Distributor News

There are many reasons why startups never get to reap riches. An estimated 627,200 companies big enough to hire began operations in 2008, and 595,600 closed the same year, according to data collected by the Small Business Administration.

If you're a small business owner with a commercial loan maturing in the next couple of years, you might be able to secure more stable, long-term refinancing through the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Still reeling from the recession, most mom-and-pop companies have held off on raising prices for fear of losing more customers. But business is finally starting to pick up, and after years of being squeezed by cost increases, a growing number of small businesses are hiking their prices.

B2B marketers are embracing social media marketing, in particular LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, and see branding as its most useful feature, according to a new study by BtoB magazine.

In today's ever-changing economy, your customers may have more budget concerns. You may be asked to discount your price. What should you do?

Japanese stocks fluctuated amid signs the U.S. economy is recovering and after a report showed Japan's manufacturing shrank this month for the first time since the nation began recovering from a recession two years ago.

While Facebook marketing is on the rise among small businesses, many are still struggling to master the basics. "Many people have difficulty with just the basic page set up," said social media marketing consultant Nicole Krug.

New caps on rare earth production for 2011 announced by China last week support the assertion by experts that the world's top producer of rare earth elements is not keeping pace with global demand for the critical materials.

Flexing my journalism muscles with this year's Top Distributors list.

Proforma was recognition as the No. 6 Top Franchise Opportunity for 2011 by the Franchise Business Review. The company was also named the No. 1 Top Franchise in the Advertising & Sales Category.