Top 5 Tips posts from the SME Blog are always full of hints and tips for small, home & micro business owners. Let people know the story behind your business. Many people support small businesses purely because of the people who are in charge of them and knowing about the struggles they go through … MORE >>

First, let me apologize to those of you who tried to read this story I did for Gannett/USAToday in an earlier blog post. No matter what I tried the post ran together, refusing to mark paragraphs, bullets, etc. Well, today is a new day, so I'm trying this again. Do you take your smartphone to bed because you claim to use it as a nightlight? MORE >>

Let's say you want to travel from the East coast to the West. You have your car, but realize that the tires' pressure is unbalanced, the car is in need of an oil change, very little wiper fluid, and the brakes seem a little strange. Why reroute your efforts in a constant state of pandemonium? What is self-awareness? Simple: by being aware. promote. MORE >>

Online marketing has become an important part of the small business toolbox. In order to reach consumers and grow your business, there are a variety of tactics and tools you can use – from online advertising to social media marketing to reputation management and more. Not Tracking Your Online Advertising . Not Claiming Your Google Place Page. MORE >>

In a recent article, the Los Angeles Times reported on a survey that found that the level of sophistication in oratory in the US Congress has declined. That conclusion reminds me of a reading-comprehension tool I came across when I was a schoolteacher — a system that might provide you with some insight about your writing. That depends. MORE >>