Small Business Round-up – Week of October 7th

This week’s small business news review found ways to find the best employees, three efficient tech tools, suggestions for using social media in your small biz marketing, the latest job numbers are a mixed bag of conflicting trends, and how the government shutdown is affecting small business.

• Bring Them to You
  Hiring isn’t a one-way proposition. Sure, you want employees that will be dependable and competent but good employees also bring value to your company. Finding employees who’ll contribute value requires more than the traditional interview. Here a few tactics to turn finding a good employee into ATTRACTING good candidates.
• Increase Efficiency Three Ways
  Entrepreneurs must manage their time efficiently. The technology choices small biz owners have to increase efficiency are astronomical. Here are three that help you schedule email delivery, retrieve information, and keep digital content organized.                    
• Use Social Media to Create a Fan Base
  Social media allows small business owners to connect with customers like never before. While big brands are already deploying social as a marketing channel, smaller companies are still finding ways to make a social presence fit with their business. With a solid strategy and some available time you can turn customers into fans.
• Job Growth in Small Biz – All Good News?
  It looks like if you’re a small biz owner, you’re in the group that led the way in job growth in September. Recently released ADP payroll data shows hiring up last month over August. But another source revealed less positive news about small biz.
• Shutdown Affects Small Business Planning
  The SBA was just one of the agencies hit by the federal government shutdown. Small businesses are now waiting for loan approvals and  guidance. Owners are faced with making some tough decisions while they wait. Find out which loan types continue to be processed while many SBA employees are furloughed.