Make no mistake about it: whether you’re a new or seasoned web pro, prospective clients want to interview you. Maybe they were referred, or possibly they found your website. Perhaps they already think they want to work with you. But it’s often the in-person interview that seals the deal. Think …
As business owners, we are faced with the daunting challenge of keeping our staff and customers safe during this crisis. To help us understand how to do just that, John Ezzo, president and CEO of New Image Building Services, offers us his valuable insight and guidance. Tune in to today’s …
As if the pandemic isn’t causing enough stress and anxiety for business owners, there’s another growing threat to worry about: business identity theft. KrebsOnSecurity, a leading security news source, recently warned of a “particularly aggressive business ID theft ring that’s spent years targeting small businesses across the country.” Even businesses that have …
It’s not surprising that most startups rely on their own resources (personal savings, family and friends) to fund their businesses. And even after the startup stage, the capital options don’t get much better, especially for sole proprietors. Sole proprietorships can’t sell stock in their businesses, which limits investor prospects. Applying …
Have you ever been part of a talk where, even though the presenter seemed to have their facts and information right, the presentation seemed flat? Or maybe you’ve been that presenter who’s worked so hard on their presentation that you actually overdo it, and end up losing that authentic edge …
Are you lucky? I don’t mean lucky in a completely random way like winning the lotto, but living a happy life kind of lucky. Do you know that 70% of lottery winners will use up all their winnings in 7 years? (This might be a made-up statistic.) Lots of people …
Accepting debit and credit card payments can help your business make more money. The more payment methods you offer to customers, the more likely they are to shop with you. But if you’re new to running your own business, you may not know how to accept credit card payments or …
Have you ever wondered if that recommendation you made on social media really helps a business out? Well, now there’s proof that indeed it does. New data from American Express shows that on average, social media endorsements of small businesses generate about 23 percent of their revenues, or approximately $197 …
When you see an application for the first time, the microcopy can give away many clues about the app’s purpose, how the app can help us, and how we can interact with the app. Still, many organizations develop great applications but don’t write an effective microcopy. “Microcopy” refers to the …
Entrepreneurs have faced an unprecedented year with the pandemic causing major disruptions to the way they operate. This now means that for many smaller businesses, Black Friday (as well as Small Business Saturday) holds a heightened level of pressure as they attempt to capture the attention of consumers during a …
Hollywood filmmakers love to present artificial intelligence as an intelligent agent who’s more capable than humans. Luckily, we haven’t reached this state — yet. We still need engineers to develop innovative algorithms and tools to improve human interactions with software and systems. Machine learning has matured over the years, allowing …
Tell us about yourself. Who are you? Where are you based? We are Seahawk, based in Boston and New Delhi. Our company specializes in marketing and WordPress professional services. We’ve been GoDaddy Pro partners since the program first launched. The co-founders of Seahawk, Ryan and Gautam, met through the GoDaddy …
The following is excerpted from “The Wealthy Franchisee: Game-Changing Steps to Becoming a Thriving Franchise Superstar” by Scott Greenberg, Entrepreneur Press, 2020, XVII-XXIII. I’d just come offstage from keynoting the opening session of a quick-service restaurant franchise convention in New Orleans. The presentation had gone well and now, on break, a small group …
Bring up the subject of artificial intelligence (AI) and it tends to elicit one of two reactions. Either it’s the technology that will save us or it’s going to take our jobs. Both of these responses are understandable. After all, there’s plenty of good AI can bring to the world. …
Over the past few months, Microsoft Advertising has been piloting an exciting new platform, Microsoft’s Digital Marketing Center, a Microsoft Garage project. This platform is a way to help small and medium-sized business owners manage their digital marketing across Microsoft Advertising and leading advertising and social media platforms like Google …
As disruptive as the COVID-19 pandemic has been to society, the economy and to most businesses, believe it or not, there are some positives to count as a result of this crisis. On this morning’s WJR Business Beat, Jeff reflects on specific innovative changes made within the automotive, banking and …
