Fresh articles from Bluegrass Solutions Article Directoryhttp://bluegrasssolutions.info/Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:09:51 EDTArticleFriendly.com http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/58049/317/Saving-Yourself-from-Credit-Card-Fraud.html
Credit card theft is rapidly becoming one of the biggest ways that thieves steal funds from individuals If you are not careful, you could be subject to fraudulent charges on your card and account

There are a number of ways that dishonest people are able to use your credit to make purchases They find credit card information from your trash can

There is a possibility that workers at the places you frequent may use your number to make purchases Your card can also be stolen easily if left alone, and you may not even realize it until it is too late

This type of theft can happen to anyone from any background with any credit limit Those that steal numbers and cards are unaware of the type of money available on it

All they care about is stealing enough funds to purchase items without getting caught before they are able to finalize the payment You should be cautious whenever you allow others to use your credit card information

Any retail business or company will run your card through a machine that reads your information and connects it directly to your account These machines are very useful and beneficial when used correctly by a trustworthy person

When you visit restaurants, it is a better choice to use cash to pay for your meal instead of credit When you allow your waiter or waitress to take your card to the register, there is a possibility that they could copy the information or make false charges to your account

It is even possible for workers at these types of establishments to take your card and replace it with a similar one, suspecting that you will not pay attention to the name and numbers written on it Then, once they have yours in their possession, they are able to make purchases before you realize that the one in your wallet is a fake

Another way to prevent yourself from having your numbers stolen is by refraining from purchasing online through untrustworthy websites If you are able to completely avoid buying items online, then you should

If you must make some purchases online, however, be sure to only do so through sites that are trustworthy and secure Any legitimate ordering page should notify you of their confidentiality and security

You should receive a message or pop-up or see an icon indicating the type of security software that they use to protect your information If you do not notice any of this, refrain from acquiring products through that company

Be wary of third party sites and companies that sell the goods you desire at greatly discounted prices Most of these prices are too good to be true, and should not be trusted

The government has done its best to regulate sites that are untrustworthy and use consumers' money unlawfully, but there are definitely still a good deal that slip through the cracks and are undetected Use your best judgment when patronizing online sellers

Many overcharge you and have hidden fees They even send you the wrong products through the mail or charge your account without sending anything at all

Also be careful of sellers that contact you through the use of your cell number and ask you important personal information They may use excuses or claim they belong to companies or offices that they do not in order to receive the valuable information and use it to their benefit

Guard your personal numbers like you would guard your identification or your social security card These accounts have links to your telephone number, address, and other personal information that others can use to benefit themselves or find you with

Make sure to properly rid yourself of papers containing valuable accounts and data If you throw away statements, be sure to rip them up beforehand

It is wise to invest in a paper shredder to properly dispose of all of your important and private documents That way, anyone that chooses to go through you garbage can looking for papers and credit card information will not be able to make sense of the numbers or what is contained on the shredded paper

Keep the shredder in your office, kitchen, or the area of your home that you store and go through your receipts, statements, or credit card mail The best thing to do is to always be mindful of who you are giving your credit card info to and which type of system you are entering it into

Terry Daniels is an accomplished expert in personal finance. With 12 years of experience, he offers great advice for any small business merchant account. Contact Info: Terry Daniels TerryDaniels09@gmail.com (http://www.avpsolutions.com)]]> http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/58049/317/Saving-Yourself-from-Credit-Card-Fraud.html http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/56799/317/Start-a-Home-Daycare-Tips-in-Putting-Up-Your-Own-Child-Care-Center.html
If you want to start a home daycare center, you have to make sure at first that you have what it takes to put up a good child care business Like starting any other business, it is important that you have the important requirements that will help you make your business successful

Here are a few tips on how to start a home daycare

- Obtain licenses for your business This is indeed one of the important things that you have to take care of in a child care business as these types of businesses are also crucial in teaching the young ones as well as in taking care of them

- Decide on whether you want to go solo with your business or you want to have a business partner to share the cost on investment But of course, you want to consider the sharing of profits as well

