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Ever think about where coffee beans come from? And how the different levels of roasting affect the taste of coffee? The entrepreneur behind Devocion has.
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Archives for October 2018
Will Using SES Give You Higher Search Engine Rankings?
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Photo by EVG photos from Pexels
Whether you find it irresistible or just hate it, it’s not going anywhere soon. Yes, I’m talking about SEO. More specifically, I’m talking about SES, or search engine submission.
SES is the practice of manually submitting a website directly to a search engine, instead of using standard SEO practices to push and pull it organically to the top of the rankings. SES may or may not improve your search engine rankings. There are no guarantees. In this post, we explore SES in further detail.
RELATED ARTICLE: A GOOD SEO CAMPAIGN NEEDS GREAT ON-PAGE OPTIMIZATION
Regardless of how you feel about it, SEO is extremely important for any site. SEO refers to a huge spectrum of solutions and ideas which site owners apply. They intend for these efforts to ensure that their site ranks well on search engines such as Google.
There was a time when search engines like Google had not honed their crawling and search abilities to the level they have achieved today. In those times it was beneficial and even important for site owners to manually submit their sites and pages to search engines. This was what they needed to do to ensure that their sites would come up as results in people’s searches.
Problems with SES
However, today when someone thinks that manually submitting their site to Internet search engines is a good idea, that person is sadly mistaken. Some people seem to think that with SES, when a person searches, their site at least has the opportunity to show up as a search result.
Now, can you tell that something is drastically wrong with that point of view?
As an Internet user myself, I believe that manually submitting sites to search engines gives an unnecessary advantage to bigger sites over smaller sites. That’s because bigger sites have the resources to submit their sites. However, the smaller sites do not.
How to Achieve Higher Search Engine Ranking Positions
Okay then. So SES is not a good option for small sites like mine and yours, right? However, we can still achieve those marvelous top-three rankings on the major Internet search engines. We’ll just have to rely on our ingenuity, our creativity, and good old-fashioned hard work.
So if you really want your site to climb in the rankings, here are some things you can do.
Use Page Titles or Title Tags
Page titles, also known as title tags, are the short descriptors that both human and machine use to determine what the web page is about. What’s more, the Google bots rely on them in order to work their magic. So use them.
Also, remember that the title tag shouldn’t look freakish. It should also be grammatically correct.
If you try to trick the Google crawlers by using several non-related titles just to get their attention you’re doing yourself no favors. Silly tricks like these won’t help the user and they certainly won’t help your website.
Have a Sitemap
Make sure that your site features an easy-to-use sitemap. Don’t make it a labyrinth of loose endings and sharp turns. Useless content is a complete no-no.
Focus on Excellent Content
Content truly is king. You’ll keep people coming back to your site and staying longer if you offer them interesting and informative content. What’s more, make it easy to read and easy on the eye, and your site will soon achieve higher search engine rankings.
Wrapping Up
If you know you need some help with these important SEO elements, then turn to an SEO reseller program. They can help you.
It’s important to keep in mind that SES is useful for those big authority sites. However, if you do the work it takes and apply the changes we suggest here, your site, too, can climb to the top of the rankings.
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Receive Exciting Tips for Building a Better eCommerce Site in This Free eBook
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Are you making as much from your ecommerce website as you should?
A new FREE ebook, “How to Build a Better Ecommerce Website” from the internet advertising platform Criteo could help to answer that question.
The ebook walks you through four important steps to maximize your ecommerce site’s impact. Can you really afford NOT to check out information that could bring you more customers online and improve your bottom line?
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Whether your ecommerce website is a stand alone business or part of a larger operation, it represents a significant investment.
You may have paid a web designer to build the site or a developer to modify an existing ecommerce platform.
There are domain name and hosting fees, of course. You may have also paid for pay per click or other online advertising to get the initial traffic trickling in.
Then there’s the hours of time — spent by you or your team — creating social media campaigns and content marketing pieces to engage and convert your audience into paying customers.