During my 20 years in the window industry, I’ve dealt with countless and constant complaints from my customers about the inherent problems with traditional window screens. I was beginning to feel more like a screen replacement man than a salesman, and I decided that there must be a better way. …
Google My Business (GMB), a service offered by Google, is a platform where companies can share relevant information about their business and customers can leave reviews and add photos. The initial benefit of GMB is improved legitimacy and increased exposure while customers benefit by learning more about you. However, there …
One of the biggest challenges for businesses is getting their website in front of customers. Search engine optimization can be tricky for new business owners, and launching ad campaigns on the wrong platforms can burn money quickly. How can marketers ensure that their business is appearing in search results for …
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just around the corner, the holiday shopping season is officially in full swing. The events of 2020, however, will have shoppers and businesses alike navigating uncharted territory as the pandemic continues to impact consumer behavior. To help startups and small businesses understand these changes …
How to Update WordPress Themes and Plugins with a ZIP File – Learn how to update your WordPress install with this simple technique. Native CSS Masonry Layout In CSS Grid – An early look at how masonry layouts work in the CSS Grid specification. Why Google’s new app logos are …
Succeeding as a new entrepreneur might seem more challenging now than ever before. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20 percent of new businesses don’t survive for more than a year, and nearly half survive only five years. Looking through the lens of COVID-19, recent reports show that millions …
Sometimes, the need will arise to make your photographs look like they were produced for a big-budget film. And while you can manually create these looks within Photoshop, it would take you a good amount of time. Photoshop actions to the rescue! Today, we’ve compiled a fantastic list of cinema …
Hey everyone! Welcome to another episode of our SAHD Cooking show. Today, we’ll make a very easy and delicious dish – Hoi Tod. This is mussels pancake/crepe. It’s a popular dish in Thailand. People usually order Pad Thai with Hoi Tod on the side. We love this dish and order …
We may take CSS for granted, but it’s amazing to think about just how powerful it has become. What started out as a simple way to style various design elements has evolved into so much more. We now use the language to handle tasks such as layouts and animation with …
Frugality is a wonderful thing. Being frugal will help you build wealth faster because you can save and invest more. It is the short cut to financial independence. The less you spend, the earlier you can FIRE! After all, the starting point is 25x your annual expense. That’s a lot …
Tackle any task with business-class performance tech, now at our lowest prices of the year. StartupNation readers can save an additional 5 percent to 10 percent on select Dell products during our Black Friday Savings Event, running Nov. 16 through Nov. 29. Speak with a Small Business Advisor today to …
Technology has disrupted so many things, but its positive influences are undeniable. We use our phones for everything; from communicating with our family and friends, to solving our problems through a variety of apps. So if you are creating something new, it’s time to make the world stand in awe …
Lisa Stambaugh provides WordPress support through her agency Collective Discovery, and helps clients tell their story through her Much Ado About You content service. Lisa is also the author of Web Diva Wisdom, a book that helps business owners learn how to work with web designers. Tell us about yourself. …
So much has happened between kids going back to school and the leaves turning brilliant colors getting ready for the winter. The most exciting thing was our customer event on September 29. If you missed it or if you’d just like another chance to watch the sessions, check out our …
As 2021 approaches, we’re past the initial pivot stories, in which vodka makers turned to developing hand sanitizer, and clothing companies began producing face masks on the side. These were, of course, smart and applaudable pivots that helped companies survive while aiding the greater good. However, most of these were …
While most people think of Christmas, Hanukkah or other winter holidays for gift guides, creating a holiday gift guide for your blog or ecommerce business is a great idea for several occasions throughout the year. The great thing about all of these holidays? They are typically a time of spending …
Time management is one of the most essential skills for a successful academic life. As a student, you have to learn to find a balance between studies, work, and your social life. That’s not always easy, and it’s why many students end up asking “who can write my essay for …
Your personal finance should improve every year, but some year is harder than others. 2020 is one of these difficult years. We all had a tough year and many of us are worse off than last year. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Pfizer just …
