Small Business Marketing - Wall Street Journal

More
- BigCharts
- Virtual Stock Exchange
- WSJ Asia
- WSJ Europe
- WSJ Portuguese
- WSJ Spanish
- WSJ Chinese
- WSJ Japanese
- WSJ Radio
- Financial News
- WSJ Lifestyle Brands
- WSJwine

Thursday, February 10, 2011 As of 6:46 PM EST
- |
The Wall Street Journal Small Business
- Welcome, Logout
U.S. Edition Home
↓ More
WSJ.com is available in the following editions and languages:

U.S.

Asia

India

China

Japan

Europe

Americas

en Español

em Português

Register for FREE

Register for FREE

Thank you for registering.

We sent an email to:

Please click on the link inside the email to complete your registration

Please register to gain free access to WSJ tools.

An account already exists for the email address entered.

Forgot your username or password?

This service is temporary unavailable due to system maintenance. Please try again later.

The username entered is already associated with
another account. Please enter a different username

The email address you have entered is already in use.
Please re-enter the email address.

First Name

Last Name

Email (your email address will be your login)

Confirm Email

Create a Password

Confirm Password

Company Size (Optional)

From time to time, we will send you e-mail announcements on new features and special offers from The Wall Street Journal Online.

Create a profile for me in the Journal Community

Why Register?

Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions

As a registered user of The Wall Street Journal Online, you will be able to:

Setup and manage your portfolio

Personalize your own news page

Receive and manage newsletters

Login/Register to set your edition
Log In

Log In

Login

Password

Log in
Your login is either a username or an email address.
Keep me logged in. Forgot your password?

Share articles and comments with your friends
Login with Facebook
What's This?

You can connect your Facebook profile with WSJ.com to share articles, comments, and other activity with your friends.

World » More

World » More

Loading…
U.S. » More

U.S. » More

Loading…
New York » More

New York » More

Loading…
Business » More

Business » More

Loading…
Markets » More

Markets » More

Loading…
Tech » More

Tech » More

Loading…
Personal Finance » More

Personal Finance » More

Loading…
Life & Culture » More

Life & Culture » More

Loading…
Opinion » More

Opinion » More

Loading…
Careers » More

Careers » More

Loading…
Real Estate » More

Real Estate » More

Loading…
Small Business » More

Small Business » More

Loading…

Businesses For Sale| Franchises for Sale| Business Opportunities

Search Advanced Search

Businesses For Sale| Franchises for Sale| Business Opportunities

Search Advanced Search

Businesses For Sale| Franchises for Sale| Business Opportunities

Small Business, February 2011

Married to the Job (and Each Other)
While some sweethearts can handle the pressure of building a relationship and a company, many others warn it's a difficult path. The constant interaction, the strain of juggling work and personal life, and the trials of entrepreneurship can take a toll. The secret to making it work? Have a good marriage in the first place.
- Two's Company: Well-Known Companies From Husband-and-Wife Teams

Help From the Inside
Companies of all sizes are urging their franchisees to share ideas and help each other out. They're holding conference calls and conventions, setting up mentoring programs and sending in veteran owners to assist newcomers or struggling outlets.
Franchisee v. Franchiser
Issues large and small marked another litigious year for the U.S. franchising industry. Here's a look at the landmarks.
Social-Media Blitz Is Sweet for Bakery
New York's Spot Dessert has been holding contests on Facebook and offering discounts to people who "like" the place—and that's just the beginning.
Housing Slump Fuels Credit Squeeze
It's no secret that some entrepreneurs use home equity to finance their companies, but during the housing boom they leaned on it harder than ever. That set them up for a credit crunch when the market collapsed.
The Battle Against Slow Payers
Small companies are using a host of online options to make billing and payment as easy—and inescapable—as possible. Some are even trying to head off problems before they arise by checking potential clients' credit history over the Web.
Supporting Solo Entrepreneurs
Growing numbers of Americans are striking out on their own as solo entrepreneurs. And a whole industrial complex has sprung up to support them, with everything from temporary offices to online services.
Small Talk
We answer questions on choosing a company name, creating an iPhone application and raising funds online.
Unlucky in Love? Turning a Break-up Into a Business
These scorned entrepreneurs didn't get mad. They got profitable.
Fabulous Deals for Gay Consumers?
The daily deal trend is continuing to spread its wings, this time to the gay community. Is this a long-lasting trend or a fad?
Chargebacks Create Small-Business Woes
Chargebacks, reverse credit-card transactions, can happen when a consumer disputes a charge or if there's a processing error. To recoup the loss, merchants must prove to the card company that the transaction was valid, which often is hard to do.
Seeking Out 'Right to Repair'
Auto mechanics hope the new small-business-friendly tone in Washington will re-energize the Right to Repair Act, a bill they say levels the playing field with dealerships.
Tapping Customers' Egos to Build a Web Presence
There are two words that will grab a prospect's attention every time: The person's first and last name.
Improving Broadband For Small Business
President Barack Obama is expected to meet Thursday with small-businesses owners in Marquette, Mich., who are using improved broadband access to grow their companies.
Black-Owned Firms Bested National Growth Rate
The number of businesses owned by black men and women grew at more than triple the national rate in recent years, a trend that may be linked to a long-stagnating job market.
Banks Reach Out to Small Firms
Banks are hoping to ignite a rebound in small-business lending, which is lagging behind recent increases in loans to other types of companies and consumers.

