Dashboard

A weekly roundup of small-business developments.

What’s affecting me, my clients and other small-business owners this week.

Must-Reads

Kevin Colleran discusses the troubles of raising an entrepreneur. Cullen Roche says these are the three worst financial predictions from the past five years, and David Rotman explains how technology is destroying jobs.

Economy: Is Bernanke the Best?

The government’s finances continue to get better, Standard Poor’s upgrades its outlook for government debt, but the United States hits the debt ceiling anyway. Housing gains may be setting off an uneven small-business recovery. Dan Ritter lists four reasons that the Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, may be the world’s best central banker. Mortgage applications increase and mortgage rates are the highest since March 2012. Retail sales (pdf) also increase. But machine tool orders drop, the Aruoba-Diebold-Scotti Business Conditions Index continues to show worse-than-average conditions, and there were still 3.8 million job openings on the last business day of April (little changed from 3.9 million in March). Robert Reich wants a national economic strategy for better jobs.

Small Business Week: The Complete Schedule

Here’s the Small Business Administration’s complete schedule for Small Business Week. ADP will be a co-sponsor of some events and contribute to panel discussions on the new health care law. The UPS Store is also showing the love. The National Federation of Independent Business reports a rise in small-business confidence, and another survey says three of four small-business owners expect revenues to increase in the next year. But a Pew study shows that 70 percent of small-business owners see threats to their businesses and the economy from the lack of retirement security. The Hartford finds small-business owners are playing it safer.

Social Media: Analytics and Hashtags

Twitter opens up its Tweet analytics to everyone, free, and joins with JPMorgan Chase to encourage small businesses to advertise more. Facebook promises a more simplified advertising experience and introduces hashtags. A tanning salon’s text-messaging campaign generates $196,000 in its first 30 days. Will Oremus says people trust the National Security Agency more than they trust Facebook. This is everything you need to know to sell your stuff on Facebook, and Kim Stiglitz lists five Facebook metrics you should be watching. An entrepreneur sells his @AMD Twitter handle to Advanced Micro Devices for a charitable sum, and Hillary finally sends a tweet. Kelly Clay says that gaming LinkedIn is surprisingly easy (and John Sculley doesn’t really want to be your friend). This is how social media changes everything, and here are seven social networks to keep an eye on. This infographic reveals the best (and worst) times to post to social media.

Marketing: Old Spock vs. New Spock

A book from the founder of FreshBooks explains how to charge what you’re worth. A car commercial pits old Spock versus new Spock. David Daniels and Mike Hillyer share six secrets of successful e-mail senders. Amanda MacArthur suggests big ideas for small businesses that want to make their customers feel special, and Shep Hyken wants you to ask yourself: “Is what I’m doing right now going to get the customer to come back the next time he or she needs whatever it is that I sell?” This is what it takes to develop a brand, from conception to introduction.

Cash Flow: One Way to Save Money

The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City is looking for inner city companies that need growth capital. These four companies are helping small businesses navigate the perils of shipping. A keyboard snooze turns into a huge bank error, and an entrepreneur saves money by moving to the woods.

People: What Makes Employees Stick Around

New technologies will help improve work force management, enable you to better track remote employees and use “telepresence” so that even workers out of the office can roam around the office. Some companies let employees buy extra time off or sell unused vacation time for cash. More employees are standing up for their workplace health while others learn a few lessons from the military. Laura Walter suggests 15 ways to create a happier work environment. This company can explain what makes employees stick around. This is how a 28-year-old got her job with Warren Buffett. Sixty thousand people sing “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Here are three of the most common time wasters at work, and Paula Davis-Laack says life is too short to tolerate these 10 things. Here are the best 17 pieces of advice you’ll ever hear.

Start-Up: Exploding in St. Louis

A start-up that makes it easy for developers to add telephone calls and texting to Web sites and mobile apps wins a $70 million investment, and another start-up that brings Big Data to college search raises $4 million. A New York start-up tries to mobilize every small- and medium-size business in America. Colorado introduces a start-up every 72 hours, St. Louis’s tech start-up scene is exploding, and cities around the country hunt for the same magic. Alex Payne, formerly of Twitter, cautions young programmers who are considering careers in start-ups. Ellie Cachette has advice for start-ups that don’t fail but don’t succeed.