So if, after everything else, your sales remain anemic and your shopping carts are empty — or being abandoned before checkout — all this effort and expense is in vain.
Fortunately, creating an effective ecommerce business is very doable with the right knowledge.
In this new ebook you’ll learn:
- How to audit an ecommerce site to find opportunities for improvement
- How to SEO an ecommerce website to improve search engine ranking
- How to review your ecommerce site’s responsive template
- Best practices to optimize your site for better conversions
Of course, you may already be doing great in sales on your ecommerce site. But could you be doing better?
The world of ecommerce is becoming a very competitive place. Not only are there many other smaller merchants like you. But there are the big guys as well: Amazon, Ebay and more.
So how can you stand out in this crowd and attract more customers and a growing revenue stream?
By downloading this FREE ebook today, of course!
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This article, “Receive Exciting Tips for Building a Better eCommerce Site in This Free eBook” was first published on Small Business Trends
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‘Microdosing Moms’ and ‘Divorced Dads’ Emerge Among Cannabis Consumers
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Thanks to legalization and the ability to consume discretely by vaping or snacking on edibles, ever more adults are using cannabis.
3 min read
Opinions expressed by Green Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
According to a recent study out of New York University, Baby Boomers aged 50 to 64 are consuming a lot more weed than they used to last decade, with 9 percent of those surveyed disclosing marijuana use in the last year. The report made headlines across the world, as many were surprised to learn American grandparents are picking up the herb.
However, a new report by Green Market Report and Brightfield Group (sponsored by MedMen) highlights two other big groups of unexpected cannabis consumers: Divorced Dads and Microdosing Moms.
The people behind the report in question reviewed data from MedMen cannabis dispensaries sales in California, and discovered that, while marijuana use is still highest among men under the age of 40, demographics are changing fast. Here’s a quick snapshot of the main findings:
- Roughly 42 percent of MedMen customers are aged of 21 to 31.
- Adults aged 32 to 38 came in second, representing with 21 percent of customers.
- Adults between the ages of 39 and 53 make up the third largest group of MedMen customers.
- Approximately 14 percent of customers are aged 54 or more.
“Our personas were developed using a mixed-method approach of machine learning and cluster analysis supported by content and qualitative expertise applied with scrutiny,” said Director of Research Bethany Gomez. Other interesting groups identified by the report include Boomerangs (Baby Boomers who are returning to cannabis in their later years), and the Liberal Elite.
Related: Building a Solid Foundation for Your Cannabis Brand Is Step One to Success
Source: Brightfield Group
Adding to Gomez’s point, Green Market Report’s CEO Debra Borchardt said, “From the surveys conducted with these two profiles your selected, I found it particularly interesting that there was no real brand loyalty with Divorced Dads.”
“Microdosing Moms have an upbeat outlook and are more brand loyal,” she added. “This most likely accounts (or should) for why so many cannabis brands are trending toward targeting women in their advertising and marketing campaigns.”
Related: Here’s Why the DEA Re-Scheduling Just One Cannabis-Based Drug Is a Very Big Deal
Divorced Dads
Here are some interesting stats on divorced men who consume cannabis and have children:
- 97 percent are white.
- 47 percent are aged 57 to 79.
- 25 percent are aged 46 to 55.
- 41 percent are daily cannabis users
- 33.3 percent use cannabis 2-4 days per week.
- 78 percent are low-ticket buyers, spending less than $150 a month
- Less than 4 percent spend more than $250 a month
- Almost 3 out of every four Divorced Dads use cannabis to relax at home
- Almost half of them use cannabis for home duties
- And 44 percent use cannabis for outdoor activities
Related: 3 Hottest Cannabis Trends in California
Microdosing Moms
Many mothers with children at home said they regularly use cannabis in small doses — less than 100 mg. Out of them:
- Almost half are aged 21 to 35
- 25 percent are aged 36 to 45
- 24 percent are aged 46 to 79
- 35 percent use cannabis daily
- 21.5 percent only use cannabis a few times a year
- 75 percent prefer to use cannabis while relaxing at home
- 63 percent use it for home duties
- 61 percent said they usually use it to treat anxiety
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They Were at the New York Coffee Festival!
