The standards for small business success have unquestionably gone up. Todays small businesses must do a lot more to stay competitive than their predecessors. Myriad businesses, however, take this notion a bit too far. Once they discover yet another resource or strategy with the potential to elevate their success, they jump all over it. This is partially due to the many online articles urging business leaders to devote more effort to virtually every element of their businesses.

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Here are three popular things that are actually not mandatory for all small businesses:

1. Aggressive Marketing

It is easy to go overboard with marketing. With so many tools available, your gut instinct is to try anything with the slightest potential. Even if you stand to lose money, you want the assurance of knowing you are doing everything you can to gain the interest of your target audience. And it is difficult to ignore a marketing tool that has worked marvelously for other small businesses. If they had to do it all over again, these businesses would likely spend 10% of their time developing their products or services and 90% marketing them.

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If you have a small business, it is essential to keep up with the latest trends in technology, marketing, customer service and other areas that affect your business. Each business is unique, so every trend doesn't necessarily impact you equally. However, all major trends do influence your customers' expectations, so it is good to be up to date.

Here are some of the most significant trends I'm currently seeing that will impact small businesses in 2020 and beyond.

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Small businesses are often on the cutting edge because they have to be. With smaller foundations and limited budgets, small-business owners have to think on their feet every day, developing strategies that boost productivity and the bottom line. Because a small business can not afford to embrace strategies that do not provide quick, measurable results, the trends that spring up among them are likely to make a positive difference in any company.

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What are the big marketing trends impacting small business? I turned to industry experts for insight. Below are seven trends that small businesses in particular should pay attention to.

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As an entrepreneur, you've likely had to embrace change lately so you not only continue to succeed, but you also find ways to dominate during unprecedented times. One of the best ways to gain a competitive edge is to stay on top of trends so you can create new opportunities and stay ahead of your competitors.

With that in mind, here are five trends all small business owners should embrace in 2020 and beyond.

1. Employee health and wellness must become a priority.
2. AI will continue to change the business world.
3. Mobile marketing will be used more creatively.
4. Younger consumers will declare World War Z.
5. It is time to go cashless.

On March 16, Lisa Eskenazi Boyer was working up a sweat with her students one last time at her bustling Queens, New York, fitness studio. Covid-19 lockdown orders were about to take effect, and Simply Fit Astoria — along with all other local gyms — would have to close its doors later that night. She never expected it to be for good.....

The Small Business Administration has extended deferment periods for all of l its disaster loans made either in 2020 or 2021, the agency announced on Monday.

The extended deferment includes the SBAs Economic Injury Disaster Loan – or EIDL – program, which many businesses that did not qualify for Paycheck Protection Program loans or other funding used to bridge the losses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

All SBA disaster loans made in 2020 will have the first payment due date extended from 12-months to 24-months from the date of the note, the agency said. Disaster loans made in 2021 will have a first payment due date extended from 12-months to 18-months from the date of the note.

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 25, 2024 ) The global wheat protein market is expected to expand from $2.5 billion in 2023 to $3.2 billion by 2028, achieving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.9%. This growth is driven by the rising popularity of meat-free diets, increasing obesity rates leading to...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 30, 2024 ) The Integrated Visual Augmentation System market is valued at USD 1.0 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 1.7 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 11.1% from 2024 to 2029. Integrated Visual Augmentation Systems (IVAS) are advanced solutions enhancing military...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, November 08, 2024 ) The Military Platforms Market will grow tremendously from 2020 through 2030, based on the increase in defense spending, escalations in geopolitical tensions, and needs for advanced border security and early warning systems The military platforms market is projected...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, November 08, 2024 ) The global aerospace testing market was valued at USD 5.29 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 6.68 billion by 2029; it is expected to register a CAGR of 4.8% during the forecast period. Increasing air travel across the globe has increased the demand...

The Birthday Boys: New Episodes, New Friends Interview by Francis Rizzo III Sketch comedy has rarely been hotter on TV than right now, with shows airing on several major networks. One of the more recent additions has been IFC's The...

from Instagram https://instagr.am/p/DCIneGJpq6Z/ via IFTTT

Gary Chew says FwB is really, really quite bad. But on the brighter side, it does feature Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake, Woody Harrelson, Patricia Clarkson, Jenna Elfman and Richard Jenkins. Opens wide July 22.

The Framing Heart Study is a cardiovascular study based in Framingham, Massachusetts. The study began in 1948 with 5,209 adult subjects from Framingham, and is now on its third generation of participants.

