Parkopedia, a Yelp of Parking Spaces, Will Start Providing Data to Apple Maps

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Parkopedia, a Yelp-like web-based service for finding parking lots, has announced it will start providing data to users of Apple Maps.

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Parkopeida, accessible via its website or mobile apps, allows drivers to find the closest parking to their destination and tells them how much it will cost and whether or not  a space is available. Parkopedia also allows drivers to pay for parking online, through a mobile app.

Users will now be able to find parking lots via the Parkopedia iOS app and then click through from Apple Maps to more detailed information including pricing, user reviews, special offers and real-time space availability. Users will also be able to make reservations.

Parkopedia has information about parking lots in 75 countries and provides information to drivers of several models of cars, including such as BMW, Ford, Jaguar Land Rover, Peugeot, Toyota, Volvo, an VW, as well as via devices from companies like Garmin.

Parkopedia provides information on 40 million parking spaces in over 150,000 facilities across 6,000 cities in 75 countries; including real-time parking space availability information in over 500 cities in 30 countries.

VIA | MacRumors

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graphic | SmallBusiness.com

By the Numbers | How Small Businesses Are Legally Organized

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Recently, we shared information about the various ways a company can be legally organized. That led a user of SmallBusiness.com to ask what percentage of small businesses are organized in the various types of legal entities.

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As you may recall, small businesses are legally defined by the Small Business Administration and the IRS in various ways for various reasons. For example, the SBA is charged with defining the statutory meaning of small businesses as it relates to government-backed loans and various types of contracting with the federal government. The IRS defines a small business as it relates to ways individuals and entities are compensated for the labor they provide, and thus, the way in which they pay taxes. On this chart, we are using the federal designation of two types of businesses: Businesses that have employees and businesses that do not have employees (e.g., sole proprietors, self-employed, independent contractors, freelancers).

Type of Business	Small business w/ no employees	Small business with employees
Sole proprietorship	86.4%	14.84%
Partnership (various types)	7.44%	11.34%
S-corporation	4.74%	46.94%
C-corporation and other		27.2%

SOURCES 

Survey of Business Owners, US Census Bureau, US Department of Commerce

Statistics of US Businesses, US Census Bureau, US Department of Commerce,

Google Maps Tweaks Design, Adds Business Photo Carousel | 2016

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Google Maps is making some visual changes and additions to its desktop, Android and iOS versions, including enhancements to how it displays business information. The new design also includes a business photo carousel display.

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As part of an update, Google Maps said in a blog post that it removed elements “that aren't absolutely required” (like road outlines) and improved the typography of street names, points of interest, transit stations to make them more distinguishable from other things on the map.

Areas of interest

According to Google Maps' UX designer Zhou Bailian and Google Local software engineer Mark Li, “as you explore the new map, you'll notice areas shaded in orange representing 'areas of interest'-places where there's a lot of activities and things to do.

Quote:

“To find an 'area of interest' just open Google Maps and look around you. When you've found an orange-shaded area, zoom in to see more details about each venue and tap one for more info. Whether you're looking for a hotel in a hot spot or just trying to determine which way to go after exiting the subway in a new place, 'areas of interest' will help you find what you're looking for with just a couple swipes and a zoom.”

Google Maps will highlight the areas with the highest concentration of restaurants, bars and shops. “In high-density areas like NYC, we use a human touch to make sure we're showing the most active areas,” said Balian and Li. (See video below, supplied by Google Maps)

Google Maps already integrates information about local businesses, including location, ratings and reviews for more than 100+ million distinct places.

It's not a wheel, it's a photo carousel

Google has also updated the design for how business photos and Inside Street images are displayed. According to Barry Schwartz, Sergey Alakov spotted the new design and posted it on Twitter. Schwartz observes the new design seems cleaner and fresher, with quicker carousel like interface to zoom through the various images. The images include static photos and 3D walkthrough Inside Street view images. Here are two examples, shared by Alakov and Schwartz.

VIA | Search Engine Land

How Small Business Owners Define Success (You'll Be Surprised)

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Emergent Research recently conducted a study on how small business owners define “success” in partnership with the sales and marketing automation company, Infusionsoft. Steve King, a partner at Emergent and a regular contributor to SmallBusiness.com, provides this overview of the findings of the study, Defining and Achieving Small Business Success.

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The study consisted of a survey of over 400 small business owners coupled with a set of 26 in-depth interviews with “successful” business owners. These are small business owners who told us they were meeting or exceeding their business goals and objectives and self-described their business as “successful”.

One of the key findings is that most small business owners are not motivated primarily by financial motivations. (More on this in a moment.) Rather they most often say they are motivated by these non-financial goals:

• The ability to do work they enjoy


• Being the boss


• Work flexibility


• Freedom and control


• Having a positive impact on their employees, customers and community

A common misconception: Small business owners always define success by financial rewards

This study confirms the findings of  research we've previously conducted along with research by others: Most small business owners aren't primarily motivated by financial wealth, nor are they interested in growing their firms into big businesses.

