todays_Economy/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Not just retailers are in trouble in today's economy. Companies that manufacture consumer goods, building material and the many other industries are also reporting difficulties.Why should the average business owner care? Because another business that sells to one of these troubled companies may also be heading for disaster and that business might be YOUR CUSTOMER! How much of your accounts receivable can you afford to write off in bad debt this year?Businesses can do quite a bit to prevent a disaster caused by the failure of a customer in tough economic times:<br/><br/>11 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[The Elevator Pitch Version 2.0]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Sales/The_Elevator_Pitch_Version_2-0/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Sales/The_Elevator_Pitch_Version_2-0/</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 22 May 2008 14:47:28 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Sales</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Sales/The_Elevator_Pitch_Version_2-0/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Too many companies I've worked with are unable to articulate just exactly who it it they are and what they do. But now Internet technology is forcing companies to form a new kind of shorthand for their company strategy. The newest version of the &quot;elevator pitch&quot; is a &quot;Twitpitch,&quot; so named in an article in Business Week Small Biz because it &quot;forces you to tell your company's story in 140 characters (about 20 words), the maximum length of a message on Twitter, a microblogging platform that is gaining popularity. Social media pioneer Stowe Boyd experimented with the idea and coined the term on his blog last month when, overwhelmed by e-mails, he decided to take appointments at the Web 2.0 Expo only via Twitter.&quot;<br/><br/>9 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[7 Tips for Keep-Worthy Business Cards]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Advertising/7_Tips_for_Keep-Worthy_Business_Cards/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Advertising/7_Tips_for_Keep-Worthy_Business_Cards/</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 22 May 2008 14:40:20 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Advertising/7_Tips_for_Keep-Worthy_Business_Cards/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[At a single trade show, you can expect to receive a stack of business cards in the double digits.And while a good networker is enthusiastic about receiving them, no one looks forward to reviewing an indiscriminate pile of contacts. (Most probably don't bother.) Here are tips for a card worth keeping.<br/><br/>11 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Bulbstorm.com: Creating an Online Community of Innovators]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/TheStartup/Bulbstorm-com_Creating_an_Online_Community_of_Innovators/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/TheStartup/Bulbstorm-com_Creating_an_Online_Community_of_Innovators/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 14 May 2008 11:42:33 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>The Startup</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/TheStartup/Bulbstorm-com_Creating_an_Online_Community_of_Innovators/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Bulbstorm.com enables its clients to air their ideas and get precious feedback not only from other inventors, but also from marketers, designers and even manufacturers. Posting your project to the Bulbstorm site is like leaving the isolation of the outside for a lively community inside.Bulbstorm documents your idea the moment you enter the site, including the actual date the concept was posted -- helpful in the event that you later need a patent. Then Bulbstorm helps connect you to others with similar ideas, who use the site to give their input. This engagement is a powerful asset when approaching investors. You can tell an investor, &quot;Hey, I have 3,800 business people across the country endorsing my product/invention. You need to invest in this.&quot; All of this helps accelerate your innovation process, Steiner said: &quot;The idea is not dormant and is growing all the time.&quot;<br/><br/>11 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[The Key to Retaining Sales Talent]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/The_Key_to_Retaining_Sales_Talent/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/The_Key_to_Retaining_Sales_Talent/</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2008 19:01:06 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Management</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/The_Key_to_Retaining_Sales_Talent/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Your salespeople are some of your most valuable investments. You recruit them, train them and trust them with your valued customers. You depend on them to keep your business growing.So what happens if they leave? Even worse, what if they're lured away by one of your competitors, along with your accounts? That would be a real blow to your business. That's why it's smart to bind them to you financially.There are several ways to do this. One solution is the non-compete contract, which we discussed in last month's column. The problem with non-competes is that they're essentially negative in nature. They're also penalty-driven, and no one likes the prospect of punishment.Golden handcuffs offer a more positive alternative. Instead of a financial penalty, they represent a potential financial reward. If salespeople leave the company prematurely, they lose their chance to reap the reward.<br/><br/>10 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Small Business Bankruptcies on the Rise]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Finance/Small_Business_Bankruptcies_on_the_Rise/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Finance/Small_Business_Bankruptcies_on_the_Rise/</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2008 18:42:05 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Finance/Small_Business_Bankruptcies_on_the_Rise/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Be wary if some of your clients are getting slow on payments. More businesses filed for bankruptcy in April, 2008, than in any month since new bankruptcy laws took effect in 2005, according to a company that tracks federal court filings. The numbers show a 49% increase in commercial bankruptcies over last year, with an average of 235 daily filings last month compared to 158 in April, 2007, according to data compiled by Jupiter eSources, an Oklahoma City company that runs a database called Automated Access to Court Electronic Records(AACER). More than 5,000 firms filed for bankruptcy in April, 2008, the most in any month since the new laws took effect in 2005.