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Studies Show Businesses with More Females in Management Do Better. Here’s Why.

Not to play the gender card, statistics actually show that companies with females on their board of directors do better than those with no women. A study of Fortune 500 companies demonstrated that those with the highest number of women in management, recorded higher financial performance on the average. The study was based on three financial measures: return on equity, return on sales and return on invested capital.

Female managers

There have been a number of other studies that show a link between a balanced gender distribution in a company’s management and its profitability. These studies have been carried out in different countries, at different times, and across a variety of sectors.…

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Why Email Marketing Tools Are Costing You More Than You Think

As technology and consumer expectations evolve at dizzying rates, now is the time to reboot (or at least re-think) the way you approach your marketing. The email marketing software that may have once worked for you has become yesterday’s legacy tool for small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Today’s SMBs can no longer effectively and efficiently grow the way they once did.

Email marketing tool

Here’s why:

The Price of Limited Reach

Cheap and easy. That’s how email marketing tools promote their value. Dig deeper though, and you’ll quickly find that what you don’t get from them is costing you far more than the monthly subscription fee.…

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Content Marketing SEO Strategies For Service-Based Businesses

Many service-based small businesses gain traction due to word-of-mouth referrals and community presence, but lack when it comes to content marketing for SEO. Unfortunately, small businesses are much slower to adopt marketing strategies than newer startups or corporate companies. However, small businesses need to compete to get their services to a wider audience, too. And according to several studies, the foundation is there. Most Americans would prefer smaller businesses in order to support local economy and receive more personal service. With 543,000 new small businesses sprouting each month, pressure to compete is fierce.

Content marketing

Some treat SEO and content marketing as if they’re two separate entities, but the truth is, they overlap and blend together to make a perfect pair.…

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The Importance of Worker Engagement

No doubt, you are sitting there right now scratching your head wondering what we mean by worker engagement. Do not worry because you are not alone. The term is one that has gradually fallen out of use over the years.

Happy and engaged employees

Simply put worker engagement is the way in which firms interface with their workforce. How they manage their relationship with their employees.

Sadly, the reason the term is no longer in common use is because few firms think much about worker engagement. This partly explains why the relationship many companies have with their workers is no longer healthy and mutually beneficial.…

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Why It Is Important to Use Architecture and Design to Build Your Brand

We are currently living in hyper-visual age. For modern businesses, everything from the furniture to the décor in the break room has to be aesthetically satisfying. This is because brands and their corporate environments are becoming increasingly intertwined.

Architectural design for branding

Your workspace is an extension of your brand narrative. Since social media has made it easier than ever to share this narrative, the details must be used for maximum value and exposure. While commercial architecture is a relatively new discipline, it is growing in significance for startup companies and non-traditional ventures.

This guide to the benefits of commercial architecture and design will explain why it is essential for the strength of your brand.…

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Q&A with Darren Cassidy, President of Xerox USCG, on Digitization Trends for 2017

Digitization is unavoidable.  Small business owners need to respond to the trend – or die.  However, not many are ready for the changes due to one reason or another.

Accessing digital documents

To help you in your decision making process for determining whether digitization is the way to go for your company or not, we have a great Q&A session with Darren Cassidy, the President of United States Channels Group (USCG) at Xerox, on Xerox’ latest research on the evolution of document workflow processes and business priorities in 2017.

SMBCEO: Hello – please kindly introduce yourself to our readers

Darren Cassidy: On January 1, 2016, I stepped into a new role as President, United States Channels Group (USCG) at Xerox.…

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7 Essential Types of Insurance for Every Small Business Owner

As a business owner, you might be wondering what kind of insurance policy you should get. Here are the 7 essential types of insurance for every small business owner:

Business insurance

1. General Liability Insurance

This insurance is a necessity for all businesses—whether big or small, home based or mainstream. It can protect you and your small business from a variety of claims such as bodily injury, property damage, and any other problems that you, your employees, or your products or services have caused or are alleged to have caused.

2. Commercial Auto Insurance

This kind of insurance covers vehicles owned by your company and anything inside it—your employees, products, or equipment.…

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Best Small Business Loan Providers in Canada

Unlike big enterprises that can apply for bank loans easily, smaller businesses have a harder time raising the capital they need. Banks tend to be strict with their loan requirements and they also require loan applicants to provide a business plan, a good credit history, and collateral.

Small business loans

Fortunately, going to the bank is not your only option if you need for a loan. There are many other sources of financing you can consider. In this article, we’ve listed four of the best small business loan providers in Canada:

1. Merchant Lenders

Since 2011, Merchant Lenders has been helping startups and small businesses in the country.…

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5 Tips for Hiring Better Sales Account Executives

Salespeople play a crucial role in the success of any organization. After all, they are the ones who generate the revenue a company needs to grow. One common mistake that hiring managers make is focusing too much on the numbers and other details that are already on a candidate’s resume.

Job interview

While it is important to know what a sales representative is capable of, taking the time to ensure that he or she is a good fit for the business is even more critical. The key is to use a style of interviewing that draws out themes that give essential insight into the candidate’s motivations.…

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Your No-Nonsense Roadmap to Effective Crisis Management

Sooner or later, every company experiences a crisis that threatens its reputation and revenue, which are of course inextricably linked. For the uninitiated, the experience can be truly terrifying.

Crisis management

In crisis management, as in much else, fortune favors the prepared. Before you get in over your head, follow this crisis management roadmap.

Lay the Groundwork with a Transparent Corporate Culture

While your company’s next crisis remains a gleam in fate’s eye, lay the groundwork for your response with a transparent, forthright corporate culture that respects your employees and stakeholders. The more information you share, the better.

“Understanding that employees want to feel they contribute to their company’s success, it is key that employees be exposed to the company’s strategic goals and objectives,” said Lovell Communications president Rosemary Plorin in a recent Inc.…

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