The New England Journal of Medicine have recently published an article based on results of this study, which says that:

A person's chances of becoming obese increased by 57% (95% confidence interval [CI], 6 to 123) if he or she had a friend who became obese in a given interval.

Welcome to South Seas Broadcasting, Inc stations V103 and 93KHJ in American Samoa, latest Heritage Friends of the Radio Heritage Foundation.

The Home Biz Trends Photography shows you how to use your camera to earn extra income offline and online, and succeed even during recession.

The HOME BIZ TRENDS offer three meditation services in business, love & politics. The HBT network helps you improve your life by stepping into the right passion.

For over 20 years, the beloved Lititz Family Cupboard Restaurant has served the Lititz community with hearty Pennsylvania Dutch-style comfort food. Now, the restaurant is closing its doors and auctioning off its entire contents. The public auction is live now and will close tonight, Tuesday, November 12, starting at 8:00 PM ET. Bidders can participate right now, online through PCI Auctions. Originally opened as the Toll [PR.com]

How to do the side bends exercise for the obliques with 1 or 2 dumbbells with video.

The top popular fitness trends for 2019 and which one may be the right exercise workout for you.

Fashion styles of English football players from the 1998 World Cup to the 2018 World Cup

4 new fitness trends to keep an eye out for in 2020.

The U.S. podcast market has been on the rise for years, but 2019 marked an extraordinary year of growth for the space.

At least 90 million U.S. consumers (27% of the population) listen to podcasts monthly, up 23% from 73 million in 2018, which is an acceleration from the 9% year-over-year growth monthly podcast listening experienced last year, according to Edison Research and Triton Digital.

Top 19 Media Trends of 2019: The Podcast Boom

As 2019 moves to a close, Spotify is giving its yearly version of the personalized Spotify Wrapped, as well as a unique one that showcases your listening records through the last decade.

That indicates your Wrapped will add the songs, artists, albums, and podcasts you found on Spotify in 2019, plus the artists you streamed across the past decade, by a My Decade Wrapped option.

Spotify Wrapped extends to add your favorite music from the decade, plus podcaster metrics

What are the biggest digital marketing and branding trends shaping the year ahead? How will marketers approach increasing brand awareness, attracting new customers and growing revenue in an always on digital world where the only guarantee is change?

2020 will be like nothing we have seen before in the digital landscape.

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Storytelling is powerful.

With the influx of media—both social and traditional—getting consumed in a 24/7 news cycle can be overwhelming and optional. The concept of time seems irrelevant lately leaving our fingertips free for endless scrolling, a particularly slippery slope for mental health during this global pandemic.

Individuals, families and communities worldwide are learning how to grapple with the effects of a changing social paradigm, seeking ways to stay connected and safe.

Adaptability during this new paradigm is key and many tech companies are stepping up to the plate to perfect, iterate, and improve on products to keep up with a new normal and compete in an evolving landscape.

Podcasting Continues Growing
Podcasting is mentioned above and has become a huge part of digital marketing. There are a number of different types of podcasts listed below:

Individuals or groups of people trying to build their personal brand. This could be a humorous podcast or professional one that helps a person establish themselves as an authority on a topic.

~ Companies that are looking to reach and educate current customers. Attracting customers in the industry in B2B situations will work far better if looking to have work contracted out to your business.

~ The sporadic podcast is of a company that sees the value in podcasting yet hasn’t dedicated time or money to the process. This could happen once a month or a few times a year. Generating listeners is about putting out content that is informative/entertaining consistently. Being able to rely on a certain podcast on a specific day provides comfort to loyal listeners.

~ Question and answer podcasts could be a favorite regardless of the ultimate goal of the podcast. Being able to answer specific questions from listeners is important. This can earn new customers and provide a sense of comfort to current customers that know they are in good hands.

~ Keep in mind that your podcast should have at least an outline to provide some kind of structure. Transcribing these podcasts can be a great way to turn these in-depth conversations into a searchable document.

As per the research report titled Global Podcasting Market Size study, by Genre, by Format (Interviews, Panels, Solo, Conversational) and Regional Forecasts 2020-2027 available with Market Study Report LLC, global podcasting market is expected to witness unprecedented growth during 2020-2027.

According to the business intelligence report, emphasis among podcast production studios on the distribution and production of their content on audio platforms such as Spotify, coupled with emergence of high bandwidth, and personal digital assistants are augmenting the growth of global podcasting market size.

