If you’ve got a new product or service that you’re trying to sell, you may want to think about giving it away to begin with. In a new survey, 42 percent of consumers said they pay for new products and services after they’ve experienced them for free. The so-called "freemium" business model is the way a pantheon of marquee brands, from Ancestry.com to Words with Friends, first gained traction in the marketplace.

A sluggish economy and heated competition can be a recipe for disaster for any business – especially small businesses. No matter how you cut it – you’re going to have to fight to flourish. 

Businesses looking to grow and improve their online presence gained a big ally today (May 2) when Yahoo! Small Business launched its Marketing Dashboard. The company says this tool will allow businesses to pinpoint marketing opportunities they are currently missing and to manage and enhance their online reputation. 

Spirit Airlines caused a stir this weekend in refusing to refund a dying Vietnam vet $197 for an airline ticket he cannot use after his doctor would not allow him to fly. The airline stood by its return policy and its “one-size-fits” all motto, amid much criticism. But when is it ok to make exceptions to your own business rules?

One of the major challenges of company-consumer relations is dealing with tough feedback. And with so many brands becoming increasingly engaged on social media channels, the chances of discovering nothing  but positive comments about your business are slim.

What do you think happens when your marketing campaign is filled with recycled and unnecessary information?  You lose the attention of your audience – rendering your communications ineffective.

You were told by all the experts: If you build it, they will come. Your website is clearly written and targeted, easy to navigate, and has been search engine optimized. So why hasn’t traffic increased?

Think there is only one way to make your organization more innovative? According to Nancy Napier, executive director of Boise State University’s Centre for Creativity and Innovation, there are actually six ways to improve innovation in your company.

Have you faced rejections or delays with your sales pitches? By now I’m sure you’ll agree that success in sales is not merely a function of locating decision makers, handling objections, and memorizing the 13 ways to close. Here are some lessons learned from a professional.

In this era of digital communication, we rarely receive letters, messages or invitations on traditional paper. Although the internet is a great service, sending a paper message lets the recipient know that you care for them enough to go the extra step. You bypassed the convenience of the internet to give them something tangible, real and lasting. But you shouldn't just send any old piece of paper. There are many wonderful stationery suppliers that let you communicate with elegance and style.

From bankruptcy to disgruntled customers or employees seeking revenge, even a mom-and-pop should be prepared to handle a media blitz with the fundamentals of crisis management.

Customers are the lifeblood of a business, so building a strong rapport with them is imperative to the success of almost any company. Here are five steps toward establishing better customer relations for your business.

Though they may seem worlds apart, a baseball team and a business share many of the same principles. Despite their differences, the formula for success remains the same. In both arenas, efficient teamwork and sound strategy are what separate the winners from the losers. Here are five valuable lessons that businesspeople can learn from the national pastime.

Succeeding as a hockey team requires discipline, teamwork and intelligence. Likewise, transforming a business into a serious competitor requires many of the same traits. Here are a few lessons about business you can learn from hockey.

Here are the three things that you should never forget or dismiss while promoting your small business.

Conventional wisdom says that relying on just a few major customers is not a savvy business strategy because those 800-pound gorillas can leverage their size to wring concessions out of their suppliers. But that’s not necessarily true, a new survey shows. It turns out that bigger can be better for your business when it comes to customer size.

Negotiations require decision-making, determination and a little bit of deviousness. To help you get the best deal out of your next negotiation, here are five of the best tricks around.

The allure of celebrity is tempting for small business owners, and can feel like a shortcut to fame. But is it worth it for a business to take a risk on hiring a celebrity to wear its merchandise or swing by a store opening, without a tangible return on investment?

Twitter announced Monday the opportunity for American Express small business Cardmembers and merchants to start advertising on its site.

According to a survey by Revelation Research, a marketing research firm, more than half of online customers have connected to a brand online through a social network or email subscription. However, a third of these customers soon break away from these companies on social media. The most surprising finding though, is that once people disconnect from these companies on social media, they view the brand in a negative light and will shop at those establishments less frequently.   

Have you ever heard of the concept of one negative word nullifying several positive ones? Nothing is truer when it comes to the reputation of your small business. Just one irate or dissatisfied customer can completely upset the applecart.

Customer satisfaction without emotional engagement is worthless, according to a study that compared customer loyalty of extremely satisfied customers, unsatisfied customers, and satisfied emotionally engaged customers. In every case they found that emotionally connected customers outspent and outlasted extremely satisfied customers -- every time.