This is not to say small business owners don't want to grow at all. Nor are we saying small business owners don't care about making money. Indeed, they are serious about running a self-supporting, profitable business. But in most cases the growth goal is modest and the financial targets important but secondary to other objectives.

94% | Have specific financial goals for their business

65% | Are confident they will achieve them

Perception vs. Reality

Despite research revealing that wealth is not the primary driver of most small business owners, the public believes that most small businesses want to grow and become big businesses. This belief is driven mostly by the vast amount of media coverage high growth small businesses and their owners receive.

“It's even surprising to a lot of small business owners

that other owners don't have wealth as their motivating factor.”

Many small business owners tell us they consider themselves an outlier because they aren't interested in growing into a big business. They often are surprised when we tell them this attitude is common. It also makes them happy to learn their goals for their business and definition of success is shared by most other small business owners.

(VIA | Small Business Labs “Defining and Achieving Small Business Success“)

Download a free copy of “Defining and Achieving Small Business Success” here.

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Secrets to Becoming a Self-Motivated Small Business Owner or Manager

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When you own or run a small business, becoming an expert in the art of self-motivation is one of those important duties you didn't realize would one day be on your job description. Not only must you muster up you own motivation, your display of optimism and motivation is a major source of energy for all those who work with you.

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In a recent column appearing on the website, Creativity Post, Dr. Brian Davidson, founder of the Intrinsic Institute, shared how his study of individuals ranging from students in the classroom to adults in the workplace, found these four similarities in the ways self-motivated individuals achieve such a positive mindset.

Self-motivated individuals cultivate a strong sense of purpose

High performers are driven by a cause greater than themselves. They use this strong sense of purpose to create and work toward goals that continually push them in a positive direction. If you are not loving what we are currently doing, chances are that the goals we are working on are not meaningfully contributing to your larger and clear sense of purpose.

Self-motivated individuals foster a growth mindset

Research at Stanford University reveals that individuals engage in thinking patterns characterized by two types of mindsets: (1) A fixed mindset, or (2)  A growth mindset. Individuals with a fixed mindset believe that talent and intelligence are fixed and incapable of being improved. People with a growth mindset believe talent and intelligence can be cultivated with effort. Like the Little Engine that Could, self-motivated individuals “think they can” and thus, the can.

Self-motivated individuals maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses

Self-motivated individuals follow the advice of the ancient Greeks, “Know thyself.” They look within to gain an honest awareness of the strengths and weaknesses. Such provides them the opportunity to utilize their strengths on a regular basis while taking steps to minimize their weaknesses so they don't have a negative impact on their performance. Self-motivated individuals can admit their weaknesses and when necessary, seek the help of others with strengths that can balance out their weaknesses.

Self-motivated individuals seek inspiration from their igniters and ignore their extinguishers

The self-motivated individuals turn often to the individuals they've identified as their “igniters”–the people who constantly make them excited about their goals when they talk with them. Igniters pour gasoline on the fires that burn within us, that make us more excited, committed, and motivated to keep working toward our goals. On the other hand, there are people who are extinguishers. They may be well-intentioned people, but they tend to make us question ourselves and doubt our abilities, which ultimately diminishes our motivation. The self-motivated turn to igniters, not extinguishers, when seeking advice or encouragement.

via | The Creativity Post, “4 Keys to Becoming Self-Motivated”

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The Political Leanings of Small Business | 2016

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Earlier this week, we shared the results of a pre-election on-line survey of small business concerns commissioned by Sage software. Earlier this month (July, 2016), a similar survey of small business owners was released by the network of business newspapers owned by Business Journals. Their findings were based on a wide array of factors including phone interviews with nearly 1,300 business owners and C-suite executives and companies with 5-499 employees. There are some major differences in the findings of two surveys so we decided - for equal time - to share some of the findings of Business Journals' “The Political Face of Small Business” to compare with the previously shared data.

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“Politically, do you consider yourself…?”

Percentage of total respondents who provided a self-selected answer. “Other” includes all respondents who did not answer “Democrat” or “Republican.”

19% | Democrat

46% | Republican

35% | Other (Independent, other or none)

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Republicans | Profile of Owners and Businesses

72% | Men

28% | Women

$198,000 | Household income (average)

$1.7 million | net worth (average)

84% | Married

66% | College graduates

$9.6 million | Annual sales

31.9 | Years in operation

11% | Under 10 years in operation

24 | Employees

Democrats | Profile of Owners and Businesses

57% | Men

43% | Women

$170,000 | Household income (average)

$1.3 million | net worth (average)

62% | Married

76% | College graduates

$8.5 million | Annual sales

25.2 | Years in operation

21% | Under 10 years in operation

22 | Employees

Undecideds | Profile of Owners and Businesses

This category includes those who answered, “undecided, independent, other or none.”

