Posts

Stats about all US Cities

City-Data.com is a useful website that has collected and analyzed data from numerous sources to create as complete and interesting profiles of all U.S. cities as possible. The website has over 74,000 city photos not found anywhere else, graphs of latest real estate prices and sales trends, recent home sales, home value estimator, hundreds of thousands of maps, satellite photos, stats about residents (race, income, ancestries, education, employment...), geographical data, state profiles, crime data, registered sex offenders, cost of living, housing, religions, businesses, local news links based on their exclusive technology, birthplaces of famous people, political contributions, city government finances and employment, weather, tornadoes, earthquakes, hospitals, schools, libraries, houses, airports, radio and TV stations, zip codes, area codes, air pollution, latest unemployment data, time zones, water systems and their health and monitoring violations, comparisons to averages, local

The WorkingPoint Blog

I've been checking out the blog put out by WorkingPoint , an "online, small business solution." They have been putting out some interesting articles such as Essential Ingredients for Small Business Success and 19 Ways to Drive a Steady Stream of Traffic to Your Website . It's fun site - periodically, you'll come across the Botpreneur, who is ready for (business) action. WorkingPoint offers free invoicing, bill & expense management and bookkeeping, with additional services for $10 per month. This article explains that the founders of WorkingPoint "worked for Intuit and were behind the creation of QuickBooks and Quicken. They believed Quickbooks had become too complicated and that the small business software segment was ripe for SaaS-based innovation."

Industry Snapshots from the Economic Census

When I am assisting a business with start-up information, I find that industry statistics are particularly helpful. A wonderful source for industry statistics is the Economic Census. A useful information tool available from the Economic Census are Industry Snapshots . 2007 data is available for the majority of 6-digit NAICS codes and snapshots can be obtained for 3, 4, and 5-digit codes as well. Each snapshot provides comparisons between the current census and the previous one. Maps of the United States divided by state are provided that show various industry statistics, including sales per capita, number of establishments, payroll per employee, etc. There is an option titled "Compare YOUR Business" that compares a single business to national averages. And a "Did You Know" feature provides interesting factoids on the Industry. All in all, this is a useful AND interesting tool from the U.S. Census.

Heath Brothers

The authors of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Other Die and Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard have made some related resources available on their website heathbrothers.com . Free with registration, the tools available here are probably most useful if you have read the corresponding book(s), but are helpful even without that additional context. There is a framework and first chapter available for each title, plus a podcast series, a guide for creating successful (“sticky”) presentations, and more. (Tip o the hat to hillsearch.org)

The ADA Turns 20

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The US Department is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act this week. I find this to be exciting; at the same time, it seems as though some people seem to find ADA difficult and punitive. While I'm sure that one can find bad outcomes of good intentions in any bureaucracy, the core message of the Act is to make goods and services more accessible to a population that is nearly one in five Americans, and growing. As the Reaching Out to Customers with Disabilities section indicates that "The ADA asks public accommodations to take steps that are 'readily achievable' or are 'reasonable' or that do not constitute an 'undue burden' to enable people with disabilities to be their customers and clients." I was at a business conference a few years ago, and a representative laid out some examples about how a business could become more customer friendly. A dry cleaner had a three-step walk up to the entrance. No

The SBA is Redesigning SBA.gov

The SBA is conducting a complete overhaul of its website to make it easier for small business owners to find the information they need. The agency recently launched “The NEXT SBA.gov," a transition site dedicated to sharing its redesign progress with employees, small business owners, agency partners and other agency stakeholders. You can find the site at www.sba.gov/NEXT . The site includes a link to Frequently Asked Questions which provide more details about goals of the redesign. Feel free to submit comments and suggestions using the “What Do You Think?” box at the bottom of the site.

