One of the challenges of running a bar is conducting an inventory. This is because the inventory is fluid (pun intended) and very hard to keep track of if you are not on top of things. The new liquor inventory app from BarDog Technologies looks to simplify the process by matching the content of your shelf directly to the app, making it easier to track.

The BarDog app has a single user interface which lets you organize your inventory, count it, log purchases and view your gross margins. And you can do this no matter where you are, whether it is on your mobile device or desktop from remote locations.

According to the American Nightlife Association and based on IBISWorld data, there are around 70,000 locations primarily engaged in the retail sale of alcoholic drinks — and this doesn’t include restaurants. The industry is dominated by small businesses owned and operated by families. More than three quarters or 77.6 percent employ nine people or less. So the BarDog app is going to help many small businesses eliminate a labor-intensive task. In fact, one app user said just that.

Pete Sittnick, Managing Partner for Waterbar & EPIC Steak, San Francisco, said on BarDog’s official website, “BarDog takes an outdated process and simplifies it. This means less time doing low-value work, and fewer errors.”

The Bardog Bar Inventory App at Work

BarDog lets you create a master catalog to organize all of your inventory while at the same time remembering what’s on the shelf, the order size, who you ordered from and more. It matches your shelf directory with the mobile app so you can make quick counts on the go alone or simultaneously with your staff.

The reporting mechanism has a dashboard with counts, total values, pour cost, spend by category and other data you can import to a spreadsheet or PDF.

It also integrates your vendors and distributors with a list containing payment terms, the name of sales representatives and contact information.

Pricing and Availability

BarDog is now available with three different pricing structures. The Pup, which starts at $35 per month provides unlimited inventories, master catalog, purchase and transfer log and more for three users.

The Dog goes up to $99 per month and includes all of the features of the Pup but includes unlimited users, staff training, user activity tracking and more. The pricing for the Pack is not available without contacting the company, but is structured for multi-location management along with region and location reports.

Images: BarDog Technologies

This article, “BarDog Launches New Mobile Liquor Inventory App for Restaurants and Pubs” was first published on Small Business Trends

If you think the edge your small business requires can be found by hiring a millennial, think again.

You may find more experience will right the ship. You can find this with Baby Boomers. And Indeed.com says Baby Boomers are actively looking to work for a small business all across the country.

Indeed scoured its site of job listings and user profiles to find the top cities in the U.S. where Baby Boomers are most often looking to work for a small business.

“Whether it be by personal choice or the rising cost of living in the US, baby boomers are working longer and putting off retirement for a number of reasons. Because this group of workers is still searching for jobs and looking to stay employed, baby boomers are still very much an important part of our workforce,” says Paul Wolfe, Indeed Senior Vice President and head of HR for the job site.

The top city right now where Boomers are looking to work for a small business is Las Vegas. Memphis, Tennessee and Riverside, California, round out the top three cities on the list.

This is the first time Vegas has made the Indeed list. Wolfe says other cities are new to the top 10 list too, including Miami, Washington DC, and Milwaukee.

“Our data indicates that baby boomers are looking for roles with small businesses all over the country. We find it interesting to see Las Vegas rise to the top of this list of cities where this age group is looking for work in small businesses,” Wolfe says.

Small Businesses: Best Cities for Hiring Baby Boomers

In order, the top 10 cities where Baby Boomers are most looking to work for small businesses are:

1. Las Vegas
2. Memphis, TN
3. Riverside, CA
4. Milwaukee, WI
5. Jacksonville, FL
6. Washington DC
7. San Antonio, TX
8. Virginia Beach, VA
9. Austin, TX
10. Miami, FL

Image: Indeed.com

This article, “Las Vegas is the Top City where Baby Boomers are Looking for Work at Small Businesses” was first published on Small Business Trends

The technology you deploy for the day-to-day operations of your business will greatly determine how effective and productive you become. Keeping up with what is available in the marketplace for your particular industry requires a proactive approach. Attending tech expos is one way of seeing what is on the horizon.

TECHSPO Houston 2018 is a two-day tech expo which will showcase next-generation technology and innovation in Internet, Mobile, AdTech, MarTech, and SaaS Technology from June 6-8. The expo is attended by innovators, entrepreneurs, founders, business owners, digital executives and many others from around the world.

You can get more details on the TECHSPO in Houston, as well as other events, contests or award listings and post your own events by visiting the Small Business Events Calendar.