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CBD syrup, highly caffeinated beans, slick machines and latte art were on display at the annual event.
9 min read
The caffeine flowed freely, and so did conversations by dozens of coffee entrepreneurs — who perhaps talked a tad faster than normal — at the fourth annual New York Coffee Festival in Manhattan this past weekend.
Featured at the event were booths for espresso machines, French presses and eco-friendly coffee cups, plus free tastings of every flavor of roasted bean imaginable — as well as “latte design” demonstrations, and even coffee bean-inspired jewelry from the Czech Republic.
Related: How This Coffee Startup Rocketed to National Retail Within a Few Months of Its Launch
There was also one especially popular booth inviting coffee aficionados to swap out the simple syrup in their morning joe for syrup infused with CBD (the cannabis compound cannabidiol) — something that’s now legal in multiple states.
“These are the people that are genuinely obsessed by coffee,” Jeffrey Young said in an interview. He’s the Australian-born founder and CEO of London-based Allegra Group, which puts on the festival in Manhattan and next month will launch a West Coast version, in Los Angeles, starting Nov. 9.
Young glanced happily back over his shoulder at the jam-packed Metropolitan Pavilion event space (with a line outside of still more attendees waiting to get in). Based on registrations, Young said he expected a total of 12,000 to 14,000 visitors over three days. These coffee devotees had come to hobnob with about 100 vendors plus their guest vendors, who included some 200 different roasting companies, Young said.
“It’s a passion for them,” Young said of the festival-goers sipping free lattes and nibbling pastries across the Pavilion’s huge expanse, or wandering upstairs to hear coffee lectures. “Somehow they like the personality of coffee, whatever that means. It’s very personal to them.
“And it’s not just about coffee itself,” he continued. “It’s about coffee spaces, about the community that coffee brings.”
Related: How This Woman Perked Up Her Family’s Coffee Business and Jolted Sales by 300 Percent
And the entrepreneurs? “That room is full of entrepreneurs,” Young confirmed. “These are the young coffee entrepreneurs building their businesses, some of them growing very, very rapidly. And there’s a few big businesses in there, like Breville, [and other] coffee equipment companies. But underlying this is, it’s a very entrepreneurial marketplace.”
To underscore that point, Young described the flurry of acquisitions that has occurred in the industry this year. “JAB Holding Co., a privately held company, really set the tone for acquisitions in this market,” Young said. “You’ve seen Nestle acquire [a majority stake in] Blue Bottle Coffee this year; and, local here to New York, a business created here in New York and spreading all over the country is Bluestone Lane. They’re being invested in by Stephen Ross,” the billionaire chairman of Related Cos.
In recent years, Young added, JAB acquired Stumptown Coffee Roasters, as well as Peet’s Coffee, and took a majority stake in Pret a Manger last year. JAB further led the group of investors that acquired Keurig Green Mountain. And this year, JAB was also reported to be interested in the Italian chain Illycaffe SpA (Nestle reportedly was, too); Coca-Cola, meanwhile, invested in Costa Coffee.
“What these beverage companies have realized is that coffee is the most exciting beverage at the moment,” Young said. As a result, ”Entrepreneurs are seeing these [high] valuations out there in the marketplace; and there’s a lot of interest in investment in the small boutique coffee chains.”
A stroll through the Pavilion reflected Young’s assessment, as various entrepreneurs spoke with enthusiasm about their caffeine-fueled passion:
Azuca
In an interview, Eben Freeman, executive product development director, was bullish about his Massachusetts-based company’s CBD-infused simple syrup. “It solves most of the problems you have with CBD oils or edibles,” Freeman said of the syrup. That’s good, he explained, because, in a word, CBD’s natural flavor tastes like … cabbage.
What makes Azuca’s line of sweeteners, which will be available online this week and are already sold in some outlets (including company owner Ron Silver’s Bubby’s restaurants, in New York) special is their absence of terpenes. Terpenes are the hydrocarbons that give CBD products their bad smell.