SBA Podcasts to Help Small Businesses Break into the Global Market

SBA is now offering a new set of three export-oriented podcasts offering valuable information on issues and challenges small business exporters may find when dealing with specific countries. The podcasts, featuring interviews with business representatives from Uganda, Cameroon and Bahrain, are part of a comprehensive effort by SBA to promote and support the President’s National Export Initiative. The interviews focus on what U.S. companies can expect when exporting to those countries and provide information relevant to their respective business and import environments... The podcasts on Uganda and Cameroon include interviews with two women business owners who are members of the African Women’s Business Network, an organization that supports a network of businesswomen’s organizations in Africa. The podcast on Bahrain features an interview with an official of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce. The podcasts are available online and include transcripts. They provide valuable information

StepByStepMarketing

StepByStepMarketing is, according to its website, "an Internet-centric resource for owners and managers of growing and emerging businesses – entrepreneurs and established businesses alike – designed to keep you on top of the latest trends in brand building, marketing, sales, and customer service and relationship building. To help you build profits, take your business to the next level, and gain competitive edge, StepByStepMarketing.com provides you tips, tools, and techniques in a methodical, how-to, step-by-step way that is easy-to-understand and quick and simple to implement." The site offers daily tips such as how to improve the results of your marketing and tips for retaining lasting customer loyalty . The site also offers several free reports .

Doing Business in...

For a summary of what doing business is like in various countries, have a look at the Doing Business project . These reports focus on a select number of topics relating to starting a business including permits, taxes and enforcing contracts for small and medium sized companies.

Directory of Social Enterprises

"Social enterprise" is the new buzzword within both the nonprofit and for-profit world, encompassing an organization or individual who wish to do well while doing good – that is, achieving the "triple bottom line" of people, planet, profit (that is, having social, environmental, and economic goals). Presented in partnership with Community Wealth Ventures and the Social Enterprise Alliance, this is a free, searchable directory of nonprofit social enterprises . Search by keyword, type of organization (think interest/activity area), budget, type of venture, legal status, and/or state. Your search results typically include basic contact information, stated mission, and any specific enterprise or partner venture(s).

Occupation Descriptions

A while ago, there used to exist a multi-volume set called the "Dictionary of Occupations". It has since been folded into the O*NET Online website . This is a handy site to use when you have businesses starting out, or looking to expand (there are some out there . . . really), and need some kind of basis to write a job description. This site is far more user-friendly than the old DofO, which was laid out in a less-than-intuitive classification system. Once you have that, you'll need to know rough estimates of what to pay those who are hired. For that, check out the "Wages by Area and Occupation" section on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website, here .

Data.gov

Data.gov is leading the way in democratizing public sector data and driving innovation. The data is being surfaced from many locations making the Government data stores available to researchers to perform their own analysis. Developers are finding good uses for the datasets, providing interesting and useful applications that allow for new views and public analysis. This is a work in progress, but this movement is spreading to cities, states, and other countries. For instance, type in the word migration , and you'll get 2007-2008 State-to-State AND County-to-county Migration Inflow AND Outflow, along with the source of that data, which is the IRS. Enter the term business and find Business Employment Dynamics, Licenses and Permits Search, and Loans Search.

Search Engine Optimization

At this point, many small businesses have websites. But it is unlikely that they are all using Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, to maximize the effectiveness of their website. For assistance in how to utilize SEO, there is 20 Essential Search Engine Optimization Tips for Small Business Owners . For something more in-depth, check out the 15 Minute SEO List , a list of 77 best and worst practices for designing a high traffic website

National Resource Directory for Service Members, Vets Redesigned

The U.S. Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs, as part of their continued commitment to our Nation’s Service Members, Veterans, and their families, launched a new and improved National Resource Directory . This free online tool provides access to thousands of services, programs and resources at the national, state and community level. The Web site has a fresh look with many key features that include an improved search engine, Really Simple Syndication (RSS) news feeds, subscriptions to e-mail updates, and new subject areas such as “Homeless Assistance.” The National Resource Directory is designed to serve a broad base of users including transitioning Service Members, Veterans, Wounded Warriors, and their families and caregivers. In addition, it is a useful tool for service providers who support Veterans and Service Members, such as Department of Defense Recovery Care Coordinators and AW2 Advocates, Veterans Affairs Federal Recovery Coordinators, health care providers

Seven reasons to say no to new business

From Debbie Bermont at ConnectItNews If your company is dependent on larger sales from fewer customers, then you could put yourself at financial risk by taking on the wrong customer. One of the most common mistakes business owners make is to accept money from anyone who is willing to pay for their product or service -- even if the customer is not the ideal fit for their business. Whether you're a startup or a large corporation, taking on a new customer who doesn't match your ideal customer profile can be a big mistake. Here are seven situations that indicate you should say no to new business. If you don't heed this advice on when you should turn down new business you will be in serious danger of having a database of customers that can take your business into bankruptcy.