If you need help boosting your bottom line, relief may be closer than you realize. According to Cathy Donovan Wagner, a retail consultant with several decades of experience, there are three very simple steps you can take in order to improve your sales. Wagner, who works exclusively with independent retailers, has experience both as a store owner and consultant.

Small businesses are boosting the bottom line and brand visibility by offering classes on everything from cupcake baking to pottery creation.

While a handful of large retailers have put their Facebook commerce efforts on hold, hundreds of thousands of small businesses are successfully selling products there, a new survey shows. These sellers have been strong adopters of Facebook Ads, and most say they'll use the social network’s ad products again.

Regardless of what type of business you run, maintaining a Website is the new norm in providing your audience with information.

Here are five points you should consider when starting a televising marketing campaign.

If you’re new at the game, trying to understand the brave new world of social media marketing can be a daunting challenge. But if you’ve determined that this new marketing discipline is critical for your business, there's a new eLearning kit that can help you jump-start your efforts and get the skills and knowledge you need to succeed.

Small businesses hoping to find new customers may want to look to local advertising.  According to new research, 49% of small- and medium-size business owners praised local advertising for the ability it has to drive new customers to their stores. Those findings are part of an eMarketer report that was based on the findings of hyperlocal publisher StreetFight. 

In an effort to win over consumers, JCPenney has launched a highly-simplified pricing strategy. Let’s now translate this to your small business. You, like JCPenney, may have name recognition and adequate sales. However, will that be enough to keep you viable as competitive forces grow stronger in your respective industry?

No job candidate won't to be remember as the one with chipped green nail polish or a messy beard. Here are some tips to help you make a good first impression on an interview.

Office supplies retailer Staples says it plans to help ease this burden for five lucky entrepreneurs. The company's "Give Your Small Business the Push It Needs" contest will be awarding five small businesses $50,000 each in free television advertising in their home market this spring.

Before you declare a particular advertising delivery method a dud, look to see if you have any of these five campaign killers lurking around.

You cannot run a successful business without happy customers. It is easy for an unhappy client to bash your company online, where a few well-placed complaints might impact business and give you a bad reputation. All employees should be trained to handle customer complaints. Nothing gets an already aggravated customer going quite like being passed around from employee to employee. Send more serious problems to customer service, but handle everyday complaints on your own. Here are five tips for dealing with an unhappy customer:

It is important to understand that support for your business is always in flux - some days sales are up; other days they're down. However, if you have noticed a string of down days, it may be time for a "Under New Management" sign—not literally, but implied; going forward, your communications will tell everyone that you are doing things differently in order to win back lost consumer confidence.

If you're looking for a new way to position yourself as a respected expert in your field, self publishing may be a worthwhile endeavor. 

Many entrepreneurs struggle to find any money for advertising and marketing. Here are ten ideas you could implement now, and better yet-- they're free..

While many small-business owners may be under the impression business intelligence is only for their larger competitors, research from St. Joseph's University suggests they think again.

How you conduct your business is a powerful source of differentiation. When you connect your core values with the way your business operates you create emotional connection points with clients who share similar values. This is the foundation of brand loyalty.

Even as moms increasingly rely on social media recommendations when buying for themselves and their families, word-of-mouth from friends and family still has the most influence on their purchasing decisions, a new study shows. And brand websites still edge out brands' Facebook pages and Twitter streams as mom-trusted resources.

Sure, you may not have several million to drop on one commercial, but I guarantee you that your basic reasons for advertising and marketing aren’t too different than the guys you saw Sunday night.

For small business owners on a budget, looking to establish their brand and bring in more customers, the of-the-moment daily deal ad may be tempting—however, some say print coupons get entrepreneurs more bang for their buck.

Want to add a board to your startup to increase your credibility? Here's what your potential board members are thinking, and how you should compensate them.

The national anthem provides the perfect analogy for doing business.The tune and words have remained the same since 1814, when "The Star-Spangled Banner" was written by Francis Scott Key. Yet, every performance is different. Every variation is marked by an intentional effort by the performer to brand the song as his or her own.

Chances are your business can't pony up $3.5 million for a 30-second spot during this year's big game, but the marketing lessons in these ads won't cost you a dime.

"Mom marketing" is a field unto itself. If you're trying to sell to mothers in 2012, you have to know how their behavior changed over the last year.

Google may be the megamillion-pound gorilla in the search space, but you don't have to be a gazillionaire to compete there with the big boys of commerce. The folks from Mountain View, Calif.,  have rolled out a number of free, low-cost tools for small businesses that enable them to play above their weight.