Image credit: Azuca
“When you put [the product] into dilution, a cup of coffee, you really don’t taste it at all,” Freeman claimed.
CBD, for those not in the know, has been credited with helping people combat depression, anxiety and chronic pain. It lacks the cannabis ingredient THC and so produces no “high.”
Azuca’s CBD syrup is sold in bottles, whose smaller version offers four servings — each with 10 milligrams of CBD — priced at $18. “You can put it into your coffee in the morning, into your tea in the afternoon or your cocktail at the end of the night,” Young said.
Biohazard Coffee
Kelly Driscoll, marketing director of the two-year-old company Biohazard Coffee, frequently had to step aside at her company’s booth to allow her colleague “Patch” to pose for selfies being taken by visitors eager to be seen with him, because he was attired in a biohazard suit and mask.
The stunt was related to the company’s name, which Driscoll explained stems from the coffee’s “928 kilograms of caffeine for 12 fluid ounces. That makes it three to four times the amount of caffeine you’ll find in normal barista-made coffee,” she said.
The company prides itself on not adding anything to the raw coffee and on using “100 percent robust” beans which, Driscoll said, strips away the beans’ natural bitterness. “For me personally, I drink three or four cups of coffee a day,” Driscoll said. “So, instead of having three to four cups a day, I have one in the morning and I’m good to go.”
“In the U.S. we’re by far the strongest” coffee, Driscoll continued, while acknowledging that a competitor could beat Biohazard at its own game. “That’s the thing with highly caffeinated coffees,” she said. “Someone could always come out with something stronger.”
Breville
“My name means ‘to be calm,’ which I’m not,” declared Rachael Calmas, referring to her career as a publicist who promotes a company making espresso machines. Specifically, Calmas works for the Australian food equipment company Breville, whose U.S. headquarters, for 15 years, has been in Torrance, Calif.
The company’s focus is on kitchen machines for the home market — such as wood fired pizza ovens — as well as espresso machines for coffee-adoring Americans.
Some of those stainless steel works of art were on display at the Coffee Festival. Breville’s most recent machines, the Oracle Touch and Barista Touch (both automatic and manual), each won a “Best New Product” award at the Specialty Coffee Association Expo.
Coming out next month is Breville’s newest machine, the Bambino-Plus, a $500 mini espresso machine. It’s joining a crowded market — one, Calmas said, that boasts machines that are beautiful “statement” pieces for your kitchen counter, as well as machines for the “smart home” category, “where you have a phone [and tell it] ‘Make my coffee before I get out of bed.’”
The real key to a good espresso? Not just a fancy machine, Calmas acknowledged, but “the right texture of milk” — and that’s not easy to get every time. “Honestly,” she added, “the highest-fat whole milk is going to give you the best quality.”
Ecoffee Cup
David McLagan, founder and CEO, explained how he founded Ecoffee Cup, an eco-cup company, back in 2014, “when we found out that over 100 billion single use cups go to landfills.”
His company is English and Dutch, and based in London and Amsterdam, but it’s establishing a U.S. foothold, in Brooklyn, N.Y., soon.
The company’s eco-cups — which come in 100 different designs and four different sizes — are made from a composite of bamboo fiber, cornstarch and resin. The cups offer the same durability as ceramic and also the ability to hold temperatures stable for 45 minutes. The $11.76 cups are phthalate-free.
Cafes, McLagan said, are willing to put their coffee in customers’ own eco cups; Starbucks gives a 10 cent discount.
Interestingly, Ecoffee’s website boasts the relatively new extension “eco” on its name. Companies have to apply for the honor of using that “eco” extension by providing an impact statement and environmental credentials.
At the festival overall, environmentalism was a concern voiced not only by Ecoffee Cup but by Project Water Fall, a British nonprofit whose mission is “to bring clean, safe drinking water, sanitation and education to coffee growing communities”
The Northeast Recreational Coffee Association
Latte artists — the folks who put those cool cinnamon designs on your latte foam — have the souls of entrepreneurs in that they’re out to push the envelope and throw their heart into their work.
