April 10, 2009
One of the most thrilling milestones a business owner can meet is reaching the point where expansion is an absolute necessity. After all, a growing business is a successful business-and what screams “success” louder than an increase in customers? For many small businesses, expanding means hiring more employees to fulfill their customers’ demands. And for some, expanding means moving to a larger office or opening up a second location.
According to the Small Business Success Index, an ongoing study conducted by Network Solutions, LLC, and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, “Businesses with multiple locations are more slightly likely to be competitive.” This finding supports some of the general rules of the small business world. It makes sense that a business with multiple locations is competitive; for one, businesses need to be competitive to succeed, and growth is one way to measure a business’s success. Businesses that know how to compete are going to have an easier time at finding success.
One of the best ways to get the word out about additional business locations is through advertising. Be sure that all advertisements list the information for each location if possible, and include each location in online business listing directories. At ThinkLocal®, it’s easy to set up and manage online listings for each of your business’s locations. Just head over to http://wwww.ThinkLocal.com and provide information for all of your business’s locations.
*The Small Business Success Index, an ongoing measurement of the overall health of U.S. small businesses, was commissioned by Network Solutions, LLC and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. To take the survey yourself, click here.
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General, Internet Yellow Pages, Local Search, Small Business, Uncategorized | Tagged: advertising, advertising online, business, business listings, online business directory, Small Business, thinklocal | 
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Posted by thinklocal
March 12, 2009
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Community, General, Internet Yellow Pages, Local Search, Mobile, Small Business, marketing | Tagged: brick-and-mortar business, business, consumer behavior, Local Search | 
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February 10, 2009
It is more important than ever for you to be frugal. That’s why now is the time to start realizing the value of using local search.
Local search Web sites offer free business listings, and they enable your business to be visible at just the right moment – when the consumer is making his or her purchase decision. You should always make sure you are listed in several local search Web sites, particularly because each member of your target audience will have his or her preferred source. By having a listing in more than one directory, you will increase your chances of being found.
Good local search engines include: ThinkLocal®, Yelp, Merchant Circle and Insider Pages™.
Leave a Comment » | General, Internet Yellow Pages, Local Search, Small Business | Tagged: business, business listings, free business listings, insider pages, Local Search, local search engine, merchant circle, thinklocal, yelp | Permalink
Posted by thinklocal
November 18, 2008
Black Friday, which always lands on the day after Thanksgiving, marks the beginning of the holiday shopping rush. Most retailers offer incredible savings – and sometimes extended hours of operation – during this great shopping day.
You should aggressively advertise prior to Black Friday, especially if your business is going to hold a limited-time special. If you don’t advertise your savings, it is likely that you will lose potential sales to competitors who have gotten the word out about theirs.
You can advertise your Black Friday savings on traditional media channels, like radio, television or print. Choose the advertising channel that is capable of effectively reaching your target audience. If you have a Web site, you should also advertise online. You can create seasonal pay-per-click ads or boost your daily budget and adjust your ad copy if you already use pay-per-click advertising. Make sure to emphasize the deals you are offering.
Consumers are motivated by cost savings during the holiday shopping season. Therefore, if you make an effort to tell them how you can save them money on the things they want, then they will do business with you.
Leave a Comment » | General, Local Search, Small Business | Tagged: advertise, advertising, black friday, business, day after thanksgiving, holiday shopping, pay-per-click, sales, savings | Permalink
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September 22, 2008
Check out www.MySolutionSpot.com! MySolutionSpot™ now includes a new Industries section, which features a number of specialized articles, solutions and tools. Therefore, dentists, business consultants and restaurateurs, alike, can find the information they need to improve their businesses.
The site has also expanded its tools section. Previously, its Tools section provided a wide selection of industry-specific tools (e.g., a construction cost estimator, a retail assessment tool, a volunteer recruitment tool, etc.). Now, it also includes a General Business category, which is comprised of tools than can be used across a variety of industries.
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General, Small Business | Tagged: business, business consultants, businesses, construction, dentists, general business, industries, restaurateurs, retail, tools, volunteer recruitment tool | 
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