- Check your local ordinances and regulations pertaining to child care establishments For sure, your local government is particular on the day care centers and find out if you are putting up your business in a zone allowed by your local government

- Decide on the facilities and amenities you want to offer Parents are particular on this one as well, so make sure you provide complete facilities and services especially when it comes to child learning

- Make sure you have clear policies and regulations that protect the children under your care and make them safe and secured in the daycare center Safety regulations should be one of your priorities as you are dealing with children, and of course, parents want to leave their kids in an establishment that they trust and they find safe for their children

- Encourage open communication with parents and make sure you listen to feedback as well as suggestions and problems that they may have with the daycare establishment Keep in mind as well that your business' success also relies on establishing trust with your clients as well as being able to provide them with good quality service that they are looking for especially those that concerns their child

- Make sure you accept only a number of children that you can handle from day to day and given your available resources as well Also determine the age bracket that you want to cater into your center This will help you focus on the needs of the specific age and make you focus your programs and services on a particular age group and save time as well

- Make sure that your center is equipped to manage emergencies and prepared to deal with safety and security matters Equip your center with medicine cabinets and make sure you also follow health code rules This will not only make your center safe for children, it can also help you avoid having to pay more later if there are violations found or emergency arises

These are just a few of the things that you have to consider to start a home daycare Keep in mind that there are a lot of things to consider and you have to study them carefully before trying to put up your child care center

If you are looking for a great resource that can help you manage your daycare center, check out this guide in managing a day care. Also check out The Daycare Starter Kit, where you can find important tips in starting a daycare.]]> http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/56799/317/Start-a-Home-Daycare-Tips-in-Putting-Up-Your-Own-Child-Care-Center.html http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/56798/317/Running-a-Daycare-Center-Tips-in-Starting-and-Managing-A-Day-Care-Center.html
Running a daycare center can be a great business that you can also enjoy Especially if you love to be with children or you love teaching them, you can actually enjoy this passion at the same time make profits with it as well, and that can be done by running a daycare center

If you are interested in putting up a daycare center, it is important to understand the many regulations and requirements that you need to comply to make your business successful Of course, you have to make sure that you provide quality services especially that you are dealing with children

Here are some tips to help you in starting and running a daycare center

- Decide on whether you want to run your daycare center alone as a sole proprietorship or you want to make it a partnership You can also make it a corporation or an LLC, of course, the choice depends on the form of business you prefer as well as the available resources you have

- Take care of the licensing and insurances Dealing with children means you have to ensure that your daycare center provides the best quality service that parents want for their kids If you can provide them what they want, you would surely have a good start in putting up your child care center Secure licenses as well This will help you make your business legitimate as well

- Establish safety regulations and policies for your daycare Safety is one important thing that parents are looking for in an establishment where they can leave their children, so make sure as well that you provide them with services that they can trust You may want to write establish policies as well on regulating visitors, policies regarding emergency situations as well as making sure that you have guidelines regarding discipline as well

- Make sure you have a well-trained and highly-qualified staff members You may be confident to put up your own business but you have to make sure that your staff members are also highly trained to handle the day to day operation of the center and carry out its services well Make sure as well that you conduct regular meetings with your staff to make sure that you maintain good quality service as well as iron out problems as soon as possible

- Make sure that you have the facilities and amenities needed to be able carry on your business and provide the best to your customers Keep in mind that amenities and facilities are also among those that parents look for in a child care center

- Maintain open communication with your clients In a business such as a child care center, you will find it important to keep an open communication with the parents and be open to suggestions and feedback that they may have Of course, that includes being able to address any problems that they have with the center

These are just a few things to keep in mind in running a daycare center You can actually find a lot of tips and resources that will help you make your business prosper as well

