Small Business News

As competition in the digital marketing space continues to heat up, USA Today Network, part of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), has rolled out a new service called LOCALiQ, which aims to help small businesses better reach and market to local consumers on any digital platform they may be on.

With LOCALiQ, small businesses looking to solidify and improve their digital marketing operations will now be able to use the Network’s various marketing solutions to reach customers, and also access data-supported marketing strategies across mobile, web search and social media platforms.

“This is a new service available at the national level that helps small businesses reach consumers locally,” a media outreach partner for Gannett, which owns USA TODAY and over 100 other local media properties, told Small Business Trends in an email communication.

The new digital marketing service from USA Today Network introduces LOCALiQ Grader audit tool, which lets small businesses audit their online marketing presence against competitors and receive suggestions on marketing spend to reach the best return on investment (ROI).

Additionally, LOCALiQ combines these solutions with existing online and offline advertising offerings such as newspa

Read more: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmallBusinessTrends/~3/wwuOPQe5XkA/localiq-small-business-local-marketing.html

Did you know the cost of hiring a new employee can be as much as $7,645? In his exploration of the costs associated with hiring and training new recruits, Amr Ibrahim, CEO of ULTATEL, a telecom solutions provider, cites an Industrial Distribution report titled ‘Distribution Hiring Process: The $7,645 Letter’. The report claims that in the quest to recruit, screen and train new employees, small to medium sized businesses can spend as much as $7,645 per new recruit.

For many small businesses and startups that struggle with cashflow but need new employees to stay on top of business operations and to ultimately help them grow, spending as much as $7,645 sourcing, recruiting and training new members of staff, is quite a burden.

“The productivity of new employees doesn’t match the time and effort spent by companies searching for the right talent. While training and careful recruiting are important, business owners must boost efficiency among new employees in order for them to properly organize, delegate tasks and meet company goals,

Read more: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmallBusinessTrends/~3/n1T3_tAaufk/cost-of-hiring-a-new-employee-in-2018.html

Technology has given small restaurants tools to become more efficient and productive thus better able to compete against larger businesses — including chains and franchises. These same big chains have been early adopters of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions to improve and streamline their operations. And now, AI delivered through the cloud is also available to small restaurant owners so they can reap the same benefits.

If you own a small restaurant, you might be asking why you need AI. And the answer is because you now operate in an environment where the competition is constantly targeting your customers. If you don’t do the same, your customer attrition rate will continue to increase as they get bombarded with more offers, incentives, loyalty programs and other promotions from the competition. Artificial Intelligence solutions will eventually be part of all restaurant operations. As an early adopter, you can take advantage of what the technology offers to increase your customer base.

Here are 7 AI enab

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In 2017, a staggering 43% of American workers spent at least some of the time working remotely. The benefits to both employers and employees of telecommunicating are prolific, but, at the same time, remote working is not without its challenges.

If you’re determined for your business to jump on the rapidly escalating telecommuting bandwagon and to reap the maximum rewards of having a mobile workforce, take a look at some of the highlights of HubSpot’s ‘The Ultimate Guide to Telecommuting’ report.

Saving on office space costs is one of the primary pros of having remote teams. According to HubSpot, office space for the average worker costs a whopping $11,000 a year, so just think of the savings you’d make by swapping extensive office leases for homeworking.

Then there’s the productivity perks of remote working, with a huge 91% of telecommuters admitting they are more productive working at home. And a more productive set of workers means one thing for your business – greater output, more sales and a more profitable venture.

That said, not all employees are adequately motivated working by the

Read more: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmallBusinessTrends/~3/NdU7z--aRIE/managing-telecommuters-small-business.html