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WHAT IS PRO SERVICES
PRO SERVICES IS A FREE ASSISTANCE FORUM FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS OR BUSINESS/SERVICE MINDED INDIVIDUALS, MADE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN GETTING THE BALL ROLLING IN DOING BETTER BUSINESS PRACTICES.
THE IDEA OF PRO SERVICES IS TO BUILD UP CONFIDENCE, BUSINESS ACTIVITY, COMPANY KNOWLEDGE, AND THE DRIVE OF INDIVIDUALS, HELPING THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE BASICS OF BUSINESS OWNERSHIP.
THIS FREE FORUM WILL HELP ENLIGHTEN PEOPLE ON WAYS TO ADVANCE IN THE REALM OF BUSINESS OWNERSHIP AND DOING GOOD BUSINESS.
NO THIS IS NOT A CLASS, BUT A TREASURE CHEST OF BUSINESS 101
THIS INFORMATION FORUM DROPS JEWELS OF SMALL BUSINESS ROYALTY. YOU ARE GUARANTEED TO GAIN A TON OF KNOWLEDGE AND GUIDANCE THAT WILL DEFINITELY EQUIP YOU TO BE BETTER FIT TO MEET YOUR BUSINESS GOALS AND NEEDS.
GET THE GUIDANCE THAT COUNTS..
REQUEST A CONSULTATION WITH
THE GRAPHIC KING TODAY
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Here Are Some Guidance Links:
First of all, you have to know that you truly can be a better you. Knowing this is not based on what others think of you or what people have planned for you. It's not about any of the hardships that you have faced in life or what individuals have done to you, in efforts to keep you down or hold you back in life.
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This is about you deciding to stand on business, the right way.
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This is about your belief in you.
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This is about your level of faith and understanding that if you put in the work, you will get better results in your life.
People are not naturally born knowing the in's and out's of doing business on a professional level. We can all agree that doing business is a never ending learning process. This process can be full of trial and error, from level to level.
Because of the growth pains and difficulties of this process, so many people just give up, putting the whole process on the shelf to collect dust. Often times, business minded individuals may even tell themselves "I will pick back up where I left off with my company.....later on". Unfortunately, this is one of the clear indicators that clearly shows that this business-ownership thing is just not for everyone. Other times, life forces some individuals to pause their grind. This break from building or doing their business may be needed in order to handle life's personal, financial, or any other complicated issues and time periods.
In some cases, it might just take "the village" to succeed. This simply means that people might just need the sincere help of others to make it to the next levels of doing business. The value and morale of the village is becoming a thing of the past as time goes on in today's society. We all have to do our part in the community and amongst others in the business world. This is how we can help ourselves and others achieve success.
Request a consultation with The Graphic King to get more information about Pro Services by filling out the quick form below.
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COMMON TOPICS THAT ARE GREAT TO STUDY
MARKET RESEARCH
Market research and competitive analysis
Market research helps you find customers for your business. Competitive analysis helps you make your business unique. Combine them to find a competitive advantage for your small business.
Sign up with this link https://learning.sba.gov/dashboard
Use market research to find customers
Market research blends consumer behavior and economic trends to confirm and improve your business idea.
It’s crucial to understand your consumer base from the outset. Market research lets you reduce risks even while your business is still just a gleam in your eye.
Gather demographic information to better understand opportunities and limitations for gaining customers. This could include population data on age, wealth, family, interests, or anything else that’s relevant for your business.
Then answer the following questions to get a good sense of your market:
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Demand: Is there a desire for your product or service?
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Market size: How many people would be interested in your offering?
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Economic indicators: What is the income range and employment rate?
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Location: Where do your customers live and where can your business reach?
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Market saturation: How many similar options are already available to consumers?
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Pricing: What do potential customers pay for these alternatives?
You’ll also want to keep up with the latest small business trends. It’s important to gain a sense of the specific market share that will impact your profits.
You can do market research using existing sources, or you can do the research yourself and go direct to consumers.
Existing sources can save you a lot of time and energy, but the information might not be as specific to your audience as you’d like. Use it to answer questions that are both general and quantifiable, like industry trends, demographics, and household incomes. Check online or start with our list of market research resources.
Asking consumers yourself can give you a nuanced understanding of your specific target audience. But, direct research can be time consuming and expensive. Use it to answer questions about your specific business or customers, like reactions to your logo, improvements you could make to buying experience, and where customers might go instead of your business.
Use competitive analysis to find a market advantage
Competitive analysis helps you learn from businesses competing for your potential customers. This is key to defining a competitive edge that creates sustainable revenue.
Your competitive analysis should identify your competition by product line or service and market segment. Assess the following characteristics of the competitive landscape:
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Market share
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Strengths and weaknesses
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Your window of opportunity to enter the market
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The importance of your target market to your competitors
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Any barriers that may hinder you as you enter the market
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Indirect or secondary competitors who may impact your success
Free small business data and trends
There are many reliable sources that provide customer and market information at no cost. Free statistics are readily available to help prospective small business owners.
Consider the following federal business statistics in your market research and competitive analysis:
General business statisticsFind statistics on industries, business conditions.
Consumer statisticsGain info on potential customers, consumer markets.
DemographicsSegment the population for targeting customers.
Economic indicatorsKnow unemployment rates, loans granted and more.
Employment statisticsDig deeper into employment trends for your market.
Income statisticsPay your employees fair rates based on earnings data.
Money and interest ratesKeep money by mastering exchange and interest rates.
Production and sales statisticsUnderstand demand, costs and consumer spending.