The Association holds a monthly New York-based “throwdown” among baristas, and is part of a wave of such competitions nationwide, said organizer Lanny Huang.
Huang equivated latte art to “plating a dish” meaning the art upscale restaurants engage in to create a beautiful dinner plate. “Latte art is pouring a design over a latte, and the skills involved have a lot to do with texturing whole milk correctly,” he said.
“Basically, latte art has grown and specialty coffee has grown because it’s kind of a signature of elevating the coffee experience,” Huang said, pointing out the La Marzocco espresso machine behind him. As a matter of fact, that company thought enough of the Association’s efforts to sponsor its festival booth.
Related: These Entrepreneur Brothers Ditched Coffee for Matcha and Built a Multimillion-Dollar Drink Brand
“You generally won’t find good coffee served without latte art on top,” Huang declared.
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Take this Survey and Get New Ideas for Saving Energy in Your Business
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Now is your chance to be a part of something important.
Energy is typically the single greatest cost in a small business, but most small business owners don’t have the time or the resources to spend on figuring out all the different ways they can become more energy efficient so that their business is more profitable. This is where the Small Business Energy Report Comes in.
Constellation Energy, in partnership with Small Business Trends, is interested in what a broad base of small business owners are doing to cut energy costs, save energy and run a sustainable business. And the results could give you ideas about how to save energy in your own business.
Together, they’ve launched the Small Business Energy Survey, a quick 3 minute online survey where you can click through what matters most to you regarding energy, what energy and cost-saving strategies you’re trying and how your employees and customers feel about sustainability.
Click below to begin:
Start Here
Win a $100 Amazon Gift Card
Here’s another reason to take part in the survey. You also have the option to register to win a $100 Amazon gift card!
How is this different from other small business energy reports?
Here’s something you may not have thought about. Most surveys are conducted with customers or members of organizations. That means that the results only represent that membership. The partnership between Small Business Trends and Constellation Energy aims to reach a broader base of small business owners across industries, across the country and across energy providers so that small business owners, like you, can get access to benchmarking data and ideas about how other business owners are saving on energy.
2018 Small Business Energy Report
As a participant in this first-of-its-kind survey, you’ll get access to data from hundreds of businesses, just like yours and see what energy-saving strategies have been most effective.
The results of this new small business energy survey will be released in a new 2018 Small Business Energy Report in December 2018.
At that time, you’ll be able to see how your business compares to other small business owners when it comes energy. You’ll receive new ideas based on what other small business owners are doing, and you may even find cost-saving ideas for your business as well.
Now is Your Chance to Be a Part of Something Important
Saving on energy bills in your small business involves much more than just deciding to turn the thermostat in the office down. Do you and your employees feel strongly about the environment? Or maybe you do your part by recycling old office equipment. Or maybe energy cost savings are your focus.
Regardless of what your energy goals are, in December 2018, you’re going to find out what other small business are doing.
Let Your Voice be Heard
Take a few minutes to answer the survey questions for the 2018 Small Business Energy Report sponsored by Constellation Energy in partnership with Small Business Trends and learn more about how to save more energy in your small business.
Best of all — you’ll be eligible for a $100 gift card giveaway just for participating!
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Image: Shutterstock
This article, “Take this Survey and Get New Ideas for Saving Energy in Your Business” was first published on Small Business Trends
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Can You Have a Business Based on Poker in 2018?
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Image Credit: Smallville
It’s still possible to have a business based on poker in 2018. However, it’s going to be hard work, not easy money.
The fact of the matter is that people can and do make a long-term living playing poker. Hundreds of famously televised pros and thousands of online grinders will attest to that. Still, the online poker scene has changed and evolved. What’s more, legislation has made it harder for some populations to play. And meanwhile, the competition is now stiffer.
Therefore, poker is not easy money. But is it still possible to make a living out of the game if you are transitioning in 2018? The short answer is yes. However, you are going to have to work hard for it.
