Each week, OPEN Forum's editors round up the most compelling entrepreneurial news and advice from our contributors and others. Here are this week’s highlights:
How To Reward Employees Without Giving Them Money
Money comes and goes. But the feeling of real, special recognition? Well, that’ll stay with your employees for quite some time. With that knowledge, Mike Michalowicz gives us an amazing list of 51 ways to reward employees without giving them money.
Why You Need To Friend Potential Customers Before Selling Them
With the rise of social media, business owners and marketers have millions of potential customers, literally, at their fingertips. So it’s tempting—really tempting—to get out there and sell, sell, sell. Yet, as Chris Brogan explains, “If all you sell me is ‘buy now,’ I’m likely to wander off because I don’t need that service at that time.” That’s why the best approach, according to Brogran, is to friend first, sell later.
Small Retailers’ Outlook On The Economy
In our first OPEN Forum-created infographic, we take a look at how company size affects small retailers’ outlook on the economy.
We all know Groupon is a behemoth, what with its multi-billion-dollar valuation and its position as the leader in the booming daily-deal industry. Still, not every business owner is pleased with the onslaught of “Groupon groupies” that can overwhelm a business following a deal offer. Enter Village Vines, a New York City-based startup that helps restaurants fill excess inventory while offering consumers up to 30 percent off their meals for off-peak dining times. In his most recent OPEN Forum post, Mike Periu explains why, for restaurant owners, Village Vines is a better alternative to Groupon.
Is Your Accountant Telling You Everything?
Possibly not, writes Barbara Weltman. So with time running out before Tax Day, make sure you take a look at the three things your accountant may not be telling you.
How To Create An Awesome Facebook Fan Page
From Bare Escentuals to Zappos, Inc.com takes a look at 20 companies with awesome Facebook Fan Pages and offers tips on how any business can build brand loyalty on the world’s most popular social network.