TECHSPO Houston 2018
June 6, 2018, Houston, TX

TECHSPO Houston 2018 is a 2-day technology expo which takes place JUNE 6 – 7, 2018 at the luxurious Houston Marriott Eaton Centre Hotel in Houston, Ontario. TECHSPO Houston brings together developers, brands, marketers, technology providers, designers, innovators and evangelists looking to set the pace in our advanced world of technology. TECHSPO Houston 2018 promises to be better than ever and we’re excited to see all the amazing tech companies and talent that will join us. Register today!

Entrepreneurs Cruise 2018
April 22, 2018, Orlando, FL

Are you an Entrepreneur and need to get away and take a break? Ready to recharge, rejuvenate in new surroundings and be inspired by other like minds? Then, you can’t miss the 4th annual Entrepreneurs Cruise! Entrepreneurs Cruise 2018 takes place April 22nd to 29th, 2018 onboard the Royal Caribbean ‘Oasis of the Seas’ Cruise Ship departing Orlando (Port Canaveral), Florida, sailing to Philipsburg (St. Maarten), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Labadee (Haiti). Register today!

DigiMarCon East 2018 – Digital Marketing Conference
May 10, 2018, New York, New York

DigiMarCon East 2018 Digital Marketing Conference takes place May 10th to 11th, 2018 at the luxurious New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square, New York City.
It’s the one digital marketing event you can’t afford to miss! Whether your goal is to reinforce customer loyalty, improve lead generation, increase sales, or drive stronger consumer engagement, DigiMarCon East 2018’s agenda will help attendees enhance their marketing efforts. Sessions will focus on building traffic, expanding brand awareness, improving customer service and gaining insight into today’s latest digital tools. Register today!

Featured Events, Contests and Awards

Spring 2018 Franchise Business Expo. Meet with Top Franchisors!
March 27, 2018, Lafayette, CA

Don’t miss an exclusive opportunity meet face to face with select franchisors expanding in the SF Bay Area. The first 50 attendees will receive a free copy of E-Myth Revisited. All attendees will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win an iPad!

Growth & Success Con
September 17, 2018, Online

This small business virtual conference is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs at all stages who are stuck in the daily grind of building their businesses and struggle to get solid advice and guidance. An amazing panel of experts in various disciplines and business coaches will share tips & tricks on topics including Growth, Marketing, Management & Business Building for Success. Register today!

More Events

• Digital Meetup London – Marketing Experts, Web Devs & Designers, SAAS & Others
  March 20, 2018, London, UK
• Getting Certified and Doing Business with the Federal Government
  March 20, 2018, Hayward, CA
• Bootstrappers: Grow Your Business Even If You Are An Introvert
  March 20, 2018, Sunnyvale, CA
• LEAP Tech Talent Conference, San Francisco 2018
  March 20, 2018, San Francisco, CA
• Business Networking for Professional Success
  March 21, 2018, New York, NY
• Give Me 5: Winning Proposal Pricing
  March 21, 2018, Online
• East Bay Pitch Fest
  March 22, 2018, Oakland, CA
• How to Create Profitable and Impactful Event
  March 22, 2018, Atlanta, GA
• Online Marketing Bootcamp
  March 22, 2018, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• BUSINESS LUNCHEON at Dragonfly Izakaya & Fish Market
  March 22, 2018, Miami, FL
• Dig Deep: Unconventional Ways to Grow Your Brand Webinar
  March 22, 2018, Online
• Uptima San Francisco – Creating a Business Roadmap Application Deadline
  March 23, 2018, San Francisco, CA
• The 6th Annual Responsible Business Summit New York 2018
  March 26, 2018, New York, NY
• 28th Annual Art and Science of Health Promotion Conference
  March 26, 2018, San Diego, CA
• PATCA Consultants Networking Lunch-South Bay
  March 27, 2018, Sunnyvale, CA
• Cryptoconomy Summit, Tampa 2018
  March 28, 2018, Tampa, FL
• Uptima Oakland – Freelancer Accelerator Application Deadline
  March 30, 2018, Oakland, CA
• AWIB Spring Open House
  April 3, 2018, New York, New York
• XLIVE – Event Data and Analytics Summit 2018 – Eventtech Conference Las Vegas
  April 3, 2018, Beverly Hills, CA
• Ecommerce Operations Summit 2018
  April 3, 2018, Columbus, OH

More Contests

• Public Vote to Crown America’s Most Unique Small Business Underway
  November 8, 2018

This weekly listing of small business events, contests and awards is provided as a community service by Small Business Trends and SmallBizTechnology.

