One of the constant challenges I hear from independent retailers (in particular) is the tight rope walk between time-sensitive website updates and not-so-time-attentive website designers. Merchants need to swap out images and text on their sites continually, which isn’t exactly lucrative work for most tech folks.
Which is why my heart leapt with glee upon learning about Adobe’s latest venture—Muse. It marries the ease of InDesign with HTML-5, providing a possible solution for current Creative Suite users. [click here to continue…]
The (entire) Candy Store, outlined in yellow
Recent television ads about The Shops at Target have had countless independent retailers spinning like a whirling dervish. “Store within a store” concepts have been highly successful for numerous vendors (think: the Coach department at Macy’s, the Kiehl’s counters at Nordstrom, and a bazillion Vera Bradley walls in gift shops everywhere). Incorporating the format into big boxes—using the “local independents” angle, no less—has rattled more than a couple of cages.
The fact Target advertises these “Shops” as “a curated collection of home, beauty, fashion and pet products from…specialty stores” doesn’t help, painting a picture of cozy environments bubbling with delight, nestled between familiar red walls, bursting with exciting designs, catchy displays, oh-my-gosh-that’s-to-die-for offerings.
Well folks, they aren’t. Not even close.
[click here to continue…]
We’re testing API bugs today, so there may be a few “nothin’s there” tweets and posts. Thanks for your patience as we work toward a solution!
For the most part, I like the new Timeline layout on Facebook Pages (with the glaring exception of their “no promotions or ads on your Cover” rule that’s just plain absurd). Today, however, I hit a new twist that has me practically levitating: The overhauled Events set up is a train wreck of a mess. [click here to continue…]
by Cinda Baxter on April 12, 2012 · 1 comment
Most small business owners think decisions by the National Labor Relations Board exclude them—after all, aren’t those the guys that deal with big unions? Yes, but “labor” applies to nearly all businesses, regardless of size, location, and type. If you have employees, you’re probably in the club.
Which is why you need to know about an April 30 deadline coming up–the NLRB requires qualified businesses to post an 11 x 17 poster detailing employee rights by that date. [click here to continue…]
Since I’ve been contacted by a slew of retailers asking if Timeline is really going to be mandatory on their business pages, thought it wise to echo my response here:
Yes.
And it’s going to happen, whether you help it along or not.
If you haven’t switched your business pages over by next Friday, March 30, Facebook is going to do it for you. What you’ll see, in that scenario, is a big blank space at the top of your page, and a profile pic that’s been cropped down to a square (translated, if your current profile pic is anything other than a square, or is too large a square, it’s going to be sliced down and will look awful). [click here to continue…]
Here’s an interesting graphic that tells the story of how much weight Walmart levels on not only local economies, but our lives in general. Thanks to Janet DePreter (owner, The Mercantile in Lancaster CA, and member of The 3/50 Project’s LinkedIn Group) for the heads up.
As for Walmart’s tag line, “Live better”…by whose definition? After reading the info below, you’ll be asking yourself the same thing (if you weren’t already).
To see the graphic —> [click here to continue…]
Anyone seeing this on their Facebook pages? A couple of people have emailed to ask me if I know whether or not it’s legit, but to be completely honest, I don’t have a clue. I’m not seeing it.
Who knows what this is about?
(Definitive answers only, please—we don’t want to send someone down the wrong path if it turns out to be fraudulent.)