If you want to manage a daycare of your own, check out this Daycare Manager Pro. Also check out Start Your Own Daycare, where you can find important tips you can use in learning how to put up your daycare center.]]> http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/56798/317/Running-a-Daycare-Center-Tips-in-Starting-and-Managing-A-Day-Care-Center.html http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/56796/317/Operating-a-Daycare-Center-Tips-and-Ideas-to-Make-Your-Child-Care-Business-Prosper.html
Operating a daycare center can be a profitable venture especially for those who love to take care and teach children If indeed you have the passion to teach kids, you can make money by putting up a daycare center

Like any other business, starting a daycare center requires a lot of effort and resources One important consideration is your budget You have to make sure that you do have enough resources to start the business This does not only mean having the building for your child care center, but you have to make sure as well that your child care facility is in a location that is safe and accessible to parents as well

You also have to make sure that you can provide the best services to your clients and make sure as well that you can provide the facilities and amenities needed to take care of children while their parents are away

In operating a daycare center, you have to keep in mind a few important considerations to make your operation successful Here are a few of them

1 Get a good manager or director If you do not want to manage the center personally, you can also hire someone with the expertise and skills needed for child care Of course, you can manage your own daycare business but you can also hire someone to focus on the task Make sure you have a manager that takes care of your clients well and introduces your business well to your target market

2 Plan your marketing and promotion Of course, one essential part of starting your business successfully is to make sure you have a working plan on how to market and promote your business Especially if you are just starting, it is important that you have to invest efforts on how to market your business Explore cost-effective advertising and marketing methods and don't forget to explore the many advertising methods online as well Internet marketing is very useful these days, thus try to grab the opportunities to market your business online as well

3 Make sure you have what parents are looking for on a child's daycare Of course, parents want the best for their children and you have to show them that you can take care of their child the way they want to Have a little research on what facilities and amenities you can provide for the kids and carefully plan your programs as well

4 Get the right personnel for your daycare center Of course, to help you make your business progress, you have to make sure that you have the right person to teach and take care of the kids You have to make sure as well that your business is licensed as well as your care providers so your clients can be assured that you have quality services that you can provide them

5 In operating a daycare center, you also have to make sure you have carefully planned your center's daily activities, as well as activity ideas that suit every age level of the kids in the center Of course, you also have to prepare for emergency situations and make sure that your daycare can also handle such challenges

For a great resource that you can use in managing your daycare business, check out Daycare Manager Pro. Also check out Day Care Center Start Up Kit, where you can find important things to learn in starting a daycare.]]> http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/56796/317/Operating-a-Daycare-Center-Tips-and-Ideas-to-Make-Your-Child-Care-Business-Prosper.html http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/56603/317/Business-Acumen-Buying-Out-A-Small-Business-Partner.html
Looking for buying out a partner generally refers to businesses searching for information on how to purchase the shares of another partner Partners may decide to leave a business if they are retiring, relocating, or otherwise can no longer take part in the business's activities

The first step in buying out a partner is to determine how much the partner's shares are worth This can be determined a number of ways Value could be based on the market value of the company, the amount invested by the partner, or a pre-determined price detailed in a partnership agreement

The next step when looking to buy out a partner is to find capital to finance the buy out Though most lending institutions do not provide loans specifically for buying out a partner, they do offer loan programs that can be used towards any general business purpose Most buyouts require large sums of money, and to apply for a large loan, lenders usually require personal and company financial documents, a business plan, and credit reports Collateral is also required for secured loans, which can provide lower interest rates than unsecured loans

If a business is looking to replace a partner, it may be able to obtain funding from an investor Partner investors contribute large sums of capital in exchange for a portion of the business's profits and a voice in the business's decisions In the case of buying out a partner, an investor could purchase the shares of the leaving partner and become part of the business

Small business buying out partner usually refers to small business owners searching for information regarding buying out another business partner Partners may wish to sell their shares of a company when they retire, relocate, or otherwise can no longer take part in the business's activities

The first step in buying out a partner in a small business is determining the value of the partner's shares of the business To resolve this problem, many businesses with two or more owners create and sign a partnership agreement that pre-determines the value of every owner's share of the business For partnerships that do not have an agreement like this, the value can be determined by looking at how much the partner invested in the business or how much the business is currently worth on the market