70% | Men

39% | Women

$176,000 | Household income (average)

$1.3 million | net worth (average)

68% | Married

67% | College graduates

$6.7 million | Annual sales

25.5 | Years in operation

19% | Under 10 years in operation

26 | Employees

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Overview of business owners by self-selected political category

	Owner Profile	Business Profile	Issues
Republicans	Skew older & male | Have the highest net worth | More likely to be married	Run the most established companies  (avg. 32 years in operation) | Highest annual sales	Highest degree of concern across all business issues | Especially high degree of concern about the Presidential election | Least confident about potential improvement of the U.S. economy | Top concerns: cost of health insurance / U.S. economy rising costs / possible tax changes | Most impacted by skills shortage
Democrats	Skew younger | Highest share of college grads | Most equitable share of male and female owners	Highest share of Women and Minority owned businesses Younger companies (21% in operation under 10 years)	High confidence in future success of the U.S. economy | Top concerns: Attracting new customers having enough money for retirement |Strong views about the role of business as regards the environment sustainability and social responsibility
Undecideds	Skew younger & male	Younger companies (19% in operation under 10 years)	Moderate confidence in future success of the U.S. economy | Moderate concern about the outcome of the Presidential election | Top concerns: Cost of health insurance rising costs being able to find/keep employees

Top 5 concerns of small business owners across political affiliations

	Republican	Democrat	Other
Cost of health insurance and other benefits	1	3	1
U.S. economy	2
Rising cost of doing business	3		2 (tie)
Attracting new customers	4	1	4 (tie)
Tax changes that could hurt business	5 (tie)
Maintaining existing customer base	5 (tie)	4 (tie)	4 (tie)
Being able to find and keep good employees		4 (tie)	2 (tie)
Having enough money to retire		2

Here Are North America's Top 10 Largest, Fastest Growing Tech Talent Towns

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It's no surprise that the largest tech market in the U.S. and Canada is the San Francisco Bay area. However, the competition for talent is getting tougher as more highly skilled tech workers-especially millennials-are flocking to cities where the cost of living is lower and tech jobs are plentiful, according to CBRE Group, Inc.'s annual Research report, “Scoring Tech Talent,” which ranks 50 U.S. and Canadian markets according to their ability to attract and grow tech talent.

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In their quest for highly skilled talent and for lower cost of doing business, both new and expanding companies are establishing footprints in these more affordable markets leading to a rise in demand for office space and a decrease in office vacancy. “Tech talent markets share several distinct characteristics, including high concentrations of college-educated workers, major universities producing tech graduates and large millennial populations,” said Colin Yasukochi, who authored the report on behalf of CBRE Research.

Top 10 tech talent markets

The top 10-ranked cities on the Tech Talent Scorecard were all large markets, each with a tech labor pool of more than 50,000.

  1 | San Francisco Bay Area

  2 | Washington, D.C.

  3 | Seattle

  4 | New York

  5 | Austin

  6 | Dallas/Ft. Worth

  7 | Boston

  8 | Raleigh-Durham

  9 | Atlanta

10 | Baltimore

Top tech growth 'momentum markets'

Small markets took dominant positions on the list of top “momentum markets,” which ranks cities based on tech talent growth. This chart lists the ten fastest growing tech towns. The percentage column represents the growth rates between 2010 and 2015.

Rank	City	Growth 2010-15
1	Charlotte	74.70%
2	Nashville	67.90%
3	SF Bay Area	61.50%
4	Baltimore	61.40%
5	Oklahoma City	59.00%
6	Phoenix	58.10%
7	Austin	51.80%
8	Tampa	50.90%
9	Seattle	50.20%
10	Vancouver	50.10%

Tech Talent Scorecard criteria

Rankings for the Tech Talent Scorecard are based on 13 unique metrics that include these:

• Tech talent supply


• Growth


• Concentration


• Cost of living


• Completed tech degrees


• Industry outlook for job growth


• Market outlook for office growth


• Apartment rent cost growth

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via: CBRE Group

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Small Business Owners Not Optimistic About Economy, Election | 2016

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Small business owners indicated they are are not satisfied with the candidates for president, nor overly optimistic about the future state of their businesses in a recent survey commissioned by Sage, the accounting, payroll and payment systems software company.

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Dissatisfaction with candidate choices

49% | “Fairly dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with presidential candidate choices

What former president, living or not, the respondents would want to serve again

28% | Ronald Reagan

15% | Bill Clinton

13% | John Kennedy

Political party to which they self-identified themselves

34% | Democrats

25% | Republicans

25% | Independents

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The survey also asked questions to measure the business owners' outlooks toward the economy in general

Pessimistic about the present

23% | Plan to invest in new technology in 2016

32% | Plan to cut expenses in 2016

49% | Think the economy in 2016 will be the same as 2015

Pessimistic about the future

32% | Expect higher taxation (after the election)

19% | Expect more government regulation

35% | Expect increasingly competitive environment

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The survey was administered by Qualtrics to 301 Sage customers across the U.S. in early June 2016. All respondents were small business owners, founders and presidents with 1-50 employees.