The Golden Days of Poker
Online poker now has a 20-year history. Enjoyed among friends for “play money,” the early games people played in 1998 used simple programs. It was all recreational at that point. In other words, no money changed hands online and no platform yet facilitated real-money games.
Beginning in the early 2000’s, there was an explosion of online sites and players. In those days, websites used proposition players to fill tables and get games going. These players received an hourly rate to play on the site. The idea was that fuller tables would bring in more players.
The so-called golden days of poker began in 2003. That year, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) was televised. It used new technology employed by ESPN that allowed viewers at home to see players’ hole cards via built-in cameras in the tables. Now, it was exciting to watch poker tournaments!
In the same year, Chris Moneymaker, a complete amateur, made it to the WSOP by winning a $40 online satellite. Surprising everyone, he won the tournament for $2.5 million. Suddenly, it seemed like anybody could become a millionaire by playing poker. Many subsequently believed that victory was in reach for every average Joe who could access the Internet and learn hand rankings.
The Online Game Was Mostly Unregulated at First
Online poker was mostly unregulated during those years. Further, following the highly publicized WSOP, online sites stepped up their marketing efforts to attract new players. The “poker boom” catalyzed and entered pop culture almost overnight.
From around 2003 to 2006, and arguably for a while after that, the online poker world was characterized by simple banking and seamless transfers. There were full tables of both cash games and tournaments and a high ratio of weak to strong players. If you knew how to play basic poker during that time and applied a tight-aggressive style effectively, you could become a profitable player easily.
If you were good back then, you could clean up low-stakes cash games and sit-and-go’s. You could therefore grind out a steady profit with a high edge over the competition. Having a business based on poker was a little easier then.
What Changed?
The game experienced a boom of growth. Then governments around the world caught up and started to legislate. Some banned poker altogether. Others made it hard for sites or players to make transactions.
In 2006, the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act made it illegal in the U.S. to process payments related to online gaming. This marked the start of the end of the U.S. market. “Black Friday” in 2011 saw top sites’ domains seized. These actions wiped out the market overnight, taking with them a significant chunk of recreational players. Subsequent legislation around the world led to a more fragmented scene. That is, players who could legitimately partake could only play against others in their own countries.
Image Credit: 888Poker
Countries around the world have varying legislation for live and online poker.
Regulations are one part of the picture. However, the game is also harder now because the players are better, which is logical. When the “boom” happened, many people were at the same level—mostly clueless. As time went on, players read and learned more about the game. They improved their game or learned to stopped playing after losing too often.
There are also more resources now available. These include published books, online training sites, and forums. Consequently, the general level of players has moved from clueless to competent. Nowadays, more people are grinding small edges even when playing low-stakes poker cash games. With a higher number of competent and decent players and fewer fish swimming in the ocean, you need to get good if you want to make it!
What Does It Take to Turn Poker into a Business?
To be a professional, and to have a business based on poker in 2018, you need to be more than competent. You need to be way ahead of the learning curve. You must always be reading, analyzing, and improving your game. It’s a real commitment. It always has been. It’s just that now you will probably be plugging at smaller edges.
However, when it comes down to it, you should be passionate about any business you start. The time, effort, and dedication that it takes to play poker for a living are the same as with any other industry. If you catch it young, then you might get lucky and ride an easy first wave. However, once the competition catches up, you must stand out and be better than the rest. If you are prepared to become better than the rest, then the world is your oyster.
RELATED ARTICLE: 7 THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE DECIDING ON THE RIGHT BUSINESS IDEA FOR YOU
The truth is there are many factors to consider when deciding whether a business is right for you. You need to think about how much funding you need. This is known in poker as bankroll management. You also need to weigh up the risks and balance them against your desire to make it. Moreover, if you don’t have the burning flame inside you, then remember you can also stick to playing poker recreationally and have fun with it!
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Season 3 of Small Business Revolution Looks at Saving Small Local Shops
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Last February, Alton, Illinois won a half million dollar revitalization prize package from Deluxe Corp. Giving Alton’s Main Street a facelift was part of the project, but don’t be mistaken. The transformation was also about revitalizing business and community going beyond mere physical appearances.
