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There was big news from Google and GoDaddy this week. And those are just two of the news items with implications for small businesses recently. The Small Business Trends editorial team brings you some of the headlines that could impact your small business in a big way in our weekly small business news roundup.
Online Marketing
No More Phrase and Exact Keyword Match in AdWords
Holy smokes! Google has effectively killed off both the Exact and Phrase keyword match types in AdWords.
GoDaddy Acquires Email Marketing Service Mad Mimi
GoDaddy is adding another tool to its suite of small business services. Once known as just a place to buy domain names and website hosting, GoDaddy says that its latest acquisition – the email marketing service Mad Mimi – further shows its commitment to small businesses.
Finance
Square Expands Its Cash Advance Service for Small Businesses
Square is expanding its cash advance service for small businesses. The mobile point of sales provider says new funding will allow it to advance more money to more small businesses soon.
Square Appointments Assists You With Your Bookings
Square has introduced Square Appointments to its suite of services. Square Appointments gives businesses the ability to book clients quickly through an online or mobile app.
Email Marketing
Phil Hill of Flashissue: Turning Gmail into an Email Marketing Platform
Sending emails and doing email marketing campaigns are two completely different things. But with many small businesses living in Gmail today, being able to do full blown email campaigns right from within the popular app may be just what many entrepreneurs need to efficiently execute more successful marketing interactions.
Local Marketing
Study Shows Consumers Prefer Shopping in a Store, Not Online
Good news for small retailers. Consumers of all ages still prefer physical stores to eCommerce shopping, according to a study by A.T. Kearney.
This Guy Promotes an Entire Town Online
Charles Town, W. Va. didn’t have much of an online presence before Van Applegate showed up. Now, the town and all of its local merchants have found a way to truly benefit from technology, promoting their town online.
Research
Nostalgia Makes People Spend More, Study Finds
A recent study shows something marketers and business owners have believed all along. Nostalgia is not only persuasive in a marketing message, it actually makes customers willing to spend more.
Mobile Trends
New Shopping App Connects Fashion Brands With Mobile Customers
Mobile technology is catching on with the online shopping crowd. But mobile storefronts are still not nearly as common as online storefronts. Part of the reason behind this has to do with access.
Small Biz Spotlight
Spotlight: Technovation Shows Technology in Actual Room Settings
Did you ever wish that as a buyer, you could see and experience the tech solutions that could help you run your business — in action? Gathered in one place?
Small Business Operations
51 Franchised UPS Stores Hacked, Possible Data Breach
If you used a credit card to pay for services or products at The UPS Store this year, your private information may have been hacked.
LLCs are a Hot New Trend Among Sole Proprietors
Unless you are an accountant specializing in small business, you may not be aware of a new trend in the world of sole proprietorships: registering with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a limited liability company (LLC).
Social Media
Users Aren’t Happy That Twitter Now Reweets Favorites and Follows
A new Twitter experiment shares favorites and follows in others’ Twitter streams as if they were retweets – and a vocal group of users aren’t too thrilled about the idea.
Technology
HTC Flagship Phone Now Has Windows Phone 8.1 Version
HTC has announced the launch of the HTC One M8 for Windows 8.1. The company claims the phone is the first example of a flagship device being offered with two different operating systems.
HP Stream 14 Is Windows Answer to The Chromebook
The HP Stream 14 runs Windows but will sell for just $199. As trends show increased adoption of the Chromebook by small businesses, Hewlett-Packard offers its own inexpensive laptop with cloud storage features, running a more familiar operating system to business users, which is the HP Stream 14.
Chromebook Sales Will Rise As Businesses Adopt Cloud Technology
Chromebook sales are on the rise. And their use in the business community is expected to contribute to their continued popularity. New research shows that sales of Chromebook devices rose sharply last year and will continue on that trend in the near future.
Tiny Polaroid Cube Records HD Video On-The-Go
Polaroid has introduced a new camera that can go just about anywhere with you. The Polaroid Cube is only 35mm tall, wide, and deep … a true cube. It’s capable of shooting 90 minutes of 1080p HD video on a single charge.
swivelCard: One Part Business Card, One Part USB Drive
swivelCard, at first glance, looks like a basic business card made of thick cardstock. But the innovative feature is the card’s ability to fold up and become a USB drive.
Funding
Venture Capitalists Now Search Crowdfunding Sites for Opportunities
When crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo began taking off, some thought they would make venture capitalists obsolete. That has not been the case so far. Crowdfunding sites have actually served as an opportunity for professional investors to easily find new startups to fund.
Product Lists
Top 100 Small Business Podcasts: 2014 Edition
As the years roll on, podcasts still continue to be popular. We’re excited to announce the 5th Annual Top 100 Small Business Podcasts 2014 Edition.
Reading Photo via Shutterstock
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