Posted on June 11, 2019

Scenes from Creative Lab Week

The week of May 13 to most people was just any other week in May. In Minnesota, Spring was starting to feel like a reality, the snow was FINALLY gone and at Deluxe Headquarters, just outside of St. Paul, Minnesota, small businesses from Searcy, Arkansas were congregating to get a deep dive into marketing tactics with members of the Deluxe Small Business Marketing team.

Posted on June 11, 2019

Top 5 Things to Consider When Starting Your Own Business

It is a fact that we fail more often than we succeed. For small business owners, this fact is known, since many small business owners find out early and often what steps they need to take to thrive, and which are holding them back.

Posted on June 3, 2019

Trial and Error: The Key to Nest & Love Photography’s Success

Tanya Wright became interested in photography as a child. She would set up her toys in displays to take pictures. It wasn’t until 2017, however, that she decided to make her hobby a profession. Part of her goal was to show her three daughters that it was possible to follow your dream and be that strong role model they needed to pursue their own dreams. She went back to school, became accredited and bought all the equipment she’d need.

Posted on May 24, 2019

Three Tips for Social Media Success

Social media has become a normal part of our everyday lives. It feels like everyone, young and old, is on social, finding new recipes from that influencer on Instagram or posting photos of their child on Facebook because their mom said their grandma and aunts want to see more. If both of my grandmothers, who are in their 80s, are on Facebook and social media channels, shouldn’t small businesses as well?

Posted on May 22, 2019

Small Businesses + Community Financial Institutions = Main Street, USA

Leaving behind a well-paying job and a steady paycheck, Jonas Janek knew he wanted to follow his dream and open his own small business in Alton, Illinois. Buoyed by his wife, Andrea, who kept her job, Janek went all-in when he opened his custom metal fabrication shop, Henley Forge. And then reality set in.

Posted on May 20, 2019

Old Mexican Inn: The Tale of Family, Success and… Orange Dip

Not many businesses, large or small, can say they’ve been in business for more than 75 years. That’s a huge feat, for any business to reach. When our team set out to research businesses with compelling stories to share during our Top 10 town trip across the country, Old Mexican Inn in Corsicana, Texas stood out to us for that fact. Not only has the business been open since 1941, but it has been owned and operated by the same family since it began.

Posted on May 10, 2019

Wabash Inspires Young Entrepreneurs

I read a study a while back that said millennials will be more likely to work for themselves than anyone else. They are a highly entrepreneurial group.

In our high schools around the country, groups like DECA and others are helping the next generation figure out ways to foster their entrepreneurial spirit, spurning new, potential small business owners into our economic futures. At Wabash High School, teacher Tyler Olson is encouraging the next generation right now.

Posted on May 9, 2019

Managing public complaints on social media

I hope you never use this blog. I hope all your reviews are five-star.

Okay, let’s be real. Probably, at some point, you are going to hear from an unhappy customer. Maybe they’ll keep it quiet by emailing or calling you. But you may find yourself dealing with an angry allegation on your social media pages for all to see. Yikes.

Posted on May 3, 2019

Shop Local, Support Small Business

Shop local. No, it doesn’t mean frequenting your local big box chain or mall to buy gifts for friends or family. When I think of shopping local, it means frequenting the gift store at the end of my block, or the independent coffee shop, and family-run restaurant.

Posted on April 29, 2019

Networking Yields Big Benefits to Small Businesses

Building your network and keeping those connections intact is integral to today’s business climate. And it is important for small businesses as well. Through networking, small business owners can not only find other like-minded people to connect with, but they can also leverage contacts to turn to for advice and mentorships.

Posted on April 23, 2019

Marketing Small Business in a Small Town: Neco Boutique

In our “Small Business Stories” series, we hit the road to interview small business owners about their unique journeys. Each story provides inspiration and insights, while shining a spotlight on the passionate small business owners who are so critical to our economies and our communities.

Posted on April 22, 2019

A Tale of Two Restaurants

Biddeford, Maine and Washington, North Carolina are separated by roughly 800 miles, yet both are defined by the Atlantic Ocean and river tributaries that meander near these communities.