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From the President: Try Something New
Sometimes it’s exciting and fun to try something new. Other times, it’s downright scary.
But as most entrepreneurs know, you have to test out new ideas to keep your business moving forward.
I think this issue of Self-Employed will give you a handful of new ideas worth a look.
Want to try different marketing strategies? Check out the article about eco-marketing on Page 8.
If you need more marketing tools at your fingertips, turn to Page 6 and read about the NASE benefits available to help you save on direct mail, online marketing and more.
Are you a road warrior who wants to be more productive during frequent business trips? Don’t miss our article on Page 10. You’ll learn how new technology—from smart phones to cloud computing—makes it possible for you to work from anywhere at anytime.
Whether you travel constantly or work from a comfy home office, it’s worth your time to look into the resources offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The agency provides training, networking, counseling and more—much of it free. You can read about the programs on Page 26.
The NASE Members featured in our cover article on Page 16 tried something totally out of the box—they applied for one of our business development grants. Then, using the funds from the grants, they improved their businesses by upgrading equipment and launching Web sites. The result? Increased business all around.
I’m proud that the NASE was able to award more than $95,000 to 20 of our members. The grants provide recipients with up to $5,000, a significant amount of working capital for any micro-business. You could be the next NASE grant recipient. Find out how to apply on Page 17.
I hope you’ll apply for a grant. And I hope you’ll take advantage of the other benefits offered through the NASE. We’re doing all we can to give you new tools and new ideas for business success.
Sincerely,
Robert Hughes