Once all partners have agreed on a selling price, the owner buying out must find financing Most lenders don't offer loans specifically for buyouts, but their loans can usually be used for any business purpose Buyouts typically require large sums of money, and lenders have more extensive requirements for large loans To get a lowered interest rate, many borrowers use personal or business assets to secure the loan

Another source of financing for a small business buying out a partner is another investor If a business owner can find an investor who is willing to purchase the other partner's shares, then the owner will not have to take out another loan The business owner simply gets a new partner to work with

Please visit these links for more information on General Business Partnerships and this link for information on General Partnership]]> http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/56603/317/Business-Acumen-Buying-Out-A-Small-Business-Partner.html http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/56601/317/Business-Intelligence-Finance-Training-And-Efficient-Business-Solutions.html
Business finance training refers to programs that teach individuals how to handle various financial duties Finance training is similar to finance tips in that both help business owners make better monetary decisions, but training programs offer a more detailed explanation of finance strategies Training programs vary in price and can be used by the owners and employees of a business

The most basic business finance training provide information on budgeting, preparing financial statements, managing cash flow, strategizing, forecasting, improving performance, and applying basic procedures and concepts to more effectively manage a business These programs are recommended for new business owners to help them understand standard business practices Once these basic methods are mastered, more specific financial training may be looked into

Advanced business finance training delves more deeply into a certain financial procedure or concept, usually at a higher cost than basic programs Advanced programs may teach business owners how to set up effective business models, make decisions based on quantitative analysis, manage and control accounts, practice due diligence, measure productivity, and strategize concerning mergers and acquisitions

Taking part in any kind of business finance training gives a business owner the resources to make more intelligent business decisions that result in increased productivity and profits Many different types of courses are available either online or at a specified location Some programs may even offer the option to train at the business Taking into consideration the needs and abilities of a business is the key to finding the best business finance training

A business finance solution generally refers to methods of funding and maintaining the finances of a business Most solutions involve ways of obtaining working capital, but others also offer ways of protecting and increasing that capital To obtain working capital, business owners look to finance solutions that offer funding by several different means The most common means are loans and financing

Asset-based loans use a business's assets, such as inventory and equipment, as collateral A business may also opt for a property loan in order to acquire commercial space Invoice financing, such as factoring, involves liquidating or selling a business's accounts receivables in exchange for quick funding Some businesses look to trade financing to supply their inventory The business will tell its financer the amount and cost of goods needed, and the financer will pay for the goods The business then repays the amount financed over a specified period of time

Most companies that provide business finance solutions also offer ways to protect and increase a business's capital Credit protection safeguards a business from daily risks, such as customers not paying on time, so that the business does not suffer incredible losses This makes it much easier for the business to borrow money in the future, and it protects the balance sheet A finance solution may also offer business insurance plans that increase the stability of a business The most common types of business insurance are employee and public liability, car, property, and health insurance These business finance solutions are designed to protect businesses against potential losses

Please visit these links for more information on Motivating Employees and this link for information on Embracing Chaos In The Improvisational Business]]> http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/56601/317/Business-Intelligence-Finance-Training-And-Efficient-Business-Solutions.html http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/56598/317/Small-Business-Plans-And-Effective-Restaurant-Advertising.html
A small business plan outlines the purpose and goals of a business A business plan is helpful when applying for funding for start-up or operational expenses Before beginning a plan, individuals must identify the following: the product to be offered by the business, potential customers, and the means by which the business will be funded Keep in mind that an effective business plan takes more than a few days to write

There are many key components that should be included in a business plan The first is a mission statement that details the major goals of a business A successful mission statement will pique the interest of potential investors and clients Secondly, a business owner should provide a detailed description of the business This can include the types of products offered, how the company began, and how the company will realize its goals

A successful business plan also includes a defined market for the product it offers Business owners should think about who they expect will buy their product They should also research the market for their product to provide evidence of a need for their goods Next, a business owner should outline the management of the business by setting a certain number of jobs and describing the responsibilities of each

