Small Business Center

Intuit’s Small Business Grants - Nominate a Local Business (Even Yours!)

October 27th, 2009 by Janet Thaeler

We all know it can be tough times for small businesses right now, but small businesses are key to the success of this country. One option that you can look at is ways to get business grants or assistance.

Here’s the first thing I found: Intuit is giving away money to deserving small businesses! Each month, five local businesses will be randomly selected to receive $1,000 small business grants. One of them will have their grant increased to $5,000. But hurry, the contest ends on Saturday, October 31, 2009.

To enter go to http://lovealocalbusiness.intuit.com/ and write a 250 character or fewer description of the local business you want to nominate. Here’s an example of some of the...

Google Adds Mobile Search to Maps

October 20th, 2009 by Janet Thaeler

I’ve written about how people are going online to find local businesses like yours they have the “Yellow Pages” on their phones. It doesn’t matter if they are locals or just on vacation or visiting, you want to be sure you’re found.

It’s now easier to find locations on a mobile device (think iPhone) thanks to the new mobile local search. Customers will be able to find your business hours, read reviews, see photos, and even get coupons.

To make it easier for people and cut down on typing, Google has listed categories. For example, someone wanting to find a local movie theater can easily go to the ‘Entertainment & Recreation’ section and execute a search.

Local Search for Mobile is...