Right now, entrepreneurs and small business owners are likely getting in their own way when it comes to sales, whether from fearing the future or feeling like their offerings are no longer relevant or important. If you’ve lost a few clients or opportunities due to COVID-19, you might lack confidence …
This article was originally published on GoDaddy’s OpenWeStand.org website. 2020 has been one heck of a ride for small businesses. We’ve had to re-imagine, rethink and evolve our businesses just to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why it is so important for small businesses online and in your community …
Being a freelance web designer means more than just focusing on graphics and code. It also requires communicating with both current and prospective clients. The thing is, we can take any number of courses to help us learn a new app or programming language. But client relations? Those skills aren’t …
As an entrepreneur, I am frequently confronted by people who see success in different ways. But, true success and happiness comes from within. Understanding what you want out of life and what makes you happy is key in this process. You cannot attain success if you have not first defined …
The following is adapted from “Mr. Monkey and Me: A Real Survival Guide for Entrepreneurs” by Mike Smerklo. Copyright 2020 Lioncrest Publishing. In addition to getting the help you need and gaining perspective from your peers, there’s an added, less obvious benefit to asking for help. Odd as it may sound, asking …
In this day and age, it’s imperative web professionals like designers and developers ensure the websites they create are accessible. For the uninitiated, this basically means doing everything within your power to ensure the broadest spectrum of global internet users can enjoy whatever your client’s website has to offer. Many …
The year 2020 has been a transformational one, especially for startups and small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Constant Contact, an online marketing leader, surveyed over 3,000 consumers in the U.S. (aged 18 and up) on how the pandemic has changed the way they shop to help small businesses …
“What type of hosting do I need?” To answer this question, many service providers run the gamut, offering everything from WYSIWYG site builders, to basic shared hosting, to even WordPress-specific hosting. In most cases, these are probably all that the average person needs, even to get a medium-size web presence …
Starting a new React project isn’t that simple. Instead of diving straight into code and bringing your application to life, you have to spend time configuring the right build tools to set up a local development environment, unit testing, and a production build. Luckily, help is at hand in the …
Hey everyone! Welcome to another episode of our SAHD Cooking show. Today, we’ll make a very easy and healthy dish – stir fry veggies & Tofu. This basic recipe works with many vegetables and protein. I make broccoli with chicken with this same seasoning pretty often. You can use broccoli, …
Some people just aren’t cut out for early retirement. IMO, most people would choose to keep working even after they achieve financial independence. Early retirement is unconventional and scary. Why retire if things are going well? Let’s take a look at my friend for example. Jane worked hard for many …
The ability to organize content is one of the most important functions of a content management system (CMS). It offers us a way to clearly define what belongs where. This impacts everyone from content creators accessing the back end to users navigating the public-facing website. And of course, search engines …
As an entrepreneur, capital is one of your most valuable tools. It takes money to make money, but you often need an initial influx of cash to turn a healthy ROI. However, even the most successful businesses don’t always have a pile of cash on hand to supplement its cash …
Fewer than 50 percent of businesses make it to their fifth year. That means that half of all companies have a short lifespan, despite their efforts to build something successful long-term. The interior design space is particularly competitive: predictions state that by 2026, the market will be worth $270,410 million, …
This article was originally published on GoDaddy’s OpenWeStand.org website. As we enter the 2020 holiday shopping season, in the middle of a pandemic, consumers are concerned about shopping near others and shopping indoors and businesses are adapting rapidly to meet their needs. 75% of U.S. shoppers said they will shop online more …
Webinars have proven to be an effective lead generation tool for many businesses. A well-planned webinar can often generate thousands of dollars in new business, but it’s also not uncommon for webinars to fail. Webinars need to be carefully planned, at both the promotion and the presentation level. StartupNation exclusive …
