The Small Business Administration has raised the limits for 504 and 7a programs, along with relaxing some requirements. Since the SBA doesn’t actually make the loans (banks do) and doesn’t have to service them or carry them on their books (banks do), it remains to be seen if this will launch a renaissance in small business lending or is just another feel good photo op.
Category: Tools and Information
Green Tip | Disposing of Expired or Unused Prescription Drugs
I was cleaning out my medicine cabinet and found a lot of old expired drugs. Since none were resellable (just kidding), I wondered what to do with them. My first instinct was to flush them, but according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board:
The U.S. Geological Survey in 2002 sampled streams in 30 states. Of the 139 streams tested, 80 percent had measurable concentrations of prescription and nonprescription drugs, steroids, and reproductive hormones.
Exposure to even low levels of drugs has negative effects on fish and other aquatic species, and also may negatively affect human health.
The best way to get rid of old medications is to take them to a pick up center that can take household hazardous waste. If you live in California, this link will help you find the location closest to you.
If you live too far from a collection point, the Board of Pharmacy has this little ditty called, ‘Don’t Flush Meds’ for you do-it-yourselfers out there.
29 Ways to Collect Email Addresses for Your Business | Vertical Response
Need more people? Here’s a great practical article on finding new people for your e-mail database.
Cell Phone Numbers Go Public This Month
Thanks to Norm MacKenzie for this.
All cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls. You will be charged for these calls.
To prevent this, call the the National Do Not Call List from your cell phone at 888-382-1222. Registering will block calls to your number for five years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.
HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON .. It takes only takes about a minute to register.
U.S. Department of Energy Announce SBIRs Grants |U.S. Department of Energy
DOE Announces $37 Million for
Small Business Research and Technology
Funding Emphasizes Investment in Clean Energy Technologies and Job Creation
Washington, DC— U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that $37 million in funding from the Recovery Act will be made available to qualified small businesses through the Department’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Today’s funding announcement emphasizes the Department’s commitment to developing near-term, clean energy technologies while allowing small businesses take part in the new industrial revolution that the sustainable energy economy will bring.
Continue reading “U.S. Department of Energy Announce SBIRs Grants |U.S. Department of Energy”
Internet Marketing: How-to | thinkingserious.com
Our friend Elmer Thomas of Thinking Serious has come up with one of the most exhaustive lists for anyone thinking about internet marketing that I’ve seen. It’s some nice work and you will benefit from reading it.
The 30 Free SEO Tools You Must Know | SEOptimise.com
If you’re struggling to understand how to optimize your website, this article discusses some cool tools (or to use the author’s phrase, ‘tools that don’t suck’) for improving your hits and click through.
Tip of the hat to Elmer Thomas for this great reference.
Twitter for Business | Flite New Media
“When I first heard about Twitter—a tool for instantly broadcasting the minutiae of your day and following the trifles of others—I couldn’t imagine a bigger waste of time.”
If this was your first reaction, check out this article.
FACEBOOK FAIL: How to Use Facebook Privacy Settings and Avoid Disaster | Mashable
A great article about segmenting your friend lists to keep your personal and business life separate.
5 Easy Things to Test to Get a Better Response in Your Email Marketing Campaigns | Vertical Response
Testing something new or changing something seemingly small in your email campaigns can definitely tell you something about how your recipients will respond. You’ll either get more open & clicks or you won’t. But you won’t know until you try.
Testing something new can SEEM like a lot of work but it’s really not. If you’re going to create an email marketing campaign anyway, it’s just three more tiny steps.
One: Make a copy of the campaign you’re creating
Two: Change a little part of the campaign (see below)
Three: Test with a small portion of your list or split your list in two
These three simple steps could get you a better response to your next email campaign and it takes just minutes for you to do. Unleash the mad scientist in you with these 5 easy things to test within your next email marketing campaign.
Continue reading “5 Easy Things to Test to Get a Better Response in Your Email Marketing Campaigns | Vertical Response”
Dispatches From The Front 