Trade statisticsTrack indicators of sales and market performance.
Statistics of specific industriesUse a wealth of federal agency data on industries.
MAKE A PLAN
Business plans help you run your business
A good business plan guides you through each stage of starting and managing your business. You’ll use your business plan as a roadmap for how to structure, run, and grow your new business. It’s a way to think through the key elements of your business.
Business plans can help you get funding or bring on new business partners. Investors want to feel confident they’ll see a return on their investment. Your business plan is the tool you’ll use to convince people that working with you — or investing in your company — is a smart choice.
Pick a business plan format that works for you
There’s no right or wrong way to write a business plan. What’s important is that your plan meets your needs.Most business plans fall into one of two common categories: traditional or lean startup.
Traditional business plan format
You might prefer a traditional business plan format if you’re very detail-oriented, want a comprehensive plan, or plan to request financing from traditional sources.
When you write your business plan, you don’t have to stick to the exact business plan outline. Instead, use the sections that make the most sense for your business and your needs. Traditional business plans use some combination of these nine sections.
Executive summary
Briefly tell your reader what your company is and why it will be successful. Include your mission statement, your product or service, and basic information about your company’s leadership team, employees, and location. You should also include financial information and high-level growth plans if you plan to ask for financing.
Company description
Use your company description to provide detailed information about your company. Go into detail about the problems your business solves. Be specific, and list out the consumers, organization, or businesses your company plans to serve.
Explain the competitive advantages that will make your business a success. Are there experts on your team? Have you found the perfect location for your store? Your company description is the place to boast about your strengths.
Market analysis
You'll need a good understanding of your industry outlook and target market. Competitive research will show you what other businesses are doing and what their strengths are. In your market research, look for trends and themes. What do successful competitors do? Why does it work? Can you do it better? Now's the time to answer these questions.
Organization and management
Tell your reader how your company will be structured and who will run it.
Describe the legal structure of your business. State whether you have or intend to incorporate your business as a C or an S corporation, form a general or limited partnership, or if you're a sole proprietor or limited liability company (LLC).
Use an organizational chart to lay out who's in charge of what in your company. Show how each person's unique experience will contribute to the success of your venture. Consider including resumes and CVs of key members of your team.
Service or product line
Describe what you sell or what service you offer. Explain how it benefits your customers and what the product lifecycle looks like. Share your plans for intellectual property, like copyright or patent filings. If you're doing research and development for your service or product, explain it in detail.
Marketing and sales
There's no single way to approach a marketing strategy. Your strategy should evolve and change to fit your unique needs.
Your goal in this section is to describe how you'll attract and retain customers. You'll also describe how a sale will actually happen. You'll refer to this section later when you make financial projections, so make sure to thoroughly describe your complete marketing and sales strategies.
Funding request
If you're asking for funding, this is where you'll outline your funding requirements. Your goal is to clearly explain how much funding you’ll need over the next five years and what you'll use it for.
Specify whether you want debt or equity, the terms you'd like applied, and the length of time your request will cover. Give a detailed description of how you'll use your funds. Specify if you need funds to buy equipment or materials, pay salaries, or cover specific bills until revenue increases. Always include a description of your future strategic financial plans, like paying off debt or selling your business.
Financial projections
Supplement your funding request with financial projections. Your goal is to convince the reader that your business is stable and will be a financial success.
If your business is already established, include income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements for the last three to five years. If you have other collateral you could put against a loan, make sure to list it now.
Provide a prospective financial outlook for the next five years. Include forecasted income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, and capital expenditure budgets. For the first year, be even more specific and use quarterly — or even monthly — projections. Make sure to clearly explain your projections, and match them to your funding requests.
This is a great place to use graphs and charts to tell the financial story of your business.
Appendix
Use your appendix to provide supporting documents or other materials were specially requested. Common items to include are credit histories, resumes, product pictures, letters of reference, licenses, permits, patents, legal documents, and other contracts.
Example traditional business plans
Before you write your business plan, read the following example business plans written by fictional business owners. Rebecca owns a consulting firm, and Andrew owns a toy company.
Lean startup format
You might prefer a lean startup format if you want to explain or start your business quickly, your business is relatively simple, or you plan to regularly change and refine your business plan.
Lean startup formats are charts that use only a handful of elements to describe your company’s value proposition, infrastructure, customers, and finances. They’re useful for visualizing tradeoffs and fundamental facts about your company.
There are different ways to develop a lean startup template. You can search the web to find free templates to build your business plan. We discuss nine components of a model business plan here:
Key partnerships
Note the other businesses or services you’ll work with to run your business. Think about suppliers, manufacturers, subcontractors, and similar strategic partners.
Key activities
List the ways your business will gain a competitive advantage. Highlight things like selling direct to consumers, or using technology to tap into the sharing economy.
Key resources
List any resource you’ll leverage to create value for your customer. Your most important assets could include staff, capital, or intellectual property. Don’t forget to leverage business resources that might be available to women, veterans, Native Americans, and HUBZone businesses.
Value proposition
Make a clear and compelling statement about the unique value your company brings to the market.
Customer relationships
Describe how customers will interact with your business. Is it automated or personal? In person or online? Think through the customer experience from start to finish.
Customer segments
Be specific when you name your target market. Your business won’t be for everybody, so it’s important to have a clear sense of whom your business will serve.
Channels
List the most important ways you’ll talk to your customers. Most businesses use a mix of channels and optimize them over time.
Cost structure
Will your company focus on reducing cost or maximizing value? Define your strategy, then list the most significant costs you’ll face pursuing it.
