Thursday, November 24, 2016

32 Small Business Quotations of Thankfulness and Gratitude



In the U.S., today is Thanksgiving. It is a national holiday set-aside to express our thankfulness and gratitude for the blessings we've received. At SmallBusiness.com, one of the things we are most thankful for is you. We thank you for using the information on the site and greatly appreciate the wisdom you share with us, as well. To  celebrate today's holiday, we pulled together this list of inspirational, motivational and insightful quotations about gratitude and thankfulness. Happy Thanksgiving.





  1. “O Lord that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!”

    William Shakespeare

    Henry VI

  2. Thankfulness is the tune of angels.

    Edmund Spenser (1895)

  3. “Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.”

    Maya Angelou

  4. “Thanks are justly due for things got without purchase.”

    Ovid

  5. “That possession which we gain by the sword is not lasting; gratitude for benefits is eternal.”

    Quintus Curtius RufusBusinesswomen clapping in a meeting

  6. “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”

    William Arthur Ward

  7. “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”

    G.K. Chesterton

  8. “If you count all your assets, you always show a profit.”

    Robert Quillen

  9. “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”

    Robert Brault

  10. “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”

    John F. KennedyCrowd of People Applauding

  11. “Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”

    Charles Dickens

  12. “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”

    Eckhart Tolle

  13. “If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get.”

    Frank A. Clark

  14. “If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily.”

    Gerald Good

  15. “Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves and spend without fear of bankruptcy.”

    Fred De WittDinner of friends

  16. “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”

    Epictetus

  17. “At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”

    Albert Schweitzer

  18. “The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.”

    William James

  19. “Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.”

    Oprah Winfrey

  20. “You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.”

    Ralph Waldo Emerson

  21. “It is impossible to feel grateful and depressed in the same moment.”

    Naomi Williams

  22. “Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.”

    John Wooden

  23. “No one who achieves success does so without the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.”

    Alfred North Whitehead

  24. “Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.”

    A.A. Milne

  25. “Forget yesterday - it has already forgotten you. Don't sweat tomorrow - you haven't even met. Instead, open your eyes and your heart to a truly precious gift - today.”

    Steve Marabolismallbusiness-type-writer

  26. “We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count.”

    Neal A. Maxwell

  27. “In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”

    Dietrich Bonhoeffer

  28. “The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.”

    John E. Southard

  29. “Gratitude also opens your eyes to the limitless potential of the universe, while dissatisfaction closes your eyes to it.”

    Stephen Richards

  30. “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”

    Epicurus

  31. “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”

    Cicero

  32. “When you are aware of all that has been given to you, it is hard not to be humbled and pleased to give back.”

    Anne Lamott




    ThinkStock



Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Are You Ready for Small Business Saturday?



Are you ready for Small Business Saturday, November 26, 2016. (In the UK, Small Business Saturday is Dec. 3. Or in the case of Portland, Ore., small businesses have banded together to extend Small Business Saturday into a weekend event called Little Boxes.)




Small Business Saturday, a cure for the common Black Friday


Small Business Saturday is NOT just an early special sales promotion designed to generate foot traffic. It's an event that reminds customers, diners, and others that small and local shops know their customers' tastes and desires and expectations - throughout the holiday season. It's a day when shoppers are looking forward to the up-close-and-personal touch form of shopping .


Black Friday backlash?


There are indications that the big box retailer promotion, Black Friday, has become over-hyped, or at least customers seem less impressed with the deals. Last year, Black Friday sales fell 12% to $10.2 billion compared to a year before, according to ShopperTrak. The outdoor retailer REI has even built a promotional campaign around its decision to close its stores on the Friday after Thanksgiving so that its employees can spend the day outdoors.


However, Amazon seems the most intent on “killing Black Friday” by trying to turn it into a two-month long sale, observes Mashable.


Promotional materials


The longtime sponsor of Small Business Saturday, American Express, has promotional material here.




Photo: American Express

Friday, November 18, 2016

Small Business Public Relations Tips From Big Business Pros



One of the most challenging things for a small business to obtain is, with great irony, often described as being “free” - as in, “free publicity.” But such publicity can cost a lot of time and creativity and hard work. (Thus, the more enlightened marketer calls it “earned,” not free or paid.) Traditionally, the work of someone who helps raise the visibility of a business or product is a public relations expert. Big companies and their experts know that getting covered by the news media adds credibility, recognition and brand reinforcement to a business of any size. But I think that's especially true for a small business. These days, it is even harder to get covered by the news media. Why? There are fewer and fewer full-time reporters or producers working at traditional media companies. That's because there are fewer listeners, readers or watchers of those channels. (I blame those new-media online sources like SmallBusiness.com.)




Some public relations tips from the experts


Recently, Anna Issac, writing for the Telegraph, asked several public relations experts for their tips to small businesses who hope to gain recognition in their targeted media (be it, hometown or the industry in which they work).




“The reality is that you have about four lines to pique their interest, and if you spend that time not getting to the point of your story, you will have lost them…Don't force a story to tie in with a national or global event – it almost always sounds as if it has been.”


(Shauna McCarthy, Edelman)




“Translating your drive, energy and confidence in a written press release can be hard. Keep it simple, refreshing and to the point. If you get this right, journalists will write and readers will engage with you and talk about you….Stay away from unrealistic clichés such as 'groundbreaking' or 'world's first'. Save them for the cure for cancer.”