Increasing penetration of internet as well as smartphones, inclination towards audio and music content, growing acceptance of audio broadcasting content, and escalating demand for podcasts are stimulating the global podcasting market outlook. Citing an instance, the IDC (International Data Corporation) recorded shipment of around 369.8 million units of smartphones by vendors in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Leading players that define global podcasting industry trends are TuneIn Inc., Stitcher Radio, Spotify AB, SoundCloud, Entercom Communications Corporation, Pandora Media LLC, Megaphone LLC, iHeartMedia Inc., and Apple Inc.

On the contrary, storage space issues and high costs associated with podcasting are expected to impede the industry expansion throughout the analysis timeframe.

[Daily Trust] A senior market analyst at FXTM, Lukman Otunuga, yesterday said the victory of Donald Trump in the United States presidential election may pressure oil prices and trigger inflation in a concomitant effect on the local economy in Nigeria.

[The Point] Honorable Fatou S. Kinteh, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare attended the OIC High Level Ministerial Donors' Conference in Jedda, Saudi Arabia, to support the displaced and refugees in the Sahel and Lake Chad Region. The event was held on 26 October 2024.

La semaine dernière, nos confrères d’Insider gaming rapportaient les propos d’Andrew Wilson, le CEO d’Electronic Arts lors de la dernière réunion des actionnaires. À une question portant sur les résultats d’Apex Legends, il a révélé qu’Apex Legends 2 n’était pas du tout envisagé, et qu’ils prévoyaient de continuer « à fournir du contenu créatif et innovant » […]

How do different types of heaters impact indoor air humidity? And which types are better if you want to avoid overly dry air?

(Telecompaper) Synchronoss Technologies has renewed its contract to provide French operator SFR with the Synchronoss Personal Cloud storage platform...

Having launched Fern & Ade, a new European interior design store in Chennai, Adeline Graham from the U.K. says the year will see a fusion of traditional and contemporary styles

Two Canada-based Malayali friends brew Taika, an artisanal arrack using fruits, spices, dates and jaggery Their ‘naadan charayam’ label bears the image of an elephant and a Kerala bus

Property in India’s Tier 2 cities has a bright future, presenting residents and investors with unmatched opportunities.  The global real estate market is changing dramatically, and new trends are changing the way cities expand and change. Greater infrastructure, faster urbanization, … Continue reading →

Congress enacts open government legislation in three main areas: (1) laws that provide public access to federal records; (2) laws that allow the government to restrict public access to federal information; and (3) laws that provide for congressional access to federal records. A new 90-page Congressional Report by Rep. Henry A. Waxman provides a comprehensive, though arguably partisan, examination finding the Bush Administration has acted to restrict the amount of government information that is available.

We interrupt this irregularly scheduled broadcast.... to share a message more momentous than we've reported on before. We bring a message of hope, of goodness, of peace, of universal brotherhood. Here's how we can join our voices in a global conversation that can forever change the world.

"In one's own way," my mother told me long ago, "every person can change the world." That advice was at the time more prophetic than a truism.

Hyperbole aside, I do believe that individuals are now empowered as never before in history. Individuals are no longer bound by the confines of time, place, language, and political regime in their quest to do good in the world. We now have the capacity to find each other, to gather, and to converse without ever meeting in the flesh. It's all made possible through virtual communities and virtual networking.

Why does that phrase in the United States Constitution "we the people" so resonate in the hearts of people throughout the world? I think it has something to do with our nature as social beings.

In the past, institutions such as governments and churches were needed to organize and rally people. The problem is that all institutions by their nature become corrupt. Leaders succumb to power and greed, and institutions stray from their altruistic beginnings as they amass fortunes and property, gain political power, and build monuments unto themselves.

To Jesus, the church was the community of believers. It wasn't a building, it wasn't an organization, it wasn't a corporation. The church was not a place nor did it own any property. It's unfortunate, but institutions calling themselves churches have embellished to the point of distraction those simple teachings of Jesus to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself. The true church remains the community of believers.

To do good in the world, you don't need institutional wealth, buildings, and treasuries. To self-organize, you don't need creeds, dictums, laws, governments, and rulers. People just need to do be free to do two things: talk and act. You just need to be able to communicate with others of like mind and then to collaborate with them in resolving needs. All conversation inevitably leads to understanding. Understanding leads to acceptance and concern, which in turn naturally leads to the desire to act.