Today, we’ve got some great news to report coming out of Ann Arbor. Another unicorn has emerged, as LLamasoft, an AI-based business for supply chain management, has been acquired for $1.5 billion. Jeff spoke with Ara Topouzian, executive director of the Michigan Venture Capital Association, who had this to say about the news: “It’s …
Tell us about yourself. Who are you? Where are you based? My name is Victor Ramirez. Based in New York City. Specifically Brooklyn. Been doing WordPress and tech stuff since I was twelve. Sent an email newsletter to a birthday party 24 years ago. They were so impressed they printed …
OrbitCSS – Check out this modern CSS framework based on flexbox. How ‘Lazy’ Price Estimates Can Cost Freelancers – Create more accurate project proposals by doing a little research first. The Principles Of Visual Communication – Why the best way to tell stories might be through thoughtfully crafted visuals. Tyrus …
The small business’ answer to Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, is a nationwide event that highlights all of the awesome things that small businesses, small business owners and entrepreneurs offer consumers. Small business owners help neighbors support neighbors, but they also offer an alternative to the big box stores, which …
Not everyone has the drive to start their own business. Even deciding to press ahead and take that risk is a massive first step, and one to be applauded. We need that entrepreneurial spirit and mindset in the world in order for innovative new businesses to emerge. However, it’s important …
The one constant you can count on with social media is that it’s always changing. Just when you think one platform has managed to monopolize the space, another comes along and the landscape shifts. Right now, TikTok is emerging as one of the most popular and powerful social media platforms …
Shop Dell’s exclusive members only early access Black Friday deals and save up to 42 percent off! Call 800-757-8442 today to speak with a Small Business Advisor to access these deals while supplies last. To browse your additional savings on all Dell solutions, visit www.Dell.com/StartupNation for more information. StartupNation exclusive …
It’s the 2020s, so we shouldn’t any longer have to make the case for accessibility. An accessible site means you reach more people, the people you reach (even abled ones) all have an easier time using your site, and you won’t get sued. And with the tools and resources available …
A version of this post was originally posted on Media Temple’s blog. Every year, holiday shopping seems to exceed expectations. Case in point, last year’s holiday shopping season set all-time records. Check out these 2019 digital revenue growth numbers from Salesforce: Thanksgiving – +24% Black Friday – +16% Cyber Monday …
Hundreds of thousands of American deaths and counting. Staggering unemployment numbers nationwide. Unprecedented hardships for small businesses and their owners. Eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s clear — perhaps now more than ever — that the ability to adapt swiftly and successfully is vital to survival for entrepreneurs and …
This article originally published on GoDaddy’s OpenWeStand.org website. As a small business owner, you likely had to change several aspects of your operations because of COVID-19. From protecting your employees to enforcing social distancing, 2020 has been a learning curve for everyone. As your customers return to your business, they …
Everything about your school’s online presence starts with your domain name. It’s the address of your institution online — make it stand out with a .college domain name. Your domain is the name that students, faculty and alumni will need to recall in order to easily find your school online. …
As COVID-19 leaves us scrambling to piece together a new normal, in-person shopping is becoming less of a reliable source of revenue for merchants and service providers. Indeed, recent data from TechCrunch indicates that department store purchases are expected to decline 60% in 2020, while online buying increases 20% the …
Gift shopping is really tough. (Especially for your mom. “No honey, I really don’t want you spending money on me,” is just about the least helpful gift guidance you’ll ever receive.) One survey found more than eight out of 10 people say holiday gift giving is a source of stress. …
You probably know that putting too much food on your plate is usually a bad idea. Since research indicates that you’re more likely to overeat if you fill your plate, it’s not a good thing for your waistline. It’s also not a good thing for your eyes. If there’s no …
In his newest book, “The Practice: Shipping Creative Work,” author and entrepreneur Seth Godin provides the roadmap for all creative people seeking to implement change in the world through their work. “The Practice” is a little book packed with lots of wisdom. Based on The Akimbo Workshops created by Seth and …
If you’re not utilizing LinkedIn to network, build and grow your brand, you’re missing out on an essential resource. According to Hootsuite, in 2019, 30 million companies were on LinkedIn (and that number is constantly growing) – so why not yours? For a technology software company like mine, LinkedIn has …
