Igniting Business Blog

Your logo is arguably the most recognizable part of your business. People know who Pepsi and McDonalds are due to their iconic logos and their tie to their brand and products. But that doesn't mean you're limited to your original logo design. Logos, just like websites, have trends that can change year-to-year. If you're feeling it's time to give your logo a facelift, here are some design trends surfacing in 2018.

When customers search for a local business on Google, sometimes they have unanswered questions in their mind. Questions that, if answered, may capture their business. If left unanswered, these searchers may turn to another provider who successfully answers their question – this can all happen before the customer even decides to reach out to the potential vendor!  Google noticed the need for a Q&A section and added one for companies listed on Google My Business (GMB). As a small business owner using GMB, it's important to stay up-to-date on new tools like this and learn how to use them effectively. Let's go through some key elements your small business needs to know about Google My Business's Q&A feature.

It's easy to assume that being a small business, you'll be easily overlooked by hackers and other criminals, but sadly, that's not the case.

Social media continues to play a major role in the way we conduct our personal and business lives. Your peers and favorite organizations use social media to promote ideas and share with the global community. Additionally, successful brands use social media to shape their business's growth and connect with their customers. Your small business should follow suit to reach users and achieve results with your social media pages.

In a recent blog, we talked about how to budget for IT upgrades in your small business, but what if you can find the funds for those large investments? 

Almost everyone has a preferred method of learning new information, even if they don't completely realize nor understand their own effective learning style. Some people are visual learners and create connections with photos, videos, and media. Others need to read and follow written text in anecdotal or guided steps to gather information. If your small business wants to reach a wider audience, then it will need to deliver valuable content in a variety of formats. Delivering content in all the ways your users prefer to learn, ultimately, means you will capture a larger audience.

When it comes to the business world, having a strong business card is the key to starting new relationships. From networking with possible clients, connecting with business professionals in your industry, contacting leads, recruiting new hires, using the right business card puts you and your business at an advantage. A specially designed business card can help promote your business uniquely, and set you apart from competitors. Here are some key reasons why having a distinguished business card is the right decision for everyone.

Join us in welcoming a new team member, Walter Sewell. As a veteran, Walter served in the United States Marine Corps and the Missouri National Guard. During his time with the Guard, Walter decided to pursue a career in the Information Technology industry. Walter has his CompTIA IT A+ certification and currently working on Centriq Training, the CCNA Routing and Switching certification, and CompTIA Security+ certification. Walter will be joining our team in the Lee’s Summit office, providing superior IT service, maintenance, and troubleshooting to our small business clients throughout the Kansas City metro.  Walter’s passion from IT stems from how quickly technology advances and he enjoys troubleshooting to resolve complex issues and building custom desktop computers.

No matter what business you're in, online marketing success depends on good graphics. Visual displays decide everything from consumers' faith in your website's legitimacy to the likelihood of a product's reliability. One of the most important graphical elements to include on your website, your e-commerce platform, and any video thumbnails is properly executed and relevant images of people. 

We posted recently about the importance of embracing and upgrading IT in your small business, but how do you find the cash to actually implement those needed upgrades?  Small businesses have tight profit margins. If you're entering periods of new growth, it can be even harder to forecast your future profits and use them as a guideline for internal spending and improvements. But a budget helps regulate IT expenses and helps set your small business goals for the year.