Online Shopping Cart Abandonment

SmallBusinessNewz had a story last week entitled Shopping Cart Abandonment - Seller's Fault or Consumer Behavior? It cites a Forrester Research report that said: "Despite improvements in site design and increased consumer comfort with online purchasing, 88% of Web buyers say that they have abandoned an online shopping cart without completing a transaction. This is the same percentage as five years ago, suggesting that retailers have yet to address the primary drivers of cart abandonment: frustration with the amount of shipping costs, unpreparedness to make a purchase, and a desire to comparison-shop for a lower price." Personally, I never abandon a purchase unless: 1) I feel I've been a victim of "bait and switch", i.e., the price or item isn't really what I thought it was 2) the vendor makes it too difficult to complete the transaction. Sometimes, I'm supposed to log in, and cannot as Guest. And the site asks me a bunch of things that I don't

Don’t Get Greenwashed

4 powerful ways to promote your green credentials "You’ve probably heard of greenwashing, a term describing marketing that makes exaggerated or otherwise misleading claims about the green credentials of a company or product. Greenwashing is a problem for consumers who wish to make truly informed decisions. And unfortunately, consumer skepticism in the face of all the green messaging that’s out there means that even scrupulous business owners promoting real environmental benefits need to make sure their message is credible."

Preparing for College Financially

One of my State Data Center colleagues, Dale Miller, pointed this out to me. He thinks this is important to share, and I quite concur. Moreover, this being the graduation season, it’s timely! He has discovered that many parents are quite surprised about how much they are expected to contribute to their kids’ college costs. Dale writes, "This is referred to as their Expected Family Contribution (EFC). What typically happens is that parents bumble along (I know we did) until their child is a junior in HS and then they go through the process of applying to colleges and for financial aid at the FAFSA.gov website when WHAM >>>> - they get a reality check upside the head when it comes to how much the federal government thinks THEY can contribute toward attending school." I can imasgine there are MANY parents sitting in financial aid office with tears in their eyes over this. What can the schools or government could do to reduce this sticker shock when it comes to EFCs?

Free Credit Scores?

In answer to a question about websites or other resources that offer free credit score information, as opposed to just free credit reports , a colleague pointed out a Wall Street Journal article, Credit Scores: Can You Get Them Free? If you are curious about your credit scores, you may have tried one of the plethora of Web sites and services that offer some free credit information, then lure you into paying for your scores, usually as part of a credit-monitoring package. Consumers are entitled by law to a free credit report— which is simply a record of your borrowing and repayment history — but the numerical scores derived from these reports will cost you, in part because credit-reporting agencies aren't required by law to provide them for free to consumers along with the reports. Now, a handful of companies are launching services that give consumers at least a glimpse at their credit scores free of charge. The sites— Credit.com Inc., Credit Karma Inc.'s CreditKarma.com and Qu

Greendex

In their third annual survey to measure and monitor consumer behaviors that have an impact on the environment, the National Geographic Society and the international polling firm GlobeScan have found that environmentally friendly behavior among consumers in 10 out of 17 countries has increased over the past year. The survey results show that environmentally friendly consumer behavior, as measured by the Greendex, has now increased from 2008 levels in all but one of the 14 countries polled in both 2008 and 2010. By environmentally friendly consumer behavior, we mean people’s transportation patterns, household energy and resource use, consumption of food and everyday consumer goods, and what consumers are doing to minimize the impact these activities have on the environment. Greendex 2010: Consumer Choice and the Environment — A Worldwide Tracking Survey is a comprehensive measure of consumer behavior in 65 areas relating to housing, transportation, food and consumer goods. Greendex 2010