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “Tech Expo for Entrepreneurs Coming to Houston in June” was first published on Small Business Trends

By now, you probably know that blogging and creating other types of online content can provide a big boost to your small business marketing strategy. But it takes a lot of planning to actually make content work toward your main business goals. For some helpful insights on stepping up those efforts, check out the tactics and strategies that have worked for members of the online small business community.

Use a Content Scorecard to Publish Better Blog Posts

When it comes to creating blog content for your business, quality is just as important as quantity, if not more so. To make sure all of your posts are up to professional standards, use the content scorecard included in this Social Media Examiner post by Garrett Moon.

Choose the Right Keywords for Your Blog Niche

If you want readers to be able to organically find our blog content, you need to include some relevant keywords. Choosing those keywords can be a challenge, so check out the recent Abtech Blog post by Abasifreke Etop for some useful tips.

Get More Email Subscribers for Your Blog

To make sure readers actually see your blog content when it’s posted, it can help to offer an email subscription option so they can get new posts right in their inboxes. To get more email subscribers for your blog, here are some tips from Sandeep Mallya of 99signals. You can also see what BizSugar members are saying about the post.

Use Your Blog to Improve Your Business’s Online Reputation

Whether it’s through blogging, social media, reviews or other types of content, it’s important to monitor and work to improve what is said about your business online. The reputation you cultivate for your business can make a major impression on potential customers. Learn more in the Smallbiztechnology.com post by Marc Prosser.

Shape Your Blogging and Social Media Strategy with These Tools

Choosing the right tools is an essential part of creating an effective blogging and social media strategy built to last. There are tons of different options out there. Here are a few essentials to include in your toolkit from Avinash Nair of Right Mix Marketing.

Wow Your Readers with Personalized Content

Creating generic content for your blog or marketing channels isn’t going to get you the specific results your business is looking for. Instead, you can create personalized content that’s catered to your exact target audience. For more on the subject, check out the DIY Marketers post by Megan Totka.

Connect with Customers to Beat the Competition in Sales

Blogging and content marketing can be great methods for making meaningful connections with customers. And those connections can actually help you improve your business’s sales numbers, according to Chris London of Pixel Productions. BizSugar members also shared thoughts on the post.

Consider These Budget Friendly Link Building Tactics

Another way to get traffic to your blog or other online content is by working to get more quality links to your content from outside sources. There are tons of different methods you can use to work toward this goal. Check out some budget friendly suggestions from James Brockbank of Search Engine Journal.

Create Content That Gets More Traffic and Links

In fact, one great way to increase links and improve your reach is to improve your content to make it more shareable. Anil Agarwal offers some tips for doing just that in a recent Basic Blog Tips post.

Use Customer and Competitive Research to Shape Your Blogging

If you want to create great blog posts and marketing materials, you need to first do your research. Digging into customer and competitor data can help you determine what type of materials are going to be most effective. Sam Welch elaborates in recent Marketing Land post you won’t want to miss.

If you’d like to suggest your favorite small business content to be considered for an upcoming community roundup, please send your news tips to: sbtips@gmail.com.

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “10 Pro Techniques to Improve Your Business Blogging” was first published on Small Business Trends

FlexJobs has reported the top freelance career fields and the top 30 companies hiring this workforce so far in 2018.

While freelancers aren’t eligible for benefits, they have more flexibility and freedom than traditional employees. This may explain why a FlexJobs survey showed freelancers working remotely or from home are generally happier than more traditional employees. In the US, the total number of workers freelancing has risen to 35 percent.

Small businesses are the fastest growing segment of organizations using remote workers and freelancers. As freelancers are also technically identified as small businesses, these two groups are changing the labor market and how talent is acquired.

Sara Sutton Fell, Founder and CEO of FlexJobs, explained how this work model has changed the workforce in the past decade. In a press release, she explains, “The demographics of freelancers are just as varied, spanning generations, educational backgrounds and career levels, but they share an important commonality, which is that they freelance because they value work-life balance and flexible work arrangements can help them achieve it.”