Now in its third season, “Small Business Revolution” (the TV series Deluxe created to document this transformation) gets into the struggles faced by local businesses and how the experts at Deluxe help turn things around for them, a process affecting the entire town.
Small Business Trends sat down with Amanda Brinkman, Chief Brand and Communications Officer at Deluxe, and Ty Pennington, TV personality and this season’s co-host, at the Next Millennium media studios in New York City for an on-camera interview about season 3. The video and transcript are below.
Season 3 is on Hulu and YouTube and you can watch all eight episodes in full — even back-to-back if you want to. For a limited time, the public is invited to nominate the town they believe should win Deluxe’s next $500,000 Small Business Revolution revitalization.
Small Business Trends: Amanda, for the folks who haven’t watched Seasons 1 or 2, what would you tell them the Small Business Revolution is?
Amanda Brinkman: Small Business Revolution is a show where each season we ask people to nominate their favorite small town and then Deluxe Corporation invests half a million dollars in revitalizing the winning town’s Main Street and small businesses. With previous seasons in Wabash, Indiana and Bristol Borough, Pennsylvania, and now with Season 3 in Alton, Illinois, the entire town is truly transformed through the Small Business Revolution because it’s more than just a show, it’s truly a movement. We’re trying to inspire people within these communities to support the small businesses that are making their town so unique.
Small Business Trends: Is Alton, Illinois like a junior St. Louis or is that not accurate? How would you describe it?
Ty Pennington: I think the cool thing about Alton is that it’s a unique town because of the history. It was certainly industrial at some point. It’s right next to the Mississippi River so at one point this was a thriving town of lots of business because you’re basically on the river that’s bringing all this material through. But times have changed, so now you have the structure, the skeleton of what used to be. But the spirit of the people who still live there know the history, they know how unique the town is, so a lot of people are moving back in who are artists and creative and really cool. And I think what surprised me is how cool and how interesting the people were and how proud they were of their town. But clearly they’re in need of a little help in letting other people realize how amazing this town is to help their business survive. What you find out about Alton is this show is about not just helping business, it’s about helping families that run businesses do it better and survive. While the dream of owning your own business works, it works because of Amanda and the team at Deluxe; the camaraderie is what made me want to get involved.
Small Business Trends: Ty, you’re no stranger to highly emotional show participants…
Ty Pennington: Yes, I came because I wanted to cry on this show…
Amanda Brinkman: He’s good at making people cry too! He made me cry daily!
Ty Pennington: And my mom too in early years. It’s a gift, it’s a gift.
Small Business Trends: That was the question, how many tears were shed this season?
Amanda Brinkman: So many tears of joy and realization. One of the things we do for the small business owners is just that we see them, we affirm them, we say “We understand how hard it is to run a small business. You wear so many hats as an entrepreneur.” Just having someone come in from the outside and saying “You got this. You can do this.” We help them with the marketing that’ll help them grow their business, and their finances — not only understanding their numbers but what the numbers are telling them so they can make better-informed decisions. We help with physical transformation, wish list items that perhaps they might’ve not been able to afford until then, so we help them bolster their business operations so they can get back to doing what they love. So few businesses start a business because they couldn’t wait to build a website or to figure out how to do their annual taxes. They did it because they have a passion or a love for either the craft or service that they do or providing something unique to their community. We love being able to come in and just love on them and help so that they can continue providing for their communities.
Small Business Trends: Let’s talk about the role of Deluxe as the brand behind Small Business Revolution. For anyone who doesn’t know Deluxe, can they learn about the company by watching the show?
Amanda Brinkman: Absolutely. Deluxe for over 100 years has been working with small businesses to help them through business forms and checks to be successful. What you see in the series is really the marketing services side of our business. So we can help a small business design their logo, print their business cards, build their website, social media, email marketing, promo apparel – anything you need to market your business. And you see that come through in the show in a very authentic way. You can’t do a makeover for a small business and not help them with their marketing because it’s one of two problems businesss struggle with, the other being their finances. And so you learn a lot about Deluxe, and you see our heart for the businesses. We’re trying to reach small businesses through the series but instead of advertising at them like our competitors do, we’re actually out there helping them, standing alongside them and trying to create a movement to get more people to support them.
