What can small business learn from the PR missteps made by companies such as Toyota, BP and Goldman Sachs? But it’s not just companies that have had to deal with brand defense. People like Mel Gibson, Tiger Woods and Lebron James have also been under fire for negative PR. Associations, too, like mining and the egg industry have all joined the ranks as entities fighting to save face. The importan...

Have you thought about turning your blog into a business in an effort to receive a few perks? It’s certainly possible! Whether you’re offering small business blogging advice or if you’re just blogging as a hobby, there may be perks involved as a way to reward you for your time and effort. We’ve talked about how to use your blog for marketing purposes so this should be of gr...

A while back we offered insight into the right kind of colors to use in your small business marketing. Do they really matter and, if so, what kind of guidance can help you choose the right mix for your small business. Today we pose a topic that will reverberate throughout the marketing and business community since it has to deal with the ongoing BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and its affect...

There are roughly 10,000 BP gas stations in the United States and nearly all of them are independently owned. What does this mean? It means if you drive by a BP gas station because you’ve decided the oil spill has had an adverse affect on your gas-buying decision, you are really only hurting a small business owner by driving to a different gas station. The Wall Street Journal had an interest...

As entrepreneurs continue to kick around some world cup marketing ideas for small business, the rest of the world wakes up on Friday awaiting the start of the global four-week soccer tournament. Allison Ross of the Palm Beach Post blogged about specials, deals and promotions at local small businesses in and around South Florida. You already know about Tucci’s Pizza free food deal, so here’s...

We’ve been getting lots of feedback on small businesses planning marketing campaigns and promotions surrounding the World Cup this month. The soccer tournament is expected to rival that of the Super Bowl, which is annually among the most watched television sports events in the world. The World Cup will span several cities in South Africa during four weeks of play. For a small business owner...