HeatherStone commented on the following stories on BizSugar
Great Lawyers Are Worth More Than $5,000 - VentureBlog
"Hi David, I'm guessing for any business it's a question of getting the legal part right. There's probably a tendency among entrepreneurs to keep an eye on the budget and worry about waste, and I think that goes beyond concern over legal bills. Especially for businesses that are started initially with little or no financing or might be bootstrapped in the beginning, I think the rule of thumb is how much can you do without? On the other hand, there are certainly places cutting costs simply doesn't pay. Legal expenses, particularly to the right kind of lawyer depending upon your business, might certainly be one of these. "Why Business Blogging is Not Like Personal Blogging
"Hi Kyra, Though it's true that business, personal, and other types of blogs are different in many ways, I'd argue they do have at least some similarities too. All should have a niche, voice, individuality, or something that makes them unique. All theoretically aspire for a readership, no matter how small. And all are an exercise in creating an online community, whether of loyal customers or of family and friends. (If you didn't want readers for your personal blog, why not just keep a diary?) There are certainly plenty of differences, as you point out. But I think there are also many lessons in the craft of blogging that can be shared across all the various genres and certainly commonalities that all great blogging shares. Thanks for the thoughtful post and for the increased opportunity for community it has created, truly one of the most important aspects of the medium, no matter what your purpose for writing.:) "4 Simple Financial Analyses to Help Measure the Success of Your Small BusinessÂ
"Hi Ronika, Thanks for the overview and for sharing it with the BizSugar community. I'm curious. If you operate a virtual business from your laptop, would it still be advisable to calculate the cost of a brick and mortar office so you can see profit versus expense in the event you would ever need to set one up? "B2B Marketing: You’re Never Excused From Heavy Lifting -
"Hi Dawn, I think most business owners, B2B or otherwise, would agree heavy lifting goes with the job. Of course, working smart is as important as working hard. I think this post is an excellent action plan for getting businesses started on the road to working smarter and harder. Thanks for sharing it with the BizSugar community. "Facebook Text-Only Posts Beating Photo And Link Posts On EdgeRank - AllFacebook
"Hmmmm. So the posts with the strongest impact on your audience now have the least organic reach. Certainly seems to be further evidence Facebook may be adjusting EdgeRank to suit its new business model. Thanks to one of our resident social media gurus Rachel Parker for sharing this post with the BizSugar community. "Mobile is Now a Mainstream Marketing Channel
"With the number of mobile devices out there, it's a good idea to simply think of this as a necessary consideration for your Web presence. If you have Web sites that are already mobile friendly, just take a look at the stats and look at the number of visitors accessing your pages through a mobile device. How big a percentage of your audience do they make up? This is the percentage you might well have lost without a mobile presence and may be the percentage of your potential audience you're loosing right now on any of your sites that aren't mobile friendly. Thanks for sharing this post with the BizSugar community!"Haters Gonna Hate: How to Respond to Negative Social Media
"Hi Kimberly, A lot of small businesses worry about using social media for this very reason, unfortunately. They seem afraid that the same tool they can use for marketing and growing their brand will welcome negative attacks from customers unhappy about their products and services. What they may not realize is that many of these negative comments are already out there in the community damaging their company's reputation right now. Social media gives dissatisfied customers a platform to express their discontent, but it also gives you an opportunity to learn about this discontent and address it quickly and professionally...and in a very public way! What better message to send to all your customers about your commitment to excellent service and customer satisfaction? "Subscribe
Millennials In The Workplace Don't Want to Manage Subordinates
"Hmm. Not sure trying to obligate someone who already may have one foot out the door is a step in the right direction, Marilyn. While I can certainly empathize with the desire to recoup money invested in training, this may just further turn off twentysomethings from the idea of management in your company. The reality is that even those with the goal to leave and start their own business may be delayed by the realities of life choices: expenses, family, and the need to support that family. Some may discover management is indeed a good fit after training and some time in the trenches. Investment in that training without strings attached is an opportunity cost but will likely bring more return than the status quo or a program that will only discourage more people from taking part for fear they will limit their options."