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Photos via WikiMedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Clinton by George Skidmore, Trump by BU Rob13

Awesome Small Business Offices From Around the U.S.A.

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Need inspiration or ideas for new office space? A great place on the web to see the latest in office design for companies, large and small, is the website Office Snapshots. Here are some designs they've curated recently from California to New York City; Austin to the Chicago suburbs. One thing they all have in common: lots of space for collaboration and plenty of Wow! factor.

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Favor | Austin, Texas

Favor is an on-demand delivery service with headquarters in Austin. Its new headquarters has a 12,000-square-foot office space fore its 120 Austin employees. The new offices were designed by Favor's creative team, who wanted employees to feel as if they were working “inside” the Favor brand. The new office also features a rooftop deck with views of the Austin Capitol and UT Stadium.

Web | FavorDeliver.com

Design | In-house

via | Office Snapshots

Charles Vincent George Architects | Napierville, Ill.

The completely open office plan encourages collaboration between designers, while the designed millwork and ceiling panels ('butterflies') still give each of the four sections of the office a sense of place. Collaboration between designers and clients is encouraged with an open and flexible Materials Library. Clients are able to select finishes off the sliding shelves while architects and designers can post drawings and sketches to the rolling steel doors, using magnets.

Web | cvgarchitects.com

Design | Charles Vincent George Architects

Photography | Tony Soluri|

via | Office Snapshots

Achieve Internet | San Diego

The office was designed to reflect what Office Snapshot calls, “the growing web development company's ultra-modern, geek-chic vibe.” A gray-toned color scheme is accented with splashes of Achieve's signature orange. Giant glass walls, a custom mural, local custom-made glass tables, and of course the signature moss wall are all design choices that helped open up the space and make it as modern and stylish as possible.

Web | achieveinternet.com

Design | In-house team from Achieve Internet

via | Office Snapshots

Primary | New York City

Primary is a new coworking space in New York that includes a 600 square-foot fitness studio and 30+ classes per week (yoga, meditation, functional fitness). There are 66 offices and 108 co-working seats with capacity to accommodate 324 people. With a focus on nearby makers and food vendors, the space features original furniture pieces, bespoke light fixtures from Etsy vendors, a Brooklyn millworker and one of Primary's co-founders. The space also includes a full-service cafe with espresso service, juices and catered lunches - all from nearby vendors.

Web | LivePrimary.com

Design | Danny Orenstein

via | Office Snapshots

How to Attract Summer Vacationing Customers Who Are Traveling to (or Through) Your Town

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Typically, our advice about online marketing involves building a relationship with your regular customers. However during the summer, lots of potential one-time customers may be coming within a few blocks or miles of your business who are looking for a business just like your's. Who are they? Summer vacationers jumping in their cars and heading to wherever the highway leads.

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According to AAA, Americans are hitting the road for vacations in record numbers due to low gas prices (in some places, 50¢ less per gallon than last year). Even if your business is not typically a vacation destination, with so many vacationers on the road you should go ahead and take a few moments and do a few things that will attract to your business some of these road-warrior vacationers.

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By the Numbers | Summer Vacations

People are hitting the road

45 % | Percent of Americans who take a summer vacation

91 % | Percent of summer trips that are in personal vehicles

  7 % | Percent of summer trips that are by air

  2 % | Percent of summer trips that are by train or bus

284 miles (one-way) | Average distance traveled on a summer trip

Most popular destinations

45 % | Beach / Ocean

42 % | City

21 % | National Parks

17 % | Lake

14 % | Resort

Most popular summer vacation activities

54 % | Shopping

49 % | Visiting Historical Sights

49 % | Swimming / Water sports

46 % | Going to a Park or National Park

46 % | Sightseeing Tours

Most people plan their vacations like the Griswolds

While the savviest of vacationers buy all the travel books and map out hour-by-hour itineraries, most of us are like the Griswolds, the hilariously misfortunate family in National Lampoon's Vacation.

85% | Leisure travelers who don't decide on activities until after arriving at their destination

Most Popular Summer Days for Road Trips

59 % | Any week

37 % | Independence Day

29 % | Memorial Day

27 % | Labor Day

Sources | Trip Advisor, Equation Research, Harris Interactive, Money Crashers, Google

Via | StatisticBrain.com

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Tips for getting your business discovered by vacationers passing through town or visiting your city or town

Tip #1 | Vacationers do not live by food alone

Think of all the reasons people might want or need to pull off the highway and visit your town. They may be looking for a retail specialty shop, food market, or a hardware store, a wide range of eateries, an entertainment break. A recreational spot for kids to play and burn up some energy. A helpful mechanic can keep a trip from turning into a disaster. A key thing to remember: The vacationer will be using a mobile device and search for information from nearby.