Revenue streams
Explain how your company will actually make money. Some examples are direct sales, memberships fees, and selling advertising space. If your company has multiple revenue streams, list them all.
Example lean business plan
Before you write your business plan, read this example business plan written by a fictional business owner, Andrew, who owns a toy company.
CLICK TO SEE EXAMPLE
CALCULATE THE COST
Calculate your business startup costs before you launch
The key to a successful business is preparation. Before your business opens its doors, you’ll have bills to pay. Understanding your expenses will help you launch successfully.
Calculating startup costs helps you:
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Estimate profits
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Conduct a break-even analysis
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Attract investors
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Save money with tax deductions
Identify your startup expenses
Most businesses fall into one of three categories: brick-and-mortar businesses, online businesses, and service providers. You’ll face different startup expenses depending on your business type.
There are common startup costs you’re likely to have no matter what. Look through the following list, and make sure to add any other expenses that are unique to your business:
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Office space
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Equipment and supplies
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Communications
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Utilities
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Licenses and permits
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Insurance
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Lawyer and accountant
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Inventory
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Employee salaries
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Advertising and marketing
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Market research
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Printed marketing materials
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Making a website
Estimate how much your expenses will cost
Once you have your list of expenses, you can estimate how much they’ll actually cost. This process will be different for each expense you have.
Some expenses will have well-defined costs — permits and licenses tend to have clear, published costs. You might have to estimate other costs that are less certain, like employee salaries. Look online and talk directly to mentors, vendors, and service providers to see what similar companies pay for expenses.
Add up your expenses for a full financial picture
Once you’ve identified your business expenses and how much they’ll cost, you should organize your expenses into one-time expenses and monthly expenses.
One-time expenses are the initial costs needed to start the business. Buying major equipment, hiring a logo designer, and paying for permits, licenses, and fees are generally considered to be one-time expenses. You can typically deduct one-time expenses for tax purposes, which can save you money on the amount of taxes you’ll owe. Make sure to keep track of your expenses and talk to your accountant when it’s time to file your taxes.
Monthly expenses typically include things like salaries, rent, and utility bills. You’ll want to count at least one year of monthly expenses, but counting five years is ideal.
Add up your one-time and monthly expenses to get a good picture of how much capital you’ll need and when you’ll need it.
Use your startup cost calculations to get startup funding
It’s a good idea to create a formal report of your expected startup costs.
You want it in a format that’s clear and easy to understand. Investors and lenders compare expected costs to projected revenue and determine the potential for your business to profit.
There are common startup costs you’re likely to have no matter what. Look through the following list, and make sure to add any other expenses that are unique to your business:
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Office space
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Equipment and supplies
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Communications
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Utilities
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Licenses and permits
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Insurance
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Lawyer and accountant
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Inventory
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Employee salaries
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Advertising and marketing
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Market research
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Printed marketing materials
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Making a website
Estimate how much your expenses will cost
Once you have your list of expenses, you can estimate how much they’ll actually cost. This process will be different for each expense you have.
Some expenses will have well-defined costs — permits and licenses tend to have clear, published costs. You might have to estimate other costs that are less certain, like employee salaries. Look online and talk directly to mentors, vendors, and service providers to see what similar companies pay for expenses.
Add up your expenses for a full financial picture
Once you’ve identified your business expenses and how much they’ll cost, you should organize your expenses into one-time expenses and monthly expenses.
One-time expenses are the initial costs needed to start the business. Buying major equipment, hiring a logo designer, and paying for permits, licenses, and fees are generally considered to be one-time expenses. You can typically deduct one-time expenses for tax purposes, which can save you money on the amount of taxes you’ll owe. Make sure to keep track of your expenses and talk to your accountant when it’s time to file your taxes.
Monthly expenses typically include things like salaries, rent, and utility bills. You’ll want to count at least one year of monthly expenses, but counting five years is ideal.
Add up your one-time and monthly expenses to get a good picture of how much capital you’ll need and when you’ll need it.
Use your startup cost calculations to get startup funding
It’s a good idea to create a formal report of your expected startup costs.
You want it in a format that’s clear and easy to understand. Investors and lenders compare expected costs to projected revenue and determine the potential for your business to profit.
TRADEMARKS
What is a trademark?
A trademark can be any word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination of these things that identifies your goods or services. It’s how customers recognize you in the marketplace and distinguish you from your competitors.
The word “trademark” can refer to both trademarks and service marks. A trademark is used for goods, while a service mark is used for services.
A trademark:
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Identifies the source of your goods or services.
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Provides legal protection for your brand.
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Helps you guard against counterfeiting and fraud.
A common misconception is that having a trademark means you legally own a particular word or phrase and can prevent others from using it. However, you don’t have rights to the word or phrase in general, only to how that word or phrase is used with your specific goods or services.
For example, let's say you use a logo as a trademark for your small woodworking business to identify and distinguish your goods or services from others in the woodworking field. This doesn't mean you can stop others from using a similar logo for non-woodworking related goods or services.
Another common misconception is believing that choosing a trademark that merely describes your goods or services is effective. Creative and unique trademarks are more effective and easier to protect. Read more about strong trademarks.
Owning a trademark vs. having a registered trademark
You become a trademark owner as soon as you start using your trademark with your goods or services. You establish rights in your trademark by using it, but those rights are limited, and they only apply to the geographic area in which you’re providing your goods or services. If you want stronger, nationwide rights, you’ll need to apply to register your trademark with us.