So why can we be so optimistic?

Think for moment about peer-to-peer networks, instant messagers, collaboration workspaces (wikis, collaborative blogs), online communities (Meetups, AOL, Craigslist, Tribe.net, eWomenNetwork, Yahoo Groups, Ecademy, Idealist), alumni communities (SelectMinds, Classmates, TheSquare), syndication technologies (blogs, moblogs, RSS news feeds), and social and business networks (LinkedIn, Ryze, Orkut, Spoke Software, VisiblePath, ZeroDegrees, Knowmentum, Company of Friends). These social networking inventions are now in place and changing the way we interact and converse. But they only portend the future; more powerful social networking is on the horizon.

Social networking facilitates real-world and online conversations. Each of these technologies helps us bridge the six degrees of separation in finding others with similar goals and interests. We just need to apply this knowledge to loftier purposes. It's high time we used what we know for a higher purpose than dating, deal making, and job hunting. How about world peace? Maybe that generation of Miss America contestants had it right after all.

I'll call this repurposing of social networking the "Good News Network." The Good News Network needs no place, no domain, no trademark, no sponsors. It needs only open access and to be built on standards -- standards to converse one language with another and standards to programmatically exchange information. It consists of you and I, our friends, friends of friends, and those yet to be brought into our circle of friendship.

The Good News Network has two functions: to promote conversation and action. We converse by sharing the good news, our faith, and our belief in the goodness of humanity. And we act. We act in small ways, in big ways, but always in individual and personal ways, to share the good news of universality and peace and to promote well-being.

We speak multitudes of languages, we live in diverse regions of the globe, and we comprise all races and nationalities. In this day and age that is unique in history, we can all converse, we can join a global conversation, and we can meet in the virtual living room or the virtual temple of our choice.

So back to the age old question, how do you change the world?

Start by entering the conversation. In your blogs, in your chat rooms, in your networks, in your music, in your poems, in your art, in your families, and in your communities -- tell your story. Let your voice be heard. Sign on in whatever way makes sense to you in order to make a difference. As the marketers say, create a buzz. In the sense of paying it forward, start something in your own way and in your own voice. Start a conversation that will spread, that will continue, that will penetrate the hearts and minds of the power brokers. Those in high places will join us. They will, as Saul of old, see the vision and join the conversation. Perhaps in fulfillment of ancient prophecy, those with ears to hear will find each other, and they who are confused will recognize the voice.

Interrupt your own broadcast to begin the conversation. Let it begin with you; let it begin now. Spread the Good News!

Season's greetings, my friends,

Ray Matthews
Editor RSS in Government

If you like your home to have a different feel each season, you’re probably thinking about switching things up and redecorating this fall. There are many home décor trends worth trying this season, and these three made it to Pinterest’s lists of trend predictions for fall 2024. Peaceful Colors Fall is often seen as a […]

With the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic situation, the shopping trends around the world have changed. We have become dependent on e-commerce sites to fulfill our desires to shop and receive essentials. The year 2020 was dominated by interesting trends from the world of e-commerce. If you are planning a venture in the e-commerce domain or already […]

The post The 6 Latest E-commerce Trends That Need Your Attention appeared first on The Design Inspiration.

The spiritual life values being old and gives lessons to the young.

Frederica examines the relatively recent phenomenon of men and women expecting their best friends to be their spouses.

Friendship is a wonderful mystery wherein people share a heart. This week, Christian explores what our friendships can teach us about a relationship with Christ, the One who invites us into eternal and everlasting friendship with Himself.

This week, Christian explores how our friends help us see ourselves clearly. Sometimes, this may mean we see some encouraging things, and other times we may see the yucky parts of ourselves. Both of these realities are what make friendship such an essential part of our walk with Christ.

Fr. John shares about the healing of the man with palsy, let down through the roof by his four friends (from Mark 2:1-12). He mentions St. Gregory of Palamas' explanation of our friends who help lead us to Christ for healing: self-condemnation, confession of our sins, renunciation of our sins, and prayer.

In this cross-over episode, Fr. Anthony talks with his friend Pastor Michael Landsman, co-host of the Areopagus Podcast, about their CPE experiences, Fr. Anthony's transition to a new life, playing D&D, and how important it is for clergy to have (non-parishioner) friends in their lives for discernment and relaxed fellowship. Enjoy the show!