Tip #2 | Update your business information on Google, Yelp and Trip Advisor

When people are passing through town, they will often use Google to look for a product or service they need. All of these users will be letting Google know their location, so your business will show up if it relates the user's search. Make sure the information on those listings are correct and up to date.

Google | If you haven't already, claim your Google business profile with Google My Business (More info …)

Yelp | If it's a restaurant (or all types of retail shops) they are seeking, Yelp.com will be another place they look. Claim your Yelp Business page here.

TripAdvisor | If they are staying a few hours or days in your tow, they will likely turn to Trip Advisor. Claim your TripAdvisor listing

Be sure to add summertime photos to your business profile. Travelers are often unfamiliar with their surroundings and photos help make it easier for people to see what your business has to offer. Need more convincing? Here's what Google says:

35% more clicks | Google business profile with photos vs. no photos

42% more requests for directions | Google business profiles with photos vs. no photos

About reviews

Yelp provides simple-to-understand guidelines about reviews in an article plainly labeled, “Don't Ask for Reviews.”

There is an important distinction between “Hey, write a review about me on Yelp,” [BAD] and “Hey, check us out on Yelp!” [GOOD]. The latter allows consumers to review your online reputation without feeling like they're being forced to write a review, Yelp advises. “To an established Yelp community user and reviewer, a mention of your Yelp presence can act like a dog-whistle prompting them to share their feedback about your business with fellow Yelpers.”

Tip #3 |Update your website with a welcome travelers message & promotion

Each of those travel-related search engines will have a link to your business website that many people will click. Make sure your website looks as inviting as your business is.

Tip #4 | Experiment with using  highly targeted (by location) mobile ads on Google and Yelp.

| Information about advertising on Yelp

| Information about mobile advertising on Google

Occupations Most Likely to be Handled by Robots in the Future (And The Ones That Won't)

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Recently, we explored the impact automation and robotics are having on the operation of warehouses. Such automation across the entire spectrum of the world's economy will, over time, be both a threat and an opportunity for small businesses. Some of today's small businesses will be threatened by new technology, while others will incorporate new automation approaches to help their businesses become more efficient and profitable.

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In a recent post on McKinsey.com, James Manyika, Michael Chui, and Mehdi Miremadi provided an overview of their research into 2,000-plus work activities in every industry sector across the U.S economy. Here are some findings from their research, highlighting the types of occupations most, and least, likely to go to a machine.

Just because something can be automated doesn't mean it will be

Replacing human cooks earning $10 per hour with expensive robots may be possible technically, but might not make business sense because it may cost too much and not provide a good return on investment.

Certain physical jobs have the highest potential to be automated

5% | Occupations that could be fully automated by adapting current technology.

45% | Percentage of the activities people are paid to perform across all occupations that today's technologies could automate

60% | Percentage of all occupations that could see 30% or more of their work activities automated

Data collection and processing are ripe for automation

Across all occupations in the US economy, workers spend one-third of their time collecting and processing data. Both activities are highly likely to be automated and could affect industries, from retail to financial services and insurance.

90% | Percentage of their time that mortgage brokers spend processing applications

30% | Percentage of the time spent processing data by people making over $200,000 per year

Robots aren't great at making beds (yet)

For now, activities that require physical movement or operating machinery in unpredictable settings are relatively challenging to automate. In other words, don't look for robots doing things like:

• Self-operating a crane on a construction site


• Collecting trash in public areas


• Making beds in hotel rooms

Robots aren't great managers or creative directors

The hardest activities to automate with technologies available today are those that involve managing and developing people. Reasons: Experience and age are often an asset and the activities can be as varied as coding software, creating menus, writing promotional materials - or advising customers which color shoes best suit them.

Potential percentage of these jobs that could be automated

9% | Decision-making or planning

18% | Creative work

20% | Interaction with customers, suppliers and other stakeholders

>30% | Registered nurse's responsibilities

13% | Dental hygienist's responsibilities

Don't look for robots at the front of the classroom anytime soon

According to the McKinsey analysis, “Of all the sectors we have examined, among the least susceptible to automation is education. The essence of teaching includes deep expertise and complex interactions with other people for which machines, so far and with few exceptions, receive an incomplete grade.”

Machines will change the nature of jobs, but they won't fully take over from humans

Automation is best analyzed by looking not at occupations as a whole, but at the amount of time spent on individual activities. Some of those individual activities could be automated by using technology that currently exists. But the job that needs to be managed will still be carried out by humans.

