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There's still time, just barely, to win a scholarship worth $200 allowing you to attend the Small Biz Social Media Summit June 5-6 in Hutchinson, Kansas. Decisions on the scholarship will be made May 21. (That's this Friday.) For details read the full post on the upcoming event in this post at Small Business Trends. There is also a link to information on how to simply make arrangements to attend the event. BizSugar.com is a media sponsor for the event, by the way. Hope you can take part Read More

Just like the community in which you live, social media neighborhoods are created by the people who inhabit them. Here at BizSugar.com, for example, we feel we have one of the best online communities on the planet, but making a difference in your social media community or neighborhood has to do with your effort and the efforts of your fellow members to make them good places to interact and network.
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Ok, so you've heard all about social media and how it can be used to promote and market your small business. But what can social media really do for you? It's a lot of extra trouble so can it really make a difference? Well, you may want to listen to the experiences of the 20 something small business owner of a business called the Orange Possum in Hampton, Iowa. Here is her story... Read More

This podcast interview with small business consultant Becky McCray talks about an issue that is often being preached when people about marketing business. Surprisingly, however, to this day few small businesses seem to realize how helpful it could be or how easy it is to implement. If you haven't guessed yet, you may want to listen to the podcast for yourself on Bigg Success Read More

This encouraging story talks about a small business owner who has not only created his own program of rehabilitation by hiring ex-cons as a way to give back to the community but also visits prisons to mentor on entrepreneurship. Todd Pemberton is founder and owner of Brooklyn-based pest control company Bugs Are Gone and you can read more about his story in the latest edition of Inc.com Read More

Weldon Long went from a homeless alcoholic and ex-con to a successful entrepreneur running a 5000 Inc. company boasting $20,000,000 in sales. But his road was not an easy one. I found this story particularly inspiring and a good reminder of what is possible when suffering self doubts. It's nice to see someone else who's overcome even greater adversities to find success. Long has now written a book and is sharing his experience with others. Check out the full interview at Entrepreneurship Interviews Read More

You don't have to be a social media guru to become an effective online networker. Whether here on BizSugar.com or on another social media platform, all it takes is some common sense and the same kindness and courtesy you might exhibit in the day to day operation of your small business. If you can think of any other tips, please leave them below or in the comment section on our blog Read More

Jim Kukral recommends this 28-page free report on content writing and SEO from the folks at Copyblogger. You can download it straight from a link on Jim's site. I haven't read it myself yet, but honestly have great respect for the Copyblogger team so it's on my to-do list. Hey, if anyone else has already seen this report and would like to give some feedback, please leave a comment below Read More

Hit you prospects over the head all day everyday with non-stop marketing come-ons (spam really) they never really asked for. It's done on Twitter, in other social media, on blogs and in e-mail. It's called whack a mole marketing. And according to Chris Brogan, it's simply got to stop. Before all your followers unfollow you, all the people on your e-mail list block your submissions and you loose your entire community, have a look at Chris's impassioned plea Read More

What can you learn from successful brands like Cracker Barrel about keeping customers coming back and always engaged with your product or service? As it turns out, some fairly simple steps keep customers engaged and not only coming back for more but staying longer once they do find you and visit. If loyal customers should be the goal of every small business than reading this post is key to finding success Read More