The next steps of a business plan are to define the product offered and compare it to the competition Product descriptions should include materials needed and the production process Lastly, a business plan should include goals for future growth, including how growth will be funded and executed Some business owners also prefer to follow the completed plan with a summary of their company and key parts of their plan

Find restaurant advertising generally refers to the process by which restaurant owners find efficient ways to promote their business Effective advertising gives a business a competitive advantage to businesses, which expands the number of customers a business receives There are many traditional and non-traditional ways to find restaurant advertising

One method of traditional advertising, through newspapers, varies in price according to which newspaper and what options are chosen for the ad Major newspapers may charge up to or more than seven hundred dollars per day for any size of ad However, they also give discounts of thirty to fifty percent for individuals who buy large ads or pay for their ad to appear on multiple pages The rates of smaller community newspapers may be considerably lower, but the ad will not reach as many potential customers Billboard advertising costs seven hundred to three thousand dollars per day, but they also have a tendency to reach many more possible clients

The Internet has created new ways for business owners to find restaurant advertising An individual may add his or her restaurant to search engine directories for as low as twenty dollars per month Business owners may also consider paying another company or individual to design a website specifically for their restaurant The rates of custom websites range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on the complexity of the website

Restaurant owners should also invest the inexpensive means of finding restaurant advertising Business cards, flyers, brochures, and postcards can also be used to expand the number of customers a business receives

Please visit these links for more information on Special Considerations For Retail Businesses and this link for information on Marketing And Advertising For A Small Business]]> http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/56598/317/Small-Business-Plans-And-Effective-Restaurant-Advertising.html http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/56575/317/Avoiding-Holiday-Credit-Card-Debt.html
When it comes to the holidays, buying gifts can be even more fun than receiving them However, it can also lead to a downhill spiral of spending that will leave you making a New Year's Resolution to stop eating

Every year you plan to avoid the credit card fiasco, and even make a wholehearted attempt to purchase all of your holiday gifts with cash If you are reading this article, chances are you ended up using your credit cards more than intended!

It is not uncommon to fall prey to over spending during the holidays The thing to remember is that it can be avoided, and it can be rectified if it seems too late

There are indeed some tried and true methods of fixing your holiday credit card slump that you can put into action right away Here are some strategies to climb out from underneath the holiday credit card slump, and help you pay off those purchases quickly so you aren't still paying for them by the time the holiday season rolls around again next year

First of all, use introductory offers to your advantage After the holidays many credit card companies release special introductory rates to entice new customers to apply for their cards

If you can find one that offers 0% interest on balance transfers for a year, you're in! You can transfer your holiday debt from the various cards that you used, and pay it off without hefty interest rates

Another benefit of this technique is the fact that you will have a single payment even if you had used several credit cards for holiday shopping Once you combine all of them on the new 0% balance transfer credit card, you've got a single, monthly payment!

This is the perfect time to close the other credit cards you have After all, it is truly unnecessary to have more than one credit card per household

If you are unable to find a 0% interest rate on balance transfers for twelve months, you might be able to find a six month introductory offer This is still worth the time and effort to transfer your balances as you can work to pay them off before the six months is up, or at the end of the six months move the balance to a new card with a 0% balance transfer offer

If you don't qualify for a 0% interest introductory balance transfer offer, you could consider using the checks that often come with your credit cards Sometimes you have to request them from your credit card company, if they are not initially included

While the interest rate might not be zero, and it may not be any lower than the card that offers the credit card checks to you If you have balances on several credit cards, writing a check to pay off each card means you would only have a single monthly payment

In the long run, you would save immensely on interest and finance charges by having a single account In addition, paying on a single account instead of three or four will help you pay off the outstanding balance much faster-and who doesn't want that?

Next, it might be a good idea to request a lower rate In some cases, credit card companies are able to lower your interest rate just because you've asked them to!