Automation will fundamentally change the nature of organizations

Most benefits may come not from reducing labor costs but from raising productivity through fewer errors, higher output, and improved quality, safety, and speed.

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Graphic from McKinsey.com (Click for larger view)

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Pokemon Go is a Virtual Fad, Not a Small Business Marketing Priority

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Having lived through several decades of marketing fads, I can say with confidence, Pokemon Go (explained by Vox.com here in 400 words but still inexplicable) is not a small business story. But since it can involve people walking along streets that may have small businesses on them, well, that's close enough for some pundits and reporters (See links below).

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Pokemon Go is a fad

It's a summertime fad, at that. It's a summertime virtual fad that is a welcome relief from the tragedy and anxiety we feel in the real world these days.

It's also a free video game that uses a vintage franchise to introduce some creative uses of augmented reality interwoven with Google Maps technology. (Now, that's the small business story!)

Pokemon Go is a glimpse into the future

One day soon, augmented reality and virtual reality will be even more interwoven into Google Maps than it is today via Pokemon Go. And then  it is going to become an integral part of how retailers and restaurateurs and other businesses along Main Stree will provide customers the chance to experience their stores online, even before their first visit.

Have fun with Pokemon Go

Play with it. But don't chase after a new marketing fad that can help your business - especially if you are one of the millions of small businesses that haven't even created a website yet.

But in the reality of running a business today, there are dozens of more important digital marketing skills–and traditional marketing skills–you need to master before chasing the Pokemon Go fad.

But, I've been wrong before. So here are some stories that want you to believe Pokemon Go has something to do with your business:

• BusinessInsider.com | Pokémon Go is actually helping small businesses


• AdWeek.com | Pokémon Go Is Inspiring Small Retailers. So Has Augmented Reality Gone Mainstream?


• TheStreet.com | 'Pokémon Go' Helping Small Business Owner Boost Sales


• Money Magazine | Pokémon Go Is Good Business for Small Businesses


• Business News Daily | 4 Ways to Put “Pokémon Go” to Work for Your Small Business


• SmallBizTrends.com | Pokemon Go Transformed from April Fool's Joke to Big Success

Places on Amazon.com to Find Prime Day Specials From or For Small Businesses | 2016

Amazon.com has been promoting today's Prime Day sale for weeks. If you are an Amazon Prime member (or sign up for a free 30-day trial), you can take advantage of what Amazon describes as its biggest sale ever.

This year, Amazon is also using the day to communicate that its marketplace is not only a channel to purchase Amazon products, but is a marketplace for small and independent businesses, worldwide. For example, in the past, we've shared information about a storefront called Amazon Exclusives that features products from inventors and creators and another storefront called Handmade at Amazon that provides a sales channel for handmade crafts, art and other creations from around the globe.

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Tip: While there are discounts on many products,

this banner appears on products that are specifically designated as a special Prime Day Sale item.

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Where are the small business deals?

Here is some friendly advice for Amazon for future Prime Days. Make it easier to find deals in specific categories or from sellers in specific locations. For example, the site does a good job of making it easy (if you know where to look) to sort handmade products by state (as we show below), but it doesn't provide a means to sort for such products both location AND deal. That said, here are the two previously mentioned categories that focus on products that are from artisans, creators and inventors where we've discovered some deals.

How to Look for Prime Day deals at Handmade at Amazon

Handmade at Amazon has items from all 50 states and around the globe. You can look for Prime Day deals on products from artisans in these categories: By State from Alabama to Wisconsin or country from Albania to Zambia.

How to Look for Prime Day deals at Amazon Exclusives

Amazon Exclusives is a storefront that features the types of inventions and new products that have gained visibility through appearances on TV shows like Shark Tank or on crowdfunding sites like Indiegogo and Kickstarter. This link should take you to the Prime Day deals.

Other deals

Prime Now's Amazon Restaurants deal | Prime members in 12 metropolitan areas in the U.S. that have restaurant delivery via Amazon's “Prime Now” service can receive a promotional code for $20 off a future Amazon Restaurants order. According to Amazon, there are currently hundreds of restaurants available in the service in 12 metropolitan areas across the U.S.

Office supplies and electronics | Throughout the day, there will be special deals on these items for small businesses.

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Illustration: Amazon.com

Note: Some of the links in this post are Amazon “affiliate links” for which SmallBusiness.com receives a tiny commission. How tiny? About as tiny as this type size.

How to be More Convincing in a One-on-One Conversation With a Customer

Want to be more persuasive in a one-on-one conversation with a customer? According to Noah Goldstein, co-author (with Robert Cialdini) of Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive, if you mimic the other person's body language you are more likely to close that sale.

Goldstein says that in research conducted in a retail setting, sales people who subtly mimicked customers' speech and behavior were more successful at selling than those who didn't.

