SLOWLY GROWING: round-up

Showing posts with label round-up. Show all posts

Best Budget Calculators on the Web

Life is full of unanswered questions. Luckily, none of these financial worries should ever be a question again.

Check out the budget calculator round-up on The No-Pants CEO.

Wednesday Links 8-14-2013

Since I'm still wading into the deep end of foreign exchange markets and international trade, I decided to round-up another best of for small businesses looking to go international. Did I miss anything? Tell me in the comments!

Interested in working abroad or finding groups to help connect with once you're overseas? The U.S. Department of State has a huge list.

According to the SBA (Small Business Administration), 97% of the United States' exporters are small businesses and 96% of the world's market reside outside of the U.S. They provide tips and a brochure to help you take your business international.

Here, the Washington Post gives you a brief 5 step guide to expanding into international market. According to them (as of 2012), small and medium-sized businesses only account for 70% of those exporting which is still a huge number. Go get your share.

And in case you missed it, get a crash course in the history between Japan and China in case you were looking to invest, and another one in the history of exchange rate schemes. Great for looking like you were aware during class or actually watch the news.

Wednesday Links 7-24-13

It's been a while, huh? I have been doing quite a bit of good reading here lately, but much of it is textbook-related which is a little harder to share. However, I'm ready to come back to Wednesday Links! This week is all about tips for getting your business up and running on the net and how to take it global!

Actually, I had to watch this video below for a class. Granted, it's a bit dry, but I didn't know the U.S. Commercial Service even existed, let alone what they did. I thought this was some great information to pass on if you are thinking of going global because this is a great resource. Make sure to check it out and let me know what you thought!

What is the U.S. Commercial Service and how can they help you go international? (video above)
Dropshipping: The Easiest Way to Sell Online and some tips to get you started
42 Timeless Ideas for Attracting More Visitors to Your Website - Think Traffic consistently gives great advice that you can act on today
3 Steps to Getting Started With Social Media - The Social Media Examiner is a go to blog for marketing professionals and you can learn a lot just by surfing around for a few minutes, so here's something to get you started.

Wednesday Links 6-12-13

Planned transitions are lovely. Too often it seems like everything is a fire drill. But when you know change is coming, you can prepare. This is my last week (of freedom!) before I start grad school. On one hand, it's lovely knowing that I'm taking an entire week to get things ready for the grind. On the other hand, now I've got an entire week of doing things I've been putting off since I've moved into this apartment. So let's get motivated.

How can you not have this video when talking about motivation? You can't.

Plan for your business like a pro with, surprise, Business Plan Pro Software that can guide you through it all with interactive charts and examples.
A whole pageful of articles geared towards preparing you for college and grad school.
An interesting article on how to deal with upcoming change, not by focusing on the change itself but by focusing inward on what should NOT change.

Wednesday Links: Survival Edition 5-29-13

I have been less inclined to read this week as I've mostly been glued to the TV, obsessively watching The Walking Dead. So I thought we'd change it up a bit this week and get our learn on visually. Right now, it's all about surviving.

Survival of the Start-up Business Survival of Women-Owned Business in the Recession

Can your Business Survive Internal and External Threats?

I had a lot more fun making this little infographic collage than expected. I didn't even know my blogger could do this. Who knew?

Wednesday Links 5-22-13

You've probably heard a lot that to sell a business or a product, you have to tell a story. A large part of business is just connecting with people. Maybe they don't need you today, but you need to stay in their minds for whenever they do need you. However, storytelling is starting to become a lost art. So let's unwind a bit with someone who enjoys telling them and have a little hump day laugh.

Continuing with telling a good story, try writing something that people are compelled to read and share to increase your blog views and market presence. In other words, write epic shit.
So much of how we judge not only companies, but also what to buy, relates to slightly superficial elements. We're shallow, people, we're shallow. So play to that and look at these 70+ Wordpress Themes for Business.
More importantly, tailor your story to your clients. To do this effectively, get inside their heads. Analyze these 4 Personality Types to see which best fits your client or group and see if you can give a more compelling argument as to why they need you.

Winks: Wednesday Links to help you grow - 5-15-13

I've been tearing through the True Facts videos on ZeFrank1's Youtube page recently. They are hilarious, but I reached the end and wanted more. So I dug around his videos and found this gem. I really wasn't expecting good advice, but hell, I've gotten good advice in weirder places before. I'm also a fan of good advice + humor from people who don't take themselves too seriously. So watch the video already. Also, here's some good reading for later.

And while we're on the subject of social media, how do you use Twitter? I post articles that I find interesting every day and I've found many of those articles following other Twitter users. How do you use it and do you have anyone you recommend following? Let me know in the comments.

Winks 5-8-13

Winks are Wednesday link round-ups of all my favorite reading over the last week to get you over your mid-week slump. Check out the links below for some great reading about improving yourself and your business.

Recently, I've been delving into the world of InDesign at work, trying to figure out how it works and make mini how-to's to get the marketing department up to speed quickly. As I was shuffling through the beginning pages of an old manual, I realized that this would be a great skill for a resume.

In fact, upon review I had several systems under my belt that I had been using for years - things that I have seen employers ask for specifically on job applications. It reminded me that I needed to update my resume by removing irrelevant items and replacing it with a skills section. Not only does my resume look better and more accuratley show my knowledge base, but I also reminded myself that I am more than capable of learning new programs quickly to benefit myself and my co-workers. What are you doing that shows your skills in a new light?