<br/><br/>6 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[New Employee Verification Bill an Orwellian Nightmare for Small Business]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/HumanResources/New_Employee_Verification_Bill_an_Orwellian_Nightmare_for_Small_Business/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/HumanResources/New_Employee_Verification_Bill_an_Orwellian_Nightmare_for_Small_Business/</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2008 18:31:49 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Human Resources</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/HumanResources/New_Employee_Verification_Bill_an_Orwellian_Nightmare_for_Small_Business/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Imagine a country of 146 million workers, where a massive database maintained by hapless bureaucrats determines who can hold a job. It's a place where simple statistical error alone can annually deny work to half a million of these workers, and those lucky enough to appeal the error must wait months, even years, to reenter the labor pool. Such a system would ingrain and institutionalize identity theft, cause huge distortions in the labor market, and create a netherworld of illegal employment just like prohibition in the 1920s ingrained organized crime and created a subterranean economy based on illegal booze. Sound far-fetched? Well, it's far closer to reality than you think. Find out about HR 1515.<br/><br/>13 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[SEM Bootcamp: Three Steps to Creating New Content]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/SEM_Bootcamp_Three_Steps_to_Creating_New_Content/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/SEM_Bootcamp_Three_Steps_to_Creating_New_Content/</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2008 14:13:36 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Online Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/SEM_Bootcamp_Three_Steps_to_Creating_New_Content/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[With all the talk about blogging and social media lately, you'd think there was nothing left to do in the world of search engine optimization. But sometimes the best way to give your site a boost is to go back to basics. Whether it's a refresher or your first shot at optimizing your site, here's a trip down content revitalization lane.<br/><br/>13 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Targeting Conversions and Traffic with Long Tail Writing]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Targeting_Conversions_and_Traffic_with_Long_Tail_Writing/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Targeting_Conversions_and_Traffic_with_Long_Tail_Writing/</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2008 14:06:32 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Online Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Targeting_Conversions_and_Traffic_with_Long_Tail_Writing/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[As personalized search and universal search continue shaking up an industry that used to be dominated by &quot;top ten results,&quot; more and more small businesses are learning the value of focusing on the keyword long tail. While there's no doubting the value of bringing in highly targeted traffic, many companies still don't quite get how to target the long tail in their copy. They also don't know that long tail friendly copy is also user friendly copy.<br/><br/>14 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Your On Again, Off Again Marketing Relationship]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/Your_On_Again_Off_Again_Marketing_Relationship/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/Your_On_Again_Off_Again_Marketing_Relationship/</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2008 11:15:34 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/Your_On_Again_Off_Again_Marketing_Relationship/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[From article: Remember in high school or college the couple that seemed to have a never-ending, on again, off again dating relationship? One week they're on, the next week they're off. The next week they're on, the following week they're off.Well, in speaking with tens of thousands of entrepreneurs and business owners, I've found that many have the same on again, off again relationship with their marketing. They do a few things to stir up business, then neglect the marketing and go to the &quot;fulfillment&quot; side of the business. When things start to slow down, they say to themselves, &quot;I've got to do some marketing to pick things up&quot; and they invest in marketing. The cycle goes on and on, with good times and bad times, ups and downs, but no real long-term progress occurs.<br/><br/>13 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[More Women Than Men on Social Networks, Have More Friends Than Men Do]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/More_Women_Than_Men_on_Social_Networks_Have_More_Friends_Than_Men_Do/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/More_Women_Than_Men_on_Social_Networks_Have_More_Friends_Than_Men_Do/</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2008 00:02:39 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Online Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/More_Women_Than_Men_on_Social_Networks_Have_More_Friends_Than_Men_Do/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[More women are on social networks and on average have slightly more &quot;friends&quot; than do men, even though men tend to be more focused on acquiring &quot;friends&quot; than building relationships with them, according to a Rapleaf study of 30.74 million social networkers. Rapleaf examined the number of friends that men and women have on Bebo, Facebook, Friendster, Hi5, LiveJournal, MySpace, Flickr, among others.The following are highlights of the study of people with at least one social-network friend:<br/><br/>11 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Teens experiencing discretionary recession]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Teens_experiencing_discretionary_recession/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Teens_experiencing_discretionary_recession/</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 04 May 2008 08:13:18 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Research and Trends</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Teens_experiencing_discretionary_recession/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Though fashion still accounts for 41% of the total teen budget, total teen spending in the category declined nearly 20% year over year, pointing to a &quot;discretionary recession,&quot; according to the 15th semi-annual &quot;Taking Stock With Teens&quot; study by Piper Jaffray. Compared with last year's study, young men spent 15% less on discretionary items (fashion, beauty and personal care, home furnishing, video game, digital media and restaurant categories); young women spent 11% less.<br/><br/>7 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Zappos Shows How Social Media Is Done]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Zappos_Shows_How_Social_Media_Is_Done/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Zappos_Shows_How_Social_Media_Is_Done/</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 02 May 2008 18:53:27 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>suzyQ</dc:creator>
<category>Online Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Zappos_Shows_How_Social_Media_Is_Done/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[What's more stereotypically trivial than shoe shopping? Using Twitter, of course! Online shoe retailer Zappos does shoes and social media remarkably well. Scores of bloggers, lots of video blogging and 198 employees on Twitter help keep the company's profile high and humanize the folks behind the shoe sales.Of all the different types of social media the company uses, none are as interesting as its use of Twitter. Twitter may sound cliche, but it's not just about Twitter as one single service. Twitter is symbolic of rapid, short, synchronous and public conversations. Zappos has bitten off a big chunk of that paradigm.<br/><br/>15 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

</channel>
</rss>