You’re not required to register your trademark. However, a registered trademark provides broader rights and protections than an unregistered one.
For example, you use a logo as a trademark for the handmade jewelry you sell at a local farmer’s market. As your business grows and you expand online, you might want more protection for your trademark and decide to apply for federal registration. Registering your trademark with us means that you create nationwide rights in your trademark.
Using the trademark symbols TM, SM, and ®
Every time you use your trademark, you can use a symbol with it. The symbol lets consumers and competitors know you’re claiming the trademark as yours. You can use “TM” for goods or “SM” for services even if you haven’t filed an application to register your trademark.
Once you register your trademark with us, use an ® with the trademark. You may use the registration symbol anywhere around the trademark, although most trademark owners use the symbol in a superscript or subscript manner to the right of the trademark. You may only use the registration symbol with the trademark for the goods or services listed in the federal trademark registration.
THE WORLD OF COPYRIGHT
Which types of work are subject to copyright?
Copyright ownership gives the owner the exclusive right to use the work, with some exceptions. When a person creates an original work, fixed in a tangible medium, he or she automatically owns copyright to the work.
Many types of works are eligible for copyright protection, for example:
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Audiovisual works, such as TV shows, movies, and online videos
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Sound recordings and musical compositions
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Written works, such as lectures, articles, books, and musical compositions
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Visual works, such as paintings, posters, and advertisements
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Video games and computer software
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Dramatic works, such as plays and musicals
The Copyright Office has information online, and you can check with a lawyer if you want to know more.
Can I use content from a work that’s protected by copyright?
Copyright holders have the right to control most uses of their works. In some circumstances, it's possible to use a copyright-protected work without infringing their copyright:
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You've checked with the copyright holder, who has allowed you to use the content. It's a good idea to get written permission from them, for example, in the form of a license agreement.
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Some copyright holders make their works available to others for uncompensated reuse, with a few requirements. To learn more, you can read about Creative Commons licenses.
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In some cases, you can use content from a work that’s protected by copyright without getting permission from the copyright holder. That's because some uses of copyrighted works are considered "fair use" or may fall within a limitation or exception to copyright law such as fair dealing. If you're not sure whether the use you’re considering is legal without permission, you may wish to consult a lawyer.
What if I state that "no copyright infringement is intended"?
If you don't have permission to use copyright-protected work, your content could still be removed even if:
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You gave credit to the copyright holder.
When giving permission to use their work, some copyright holders ask that you do this. In some cases, you may also need to credit the copyright holder if you plan to use their work in a way that you consider fair use or fair dealing. However, this doesn't automatically give you the right to use the content without permission.
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You bought the content, including a physical or digital copy.
Owning a copy means you might be able to sell that copy or give it to a friend, but it doesn't give you the right to publicly share that content with the entire internet.
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You're not making a profit from the content.
While it's more likely that non-commercial use can be considered fair use, or might satisfy the requirements of some licenses, not making a profit alone doesn’t always mean your use is non-infringing.
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You've seen similar content elsewhere on the internet.
Those other users might have gotten permission to share the content, or they may be using the content in a way that can be considered fair use.
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You recorded the content yourself from the TV, a movie theater, or the radio.
Making your own copy from one of these sources doesn't give you the rights to the underlying content.
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You copied the content yourself from a textbook, a movie poster, or a photograph.
As with the above, making your own copy doesn't give you the rights to the underlying content.
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You've stated that "no copyright infringement is intended."
This never helps. Copyright infringement is a "strict liability" offense. This means that when the courts decide whether there was copyright infringement, they don’t look at whether you intended to infringe or not.
Can Google determine copyright ownership?
No. Google isn't able to mediate rights ownership disputes. When we receive a complete and valid takedown notice, we remove the content as the law requires. When we receive a valid counter notification we forward it to the person who requested the removal. If there's still a dispute, it's up to the parties involved to resolve the issue in court.
What's the difference between copyright & trademark? What about patents?
Copyright is just one form of intellectual property. It isn't the same as trademark, which protects brand names, mottos, logos, and other source identifiers from being used by others for certain purposes. It's also different from patent law, which protects inventions.
What's the difference between copyright & privacy?
Just because you appear in a video, image, or audio recording doesn't mean you own the copyright to it. For example, if your friend took a picture of you, she would own the copyright to the image that she took. If your friend, or someone else, uploaded a video, image or recording of you without your permission, and you feel it violates your privacy or safety, you may wish to file a privacy complaint.
Copyright infringement notification requirements
The easiest way to file a complaint is to use our legal troubleshooter.
Copyright notifications must include the following elements. Without this information, we will be unable to take action on your request:
1. Your contact information
You'll need to provide information that will allow us to contact you regarding your complaint, such as an email address, physical address, or telephone number.
2. A description of your work that you believe has been infringed
In your complaint, be sure to clearly and completely describe the copyrighted content you're seeking to protect. If multiple copyrighted works are covered in your complaint, the law allows a representative list of such works.
3. Each allegedly infringing URL
Your complaint must contain the specific URL of the content you believe infringes your rights, or we'll be unable to locate it. General information about the location of the content isn't adequate. Please include the URL(s) of the exact content at issue.
4. You must agree to and affirm both of the following statements:
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"I have a good faith belief that use of the copyrighted materials described above as allegedly infringing is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law."
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"The information in this notification is accurate and I swear, under penalty of perjury, that I am the copyright owner or am authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed."
5. Your signature
Complete complaints require the physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or a representative authorized to act on their behalf. To satisfy this requirement, you may type your full legal name to act as your signature at the bottom of your complaint.