Customer retention is the lifeblood of sales and the core way that service teams can impact the bottom line. At the same time, 93% of service teams agree that customer expectations are higher in 2020 than in years past, according to recent data from HubSpot. Combined with the economic downturn, …
The overall quality of a website’s design is often in the details. Those seemingly-small elements such as microinteractions, typographic spacing and color accents can be real difference makers. They have the potential to transform the mundane into something that stands out. In these cases, being picky about design is a …
Chatbots are an entrepreneur’s secret weapon. They can engage and assist your prospects or customers on autopilot, saving you precious time and resources. So, what is a chatbot, exactly? It’s simply a piece of software that can be set up to automatically converse back and forth with a customer. While …
When updating a WordPress theme or plugin, we’ve long had two choices. Either manually upload the updated files via FTP or install the update within the WordPress dashboard. In general, both of these methods work pretty well – most of the time. FTP is fairly reliable, but isn’t recommended for …
Hey everyone, it’s time to vote if you haven’t already done so. I voted two weeks ago so I’m done! Hopefully, we’ll see the results soon. October was a good month for us. It was steady without any big high or low. That’s alright with me. Life is easier this …
Why is Google My Business (GMB) important for startups and small businesses? In today’s COVID-19 world, getting visibility online as a small business is more important than ever. Though there are a wide variety of SEO tools out there that can help you, I’ve found that setting up a Google …
Most entrepreneurs are familiar with Small Business Saturday. The holiday, which falls on the Saturday between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, celebrates shopping locally at small businesses throughout neighborhoods and communities. It gives small businesses the chance to boost their holiday sales and allows customers to learn more about local …
November 2020 marks the 10-year anniversary of an American Express campaign to encourage holiday shoppers to shop local. They called it Small Business Saturday®. In lieu of shopping at “big box” stores on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, the idea is to celebrate small business and shop small the Saturday …
This article is by guest author Jack Franklin. SitePoint guest posts aim to bring you engaging content from prominent writers and speakers of the Web community. In this article, I’ll discuss the approach I take when building and structuring large React applications. One of the best features of React is …
Some of the most groundbreaking products and services of the 21st century began as startups. Then, why is it that 90 percent of startups fail? While those launching a startup business may have a compelling concept or business idea, it’s difficult to develop stable, predictable cash flows without some financial …
Hey everyone! Welcome to another episode of our SAHD Cooking show. Today, I’ll share my Nam Prik Ong recipe. This dish is from northern Thailand and it’s one of my favorites. I have never seen this dish in a Thai restaurant in the US so you have to cook it …
Economies rise and fall. It’s a cycle that can impact all of us in both positive and negative ways. But freelancers can be particularly vulnerable to these shifts. Working as a solo web designer means that you’re always fending for yourself. Still, an economic downturn makes survival all the more …
Learn to budget better with the aid of apps that teach you how to save your cash and how to invest it. Your smartphone will magically transform into a coach full of tips on saving more, managing your portfolio, grabbing free things, and getting money for playing games. Look at …
We’ve known it was coming for a long time – we just didn’t know exactly when. Now, we have a date. Adobe announced that its Flash Player will no longer be distributed or updated after December 31, 2020. Of course, development around this multimedia platform has been essentially dead for …
Harvard Business School professor Laura Huang spent a decade studying interpersonal relationships and implicit bias in entrepreneurship. The former investment banker and consultant noticed that it wasn’t always the hardest workers who got ahead. Often, it was those who had inherent advantages or figured out how to create advantages for …
Starting your own freelance career is an exciting thing. You will be able to do a lot more than you would if you were doing a normal 9-to-5 job. Working from home and being able to bring your work with you wherever you go is a great feeling. If you’re thinking …
Werkheiser Jewelers began serving the Lehigh Valley with custom design, restoration and repair in 1992. The four employees take pride in fine jewelry sales, creating custom jewelry—including wedding bands and engagement rings—and in restoring cherished family heirlooms. They have a laid-back, customer-oriented shop where you’ll be greeted with a smile—and …
