Small businesses sense that the economy is in a much better state. In a recent survey1, more firms are planning to start increasing hires as they feel more confident in the economy and employment. The confidence index this quarter rose to 105.1 from 98.8 during the last quarter of last year. The result was taken from more than 1,850 small business chief executives.
More than half of the firms (57%) said that they are planning to ramp up hiring. Despite the boost of confidence, CEO’s and many businesses do not see that the economy will return to pre-recession levels. 84% of the firms stated that their businesses learned to be more productive with less people.
Though 5% percent of the respondents this year see that the economy has worsened, the survey showed that 60% of the respondents said that the economy was very much improved from last year. This is substantial given that when the index was compiled a year ago, only 41% of the businesses said that they were in a much better state. More companies and businesses are looking forward to investing in new plants and equipment with expectations of improved profitability.
Peter Lee, CEO of New York based WireWalkersVA, thinks that the economy has indeed improved though he cautions that “ultimately how one’s own business is doing is really what matters and not the median or average.” In his company, Peter believes that people has always been their biggest investment and asset; and, they do plan to hire 20 to 35% more in the upcoming quarter.
In particular, the SEO, social media and web development industries remain continuously stable and improving – as, no matter the overall state of the economy, every well managed business is continuously trying to improve their web site traffic and lead generation capabilities. Peter adds, “No matter what the economy we always feel like we’re going to do well because there’s always strong demand for services like ours that help companies get more business.”
Business professionals love LinkedIn. LinkedIn was created from the ground up as a business-related networking site and has become the de facto site for business and professional purposes – such as professional networking; joining professional, industry and special interest groups; and the pursuit of career connections, growth and opportunities.
This video will explore how to set up your LinkedIn profile, how to set up your identity and how to utilize some great LinkedIn features to begin to understand and take advantage of the potential of this great resource.
Note: To learn more, please also check out the related content links we’ve provided below the video.
Did you know? That you can use YouTube for your business? That YouTube is not only for entertainment videos but a way for you to connect and interact with your possible and existing customers? Indeed (on both counts).
Note: To learn more, please also check out the related content links we’ve provided below the video.
Google+ is one of the most powerful social media networking sites available today. It can be used to promote your business or to gain followers to most of your social media accounts. (Google+ encourages the cross promotion of social media sites such as YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and even Twitter.)
On this video, you’ll discover the basic features and benefits of signing up for Google+. This video will also show that Google+ – if used properly – can be a very effective and functional tool for networking , trust building, traffic generation and lead conversions.
Note: To learn more, please also check out the related content links we’ve provided below the video.
You’ve created a Facebook Fan page for your business. Now what? Well, there are over 800 million members on Facebook and now is the time to take advantage of this exciting and flexible medium to build the social trust, engagement and interactivity that will put your business head and shoulders above the competition.
On this video, we’ll take a closer look on how you can create a great Facebook fan page; how to improve your page to attract more fans; and how to better interact and engage with your followers/fans.
Note: To learn more, please also check out the related content links we’ve provided below the video.
You either already love Twitter or you’re wondering exactly what Twitter is and how can you actually utilize this social medium to promote your business, generate traffic to your website and improve your business networking.
In this video, you’ll learn the basics on signing up to Twitter; how to handle your Twitter account for business; how to get more followers; who to follow; what to tweet; and of course, how to ignite those social interactions that will increase your Twitter reputation, social relevance and business significance.
Note: To learn more, please also check out the related content links we’ve provided below the video.
Looking for more Twitter related content? Check these pages out!