SOCIAL PLATFORMS
How Small Businesses Can Leverage Social Media
Having a presence on social media can reap big rewards and be a cost-efficient way for small businesses to market themselves. If social media is not currently part of your marketing plan, keep reading to learn why it should be.
Social networking sites allow you to reach your target audience cost-effectively while engaging current and past customers and attracting new business opportunities. Social media users span all demographics, but the key is identifying which platforms your customers are using and how best to promote your product or service through those specific channels.
In this blog, we’ll examine the benefits that small business owners can gain through a long-term social media marketing plan. We’ll also provide information on the top sites so you can determine which ones are the best fit for your company.
Benefits of Using Social Media for Your Small Business
All social media channels offer free access to a vast audience of potential customers. This provides endless opportunities to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your business website, and generate new customers. It also provides an opportunity to deliver high-value content to engage your audiences and a next-level customer experience.
If you’re a small business owner on a tight budget or if your business is brand new, having a presence on one or more social media platforms is a marketing tactic that makes sense. While there are many benefits to leveraging social media, we’ve outlined the top benefits for small businesses below.
1. Build brand awareness.
When it comes to marketing, social media has a massive advantage over traditional media platforms like TV, radio, and print. With one social media post, you can immediately spread information about your business and potentially reach millions of new customers.
In addition, there are certain types of posts, like short-form videos, that could make your business go viral with the right concept and topic.
If you’re an online retailer or service-based business, you can expand your audience to people all over who could potentially buy your products or services. If you’re a brick-and-mortar business, you can target people who live in or travel through your specific Oregon location.
No other form of advertising can give you this type of reach for the cost.
2. Bring traffic to your business website.
Another benefit of social media is that it’s easy to direct traffic to your website by including a call to action in your posts. Strategic inclusion of calls to action effectively bridges the gap between social engagement and tangible business outcomes.
By prompting users with specific actions like “Learn more on our website” or “Sign up now for exclusive deals,” businesses can direct a steady stream of traffic from their social media accounts to their websites. Not only does this enhance the quantity of your web traffic, but it also improves its quality. These visitors are often interested in your offerings because they’ve engaged with your social media content.
Driving more traffic to your website with social media complements traditional traffic sources such as search engine optimization. By diversifying the avenues through which potential customers can discover and interact with your brand, you increase the visibility of your small business.
A multichannel approach broadens your reach and fortifies your online presence, making it more resilient against the ever-changing dynamics of digital marketing.
3. Gain new customers and increase sales.
Another significant benefit for small businesses using social media is the ability to target prospective and new customers. Social media not only facilitates targeted advertising but also significantly aids in expanding your customer base and increasing sales.
By engaging with users through compelling social media content, businesses can attract new followers and convert them into customers. By directing followers to take strategic action (sign up, call now, visit our website), you have the opportunity to build your database and email list with new and prospective customers.
This method effectively pools engaged individuals who have already shown interest in your brand, setting the stage for further nurturing through personalized content and exclusive offers outside the social platform.
To take this one step further, by harnessing the power of social media analytics, businesses can fine-tune their strategies to reach an even broader audience. These analytics allow you to understand which types of content perform best and how your audience is engaging with them. This will help to optimize your posts and ads to attract and engage a desirable demographic.
With the enhanced capability of social media platforms to segment audiences based on specific criteria, businesses can create highly focused campaigns that not only increase visibility but also drive conversions.
By effectively using social media as a tool for direct marketing and audience building, small businesses can establish a robust pipeline of new customers ready to engage and transact, ultimately boosting overall sales and building brand awareness.
4. Improve customer service and experience.
Social media platforms offer a unique opportunity for businesses to elevate their customer service and enhance the overall customer experience. By leveraging social media content, companies can create a more engaging and responsive customer service environment.
For instance, regular updates and informative posts can help keep customers well-informed about new products, services, and policies. Additionally, interactive features such as polls, live chats, and Q&A sessions can facilitate direct communication and allow businesses to gather feedback in real time. This makes customers feel that you value them and are listening to them.
This proactive approach improves the responsiveness of customer service and also integrates it seamlessly into daily marketing efforts, creating a holistic brand experience.
Moreover, maintaining active social media accounts is crucial for companies aiming to reach and connect with their customer base. Businesses can monitor customer sentiment, respond to inquiries promptly, and manage issues before they escalate. This immediate interaction boosts customer satisfaction and loyalty, as consumers always appreciate quick and effective resolutions to their concerns.
Social media also enables companies to personalize their interactions and tailor their responses to individual needs, which enhances the customer experience. By integrating customer service into their broader social media strategy and marketing efforts, businesses can transform traditional customer support into a dynamic part of their engagement strategy.
The Top 5 Social Media Platforms
One of small businesses’ struggles with social media is figuring out which platforms are right for the business and will provide the most value. Not every social networking site is a good fit, and mastering them all can be time-consuming. Instead, it’s best to consider which one your target audience uses and focus your efforts there.
Facebook is the world’s largest social channel, with over 3 billion active monthly users. Having a presence on Facebook is a must for every small business, regardless of what products or services your company offers.
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200 million small companies are on Facebook.
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63% of Americans over 12 say they have a Facebook account.
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78% of consumers say they have found a product through Facebook.
Creating a business profile page is free, and you can customize your page with images and list your website URL, contact information, hours of operation, and the products and services your company offers.
Once you’ve set up your profile, you can create posts that share information, photos, videos, infographics, company news, blogs, and more. And with a Facebook Business account, you’ll gain access to advertising tools and in-depth analytics.