Management: What Jelly Can Do for You

Marina Krakovsky says one thing makes a company last forever. A June webinar will help you prevent manufacturing downtime. Tim Berry explains why decision-making is easier than decision-doing. Lajos Moczar says agile methodology promises many things, but the reality is often very far from the expectations. Some experts say information technology departments won’t exist in five years. If you work from home, you may want to try Jelly. Barbara Austin explains how to rise above the pack (without biting or clawing). This is how to be a team leader in a small business. Alexandra Franzen gives a backstage tour of her business, and a dog-groomer in Illinois explains how her business works.

Retail: Who Killed the Cash Register?

David Lipson has a few tips for cutting expenses in your restaurant. A restaurant uses a mini-helicopter to deliver food to tables. This is why millionaires shop at Wal-Mart in Canada. Here’s how small retailers can build a powerful, budget-friendly surveillance system. Two detectives want to find out who killed the cash register. Chris Petersen wonders if retailers should replace the four P’s with the four C’s. Microsoft will open stores in Best Buy locations.

Around the Country: A Black Market in Cronuts

Small businesses may be over the economic hump in Florida. An ADP regional employment report shows that the South Atlantic, West South Central and Pacific regions generated more than half of all new private sector jobs in May. A survey concludes small businesses are exporting more. Sam’s Club introduces a 25-city small-business “boot camp” series. Miami is the most “underbanked” city in the country. A black market in cronuts has appeared in New York City, and the city’s government has proposed a polystyrene ban. Entrepreneurs are celebrated in Louisiana. And here are five maps that show how divided America really is.

Around the World: Starting Up in Moscow

In Britain, a young entrepreneur organizes her town’s farmers’ market. British workers over the age of 65 reach a record one million. The nation’s industrial output increases, and some officials hope the royal infant helps the economy. China’s economy stumbled in May. More than 3,500 participants, including entrepreneurs, investors, business people, I.B.M. employees and Dmitri Medvedev, attended a start-up conference in Moscow. Niraj Choksi believes the biggest threat to the global economy could come from outer space. American shale resources have added 47 percent to global gas reserves.

Red Tape: No Light Sabers

The Internet’s big names battle to salvage their reputations after recent revelations about the National Security Agency (the story is better when told through these classic children’s books). The federal income tax quietly turns 100. Ed McCarthy lists 10 steps to avoid estate-planning mistakes. The Transportation Security Administration tries to take away Chewbacca’s light saber. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants announces a new financial reporting framework for small- and midsize entities. The Senate approves a five-year farm bill that would cut $24 billion from farm spending over 10 years, including a $4 billion reduction in food stamps. House Republicans have their eyes on a JOBS Act 2.0. And guess what: when businesses give judges money, the businesses usually get the rulings they want.

Ideas: The RoboRoach

A Kickstarter project promises a remote control to control live insects (the RoboRoach). A new door seal will keep conference rooms from becoming stuffy. Google reveals 90 regional finalists for its science fair. A report highlights growing opportunities in green markets. This is how Japan’s underground bike parking systems work.

Technology: Low-Tech Solutions

Apple unveils upgrades but some third-party developers say the company “ripped them off” with iOS 7. Hewlett-Packard introduces tech tools and a one-stop shop solution for small businesses. A Microsoft survey finds that once small businesses use the cloud, they consider it more secure than their own premises. Some believe Amazon will seize 3-D printing. Half of American homes own a tablet. An old-fashioned business copes with modern tech issues, and here are eight low-tech solutions for high-tech problems.

Tweet of the Week

@Hyken Employee engagement is real. And, it impacts the bottom line and customer service/experience.

The Week’s Best Quote:

Nate Kontny, an entrepreneur, discusses the importance of luck in his success: “I got lucky a writer with a lot of clout took interest in my project — interest that started because he once worked on a similar project seven years prior, so he understood the challenges I was addressing. … And I’m insanely lucky to have parents who taught me to persevere when I fell on my face. I’ve done that a lot getting here. But see, that’s the thing about luck. It has a funny way of showing up, when you keep showing up.”

This Week’s Question: Do you think the cloud is more secure than your own environment?

Gene Marks owns the Marks Group, a Bala Cynwyd, Pa., consulting firm that helps clients with customer relationship management. You can follow him on Twitter.

Article source: http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/17/this-week-in-small-business-analytics-and-hashtags/?partner=rss&emc=rss