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Dec. 1, 2010

Stephanie Hackney answered this question

What cultural shifts are required to get SMBs on board with social media?

I believe the key is education about what social media is and isn't, and how it is used most effectively.
An overall strategy is still critical to effective marketing, whether that marketing is "old school" or employes the many social media tools now available to ... more

Marketing

Small Business

Brent Leary

Focusismbs

3 more topics

Nov. 11, 2010

Gidi Argov answered this question

In this confusing day and age, what makes a superior merchant services provider for an SMB?

Small and mid-sized businesses can choose between going after a direct merchant account or processing through a third party processor.
Third party processing does have a bad reputation which isn’t always justified. With regards to How bad is third party processing? – take a look ... more

Nov. 5, 2010

Suresh Kannan and 1 other person answered this question

Are there any specific relationship management tools SMBs should use to manage their partnerships?

There are Several Christopher. For Small Business, where every dollar makes a big difference, We have to be careful in choosing the Tool which is not very expensive but has Immediate Tangible benefits, You can Checkout Google apps, Zoho CRM, Saleforce, Sugar CRM to name ... more

Sales

Small Business

Channel Partner Management

CRM

5 more topics

Nov. 4, 2010

Mark Krikorian answered this question

How do you select an accountant?

First and foremost, choose an accountant with experience in your industry, with your business model. As you evaluate them, ask for client lists and have them identify clients they believe are similar to your business. Direct industry experience will ensure that they set up your ... more

Nov. 4, 2010

Brian Phelps answered this question

What's the biggest payroll-related mistake you've seen?

When I was 15, working in a pizza parlor, the owner's wife did the payroll. I tracked my own hours and wondered why there was always a discrepancy in my hours. Instead of asking why it was different, I figured out what she was doing ... more

Human Resources

Small Business

Andrea Herran

Focus Interactive Summit

3 more topics

Nov. 4, 2010

Michael Schmier asked a question

What is the single greatest security-related threat to most SMBs?

Information Technology

Small Business

Focus Interactive Summit

Focusismbs

5 more topics

Nov. 3, 2010

Andy Salmon answered this question

What is the most common objection you've seen in response to communications upgrades?

Hi Christopher,
In my experience the most common objective to IT infrastructure upgrades is cost. This is especially the case during tough economic times. I believe that success comes from ensuring that a sound business case is defined where the new functionality is directly tied to ... more

Information Technology

Small Business

Bil Moore

Focus Interactive Summit

4 more topics

Nov. 2, 2010

Craig Rosenberg asked a question

Who leads the charge at companies that are most successful with social media?

Marketing

Small Business

Focus Interactive Summit

Focusismbs

3 more topics

Nov. 1, 2010

Michael Dortch asked a question

What are the biggest challenge(s) SMB decision makers are facing today?

Small Business

Anita Campbell

Focus Interactive Summit

Focusismbs

Nov. 1, 2010

Michael Dortch asked a question

How do you get SMB decision makers on board with today's technology?

Small Business

Focus Interactive Summit

Focusismbs

Ramon Ray

2 more topics

Nov. 1, 2010

Lindsay Hopkins and 2 other people answered this question

What is the first thing that every SMB decision maker do with social media?

Implement a strategy: This entails deciding what you want to achieve from your online efforts, determining where your audience might be, analytics to measure what you're doing and consideration to the resources (time, personnel, budgets, etc) that you'll be using. more

Marketing

Small Business

Focus Interactive Summit

Focusismbs

2 more topics

Oct. 30, 2010

Maria Marsala and 3 other people answered this question

Any time management tips for social media?

Yes, it can be a full time job or not! I have clients who have various profiles, but they don't spend time on social networking. I on the other hand spend time around B2B social networking sites.
Some make the decision based on how they ... more

Marketing

Small Business

Focus Interactive Summit

Focusismbs

3 more topics

Oct. 29, 2010

Michael Dortch asked a question

How have you changed the focus of the sales staff in your companies?

Marketing

Sales

Small Business

Focus Interactive Summit

4 more topics

Sept. 27, 2010

Ray Stoeckicht and 10 other people answered this question

Should SMBs use different CRM systems than corporations?

With the advent of the cloud, web based platforms are most often used by Small Business segments today; for instance, On Demand CRM apps are accessible from anywhere and they are highly preferred as a cost-effective tool. At Intelestream, we provide a web based CRM ... more

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