A few nationwide headlines over the past couple of weeks could have small business implications — or at least lessons to be learned.
The United Airlines PR disaster is one that might not impact small businesses directly. But it can still teach businesses a few valuable lessons about how to avoid similar issues. And the recent Internet privacy repeal could also have an impact on how small businesses handle data online.
Read about these headlines and more below in this week’s Small Business Trends news and information roundup.
Small Business Operations
United Airlines PR Disaster Highlights Importance of Employee Training, Common Sense
By now, you’ve likely seen or at least heard about a video of a passenger on a United Airlines (NYSE:UAL) flight being forcibly dragged from the plane in order to make room for employees of a partner airline.
What Do Small Business Owners Need to Know About the Internet Privacy Repeal?
The House has voted to block Obama Era online privacy regulations for Internet use. The legislation has been sent to President Donald Trump for his signature. That leaves the security of small businesses’ online data in a state of limbo where sharing information and client privacy is concerned. Trump is expected to sign the bill into law.
Economy
Small Businesses Do 40 Percent of the Hiring in the Gig Economy, New Study Says
Over the course of the last decade, the so-called “gig economy” has rapidly expanded to become one of America’s most crucial labor markets. Around one in three American workers are now freelancers, and more than one third of Millennials.
What’s Behind the Growth of the Gig Economy?
The use of work arrangements other than direct employment has grown substantially in the past decade, but few observers really understand the causes of that growth. The popular perception is that it has been driven by millennials’ use of online intermediaries like Uber and TaskRabbit.
Green Business
This Made in the USA Brand Turns Recycled Milk Jugs into Toys
This year’s Earth Day is fast-approaching. April 22 will see businesses, communities, environmentalists and people of all walks of life gather around the globe to emphasize the importance of taking steps to protect the environment.
Marketing Tips
20 Fun Examples of Non-Traditional Easter Promotions
If your business doesn’t sell candy, sweets or gift baskets, you might think that you can’t have a successful Easter promotion. But that’s not the case. Plenty of businesses that aren’t traditionally associated with Easter have had successful promotions to celebrate the holiday. Here are 20 examples to provide some inspiration for your small business.
Five Ways Small Businesses Can Target Mother’s Day Shoppers (INFOGRAPHIC)
Mother’s Day is fast-approaching in the U.S. With 87 percent of Americans celebrating the holiday, the savviest of small businesses selling Mother’s Day orientated products and services are wisely already starting to market this annual celebration of Moms.
YouTube Says You Need 10,000 Views to Participate in Partner Program
Hoping to make a little extra money uploading your videos to YouTube? They’ll need to be pretty popular. YouTube recently announced new guidelines to its Partner Program that limit the creators who can participate. Now, in order to participate in the program, the videos you upload to YouTube need to get a combined 10,000 views or more.
Retail Trends
Your Ugly Website is Costing Your Business Big Time
Don’t make the mistake of rushing creation of your eCommerce website believing speed is all that matters when trying to get your products to buyers.. It turns out your rush job is likely going to lead to more skeptical customers than happy ones, according to new data from Vistaprint.
Gun Store Owners See Big Drop in Sales Since Trump Inauguration
The gun industry may be headed for a slump after eight years of explosive growth under former President Barack Obama. From December through February, the number of federal background checks conducted each month declined from the same month a year ago, according to the Associated Press.
Sales
Teachers Find New Small Business Niche — Monetizing Lesson Plans
Some teachers don’t want to spend all their time after school creating lesson plans. Others don’t mind the extra work. And now they’re finding they can make a little extra money — or sometimes a lot! — selling to that first group.
Small Biz Spotlight
Spotlight: Threat Sketch Provides Cyber Risk Analysis That’s Affordable for Small Businesses
Cyber threats can be a major concern for businesses of all sizes. But it can be especially difficult for small businesses to find cybersecurity solutions that are affordable. That’s where Threat Sketch comes in. Read more about this cybersecurity tool that’s built specifically for small businesses in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.
Startup
Stripe Atlas Promises Your Internet Startup Open for Business in Days
Stripe, the company that revolutionized the online payment system, promises to do the same for online startup creation. Stripe Atlas provides aspiring entrepreneurs with the foundation on which they can build their online businesses. The service combines the cumbersome but necessary legal and administrative details into one, well-organized system.
Taxes
What to Do If You’re Going to Miss the Tax Deadline
Persuading the IRS to give you more time after the April deadline to file your tax return is fairly easy. But there are several other things you’ll need to do if you’re filing taxes late. What if You Miss the Tax Deadline? How to File Taxes Late Get an extension. Set aside cash for interest. Prepare to pay a penalty of 0.
How Your Next Vehicle Could Save on Income Taxes
Did you know you could save up to $7,500 on your next vehicle — if that vehicle happens to be an all-electric or plug-in hybrid car? And that doesn’t even count any savings on fuel at the pump by using an electric vehicle! Most business people are aware that they can write off some of the costs of operating a standard gasoline- or diesel-based car, truck or van for business use.
Technology Trends
Gaming Industry’s Liquid Workforce is a Good Model for Small Business, Too
When gaming company Psyonix launched Rocket League back in 2015, it was an instant hit, pulling in more than $110 million in sales in its first year. And the company created the game in a seemingly unconventional way. In fact, Psyonix developed Rocket League with only 53 actual employees.
Meet Jicco, A Search Engine Just for Retailers
Meet Jicco, a new on-demand retail search engine that’s designed to provide businesses with “instant answers to pressing retail questions.” The parent company, Field Agent, has been on a mission since 2010 to “change the way the world collects business information and insights,” and the company believes it has achieved that with Jicco.
Apple Clips is a New Video Editing App for Mobile Marketers
Small businesses that create and share videos on iPhones now have a new editing option. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) announced a new app called Clips that offers some simple editing features for videos and photos. Clips App Features Some of the features include the ability to capture video, add filters, rearrange clips, add text and even a voice-to-text transcript option.
Could 3D Printed Shoes Hint at Future Opportunities for Small Businesses?
Shoe manufacturing is getting a makeover, thanks to 3D printing. Adidas just revealed a new sneaker called the Futurecraft 4D. The shoe’s sole is made using a 3D printing type process — but there’s a twist. Instead of using additive printing methods, Carbon, the company responsible for printing the shoes, uses a process known as Continuous Liquid Interface Production.
United Photo via Shutterstock
[“Source-smallbiztrends”]
