These five free courses will teach you how to resolve conflicts and communicate effectively with others. By: Jamie Johnson , Contributor Managing people isn’t easy, but with the right resources, you can build skills in conflict resolution, communication, and leadership. Let’s look at five online classes you can audit or take for free. Coursera: “Conflict…

Startups hiring new employees have to make sure the correct paperwork is in order. From W-4s to direct deposit forms, here’s what you need to start onboarding. By: Callie Cook , Contributor Hiring your first employees is an exciting milestone for any growing business. But before your new team members get to work, it’s important…

Brand communities are invaluable for growing customer loyalty, and these 10 tools can help you facilitate and moderate these communities. By: Emily Heaslip , Contributor A brand community, or connected group of fans of your brand, can boost customer loyalty, improve word-of-mouth marketing, and help your brand uncover key insights that improve your business performance.…

Small businesses can tap into app-based platforms like DoorDash, Uber, and Instacart to reach new customers, scale their operations, and thrive in a flexible economy. By: Julianna Lopez , Contributor Most consumers have heard of (and likely use) app-based platforms like Uber, Grubhub, DoorDash, and Instacart to make everyday life more convenient. However, many may…

If you’ve ever parented a teenager, you know talking back is not to be celebrated. But when it comes to your business website, talking back is the next big trend. Most websites feel like digital brochures. You scroll, you click, you squint at tiny menus-and if you can’t find what you’re looking for in 20…

Let’s make sure your digital front door isn’t just decorative. A good website looks nice. A great website works hard. At the KANSO creative, we meet a lot of small business owners who invested in a website years ago-but haven’t touched it since. Is Your Website a Sales Tool or Just an Online Brochure? What…

How does your small business’s social media strategy stack up? Take this quiz to test your knowledge of social media basics. By: Nicole Fallon , Contributor Social media can be a powerful marketing tool, but only if you use it correctly. A solid strategy helps you connect with your audience, meet business goals, and get…

You’ve polished your website, perfected your elevator pitch, and your product or service genuinely solves real problems. Yet somehow, you keep attracting the wrong customers-the ones who haggle over every penny, make unreasonable demands, or disappear after one purchase. Meanwhile, your dream clients seem to float past, elusive, visiting but not buying. Why? As in…

Unless you’ve been living under a rock it’s difficult to avoid all the posts about school starting back up again and summer being over. Why do those events matter? It means we’re quickly approaching Q4 and that is the perfect time to review what has gone well for you this year and what has been…

A new Chamber report finds that almost 60% of small businesses say they are using artificial intelligence for business operations, more than double from 2023. Top Takeaways: 8-in-10 small business owners credit technology with helping them cope with inflation and supply chain disruption and improving access to capital. 82% of small businesses using AI increased…