It certainly doesn't hurt anything to pick up the phone and call your credit card company's customer service line to request a lower interest rate When you've gone overboard with your holiday spending, you can really save on the total amount you end up repaying just by having a lower interest rate

Ideally, you will want a card that will allow you to move all of your other credit card balances onto, and at a 0% balance transfer rate There are times when you can't get approved for the best offers, or times when you just have more outstanding debt than the offer allows you to transfer

If this happens to you, you might consider getting a new credit card that will allow you to transfer your entire debt from all of your other cards, and one that has a reasonable interest rate on the transferred balances, so that you can start making a single monthly payment rather than several As you can see, there are ways to get out from under the packages, boxes, and bags of holiday debt that are drowning you

Do some research on available offers and talk to your bank about lowering your credit rate today After all, there is nothing better than starting a new year debt free

Terry Daniels is an accomplished expert in personal finance. With 12 years of experience, he offers great advice to any small business merchant. Contact Info: Terry Daniels TerryDaniels09@gmail.com (http://www.avpsolutions.com)]]> http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/56575/317/Avoiding-Holiday-Credit-Card-Debt.html http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/56573/317/Small-Business-Marketing-with-Twitter.html
Twitter is one of the many social networking services that have taken the web by storm With this particular social site you only get 140 characters to type your message and let the world know what you are thinking This is actually a fantastic tool to add to your small business marketing plan; the key is in knowing how to make your tweets the best tweets they can be

Whether you've been tweeting for awhile or just getting started, chances are you just aren't sure how to effectively incorporate Twitter into your small business marketing Maybe you aren't getting enough responses, or any retweets, or your number of followers has stagnated

Regardless of where you are at in your Twitter campaign, here are some tips to make your tweeting a more effective piece of your small business marketing plan

* Getting it All In

The thing about 140 characters is that it is direct; it is short enough that even skimmers are going to read it So it is great way to get your message out there The bad thing about 140 characters is that as a small business owner you have to pack as much information in those 140 characters as possible in order to get the maximum benefit from this marketing technique

One of your goals is to keep people retweeting your message This gets your message out there over and over again in a viral way and this is really what makes Twitter a valuable small business marketing technique

One of the best ways that small business owners use this site is to gain publicity and traffic for their website by linking to recent articles, blog posts or reader comments Unfortunately, the URL for your blog post or web page will probably take up a good portion of those 140 characters But there is a solution

* URL Shortening

There are a variety of websites that will turn your long URL into a short one These sites are known as URL shrinker sites and most of them are free They take your long address and create a tiny one, generally around 20 characters You'll no longer have to devote half of your tweet to a URL; using a shortened URL leaves you with 120 characters left to dedicate to your message

* Retweet Code

Once you have your long URL shortened, you'll need to keep in mind that you're trying to get retweets In order to allow other users to retweet your message without having to edit or fuss over it you will need to leave enough space in your original message for the retweet code That means other Tweeters need enough space to add RT @YourNameHere So, if you want to encourage retweeting, make sure there are enough character spaces left in your original message And, if you haven't yet created your Twitter account, keep retweeting in mind when you register at the site and make your username as short as you can

* Creating Your Tweet

So now where does that leave us? You are dedicating about 36 characters to the shortened URL and retweet space (depending on how long your username is) You still have a little over 100 characters to get your message across Believe it or not, a 100-character message can actually say a lot For example "The House is on Fire" can be said in only 20 characters So imagine what you can get across with 5 times that much space

Make sure your message is intriguing, so people will be tempted to click your link Use benefits whenever possible - what will the reader learn if he or she decides to click through? Consider your typical audience While your Twitter followers (those who read your tweets) can be from any industry and/or any walk of life, if you're using Twitter for small business marketing, chances are you are trying to reach a particular audience What does your target audience want to hear? What would they be interested in?