(Jenny Tod, Marlin PR)




“It also helps to begin your approach by following journalists on Twitter, to get a sense of what interests them, then start talking to them about it. And be persistent; building relationships with journalists can take months, or even years.”


(Zoe Amar, Zoe Amar Communications)




For more tips, see: the Telegraph”PR tips for small businesses”

Thursday, November 17, 2016

The On-Demand Economy Takes Flight (With Drones)



DroneBase, a startup that delivers aerial data and video to business clients has announced a new on-demand model for drone owners and businesses in need of aerial footage called Pilot Program. The model will allow owners of drones manufactured by the China-based company DJI to find work nearby where they can fly 10-minute missions, upload the results and get paid if a DroneBase client wants to buy the info.




“By connecting idle pilots with  businesses that need drone video, DroneBase can change flying an unmanned aerial vehicle from a hobby into work and equip businesses with aerial data without them having to own drones and build its business too,” according to Josh Constine of TechCrunch.


Currently, DroneBase is used by clients to track progress at their work sites, measure areas and resources, verify insurance claims on roofs, shoot aerial marketing footage of properties and more. Clients just input their needs and DroneBase dispatches a pilot with all the skills and hardware necessary to get the job done.


According to DroneBase CEO and co-founder Dan Burton, DroneBase is the world's first global-scale drone service and pilot network, actively flying in all 50 US states, over 30 countries. With the launch of Pilot Program, “DroneBase now has 1,000,000+ commercial activities our pilots can do with their drones,” says Burton. “Our mission is to provide air support for every business.”


According to Burton, standardizing the drones to DJI models, “removes hardware as a variable.” says Burton. DJI is also an investor in the company.




Photos: DroneBase

Turkeys Who Literally Can't Even Right Now

It's a dicey time for turkeys.



Slicey and dicey.



Political uncertainty and upcoming holiday dinners have left many of them with the inability to even. No matter how hard they try, these turkeys simply can't even.



-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Gallup's Economic Confidence Index Surges After Election | 2016



Gallup's U.S. Economic Confidence Index, an average of how Americans rate current economic conditions and whether they feel the economy is improving or getting worse, surged 13 points after last week's Presidential election.  Americans' confidence in the U.S. economy increased sharply, moving from a slightly negative evaluation (-10) to a slightly positive one (+3). Gallup's U.S. Economic Confidence Index had been consistently negative throughout the year leading up to the election. According to a Gallup report issued today (November 15, 2016), the increase in economic confidence mostly stems from Republicans' more positive views after Republican Donald Trump won the election. Gallup has previously noted that Americans view the economy through a political lens. Republicans have had a dismal view of the economy - especially of its future direction - during Democratic President Barack Obama's two terms.




The election of Trump has transformed the way Republicans and Democrats view the economy, particularly in their assessments of whether it is getting better or worse.




Republicans' Economic Outlook Improves Substantially


Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents Outlook on the Economy the Week Before the Election


16% | Percentage of Republicans saying the economy was getting better

81% | Percentage of Republicans saying the economy was getting worse


Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents Outlook on the Economy the Week After the Election


49% | Percentage of Republicans saying the economy was getting better

44% | Percentage of Republicans saying the economy was getting worse




Democrats and Democratic-leaning Independents Outlook on the Economy The Week Before the Election


61% | Percentage of Democrats saying the economy was getting better

35% | Percentage of Democrats saying the economy was getting worse


Democrats and Democratic-leaning Independents Outlook on the Economy The Week After the Election


46% | Percentage of Democrats saying the economy was getting better

47% | Percentage of Democrats saying the economy was getting worse




Gallup notes, however, “It's too early to say whether these are sustainable gains in confidence. But in the immediate future, Trump's victory has improved his party's confidence in the economy. Barring any major events, it is likely that Republicans will shift to a positive index score once the incoming president takes office, while Democrats' confidence will take a hit.”


 


Thinkstock

Monday, November 14, 2016

U.S. Small Retailers Expect Strong Holiday Sales Season | 2016



“Small retailers” and “middle market retailers” are optimistic about holiday sales and predict growth for the fourth quarter and into 2017, according to the American Express Holiday Growth Pulse. (For the survey, “small retailers” refers to companies with fewer than 100 employees with at least $250,000 in sales. “Middle market” refers to retailers with $10 million to $1 billion in annual revenues.)




Optimistic that stockings will be filled with goodies


59% | Percentage of small retailers who predict holiday sales will be stronger compared to last year

34% | 2016 holiday sales predict they will be roughly the same as last year


77% | Percentage of middle market retailers who plan to hire additional staff for the holidays

31% | Percentage of small retailers who plan to add staff for the holidays


Retailers feel the pressure to discount


Given the importance of the holiday season, small retailers are putting a great deal of effort into making sure they see strong results. Small retailers feel they will need to offer sales and promotions during the holiday sales season.


64% | Percentage of small retailers who expect to discount and use sales promotions

58% | Percentage of small retailers who expect to start offering holiday discounts the same time as last year

42% | Percentage of small retailers who expect to start offering holiday discounts earlier than last year


Retailers increasing social media use this holiday seasons


89% | Percentage of small retailers who will utilize social media this holiday season

81% | Of those using social media, the percentage using Facebook




ThinkStock