78.8% | Purchased the test-product from mimickers

61.8% | Purchased the test-product from nonmimickers

Customers who were mimicked also indicated they felt more positive about the salespeople and the store.

via | This Is How To Easily Improve Your Body Language: 4 Proven Secrets | Barking Up the Wrong Tree

HT | LifeHacker.com

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Photo | Thinkstock

Amazon Touts Small Business Participation in its Second “Prime Day” | 2016

 

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To help raise the visibility of the services and products it offers small businesses, Amazon is providing special attention to the small businesses who are participating in this year's Prime Day.

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On Tuesday (7/12/2016), Amazon is holding its second annual  “Prime Day,” a summer sales promotion that fills a lull in the calendars of retailers when they begin  trimming their shelves in preparation for the coming holidays. For Amazon, the sale also serves as a promotion to sell memberships to “Amazon Prime,” its $99 a year premium-shopper subscription that provides “free”  shipping, music-streaming, video-streaming services, unlimited photo cloud storage and special access to “lightning sales.”

While most of the merchandise being discounted are products from Amazon, the company also provides an array of services that allow small businesses to advertise on its site, earn commissions on Amazon products a small business can sell on a website (affiliate or associate), create a store and sell products on Amazon (sellers), or participate in an on-demand marketplace for selling skills to customers in one's hometown (Amazon Home Services). They even have storefronts that promote products from inventors or creators.

“Prime Day gives small businesses selling on Amazon a peak sales day during the summer months,” says Peter Faricy, vice president for the Amazon Marketplace. “Customers have the opportunity to support small businesses by purchasing unique products at a great price with fast, free shipping, and it helps sellers prepare for the upcoming holiday season by providing feedback and more customer reviews on their new and top selling products.”

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By the numbers | Small businesses and Prime Day

100% | Increase this year over last year of small businesses participating in Prime Day

30% | Percentage of “Prime Day Lightning Deals” worldwide that will be from Amazon sellers on Amazon

14 million | Number of items Prime Day buyer purchased from sellers and small businesses during 2015 Prime Day

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Employers Prefer Full Time Workers, But Agree That On-Demand Economy is Here to Stay | 2016

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Employers face a dilemma when it comes to a future in which a workforce of independent, contract on-demand workers becomes the norm and not the exception, according to a major survey of employers conducted by Time magazine, the Aspen Institute, the Markle Foundation and Burson-Marsteller.

This pair of findings demonstrates the dilemma:

56% | Percentage of employers who say full-time employees make it easier to accommodate the ebbs and flows in work volume and who believe that contract workers are less loyal or invested in the success of the company.

60% | Employers who hire contract workers.

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As explored in the SmallBusiness.com Guide to the On-Demand Economy, for reasons of choice, possibility or necessity, a growing number of individuals are becoming part of the on-demand economy; adapting to a form of freelancing that once was limited to certain trades or seasonal work. Many on-demand workers view their participation as part-time work, or as a flexible second job. Other people, however, are reluctant participants in the on-demand economy and prefer full-time employment.

(Note: In this article, the term “contingent” or “independent workers” refers to those who work for an organization on a non-permanent basis and handle their federal tax payments using a form 1099. Contract or non-employee contingent workers are also known as freelancers, independent contractors, or temporary contract workers. Full-time employees include workers, part time or full time, who are issued a Form W2. Learn more about the difference between  in this article that is a part of the SmallBusiness.com WIKI)

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Why employers use independent workers

90% | Flexibility of hiring workers with specific skills as the need arises

86% | Cost-saving purposes such as taxes and benefits

When given the choice, employers prefer full-time workers

58% | Employers who say full-time hires are better for their company because they provide more value over the long-term

67% | Employers who say their companies try to limit the number of contingent workers in favor of full-time employees

Employers expect the on-demand economy will grow

57% | Employers who use contingent workers who expect to use more in the future

70% | Percent of all employers (who've used contingent workers or not) who believe more organizations will move toward an on-demand labor model

Employers are satisfied with the performance of contingent workers

97% | Employers who use independent contractors who say they are satisfied with their performance

98% |  Employers who use independent contractors who say they will use more independent contractors

Employers are looking for loyal, engaged employees but believe independent contractors don't meet that expectation

58% | Employers who hire independent contractors who believe “non-employee contingent workers are not as loyal as full-time employee.”

54% | Employers who believe that non-employee contingent workers are “not always available when I need them,”

52 % | Employers who think contingent workers are “not as invested in their product.”

Benefits offered to full-time workers vs. independent contractors

79% | Employers who believe offering benefits to employees is a critical component of attracting talent

66% | Employers who feel they should NOT be responsible for providing benefits to independent contractors

50% |  Employers who don't think they should be responsible for providing training or education to independent contractors.