Make sure your tweet is interesting and pertinent If you can tie your message into current events some how, you're almost guaranteed to get an increased number of click-throughs For instance, when promoting a young entrepreneurs business plan competition for a client recently, we created posts such as "Tired of hearing about Lindsay Lohan? Look what these young adult are doing: link-to-web-page" and "Think the economy is bad? This kids are taking matters into their own hands: link-to-web-page"

Twitter is an excellent tool to add to your small business marketing toolkit The key to using it effectively is creating tweets that are brief, benefits-laden, and as current Before incorporating Twitter into your own small business marketing plan, why not spend a few hours on the site and take a look at what others are doing? Then be sure to model the best of the best

Karen Scharf, small business marketing consultant, works with small business owners and entrepreneurs. She offers several papers, reports and checklists, including her FREE 4 Simplest Tactics for Increasing Your Customer Base and Growing Your Bottom Line. Download this and many other small business marketing tips now.]]> http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/56573/317/Small-Business-Marketing-with-Twitter.html http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/56572/317/Small-Business-Marketing-with-Facebook-Search.html
If you want to improve your small business marketing, there's just no way you can ignore social media any longer And if you're not sure how to get started integrating social media into your small business marketing plan, I suggest heading over to Facebook

Small Business Marketing with Facebook SearchFacebook (FB) is so much more than a "chat session" as one of my clients recently described it Facebook marketing has become an excellent tool for getting your content in front of millions of web surfers and for driving traffic to your website

In fact, according to comScore's recent data, there were 621 million Facebook search queries preformed in June 2010 That's a 63% increase from the number of FB search queries performed in January 2010, and it's almost half the searches performed on Bing Facebook users are actively searching for specific content and information; why not make sure your content is presented?

There are more than a half billion registered FB users around the world, which presents an obvious opportunity for spreading your small business marketing message And, with just a little bit of effort, the information you present on Facebook can actually appear on the "real" search engines, such as Google, Yahoo and Bing

Ready to add this marvelous (and growing) tool to your small business marketing arsenal? Here are a few tips for optimizing your Facebook efforts for the best possible search results:

When creating a Facebook fan page or business page, put some serious thought into your page name and URL Remember all that keyword research you did for your website? Well now is the time to pull out that file folder and review the words that are relevant to your target audience and your service offerings You'll want to incorporate these keywords into your About Me box and the Overview section of your page

By utilizing the relatively new Facebook Markup Language (also known as FBML) you'll be able to add your own images, graphics, and text that also make use of your targeted keywords (Not familiar with FBML? This might be a job you want to pass on to your web master )

Keep your list of targeted keywords handy You'll want to refer to these every time you add photos, create a discussion topic, even write status updates And when linking to your FB updates from off-site pages, you'll want to incorporate these keywords into your anchor text

Be sure to review the new Facebook Questions feature Here's another chance to rank well in FB search for your chosen keywords, as well as present yourself as an expert (which, after all, should be part of your small business marketing plan) Popular questions are ranked more highly, so put some thought into the questions you create; make them alluring and engaging And remember, there's no rule against answering your own question; just be sure to use your keywords

Want to get your "regular" website listed in the FB search results? Make sure you're listed well in Bing since the Bing search engine powers Facebook search Don't forget to add the Facebook LIKE button to your website; early indications show that this technique does affect your Facebook search results

And remember, it's OK to link to your Facebook page from external sites Be sure to use relevant anchor text, and give off-site users a reason to take the extra step of visiting Facebook to see what you have to offer Keep in mind, for many web surfers, having to log into FB with a username and password may be a drudgery that just isn't worth it at the moment, so be sure your linking efforts are extremely enticing

Optimizing your Facebook efforts for better search performance is very similar to optimizing your website for better search engine rankings It takes a little time, a little know-how, and a little work, but in the long run your efforts will surely pay off

Karen Scharf, small business marketing consultant, works with small business owners and entrepreneurs. She offers several papers, reports and checklists, including her FREE 4 Simplest Tactics for Increasing Your Customer Base and Growing Your Bottom Line. Download this and many other small business marketing tips now.]]> http://bluegrasssolutions.info/Art/56572/317/Small-Business-Marketing-with-Facebook-Search.html