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Need Money for Your Small Business? Here’s What You Need to Know About SBA’s Patriot Pitch Competition The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has launched the Patriot Pitch Competition, a national pitch contest designed to spotlight innovative small businesses across the country. The competition includes a $1 million cash prize pool funded by Clover Network,…

How to Turn One Happy Customer Into Three New Leads Hopefully, your happiest customers are already doing some marketing for you. Maybe they’re mentioning your business to a neighbor or tagging you in a post. Perhaps they’ve told a friend, “You should call them.” The problem is that most small businesses leave those moments to…

Networking With Other Entrepreneurs: Why It Matters and How to Do It Right Networking is one of the best ways to increase your opportunities as a business owner. Here’s how to build a strong network. By: Jamie Johnson , Contributor A solid professional network can lead to new clients and opportunities you wouldn’t find on your…

User-Generated Content: What It Is and How to Use It for Your Business Learn how user‑generated content builds trust, boosts engagement, improves SEO, and helps small businesses grow through authentic customer voices and visuals. By: Justina Luther , Contributor As a small business owner, word-of-mouth referrals are one of your company’s strongest assets. In the…

Why the Benefits of Cybersecurity Go Beyond Safety     A new study suggests that addressing security can build customer trust and boost financial performance. By: Erica Sweeney , Contributor   Customer data, cloud systems, email, and software are all essential tools for small businesses. So it’s important to safeguard these systems — and the data…

One of the Most Affordable (and effective!) Ways to Advertise Your Business Marketing gets expensive fast. Even social media, which used to be one of the cheapest avenues for exposure, requires paid placement these days. But while social media is still affordable, and targeting is pretty good, if you don’t choose your audience effectively, you’re…

Smart Ways to Use Summer Interns in Any Business Summer is a great time to consider the advantage of temporary labor. You know that project you’ve been putting off? How about the organization structure you wanted to build? What about that technology trial? Or maybe there’s something you’ve been doing that could easily be managed…

Caldwell County Economic Development Celebrates Industry at Banquet  LENOIR, NC — At this year’s Industry Appreciation Banquet, local leaders, businesses, and partners were recognized for their contributions to economic growth, community advancement, and workforce development. Herman Anderson Award The Herman Anderson Award was presented to Alan Merck for his long-standing impact on economic development and infrastructure improvement in the region.…

7 Ways to Capture Tax Refund Dollars This Month Tax refund season creates a short spending window. The IRS writes that most refunds are issued within 21 days, and people can start checking status shortly after e-filing through the IRS refund tracker. In other words, your future customers are getting a little breathing room in…

How Real Stories Are Boosting Business Sales Social media is filled with perfect lives—you don’t see the dirty dishes in the sink, or the tears shed. You see the wins and the brags. The same is true of many social media accounts for business. As business owners we want to show our best selves. Anything…