Instagram is incredibly popular, with around 2 billion active users as of 2024.
What sets Instagram apart from other social media sites is that it is a visual platform dominated by photo and video posts. Therefore, it’s best for small businesses that have appealing visual content to share. Just ensure that your images and video are of high quality.
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More than half the global Instagram population worldwide is age 34 or younger, and it is especially popular with teens.
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Instagram is also one of the most influential advertising channels among female Gen Z users when making purchasing decisions.
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90% of people on Instagram follow a business account.
From Instagram Live to Instagram Stories, small businesses can use Instagram’s tools to promote their offerings. It’s important to note that this platform is almost entirely mobile. It doesn’t allow you to take photos or create new posts on the desktop version unless you use a special social media management tool.
X (formerly Twitter)
X has 500 million users and is best for sharing brief updates, engaging with followers, and sharing links to blog posts. You can share tweets—which are posts containing no more than 240 characters—photos, videos, links, and more. You can also interact with others on the platform by mentioning users in your posts and liking and retweeting tweets from other users.
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206 million users access X daily.
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X is most popular among users age 25 to 34.
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Worldwide, men use X more than women.
If you have engaging content to share and can voice that content in a captivating way, X can be a valuable platform for quickly spreading the word about your business. To boost your tweets, you can use hashtags, and when users retweet your posts, your content could go viral. When using X, it’s essential to strike a balance between sharing your own content and retweeting content from other users.
LinkedIn has 900 million members and is the prime platform for professional social networking. This is the best social media channel to find and recruit talent for your company, position yourself as an industry leader, and promote your business to other professionals.
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Women account for 42.8% of LinkedIn users, while 57.2% are men.
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The age group with the most LinkedIn users is between 25 and 34 at 59.1%.
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Half of those with a college degree or higher use LinkedIn.
Users on LinkedIn create their own profiles that showcase their skills and professional experience, similar to a resume. Businesses can also create a company profile that showcases their offerings.
LinkedIn is effective for posting job openings, information about your company culture, blogs related to your industry, and other content that would interest professionals. You can also join industry-specific LinkedIn groups, which can help with brand recognition and introduce others to your company profile and website.
TikTok
TikTok is relatively new to the social media arena. On this platform, its 1.8 billion monthly active users can create and share short videos. It is mainly dominated by Gen Z users, and as it skews toward a younger audience, it may not be the right fit for your small business.
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54% of TikTok users are female, and 46% are male.
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Only 1.7% of TikTok users are 55 or older.
TikTok is known for posting memes, dance challenges, and viral moments. It can be a successful marketing platform for the right small business, but only if used properly.
The good thing about TikTok is that it doesn’t just show its users videos from those they follow. Instead, it offers a continuous stream of content, including videos that the app thinks you might like. This means potential customers can see your content without going directly to your profile.
One thing to keep an eye on: The U.S. government has been growing concerned about data privacy on TikTok. And in late April 2024, President Biden signed a bill that could result in TikTok being banned in the United States by 2025.
Take Your Small Business to the Next Level
Using social media for your small business can be a transformative step toward growth and market presence. As the digital landscape evolves, understanding how to utilize social media platforms effectively becomes crucial.
These platforms offer a way to promote your products and services and connect with your customer base directly and personally. This provides you with a cost-effective marketing tool, capable of reaching a wide audience with minimal financial investment.
If you’re uncertain about where to begin or how to optimize your social media strategies, the Oregon Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network is an excellent resource. Dedicated to supporting the growth and development of small businesses, SBDCs provide access to essential tools, advice, and training to help you navigate the complexities of social media marketing.
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Here are tips and best practices to create a successful Facebook business page:
1. Optimize Your Cover Photo
One of the most important aspects of your Facebook business page is your Cover Photo. It’s the largest element of your brand identity via Facebook and the first thing people see. It should offer something fun, exciting, or engaging to keep users on the page. But there are other things you can do to create a response as well.
Adding text to your cover photo gives you room to write a headline and inform visitors about something else to act as a separate call-to-action. Not to mention, you can say a little more in the caption to get visitors to click through to your website with a link.
2. Incorporate Logo in Profile Photo
An easy branding tip is to always keep your logo in the minds of your customers. This means that putting your logo as your profile photo will help your online users build a connection and instantly identify your page.
Influencer marketing courses
3. Nail the “About” Section
Keep your “about” section short and sweet. This section used to display at the top of the page, but now your followers must click through to read it. There are options for a short summary and a long summary to add more details. Add keywords that identify your audience, industry, and/or product offerings in your summary to give users a better picture of your company, and always add a link back to your website. Depending on which type of business page you’ve selected, there may be options to add an Address, Phone Number, and even Products.
4. Promote Your Page
There are plenty of ways to promote your page. You can promote it through Facebook with paid advertising that can be adapted to a specific location, set of interests, and pages users have liked. You can also use more subtle ways to promote your page such as adding a Facebook “like” box via plugin to your website and linking to your Facebook business page in any bio, email signature, and relevant places you share content across the internet. Invite your current friends list to come like your page to avoid starting at “zero”.
5. Post Content Regularly
The key to engaging more fans and gaining a following with your brand is to post regular content. This means you want to keep a steady stream of consistent, quality, and related posts to give your Facebook followers something to view on a daily basis. Content doesn’t just have to be a post, it can be photos, videos, blog posts, and other popular content you can find that relates to your audience. People want excitement (something worth talking about), so stay away from anything vague or just plain boring.
