Trends
Latest news and trends in the small business economy
Why the Cloud Makes Sense for Small Business
“Your customers demand that you be in the cloud,” says Doug Sleeter, a nationally recognized expert in accounting-software consulting. “The latest innovations in cloud, mobile, and connected solutions are changing everything …
50 Essential iPad Apps for Small Business – 2012 Edition
The Apple iPad is a game-changing device for small-businesses owners who either want to manage operations more effectively on-the-go or use the device to expand and enhance their customer and …
Do Superhero Blockbusters Supercharge Comic Store Sales? [INFOGRAPHIC]
Ah, summer. The barbecue, the pool, and nights spent in the air-conditioned movie theater. With superhero blockbusters like The Avengers currently raking in box office cash and long-anticipated installments like …
5 Big Mobile Trends to Watch — Plus 2 You Can Ignore
More small businesses are picking up mobile technology than ever. By the end of 2012, nearly half of companies with fewer than 500 employees will use a smartphone, notebook, or …
Stay on Schedule with These 7 Mobile Calendar Apps
Some professionals still swear by paper organizers, but lately more of us are turning to smartphones to serve as digital personal assistants — in which case, a calendar app is …
5 E-Commerce Trends to Watch — and 1 You Can Ignore
Online retail sales topped $200 billion in 2011, and most industry forecasts point higher. Market-watcher Forrester Research, for one, predicts that e-commerce will account for 9 percent of overall retail sales …
Spark & Hustle’s Tory Johnson on Her Entrepreneurial Success
Tory Johnson’s career trajectory should provide ample inspiration for anyone with an entrepreneurial dream. After being fired unexpectedly from a steady job 14 years ago, Johnson had next-to-nothing going for …
Using ‘Getting Things Done’ to Make Your Business More Efficient
Looking to give your small business — and yourself — a productivity makeover? You may want to consider using David Allen’s Getting Things Done, a popular time- and task-management system. …
5 Ways to Simplify Your Business
No one likes to waste time, and for small-business owners, wasted time almost always means wasted money. Consider these sobering statistics compiled by the International Association of Business Organizing: The …
Tech Review: Microsoft Office Web Apps
Standard productivity suites such as OpenOffice and Microsoft Office are tops when it comes to sheer file-editing power, but they don’t offer much in terms of connected flexibility. If you …
7 Mobile Apps for Getting Your Message Across
You don’t need a bulky laptop to give a presentation any more. Thanks to a bevy of smartphone apps now on the market, you can give a presentation right through …
Digital Media Visionary Says ‘Blindness’ Is Key to Success
Anthony Soohoo has the type of resume most entrepreneurs dream of possessing. The UC Davis grad and Harvard MBA rose to prominence in the digital media industry by first cutting …
Reach Green Consumers through an Online Marketplace
Gaining traction in a recovering economy presents a challenge for even the greenest of small businesses. Your company may already demonstrate leadership in social and environmental sustainability through responsible operations. …
The Intuit Small Business Revenue Index: A New Gauge of U.S. Small Business Health
We’ve been working on the development of a new monthly measure of small business revenue for some time now, and today we are excited to share the inaugural Intuit Small …
How to Use Evernote for Your Small Business
Technology should simplify your life, yet the sheer number of online and mobile tools out there can make running a business seem more complicated than ever. For starters, how the …
