Try some fee-based electronic resources--Free!

TryIt! Illinois is a program provided by the Illinois State Library, offering free access to a number of fee-based electronic resources for the months of October and November. The business related databases include Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage, Morningstar Investment Research Center, Ebsco's Business Source Complete, Gale's Business and Company Resource Center, to name just a few. There are also resources in Public Affairs, Religion & Philosophy, Social Sciences, Careers, Children's, Consumer Affairs and more.

Participating in this trial requires a login name and password. All residents of Illinois can ask for the name and password, but rules of the trial prohibit posting them on any blogs or listservs. So, please e-mail the Reference Department at the Evanston Public Library, or call 847-448-8630, or use the Instant Messaging feature on the Research Page of EPL's website. You can also go directly to the TryIt! page, where you will see contact information for the coordinator of this trial at the Illinois State Library.

Social Networking Tools Part III

As a small business, you can use sites like Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn to increase the size and scope of your network, and to increase your web visibility. The more sites there are in cyberspace that include your name and link back to your web site or blog, the better it is for your company and your marketing plan. If you create a YouTube video, have some conversation with any commenters, and post links to the video on your blog or Facebook page. Use Twitter to post "tweets" that will entice readers to your blog. Two articles that explain ways to use these tools are "Boosting Your Sales with Social Networking," by Elaine Appleton Grant in the March 25, 2008 online version of U.S. News and World Report, and, "Are Social Networking Sites Useful for Small Business," by Karen E. Klein in Business Week, August 6, 2008.

You can also monitor sites like Twitter and Yelp to find out if people are talking about your company. If someone posts a complaint or negative comment, you can respond right away, as Comcast's customer service department made news doing earlier this year. The rewards for the investment of your time in networking tools include satisfied customers, and a reputation for good customer service.

Social networking tools for Small Business, Part II

YouTube can be a useful marketing tool for small businesses, provided it is done well. A useful article found on Hubspot.com, "6 Tips for Making a Business Marketing Video," gives you some great advice for making a professional-looking and effective video. Among the points made by the author, Catie Foertsch, are these: use a script, use effective lighting, don't use the built-in microphone on your camera, frame your face (or your product) well, be yourself, and most importantly, end with a "call to action." That is, remind your viewer how to contact you for the chance to take advantage of your great product or service.

Another useful article, including examples of memorable videos, is "How to Market on YouTube," by Stephan Spencer for MarketingProfs.com: more good advice on making YouTube work for you, too.

And finally, you need to get your video noticed. As Stephan Spencer's article mentions, tagging appropriately is important: spread your tags out among your clips; use adjectives to make your videos more visible to folks searching based on their mood; have some category descriptor tags (bearing in mind that YouTube's default search settings are Videos, Relevance and All Categories); match your title and description with your most important tags; and don't use natural language phrases or waste tag space on words like "and" or "to."

In addition to appropriate tagging, you may want to contact the folks at NorthShoreInsider.com, Chicago's North Shore Insider Guide & Video Directory. Their mission, according to their website, is to "[h]elp community businesses increase their profitability within the communities they serve," and they do this by posting local business videos and directories.

Social Networking Tools for Small Business, Part I

Networking has always played an important role in small business marketing. Now web-based social networking tools have created new ways to reach your audience. You've probably heard of Flickr, the photo sharing site, but have you wondered if you could use it in your business? Here is an excellent article from the blog, Small Business Search Marketing, that can get you started. With the new networking tools come new networking rules, and this article has practical advice on how to follow those rules to get the most out of your Flickr account.

If you're thinking of selling, or buying, a small business...

These are difficult economic times, but if you are trying to decide whether or not to sell your small business, this article about Skokie business, Schaefer's Wines, Foods & Spirits, in the August 5, 2008, Chicago Tribune, says that the economy should not deter you. Of course it also means that you should not be deterred from buying a small business in this economy either!

It does take planning, however, and Evanston Public Library has some resources that might help: Sell your business your way : getting out, getting rich, and getting on with your life, by Heather Linton, and Valuing your business : strategies to maximize the sale price, by Frederick D. Lipman, The complete guide to buying a business, published by Nolo Press .

The Small Business Administration also has some advice for you in its Small Business Planner, including information about seller financing; things to consider when taking your business public; and a checklist of items that must be written on the sales agreement.

What's in a business name?

Naming, or branding, your business is an important step in the start-up process. In this article from the March 17, 2008 issue of the Wall Street Journal, Suzanne Barlyn reports on issues to consider when selecting a unique name. And don't forget to include researching the legal issues involved in the naming process. Inc.com summarizes what you need to know.

Skokie innovator's new web application creates virtual call centers

Answering the call

Skokie telecom hopes to create a buzz with phone solutions
July 29, 2008

BY SANDRA GUY sguy@suntimes.com

Skokie tech innovator Ifbyphone is giving marketers and small businesses a fast, cheap, Web-based way to set up a virtual call center in the form of an application to be unveiled at the digital Ad:tech conference in Chicago next week.

Trader Joe's coming to Evanston?

Grocer may be in store for Evanston downtown

By Brian Cox Special to the Chicago Tribune
10:08 PM CDT, July 28, 2008

Evanston aldermen have begun to open the door for a Trader Joe's grocery store to set up shop...

Metered parking may be extended

Panel eyes limited 4-hour parking

July 24,
By BOB SEIDENBERG
bseidenberg@pioneerlocal.com
The city is exploring whether to extend metered parking to four hours in some areas in response to long-voiced concerns from restaurant patrons and others about the current two-hour limits...

New books at EPL

Check out some of the new titles at the Evanston Public Library:

Web marketing for small businesses : 7 steps to explosive business growth, Diamond, Stephanie. Sourcebooks, Inc., c2008.

The complete guide to working for yourself : everything the self-employed need to know about taxes, recordkeeping, and other laws, Williams, Beth. Atlantic Publishing Group, c2008.