Small Business Trends: For non-brick-and-mortar businesses, is it worthwhile for them to watch? Because the show’s focus is on brick-and-mortar.
Amanda Brinkman: Absolutely. We feel whether you’re running an exclusively online-only business or brick-and-mortar, what you really see in this series is a couple of key messages. One is, you can’t do it all as the business owner. There’s too much to do; you have to rely on outside help, whether it’s for your marketing or your finances or your operations, whatever happens, you need to rely on a support system. The second thing you really learn through this is entrepreneurs feel affirmed by watching this series. They see that small business owners are struggling with the same things they are, because it can be very lonely to be an entrepreneur. You don’t have that infrastructure that’s in a larger company. You can sometimes feel isolated and alone, so there’s something about watching another business owner struggle with the same things that’s very affirming. A third thing is that viewers can be inspired. The whole reason why we do this is because we love telling the stories of small businesses. When you see how hard it is to run a small businesses and how hard these businesses are working at it, you feel compelled and inspired to support them.
Small Business Trends: How can people nominate their town for Season 4?
Ty Pennington: Go to SmallBusinessRevolution.org
Images: Alex Yong
This article, “Season 3 of Small Business Revolution Looks at Saving Small Local Shops” was first published on Small Business Trends
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The History of Augmented and Virtual Reality, From 1838 to the Present (Infographic)
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You might think virtual reality is a new phenomenon, but it’s been around for hundreds of years.
1 min read
Augmented and virtual reality are changing the way we see technology, the future and the entire world. However, it might surprise you to learn that these concepts have been around since 1838, when Charles Wheatstone introduced his stereoscope. The stereoscope was a device that allowed a user to look through different holes for each eye, producing two images that would collectively appear larger and three-dimensional.
Similarly, Thomas Edison and William Dickson also invented the kinetoscope in the 19th century, which used a small piece of film and a light bulb to allow users to look through a peephole and watch at 46 frames per second.
You can learn more about the history of augmented and virtual reality by checking out this infographic from HistoryDegree.net, which details not only the technology’s past but also its present and future.
Source: History Degree
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Habits of People Who Trust Their Intuition (Infographic)
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It’s important to know when to follow your heart and when to follow your head.
2 min read
As an entrepreneur, one of the most important habits to cultivate is trust — not trust in others (however, that’s important too), but trust in yourself. How many times have you missed an opportunity because you listened to the advice of others rather than trusting a gut feeling that you had? It happens to the best of us, but in order to truly be successful, you have to learn how to trust yourself and follow your heart.
Related: The Many Logical Reasons to Lead With Your Gut Instinct
According to research published by Project Management Degrees, only half of Americans said they trusted their gut to tell them what’s true. Additionally, 62 percent of top business executives said they relied on their gut feelings. So why do so few people ignore their intuition? Simple: we’re conditioned to. All too often we’re advised to “look at the facts” and “weigh all the options,” when sometimes the answers we’re searching for come from within. Even as children, we’re told things such as “adults are always right.” We’re trained to listen to what we’re told, not make our own judgments and ultimately, not to follow our intuition.
Related: 9 Everyday Habits of the Average Millionaire
While it can be hard to shake the habits and ideals you’re raised with, if you want to find success and fulfillment, it’s time to start trusting yourself. Intuitive decisions can be just as right as analytical ones, and not only that, but easier, quicker and more natural too. Of course, that doesn’t mean to forget about the power of logic altogether. Instead, find a way to balance intuition and logic. For example, when you feel yourself veering towards a certain direction when making a decision, before things are set and stone, ask yourself if you have any specific prejudices that might be making you biased.
Related: 9 Bad Habits You Must Break To Be More Productive
To learn more, check out Project Management Degrees’ infographic below.
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