Top Careers and Jobs

The top five careers were in computer and IT, accounting and finance, HR and recruiting, editing, and administrative. Freelance jobs such as data analyst, receptionist, project manager, bookkeeper, content designer, QA specialist, chemist, proposal writer, and HR specialist were posted on FlexJobs matching those careers.

The 10 Top Freelance Fields

The top 10 freelance jobs in the U.S. at present include:

1. Computer & IT
2. Accounting & Finance
3. HR & Recruiting
4. Editing, Proofreading, and Writing
5. Administrative
6. Project Management
7. Data Entry
8. Research Analysis
9. Software Development
10. Technical Support

The Companies

The list of companies hiring freelancers shows there is no one specific industry. Companies across all segments are using the pool of workers who identify themselves as freelancers.

The Top 30 Companies Hiring for Freelance Jobs in 2018 So Far

Freelancers seeing work may want to pursue it with one of these 30 companies already known for offering these opportunities:

1. Kelly Services
2. Real Staffing
3. Kforce
4. Accounting Principals
5. Randstad
6. Ajilon
7. Dahl Consulting
8. Computer Futures
9. Onward Search
10. Robert Half International
11. Creative Group
12. Aerotek
13. TEKsystems
14. Adecco
15. VocoVision
16. WinterWyman
17. AFIRM
18. EXL
19. 24 Seven
20. Apex Systems
21. Judge Group
22. excelHR
23. ics – Infinity Consulting Solutions
24. Facebook
25. Paladin
26. Horizontal Integration
27. Procom Services
28. i. Systems
29. K12
30. MATRIX Resources

Looking for a Job?

If you are a freelancer, FlexJobs makes the following five recommendations to land your next job.

1. Figure out your freelance niche.
2. Set up a solid freelance foundation.
3. Consider your network.
4. Reach out to old employers.
5. Drum up new business, because as a freelancer, you are your own business.

FlexJobs has a good vantage point of the trends taking place with remote jobs. The company offers an online platform for job seekers and companies featuring freelance work opportunities in more than 50 categories. The 2018 top 100 list, as well as this roundup, was whittled down from the more than 49,000 organizations who posted the highest number of freelance job openings on FlexJobs for the year.

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “Top 10 Freelance Gigs Available in the US Right Now” was first published on Small Business Trends

Technology is giving small businesses advantages previously only enjoyed by big companies. This week, a lot of companies serving small businesses released new tools to help companies like yours bridge the tech gap.

QuickBooks released a new platform for accountants to manage small businesses. Salesforce and Salesfloor each have new products out to help with turning browsers into customers. And Wix has a new logo tool to boost your marketing efforts.

There’s all this and plenty more happening this week. Check out all the headlines in this week’s small business news and information roundup.

Management

QuickBooks  Accountant Apps Provision Small Businesses and their Financial Advisors

The new release of QuickBooks Accountant Apps Program from Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU) gives accountants a platform for making top-rated apps available for their customers. QuickBooks Accountant Apps Program Accountants can now provision, purchase and manage apps recommended by accounting professionals and fully compatible with the QuickBooks suite of products.

Marketing Tips

Wix Now Has a Logo Maker for Small Businesses

The new Wix (NASDAQ: WIX) Logo Maker gives small businesses the ability to create a free logo to boost their marketing efforts. Thousands of small businesses rely on Wix and its DIY website building platform to create their site. With the Wix Logo Maker, you will be able to create a logo designed by you to fit your brand and customizable to be displayed across different platforms.

The New PicMonkey Focuses on Selling to Small Business Brands

PicMonkey has announced a new visual communication platform looking to address the space between Adobe and Canva. The missing middle is an addressable emerging market worth $5 billion potentially serving both personal and professional customers including individuals, small to medium businesses and social media teams.

Retail Trends

Holiday Returns by Customers are at 28%, Survey Says

The 2017 holiday season saw 28 percent of the gifts people purchased returned, at a value of $90 billion. The new infographic, report and survey by RedStag Fulfillment and Optro not only looks at the return rates of gifts, but how they impact businesses.

Paysafe and Verifone Offer Mobile POS to Restaurants and Small Retailers

A new partnership between Verifone (NYSE: PAY) and Paysafe will provide quick service for restaurants and small and medium-sized businesses across the United States with innovative payment solutions. Paysafe is a global provider of payment solutions while Verifone specializes in connecting payment devices to the cloud.

