SmallBusinessNewz

Google + Business Profiles and Updates to Place Pages

Small businesses should be aware of two major developments from Google. For starters, I don't know if you've been keeping up with all of the Google+ news, but the company has been shutting down the profiles of those that have been created for businesses. Right now, Google doesn't want businesses using the service in its current incarnation (which is still in testing mode). 

Google Allows Businesses To Respond To Reviews

Whether your approach to a bad review is to apologize or go berserk (or something in between), Google's made it possible for business owners to have their say.  Owners can now respond to reviews posted on the Place Pages of Google Maps.

The Online Yellow Pages Undergo Some Changes

Is YellowPages.com a significant source of business for you? If so, you may be interested to know that the site has been rebranded today as YP.com, with what AT&T Interactive calls its next-gen local search experience.

Google Reviews Get More Specific

In most cases, increased accuracy works in everybody's favor, and the situation's no different when it comes to reviews.  Small business owners should be pleased to know, then, that Google Place Pages now allow for people to rate multiple aspects of a company.

Yelp To Let Businesses Talk Back

Bad reviews can do serious damage to a company's reputation, and small companies are especially vulnerable because they're likely to receive fewer other reviews to balance things out.  So small business owners should be happy to hear that, starting next week, they'll be allowed to respond to negative reviews on Yelp.

Business Book Review: Tuned In

I was lucky enough to be given a preview copy of a great new book by Craig Stull, Phil Myers, and David Meerman Scott called Tuned In.

Yelp Helps Small Businesses with Review Management

One of the biggest gripes small businesses have about local review sites is that not all of them provide an opportunity to respond to a customer complaint. Popular review site Yelp is hoping to address that issue with the launch of a new set of tools to help business owners manage their Yelp profile. Along with new features, such as…

A Must-Read for Reputation Management

Andy Beal and Dr. Judy Strauss have a new book out with the great title Radically Transparent. It's a must-read for anyone concerned about their reputation, in these days of online conversations that can lift up or submerge your brand image in a matter of minutes.

The Top Five Names in Accounting Software

When choosing the accounting software to use when running your business, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration, but you can pretty much rely on one of the following brands to provide you with what you need.