When you’re just starting a business, having some help in the form of education, training and even financing can provide a huge boost. This week, Goldman Sachs announced a new investment in the Baltimore small business community that could give businesses that essential boost early on.
You can read about the new investment, along with other updates from PayPal and more in this week’s Small Business Trends news and information roundup.
Finance
Goldman Sachs Announces New $10 Million Investment in Baltimore Small Businesses
Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) just announced a new $10 million investment in Baltimore small businesses. The latest investment is a continuation of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses program in Baltimore, an initiative aimed at creating jobs and economic growth in the area.
PayPal’s New Cash Back Mastercard Could Encourage Your Customers to Buy More from You
PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) has announced a new cashback Mastercard credit card. The new card may encourage your customers to make more purchases with cash rewards and make it even easier for you to accept in-store credit cards. The PayPal Cashback Mastercard was launched in a partnership between PayPal and Synchrony Financial.
Economy
New Canadian Tax Legislation Could Be Hugely Damaging to Small Businesses
A set of proposed tax code changes in Canada could potentially have a negative impact on small businesses north of the border. And even though U.S. businesses might not see any immediate impact due to these changes, the impact on partners, clients and others in Canada could eventually make a difference to U.S. businesses as well.
Employment
What is Google Hire, And How Can Your Small Business Use It for Recruiting?
Finding the right talent for your small business has just become easier. And he solution won’t cost thousands of dollars. Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has entered the recruiting space with a new app geared specifically to small businesses. The app makes Google another player in an already crowded recruiting software marketplace.
Interviews
Who Knew? A Small Business Powers Major TV Shows
The team at Telescope.tv might be small in size, but the interactive experiences they deliver are globally scalable. As a social and video solutions specialist for Fortune 500 brands such as CNN, FOX News, the NBA, Vans, Twitter and Facebook, Telescope has a client list any small business would envy — including all the case studies to underscore their hard-earned reputation.
Marketing Tips
17 Percent of Small Businesses Still Advertise Regularly in the Newspaper
You’d have a hard time convincing small business owners that print is dead. But perhaps someone should try. In a new survey of small business owners, researchers with G2 Crowd learned that 17 percent of small business owners still regularly run promotions in the newspaper.
B2B Influencer Marketing: Trends, Goals and Budgets to Set
Influencer marketing has made a huge impact on a lot of B2C businesses. But B2B businesses shouldn’t feel left out. The strategy has a lot of applications for businesses that offer products or services to other businesses as well, though it might look a bit different. Lee Odden is the CEO of TopRank Marketing, a B2B marketing agency that offers influencer marketing services.
61 Percent of Consumers Prefer Promotional Email to Other Small Business Communications
Email is arguably the lifeblood of modern business. Small business consumers still prefer longer form, more intimate email messages from brands. Sixty-one percent of consumers report preferring to receive offers via email as oppose to other communication methods like Slack and Snapchat. So says a recent Adobe Campaign consumer survey.
10 Things Your Small Business Can Learn About Marketing from Apple (INFOGRAPHIC)
Building a universally loved brand without engaging in price wars against competitors is not easy. But one brand that has achieved this seemingly impossible feat is Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL). Behind Apple’s phenomenal success lies its strong product portfolio and design standards.
App Lets Customers Invest in Your Small Restaurant By Paying for Food — in Advance
One of the major challenges of running a food related business is finding a way to pay for the ingredients and supplies you need to make your products before getting any money for actually selling them. But a new app aims to change that for small businesses.
Sales
LiveShopCast Turns Your eCommerce or Retail Store Into a Home Shopping Channel
Video lets you make more impactful connections with your audience, which gives you a better chance to turn them into customers. If the video is live, the impact is even greater. This has led many platforms to deploy live video, but what LiveShopCast has done is to directly drive eCommerce revenue at the same time.
Small Biz Spotlight
Spotlight: Algomus Offers Chatbot Technology for Business Use
Chatbots offer a variety of potential benefits for businesses. And Algomus is a tech startup that was one of the early adopters of AI technology, creating a chatbot that can help businesses with some of the more tedious data related tasks. Learn more about Algomus and the company’s chatbot, Algo, in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.
Small Business Operations
Does Your Small Business Need Commercial Flood Insurance?
Josh Beasley opened a gym in Houston that was devastated by Hurricane Harvey. He expects the cleanup and rebuild to cost $35,000. Don’t think you have any need for commercial flood insurance for your small business? Some statistics from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) might change your mind.
Social Media
Instagram-Based Small Business New Fork City Nears a Million Followers
Scroll through Instagram on any given day and you’ll likely see more than a few pictures of food. But did you know that those food pictures could also represent a business opportunity? Gillian Presto, Emily Morse and Natalie Landsberg are three college students who have built an entire business around sharing food photos on Instagram.
Technology Trends
31 Percent Say They’ve Arrived Late or Missed an Online Meeting Due to Tech Problems
There’s a push-pull dynamic surrounding remote workers. They could be saving your small business a lot of money but they can hinder productivity. A new study from CyberLink reveals just how disruptive some remote workers can be to small businesses. And it also shows just how much workers from home believe that dynamic hinders their work.
Lenovo Yoga 920 Offers Tools for Mobile Entrepreneurs – But is Hardly Budget Friendly
With the 8th generation Intel Core processors, the Lenovo Yoga 920 might’ve just made a huge year-over-year mobile processor upgrade. And businesses, including small businesses engaged in design and other creative fields may end up the big beneficiaries.
Logitech CRAFT Keyboard Should Help Small Businesses to Edit Video, Work In Adobe and More
Logitech (NASDAQ:LOGI) has introduced a new flagship keyboard that features a creative input dial, which should grab the attention of small businesses users who do video editing, use Photoshop and more.
Nest Unveils New Smart Thermostat to Help Your Small Business Save Even More
With the average monthly commercial energy bill coming in at $670 nationwide in 2015, the new Nest Thermostat E may be a welcome option in two ways. First, the company says the new Nest continue to save your business money by managing your energy usage. Second, the device is also $80 cheaper than its predecessor.
Does Your Small Business Need Data Breach Insurance?
Cyber security breaches cost businesses billions of dollars each year. Breaches in 2016 reached a record peak. Data from the Identity Theft Resource Center reveals in 2016, U.S. businesses and government agencies suffered a record 1,093 data breaches, a 40 percent increase from the previous year.
Motorola’s New Moto X4 Offers Pros and Cons for Your Small Business
Motorola (NYSE:MSI) is resurrecting its Moto X line with a fourth generation called the Moto X4. With Amazon’s Alexa and a rugged build, the X4 can be an affordable utilitarian phone for small businesses. Since being discontinued in 2016, the has phone lost its place as the company’s flagship mobile device. The distinction is now held by the Moto Z2 lineup.
Goldman Sachs Photo via Shutterstock