Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Small Business Trends You Should Be Following

To create the best home based business, you must pay attention to trends. This economy is not making things easy for small businesses, forcing them to seize every growth opportunity that comes their way. Experts have identified several trends that every small business owner should be focusing on to increase sales and attract new customers.

Small business entrepreneurs should learn how to use daily online deals to their advantage. By providing local offers, entrepreneurs develop and strengthen customer loyalty. Experts say that having a geographically-concentrated customer base pays off when using these promotional efforts because it increases the chance of a repeat purchase. Digital coupon books are also becoming more popular, offering another way to target a local audience.

Technology must become a friend of the small business entrepreneur. Using a free online resource like Appsbar, a business owner can create and publish an app without sharing revenue with a third party. Every small business should use Facebook, Twitter, and other social media for promotional purposes. When marketing dollars are limited, these tools can be invaluable. Search engine optimization is critical for any small business with an online presence.

Many small business owners will take advantage of increased opportunities to contract with the government. Small companies owned by women and those that are eco-friendly and sustainable will find the most opportunities. Companies in the architecture, engineering, construction, and IT fields should have many chances to secure government contracts.

Online security is becoming a major issue for small businesses. Entrepreneurs should make their IT systems more secure and consider protecting data by using cloud technology. Mobile commerce is a major trend and companies must ensure that mobile access is convenient, streamlined, and secure. Entrepreneurs should use mobile tools like quick-response codes to promote special deals on the company website or social media sites.


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