22% | Employers who believe workers themselves should be responsible for providing benefits



80% | Employers who hire independent contractors offering healthcare benefits to full-time employees

17 % | Employers who offer healthcare benefits to independent contractors



80% | Employers who offer paid vacation to full-time employees

13% | Employers who  offer paid vacation to independent contractors

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(HT to Steve King, Small Business Labs)

Photo: ThinkStock

 

Get Ready for a Warehouse Robot Revolution

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As yet another example of the many ways Amazon is both a competitor and supply chain partner to small businesses is that an estimated 45 percent of the inventory in Amazon's network of warehouses is related to fulfilling orders for sellers other than Amazon. Many of those sellers are small manufacturers and e-retailers. Four years ago, Amazon purchased Kiva, a warehouse automation and robotics company, to manage the operations of its vast warehouse system. Rather than continuing to sell Kiva products to other warehouse operators, Amazon has used the technology and robots (or bots) to automate its own warehouses. According to Bloomberg, since Amazon stopped selling Kiva (now called Amazon Robotics) products to other companies, a new generation of warehouse automation solutions have sprung up. All are aimed cutting the costs and speed of getting products into your store or onto the doorsteps of your customers.

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How automation and robotics are revolutionizing warehouse operations

• Robots cut labor costs and prevent labor shortages during seasonal spikes.


• Robots help improve speed and accuracy and increase productivity.


• Typical warehouse robots look like automated pallets.


• Before drones become delivery solutions for Amazon and other companies, they will likely be used inside warehouses and fulfillment centers.


• Self-driving cars and warehouse robotics share many of the same engineering challenges and operational opportunities.

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By the Numbers | Amazon Robotics

30,000 | The number of bots Amazon uses in its warehouses

20% | Operating expenses saved by Amazon's bots

$22 million | Fulfillment expenses saved at each Amazon warehouse the bots are installed

100 | Amazon warehouses in which bots have not yet been installed

(via: AmazonRobotics.com)

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Other major users of warehouses are experimenting with new types of automation

Other big-box retailers are trying to catch up with Amazon.

• Walmart uses robots to ship apparel from Walmart.com.


• Walmart has been experimenting with flying drones that photograph warehouse shelves as part of an effort to reduce the time it takes to catalog inventory.

Startups and spinoffs chasing Amazon Robotics

There are warehouse automation projects taking place within many large technology companies as well early stage startups. Here are just a few:

Flexe | (Seattle) Utilizing an on-demand economy approach to warehouse space

Locus | (Massachusetts) A spinoff from a company called Quiet Logistics that owns two warehouses in Massachusetts

Fetch Robotics | (San Jose) Makesa warehouse robot that follows workers around, catching the items they pick off the shelves

Harvest Automation | (Billerica, Mass.) sells a robot that is similar in approach to Fetch

Toru | (Germany) From the company Magazino, its bot can grab individual items

6 River Systems | (Boston) Founded by former Kiva executives

What about the jobs of warehouse workers?

856,000 | Number of warehouse workers (May, 2016)

$16 an hour | Average wage of warehouse workers (2016) (Source)

Jobs that will be lost by warehouse workers | About half the human labor in warehouses carry out repetitive, unskilled, simple, arduous tasks that involve moving stuff around.

Jobs that won't be lost by warehouse workers | While fewer  people will be needed for the repetitive, simple and arduous tasks, there still will be a need for “high-value” (and higher paying) skilled and managerial managers and workers.

(via: Bloomberg.com)

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Photo: AmazonRobotics.com

Twitter Rolls Out a Small Business-Friendly Dashboard

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Twitter has launched a beta version of Twitter Dashboard, a new free app the company says will help businesses connect with their customers and community. Twitter Dashboard beta is currently available to all U.S.-based businesses as an iOS app and desktop web application.

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Twitter Dashboard collects familiar features into a business context.

If you're already a power-user of Twitter and manage your social media with a third-party platform or a dashboard like Twitter's TweetDeck, you will immediately recognize that the Twitter Dashboard is a collection and simplification of familiar features. In other words, you may be underwhelmed.

However, if you've wanted to use Twitter for your business, but have been intimidated by the process of learning how to use it, you will find Twitter Dashboard an easy step in the right direction.

“Large, dedicated teams typically have the advantage of sophisticated tools provided by Twitter ecosystem partners. But (Twitter Dashboard) is a free tool to give all businesses an advantage in the way they use Twitter,” says Noah Pepper, product and engineering manager for the new app.

Desktop Twitter Dashboard via: Dashboard.Twitter.com | Twitter Dashboard suggests items and topics you can tweet about or schedule for a later time.

 Twitter Dashboard features

• Gives managers a clear picture of what's being said about their businesses


• Lets them schedule Tweets to be posted later


• Offers insights about Tweet performance (i.e., analytics integration)


• Offers tips for topics to tweet about


• Suggests tweets you may consider retweeting

Twitter Dashboard iOS app

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Download |  iOS app  Desktop web application

(At this time, beta version available in U.S. only)

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Illustration: ThinkStock