Small Business Round-up – Week of July 22th

This week’s small business news review found a small biz retail marketplace alternative to eBay and Amazon, hashtags have a place in small biz, the Affordable Care Act is already affecting small businesses, moonshine is coming, and advice about managing your online reputation.

• Hashtags for Small Business
  Small biz owners can use hashtags to create a following or join a conversation on social media sites. These linked keywords provide a free way to run a promotion, address customer issues, and other business-related activities. And they can be used to entice followers to share your message.
• Look Out, Duke Boys
  Moonshine liquor was once peddled underground but with the popularity of the hit Discovery network show “Moonshiners”, the high-octane booze could now be showing up in your local liquor store.                            
• Square Merchants Unite!
  If you’re a retailer, the maker of the credit card reader Square is providing an online marketplace where retailers become e-tailers. The digital storefront can be linked to your Twitter account and the fees are lower than Amazon, eBay, and other ecommerce giants.
• Obamacare Already Hitting Small Biz
  Small biz owners are planning to cut worker hours to avoid the costly healthcare mandates that will befall them in 2014. Half of the business owners polled in a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey responded that they would cut back employee hours to reduce the number of full-time workers. Twenty-four percent of survey respondents said they would curb new hires.
• Online Rep is Crucial
  We found an older story that is just as applicable today. Entrepreneurs should be managing their online reputation diligently. As shoppers become more accustomed to posting reviews and sharing comments about their shopping experiences, small biz owners need to be aware of what is being said about their businesses.