6. Integrate Your Instagram
Integrating your Instagram account allows you to take the photos you’ve already posted and share them on your Facebook business page. The great thing about this is that you can share them directly from the Instagram app by clicking “Share” and choosing Facebook from the menu on a particular photo. It even borrows your caption, so no need to write a new one!
7. Publish Likable Content
This is the trick, getting the likes. But how does it work? All social media websites are different, but there is definitely an “informal” air about Facebook. If you’re wondering why your Facebook business page is suffering from lack of audience, it may be because you’re droning on about stuff no one on Facebook really cares about.
Think about it — why do most people visit Facebook? It’s an everyday habit, they are looking to connect socially, or else, they are bored. Give these people something to grab onto by answering your audience's needs with fresh content by keeping best copywriting practices in mind. Would you want to see or read that? If you’re still struggling to engage your followers with content, try an app to help search for relevant topics.
8. Automate Post Scheduling
There are a number of apps and software tools that allow you to schedule posts in advance. This is important when running a Facebook business page, because consistency is key. Sometimes you might struggle to find new content, but marketing tools like Post Planner help you locate engaging content that’s specific to your niche. Other social media automation softwares and scheduling tools with more complex analytics and posting capabilities include Hootsuite, Buffer, and Hubspot. It’s a good idea to compare the best marketing automation softwares for social media before setting it up on Facebook.
9. Adapt for Engagement
It’s not about more likes or more fans, it’s about engagement. Remedy post reach issues by adapting your content to engage your biggest fans, even if they are few in number in the beginning. The more fans that are liking, commenting, and engaging with your content, the more reach you’re likely to receive with each post. Posts that get more engagement on Facebook tend to appear toward the top of the algorithm and show up in more users’ news feed. This means that you can actually benefit from fewer, more engaged followers than a bunch of “empty” page likes that amount to zero engagement.
Don’t forget to reply to comments, and keep the conversation going. This helps build trust and loyalty with past and potential customers. Go to your dashboard to take a look at past content under “Published Posts”, and see how your content is doing with numbers for “reach”, “likes”, “shares”, and “comments” to adapt a more successful social media strategy.
10. Using Clear Calls-to-Action
There are many opportunities to add a Call-to-Action and evoke a response in your audience. First, there is a Call-to-Action (CTA) button embedded in the top of your business page. It’s up to you to select a CTA from the list that’s relevant. What’s great about the CTA button is that you can link it to whatever page you are trying to promote, so make the button speak to the page link.
In addition, it’s good social media marketing practice to add a Call-to-Action with a link back to your website from Cover Photos, Profile Photos, and other photos found throughout your page for a higher click-through rate and more successful Facebook business page. When posting content, it’s also sometimes more effective to spell out a clear call-to-action, such as “>>click LIKE<< if you agree”.
11. Connect Your Profile & Cover Photo
It’s impressive when you see this executed properly. Connect your Facebook profile photo and cover photo, so that together they complete a picture. This means that the designs of each will connect, but this is not exactly an easy task. Even some of the best brands and companies can’t get this part right. Facebook likes to shrink your profile photo from 180x180 to 160x160 which could throw off the alignment of your design. So how do you make it look sleek? You just use this Facebook profile and cover photo template provided by Pauline Cabrera.
12. Target Customers with Ads
Facebook is a great place to advertise sales events and content. You can now post multi-product ads from the Ads Manager that are impressive and easy to view on both computers and mobile devices. Using dynamic product ads helps you target customers based on a specific page they’ve previously visited. There are other ways to narrow down an audience, such as local awareness ads.
One of the most recent additions is Lead Ads (via Power Editor with Chrome web browser). Lead ads are a great way to get more information from your customer. A Lead Ad automatically populates a form with the Facebook user’s information, like name and email, so that more potential customers can be converted into leads. This is a great way to allow a customer to pre-order your products/services or signup for an offer in advance. Last, Instagram Ads via Facebook are another popular way to promote your business page using Power Editor. These ads allow you to start building your following with Instagram in conjunction with your Facebook business page for a more effective social media marketing strategy.
13. Conduct Events, Make Apps
An effective way to directly connect with the people who follow your page is to send them an invitation to an event. An event can be a discount, sale, or in-person opportunity that’s made exclusively for your Facebook audience. The invitation and updates (if accepted) will show up directly in their notifications, which is a great way to create a response. You can set up an event well in advance to get your Facebook community talking and engaging before it ever begins.
Another way to create a response is by building your own mobile app for your business and opting to promote it on Facebook. The good thing about this is that you can make it easy for your followers to search for and download with a click.
14. Keep it Simple
Did you know, it’s estimated the ideal Facebook post length is 30-40 characters? Who knew? You might be overdoing it. If you’re not getting a response with posts on Facebook, try keeping your text brief. Apparently, Facebook users tend to pass on lengthy reading.
15. Humanize Your Image
Humanize your image online by telling a story. This you can do by posting “behind the scenes” photos of staff or simply engaging with customers one-on-one. With this idea in mind, you can get creative with it by asking your Facebook brand fans and happy customers to share their own personal photos of your products and services in use.
If you still have questions, you can learn how to do just about anything else with your Facebook business page here.
PAYMENT METHODS
Providing popular online payment methods at checkout can have dramatic effects on conversion. Letting people pay with the method they use the most paves to effortless online payments experiences.
One of the challenges of choosing what online payment methods to offer is that they are different around the world. On top of local variations, new payment methods are constantly emerging.
