It’s an oversimplification, but remains true: businesses need to spend money in order to make money. However, there’s no reason that a savvy business owner can’t save on some of the things that he needs in order to run his business effectively.

It’s imperative that your business is connected, so consider how you can go about saving money on high speed internet, for instance.

Related: Shop with our hand-picked internet service vendors for your business internet needs Read the full entry

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Owners of businesses that didn’t start out online sometimes don’t realize how much of a positive impact an engaging online presence can make on their company. In just the last two or three years, the conventional wisdom has gone from, “Maybe we should have a Facebook page” to “How can we use our Facebook page to raise our profile and build up our brand?”

Social media expert Jeff Bullas of JeffBullas.com is a consultant, coach, and speaker who works with companies around the world on optimizing their online presence and building their brand using social media channels. Business.com recently spoke with Bullas about using social networking to help businesses grow.
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According to Winter Green Research, total sales of mobile POS system devices will reach $3.1 billion by 2018.

Merchant Warehouse further reported, “In 2011, mobile payments totaled $100 million. By the end of this year [2013], that number is expected to jump to $6 billion dollars.”

Mobile POS systems not only enable you to accept credit cards sales on the go – they also work within your business to augment the traditional POS terminal.  Read on to see how your business can take advantage in 2013. Read the full entry

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Before the days of the World Wide Web, an embarrassing moment was just that – a moment of embarrassment. Nowadays, however, embarrassing moments or mistakes can live forever on the internet, making lasting, negative impacts on your reputation.

As a business, your online reputation greatly affects consumers’ choices to use your products or services. In fact, according to a recent study conducted by Society of New Communications Research, 74% of consumers choose companies or brands based on the online reviews of others’ customer care experiences. Mistakes happen. Therefore, online reputation management needs to be a primary concern for business owners. Read the full entry

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Small business owners have many and varied needs. But whether you’re looking for your company’s first credit card or the ultimate business platinum card, there’s a card that’s made for you.

Related: Be sure to see what our business card vendors have to offer.

So, if you’re looking for the right card for you, here are some common small business needs, and the best credit card for each situation.

Best for everyday business:
Chase Ink Cash Business Card

The Chase Ink Cash Business is the best credit card to give to employees for day-to-day expenses. It offers high cash back rewards on the purchases small businesses make every day, and the card has few fees. Read the full entry

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Starting an online business is appealing for many reasons – from being your own boss to controlling cash flow, it seems like an ideal situation. And while it does takes a lot of initial effort to build up your reputation through marketing, referrals, and word-of-mouth, the end result is worth every minute spent.

And thus, once you have established yourself, you can maintain your business as a profitable part-time addition to your regular job, or build it up into a full-time career. The choice is yours.

Consider these six businesses that you can start and run entirely over the internet. Read the full entry

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If you own a small business and are interested in getting into email marketing, you probably already know that when done well, this type of marketing is very successful. But you also probably wonder exactly what makes an email marketing campaign effective.

While email marketing campaigns differ according to the type of business and core demographic, there are a few important factors that are common to most successful email campaigns, including how you time your campaign. Here are five important components of your email marketing campaign.
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Following Facebook’s dismal performance on Black Friday—responsible for a mere 0.68 percent of the day’s total online sales—media leaders have begun to speculate as to social media’s ability to drive direct sales.

And although such speculation is warranted, New York Times columnist, Stephen Baker, in a recent Sunday Review op-ed put it best:

“Social networks, like them or not, are fast laying out a new grid of personal connections. Even if this matrix of humanity sputters in advertising and marketing, it’s bound to spawn new industries in consulting, education, collaborative design, market research, media and loads of products and services yet to be imagined.” Read the full entry

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South Carolina’s recent meager ranking as a top state for businesses has many would-be entrepreneurs questioning their decisions to pursue in-state start-up ventures. Yet, despite the state’s embarrassingly low business report card, it’s still possible to start a thriving venture in South Carolina.

Check out these quotes on how to get started from the state’s top entrepreneurs…in one sentence each. Read the full entry

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Starting a business is easy, but ask the three out of five businesses who fail each year how difficult it is to reach success.

From the creative to the technical, there are multiple aspects of a business that need to be addressed constantly. Here are five smart investments you should make to help your startup achieve and maintain success. Read the full entry

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