Small Biz Daily » More From Rieva

Ways to Hire Smarter in 2013

Rieva Lesonsky — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:13:34 +0000

By Rieva Lesonsky

Is hiring more employees one of your New Year’s resolutions?

While hiring ultimately relieves your headaches in the long run by helping you and your team with workload, in the short run most entrepreneurs dread hiring because of the time and effort involved.

Share and Enjoy

4 Mobile Loyalty Programs for Small Business

Rieva Lesonsky — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 00:28:35 +0000

By Rieva Lesonsky

Are you looking for a customer loyalty program that goes one step (or several steps) beyond the old-fashioned “buy 10, get one free” paper punch card? Consumers’ growing use of mobile technology has led to a corresponding explosion in mobile-based customer loyalty programs that let customers clear the excess paper from their wallets and get rewards on the go.

Share and Enjoy

8 Best Ways to Engage Customers on Facebook

Rieva Lesonsky — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 23:56:54 +0000

By Rieva Lesonsky

Do you want to know how to get more “likes” for your business on Facebook? A recent study of the Facebook walls of 98 global brands, conducted by two business professors and a CMO, identified eight actions businesses can take to increase customer engagement, as measured by “likes,” comments or shares of a company’s Facebook posts.

Share and Enjoy

5 Small Business Trends for 2013

Rieva Lesonsky — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 23:55:09 +0000

Tis the season to make predictions. If my crystal ball is working, 2013 is going to be a good year for small businesses.

Share and Enjoy

Will 2013 Be the Year of the Startup?

Rieva Lesonsky — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 18:21:26 +0000

Will there be a surge of startups in 2013? First let me explain that in my view a business is a startup for about three years, from six or so months before to two-and-a-half years after its official launch date. So some of you reading this may still be in the startup phase—which is good news since all signs point to a good year ahead for new businesses.

Share and Enjoy

Meet the Mansumer

Rieva Lesonsky — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 18:15:21 +0000

Do you want your retail business to enjoy continued sales success long after the holiday shopping season ends? Then you need to know about a new kind of shopper that’s on the rise and will be increasingly important in 2013 and beyond: the “mansumer.”

Share and Enjoy

The 6 Technologies That Mattered Most To Small Business In 2012

Rieva Lesonsky — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 19:52:01 +0000

By Rieva Lesonsky

Even though 2012 was a tough year overall for small businesses – the stubbornly slow economy didn’t help – technology improvements continued to offer hope of lowering costs, boosting efficiency, increasing sales and opening new markets. To the extent that they could find the cash, investing in technology remained a top priority for savvy smaller companies.

Share and Enjoy

What Women Entrepreneurs Can Teach Us About Customer Service

Maria Valdez Haubrich — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 19:02:45 +0000

By Rieva Lesonsky

When you think of “women” and “customer service,” is the first image that comes to mind a smiling, headset-wearing woman in a low-level customer service job meekly taking guff from a grumpy caller? Think again. With women now making up the majority of the U.S. workforce, enrolling in and graduating from college at higher rates than men, and owning 8.3 million businesses that employ 7.7 million people (according to American Express OPEN’s study The State of Women-Owned Businesses), they are also leading the way in developing new approaches to customer service.

Share and Enjoy

Is Presenteeism Hurting Your Business?

Rieva Lesonsky — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 20:25:56 +0000

By Rieva Lesonsky

You’ve heard about employee absenteeism, but what about presenteeism? This new trend could be equally—or more—destructive to your business as employees calling in “sick” to work.

Share and Enjoy

Want to Capture the Mom Market? Here’s How

Rieva Lesonsky — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 20:24:50 +0000

By Rieva Lesonsky

When it comes to consumer goods, moms are big spenders. We look at their online habits and expectations to help your small business tap into this major market.