This is the busiest month for a lot of small businesses. And it can also be the most costly, thanks in part to fees like the surcharge that UPS just added to holiday shipments going out the week before Christmas.
And that’s not the only news from the past week that could have an impact on busy entrepreneurs. Windows also introduced a new tool aimed at streamlining digital workflow. And Salesforce and others also made relevant announcements. Read on for more about those headlines and others in this week’s Small Business Trends news and information roundup.
Small Business Operations
UPS Adds Surcharge for Packages Set to Arrive the Week Before Christmas
UPS (NYSE:UPS) is adding an extra surcharge for packages shipped to homes between December 17 and 23 this year. The cost, which includes a 27-cent charge for ground packages, 81 cents for next-day air and 97 cents for two- or three-day delivery, could make a major impact on ecommerce retailers during the holiday season.
Windows Introduces Sets, Aims to Streamline Small Business Digital Workflow
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) just announced Sets, a new feature which will make your workspace more efficient and the apps you work with easily accessible. Microsoft is tackling the task of bringing all of the apps together with Sets.
Small Business Takeaways from Dreamforce 2017
Dreamforce 2017 took place last week, and so much went on it took me a while to process all the information shared. It was an exciting, non-stop, four days of keynotes, sessions, press conferences, exhibitions and networking. Much of it was focused around small business.
Economy
Buying and Selling of Small Businesses Reaches All Time High, BizBuySell Says (INFOGRAPHIC)
Driven by steady growth, sale and purchase of small businesses is on the rise, new data has revealed. According to the BizBuySell’s Q4 2016 Insight Report, transactions of small businesses have climbed steadily, with 2016 hitting an all-time record high.
Small Trucking Businesses See Increases as Freight Tonnage Goes Up 10% Over 2016
Demand for trucking companies and truck tonnage in the U.S. is growing, according to the American Trucking Associations. In its seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index, which serves as an indicator of shipping activity in the U.S., the association saw truck tonnage surge 9.9 percent from 2016, the largest year-over-year increase since December 2013.
These States Require the Most Licensing – Hurting Small Businesses in the Process, Study Says
Arbitrary — and sometimes irrational — state licensing requirements imposed on certain businesses is killing an entrepreneurial spirit and new jobs at the same time. State Licensing Requirements Burden These licenses for occupations like barber or bartender require, on average, one exam, almost a year of education, experience and $267 dollars in fees.
Employment
30% of Small Businesses Have Trouble Matching Openings with Good Candidates
Small businesses creating over 65 percent of new jobs are struggling to find good candidates and online hiring options are only offering some of the solutions. Alignable State of Hiring for Small Business Owners A new hiring poll from Alignable reports 30 percent of respondents believe matching open positions and good candidates is the biggest hiring problem facing small businesses.
Businesses with Fewer Than 50 Employees Worry Most About Healthcare, Study Finds
Businesses with between 10 and 49 employees are the most likely to be concerned by rising healthcare costs, according to a recent study from Principal Financial Group (NYSE:PFG). 2017 Principal Financial Well-Being Index The Principal Financial Well-Being Index is an online survey of more than 600 business owners with between 10 and 500 employees.
Local Marketing
Nextdoor’s Neighborhood Favorites Will Let Customers Rank Your Local Business
Nextdoor, a free and private social networking service for neighborhoods, recently announced its 2017 list of favorite neighbor-vetted local businesses, dubbed “Neighborhood Favorites.” The public list of favorite local spots celebrates and recognizes the best businesses in local communities annually.
Google #SmallThanks Turns Customer Reviews into Marketing Materials for Free
Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has announced its #SmallThanks initiative designed to enable Google-listed businesses to generate customized marketing materials to promote their business for free.
Marketing Tips
Vydia Rights and Social Sync Feature Enables Businesses to Better Control Video Assets
Video technology specialists at Vydia have announced a new Rights and Social Sync feature, designed to ensure businesses don’t waste time, money and effort creating video content only to have it snatched and re-posted elsewhere with out acknowledgement.
Retail Trends
So Far, So Great! 16.9% Increase in Spending as Holiday Shopping Season Begins
Black Friday has traditionally been considered the start of the holiday shopping season. So the amount that consumers spend over Thanksgiving weekend can be a major indicator of how the rest of the season will go. And that’s good news for retailers this year. According to data from Adobe Digital Insights, U.S.
Small Biz Spotlight
Spotlight: Res Ipsa Sells Products Inspired by a Love of Travel
Travel is a hobby that provides happiness for a lot of people. And travel inspired goods can give a little bit of happiness to those people even when they’re not far from home. Res Ipsa is a company that was started by two entrepreneurs who wanted to add a little happiness into the world through those travel inspired goods.
Social Media
330 Million Used Messenger to Contact a Small Business for the First Time This Year
Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) Messenger, the popular instant messaging service launched by the social networking giant in 2011, is increasingly seeing more people turning to it to connect with the brands they care about. According to a study commissioned by Facebook, over 330 million people connected with a small business on Messenger for the first time in 2017 alone.
Technology Trends
CloudBerry Backup 5.8 Promises Businesses Protection from Ransomware
If you are a small business hit by ransomware, there is a more than 1 in 5 chance you will have to cease operations right away. The new CloudBerry Backup 5.8 has been designed to improve this statistic so your business can continue operating with minimal stoppage.
McAfee Acquires Skyhigh Networks to Address Cloud Cybersecurity Needs
Small business experts are currently advocating a “cloud first” strategy, but cybersecurity remains a concern. McAfee, Inc. (NYSE: MFE) aims to tackle this challenge and evolving digital threats.
Next Cyber Security Threats will Include Machine Learning and More Malicious Ransomware
What do cybercriminals have in store for businesses in 2018? A new report from McAfee aims to identify some of the trends and potential cybersecurity threats facing businesses in the new year. The McAfee Labs 2018 Threats Predictions report includes predictions related to a few key trends, including cryptocurrencies, serverless apps and machine learning.
Now You Can Send PayPal Invoices Via Facebook Messenger
How would you like to receive payments while you are having a conversation with your customers on Facebook Messenger using PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL)? If you are having a conversation with your customer on Messenger, the new chat extension for invoicing from PayPal is going to let you create and send an invoice at the same time.
Vimeo Now Supports HDR for Your Business Video Needs
The launch of HDR (high dynamic range) support by Vimeo now lets you to capture the vivid images this technology supports. Now video of products on your ecommerce site, for example, can capture the widest possible range of colors.
Could Customers Soon Be Paying with Their Faces?
The way your customers and clients pay may radically change very soon. FinTech or financial technology has dramatically changed how businesses carry out transactions. The announcement of FacePay by UnionPay at the recently held Singapore FinTech Festival is the latest example in the development of this technology.
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