Not every entrepreneur, small business owner or freelancer is comfortable negotiating. Even so, it’s difficult (and perhaps impossible) to operate a small business or startup and not negotiate agreements with employees, vendors, customers, and others. Many dread the adversarial nature of negotiation. Prepare. MORE >>

Constant Contact recently released data from its Fall 2011 Attitudes and Outlook Survey , and the biggest and most interesting finding was that small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) are more comfortable using social media marketing as opposed to six months ago. Facebook reigns supreme at 86-percent, and. MORE >>

The importance small businesses for both job creation and job loss in our economy is highlighted in a new study from the SBA Office of Advocacy. Through much of the 1990s and and into the 2000s, small businesses accounted for 65% of new jobs created in the economy. Small business have accounted for 60% of all job losses. MORE >>

At crowdSPRING we talk a great deal about how we can leverage our limited marketing resources to drive traffic and revenues and build strong community. Other tactics leverage partnerships with other businesses to create mutual value and introduce our respective communities to one another’s services or product offering. MORE >>

Google has released a new tool – Google Boost – that allows small businesses to connect with potential customers via Google Adwords. The program is still in beta and available to select local businesses in San Francisco, Houston and Chicago. Why should small businesses be interested in Boost? MORE >>