Sales

New Salesforce Essentials Gives Small Businesses Enterprise Level Tools

Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) just announced the release of Essentials providing small businesses for the first time with a variety of apps for what the company calls the number one global CRM platform. Sales Cloud Essentials and Service Cloud Essentials are the first Salesforce Essential apps available.

SALESmanago Offers Entrepreneurs One of Its Marketing Tools for Free

SALESmanago is giving a single marketing automation tool free to young entrepreneurs and startups in all industries. The offer from SALESmanago is invaluable for individuals and companies just starting their entrepreneurial journey. And with digital presence now a key component for business success, using digital channels for your marketing is critical.

Economy

Small Businesses Add 68,000 Jobs in February

With 10,000 more jobs than January, the ADP Small Business Report shows private sector small business employment increased by 68,000 jobs in February. February 2018 ADP Small Business Report The ADP (NASDAQ:ADP) report is stressing the importance of small businesses in contributing to the overall economy of the country.

Employment

March Madness Will Draw Your Employees’ Focus from Work, Surveys Says

The madness has begun. And if you have millennial employees, there’s a good chance the NCAA men’s basketball tournament will distract them. Employee Productivity During March Madness You’re likely to see the famed basketball tournament brackets floating around your office.

Small Biz Spotlight

Spotlight: How One Company Aims to Go from Selling Socks to Changing the World

Some businesses start with a major change or innovation. Others start with something small — like a sock. The Cause International is an example of the latter. But though the idea started small, the team still hopes it can make a big impact. The clothing company puts a major focus on giving back to communities around the world, from Chicago to Guatemala.

Small Business Loans

Government Says Most Poultry Farms Are NOT Small Businesses, Can’t Get SBA Loans

An evaluation made by the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General regarding loans made to poultry farmers and growers concluded most do not meet regulatory and SBA requirements for eligibility.

US Chamber of Commerce Backs New Bill to Help Main Street Businesses

The US Chamber of Commerce sent a “key vote” letter to the Senate in support of S.2155, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act. The bill looks to provide community banks with regulatory relief after the blanket implementation of financial regulations following the 2008 financial crisis.

Small Business Operations

BlueJeans Updates Meetings Platform, Can Your Small Business Team Benefit?

BlueJeans has redesigned and updated its meeting platform with a new user experience to better serve the collaborative workforce of today — including your small business team. The latest BlueJeans desktop app was developed and then tested with thousands of users to make sure it delivered with the new features.

Social Media

The New YouTube Studio Offers More Insight for Your Small Business Channel

The new YouTube Studio is finally here. YouTube Studio is Out of Beta YouTube Studio features a new dashboard and three new metrics to help you gauge the popularity of your videos uploaded to the site. The tools help you manage your videos and all the other activity on your channels. These updates were launched in beta a little while ago.

Taxes

Cracking the Code on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: How It Will Impact Your Business

Normally at this time of year, individuals and small business owners are solely focused on their 2017 taxes. But with the passage of the sweeping tax overhaul, this is no ordinary year. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act takes affect starting with your 2018 return and beyond, but the changes are so significant, it’s important to understand the bill and how it will impact your small business.

Lawyers and Law Firms Not Seeing the Benefits of Federal Tax Cuts

Law firms aren’t jumping for joy in the same way many other small businesses are because of the recent passage of a new tax bill. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act includes plenty of deductions and changes that could benefit small businesses in various industries. But it also imposes some new limits on deductions that may be especially relevant for law firms.

Technology Trends

Kradle Launches Small Business Management Software

Kradle announces a new software package designed to help small and medium-sized businesses in any industry manage their operations. The company touts its product as a self-managed software allowing businesses to achieve their competitive potential.

Microsoft iOS Camera App Turns Business Cards into Contacts

The Microsoft Pix camera app for your iPhone now has a business-friendly feature. The app lets you scan the business card of a contact you’ve just met. It takes the information on that business card and then updates your Contact data for that person. The app also scours LinkedIn to find the new business contact’s profile so the two of you can connect.

Only 20% of Tech Jobs are Held by Women, How About at Your Business? (INFOGRAPHIC)

After a long slump, the tech industry appears to be finally back in business. Surprisingly, however, that has not brought cheer for women techies. Women in Technology Statistics According to data compiled by virtual event solutions company, Evia, women make up less than 20 percent of U.S. tech jobs, even though they make up more than half of the U.S. workforce.
Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “In the News: Big Business Tools Now Available to Small Business” was first published on Small Business Trends