In Charge

Egypt's 'Entrepreneurial Spirit'
President Obama praises Egypt's entrepreneurial spirit.
Bulls and Bears of Small-Business Credit
Getting More Small Businesses Online
What's Hot in Venture Capital in 2011

How I Built It

Rising to Occasion With a Bakery Chain
Panera Bread Co.'s Ron Shaich, discusses his early days at the helm of Au Bon Pain to his latest entrepreneurial endeavor, Panera Cares.
Money Hunt
Audits Add Shine to Firms
Small businesses whose books are audited by a hired certified public accountant improve their chances of getting a loan than businesses with less scrutinized financial statements.
Enterprise
The Book Makes the Expert
Books are becoming popular marketing tools for self-employed professionals able to take advantage of new forms of publishing, including electronic publishing and print-on-demand.

Venture Capital Dispatch

Vote and Discuss

Do too many industries require state-level licensing? Or too few?

Too many
Too few

View Results »

Management Headlines

Apple's Jobs Calls Shots From Home
Three weeks into his medical leave, Apple CEO Steve Jobs is staying closely involved in the company's strategic decisions and product development.
Google Tiptoes Around Cairo's Hero
Subscriber Content Read Preview

Costs Cloud Pepsi Outlook

Small Business How-To Guide

How to Decide if Entrepreneurship is Right for You
Starting a business is a lot like becoming a parent. Not only do you have to prepare for your start-up emotionally and financially, but you have to be committed to its constant needs until it's mature enough to hum along on its own. And even then (much like a child) it will always need you in some capacity, no matter how old it gets.
How to Create a Disaster Plan
See All

RSS Feed

Building Your Business

Requirements Rise for Franchise Buying
With the economy in the dumps, an array of franchisers are raising their standards for prospective buyers.
Legal Advice…on a Budget
When Parents and Children Go Into Business

Technology

'B-to-B's Struggle on Facebook
Small 'business-to-business' companies are trying their hand at marketing on sites like Facebook, but some find social media might not be the best way to connect with their target audience.
Getting Customers to 'Check In' With Foursquare
Baidu's CEO Pursues Growth

Financing

For Family, Payback Sometimes Slow
Entrepreneurs have long tapped family for help in launching new businesses, but recent data suggest that friends and family may be less willing to take such a gamble on their loved ones.
Start-Ups on a Shoestring
Slow Gains In Credit For Small Business

Franchising

Curves Loses Stamina, Closes Clubs
Curves, whose 30-minute workout for women once made it among the world's fastest-growing franchises, seems to be running out of steam.
Sam's Club to Offer Loans Up to $25,000
Have It Whose Way?

Columns

Small talk
By Colleen DeBaise
Small Talk
On franchising
By Richard Gibson
Upgrades Price Out Some Hotel Owners

WSJ Startup Calculator

Starting a business is more expensive than you might think. Have you thought through the assets you need? How about monthly expenses?

Use this startup calculator to figure out the true costs of launching a company. How much do you think it will take to open your business?

From Palo Alto Software, the makers of Business Plan Pro

With inspiration from the Better Business Bureau

Offers

The Accidental Entrepreneur

Why It's Worth Paying for a Tax Pro
Entrepreneurs operating on a tight budget may be tempted to forgo professional help in preparing their companies' returns. But experts say the investment is typically worthwhile to maximize deductions and avoid penalties.
Expediting Innovation Comes at a Cost
The U.S. push to spur homegrown innovation by fast-tracking the patent process might do more harm than good, some in the patent industry say, by giving money-rich companies an edge over start-ups.
Small Business 'Burden' Is Tough to Quantify
The widely repeated notion that small businesses face disproportionate regulatory costs rests on some questionable calculations and assumptions.
- The Cost of Doing Business in the U.S.
Can the Flower Industry Learn From Amazon?
Approaching an industry with fresh eyes can lead to a great business concept. After all, Amazon.com's Jeff Bezos was a hedge fund guy, not a bookseller, when he applied technology to the way books get sold.
In Race to Market, It Pays to Be Late
Being first on the scene rarely pays off, a new research paper concludes. Think Netscape, Friendster and Commodore Business Machines.
- Vote: Does being first to market help or hurt businesses?

Small Business Video

marketplace

Industry News from

Subscriber Content Read Preview

L'Oréal's Expensive Makeover
Beauty comes at a price. L'Oréal outgrew the global cosmetics market in 2010, delivering 5.6% organic sales growth. But that wasn't enough to satisfy investors who fear L'Oréal mightn't significantly improve on that this year.
Subscriber Content Read Preview

Ocado Shares Tumble
Shares of Ocado tumbled after John Lewis Partnership Pension Trust sold its 10.4% holding in the online grocer at a discount.
In a State of Sticker Shock, Stores Try to Sell Public on a Radical Idea
After a decade of lobbying, retailers in Michigan appear close to winning a repeal of the state's notorious Item Pricing Law. The law requires all stores to affix a price sticker to every jar of baby food, every box of Jell-O and every slithery bag of frozen spinach in their stores.
View more in Retailing

Small Business How-To Guide

Visit our How-To Guide for Small Business to get tips from The Wall Street Journal's reporters and columnists on everything from "How to Pick a Credit Card for Your Business" to "How to Attract Talent to a Small Company."
PODCAST
Insights for starting and running a small business. Tuesdays

Wall Street Journal on Small Business: Small business owners jumping on new opportunities; how the White House plans to help small businesses; and the business owners who want more government regulation.

Top Groups In Small Business

Journal Community

Social Media for Marketers
- Members:
  469
- Topics:
  8
Sharing ideas, case studies and opinions about digital outposts as marketing tools

See all discussion groups

Tech Tools for Small Businesses
- Members:
  174
- Topics:
  5
Got an awesome software application or tech service that makes your life easier as a small business owner? Share your knowledge here. What's on your technology toolbelt?

See all discussion groups

Small Talk
- Members:
  334
- Topics:
  51
A place for entrepreneurs and small-business owners to ask questions and discuss topics related to starting, growing and running a business.