Take credit cards, a major payment method in the US. Cards are still the most-used payment method, with American Express, Mastercard, Visa as large global card schemes. Even though they’re recognized globally, other payment methods like online banking, direct debit, digital wallets, or Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) are more common elsewhere.
Popular online payment methods per region
Curious to discover all the online payment methods we offer? Check out our payment method explorer.
Now, without further ado: here are the 20 most popular online payment methods around the world.
Asia-Pacific (APAC)
Asia Pacific is home to over 4.5 billion people with seven of the world’s ten most populous countries. APAC is leading ecommerce trends and mobile payment adoption. It’s also one of the most diverse regions when it comes to online payment methods.
AliPay
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Alipay is the most popular third-party mobile payment service provider in China. Its digital wallet, Alipay Wallet, also includes a mobile app that lets customers pay directly from their mobile devices.
WeChat Pay
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WeChat Pay is the second must-have online payment method for any business looking to reach a critical mass of Chinese shoppers. It’s the digital wallet of the Chinese super app WeChat.
Afterpay (Clearpay)
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Afterpay is a buy now, pay later online payment method offering shoppers the option to pay in four interest-free installments. It’s one of the leading BNPL methods in Australia and New Zealand.
GrabPay
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GrabPay is bridging the gap for cash dependent economies that are transitioning to a cashless society. It’s powered by Grab, one of the most recognizable lifestyle super apps in Southeast Asia boasting over 100 million users and mostly used in Singapore and Malaysia.
UnionPay
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UnionPay (also known as China UnionPay, CUP or UPI) is the world’s biggest card network with more than 7 billion cards issued. It’s a popular payment method in China, South is the world’s biggest card network with more than 7 billion cards issued.
Explore more payment methods in APAC
Europe
Europe is an extremely diverse region that’s home to a wide array of online payment methods. Some online payment methods are popular across the region, whereas others are country-specific, like Cartes Bancaires in France or iDeal in the Netherlands.
Klarna
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Since its foundation in 2005, Klarna has become one of the world's largest providers of buy now, pay later services. It’s a popular payment method across the region, notably in Belgium, Spain, and Sweden.
Bancontact
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Bancontact is the dominant payment method in Belgium. With 15 million cards in circulation, Bancontact cards outnumber Belgians. Bancontact is connected to 20 Belgian banks.
Blik
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BLIK is a mobile payment method that’s embedded in banking applications in Poland. It’s covered by all major Polish banks.
Twint
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With 4 million active users, TWINT is the most popular mobile payment method in Switzerland. It’s mostly used by shoppers between 16 and 34 years old.
Trustly
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Trustly provides online banking in multiple countries, with a focus on the Nordics, UK, and the Baltics. Shoppers can pay with Trustly using their bank account details.
Explore more payment methods in Europe
Latin America (LATAM)
LATAM is a key global growth region where many countries are transitioning from cash-based to electronic payments. Brazil leads as the largest e-commerce market, constituting over 30% of online sales in Latin America, with Mexico as the second-largest market.
PIX
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PIX is a bank transfer payment method in Brazil. It’s owned by Brazil's Central Bank and linked to over 800 financial institutions. It has a large customer base of 140 million users.
Elo
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Elo is a major debit and credit card brand in Brazil that supports credit, debit, and prepaid transactions. It’s the third largest local scheme, following Visa and Mastercard.
Boleto
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Boleto Bancário, commonly known as Boleto, is a popular Brazilian cash-based payment method with 15% market share. It is also the only payment method available for the 17% of Brazilian shoppers who don't have a bank account.
Oxxo
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OXXO is a voucher-based payment method and the largest alternative payment method in Mexico. Because many people in Mexico don't have a bank account or credit card, this is a popular online payment method.
Explore more payment methods in LATAM
Middle East
The Middle East is card-dominant, with the main players being Mastercard and Visa.
BENEFIT
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BENEFIT is the dominant debit network in Bahrain. All cards are cobranded with international schemes.
KNET
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Kuwait is home to the debit network KNET. Like Benefit, KNET cards are co-branded with international schemes.
Explore more payment methods in the Middle East
North America
Many globally accepted payment methods are extremely popular in North America. Cards are especially popular, though alternative and bank-based payment methods, like digital wallets, BNPL’s and Pay-by-Bank, are gaining ground.
Discover
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Discover has more than 70 million cardholders in the United States. The card scheme mainly offers credit products for the non-premium cardholder segment. Discover issues the majority of cards on its network with some of the highest authorization rates among top 100 US retailers.
Apple Pay
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Apple Pay is the most popular mobile wallet in the United States. Apple Pay features tokenized card details, authentication by Touch ID or Face ID, and secure storage of payment information.
PayPal
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PayPal is a trusted and long-standing consumer wallet, with over 300 million active users in over 200 countries. It’s popular in the US for online payments, but has global relevance.
Cash App Pay
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Cash App is one of the largest consumer wallets in the United States, with over 50 million active users. It features seamless and secure payments experiences with high authorization rates.
Explore more payment methods in North America
Choosing the right online payment methods
For global online businesses, it can be a challenge to offer relevant local payment methods in all markets. More factors than geography can help you choose which online payment methods are right for your business.
Does your target demographic use this payment method?
What are the costs involved?
Do you need to support recurring payments or refunds?
Asking these questions is worth it. Offering the right local payment methods can unlock new revenue, create effortless experiences, and solidify your market position.
You can tailor local checkout experiences to local needs with our global financial infrastructure.
Want to learn more about local payment methods? Check out the Payment Method Explorer.