Get Motivated Going Into the New Year With These Top Small Business Stories

The first weekly roundup of 2020 starts with some motivational quotes to get you up and running for the new year.

Once you are all pumped up, an article about the economy should also get you excited. The report says all 50 states have improved their GDP since the 2016 election. And if the rally of the stock market on January 2, 2020 is an indicator of things to come you can expect even better numbers.

The optimism for the coming year is also being shared by business leaders. Over two thirds or 76% of them say they see similar or more profits in 2020. The data comes as part of a survey that polled 940 business owners in this article.

Continuing with the new year theme, the IRS just announced the mileage rate for 2020. This is the standard mileage rate for reimbursing employees for miles when used for business purposes.

The different subject matter in this week’s roundup is a small sample of what you will find on Small Business Trends in 2020 about every imaginable subject related to small business operations.

So, stay tuned for more great content in 2020 and in the meantime take a look at the 20+ thousand articles we have on the site.

Economy

New Year Motivational Quotes

New Year’s Day is a great time to hit the reset button on your business — or at least your mindset about your business. What better way to do that than draw some inspiration for others. That’s why we’ve collected some of the best New Years motivational quotes we could find to get your new year off to a great start.

These States Have the Biggest Economic Growth Since the 2016 Election

In 2016 more than half or 53% of small business owners said they supported then-candidate President Trump. Six months after he was elected 47% approved of the job he was doing, and the Q4 2019 CNBC/SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey has revealed it now stands at 60%; a 13% increase. A new study of the 50 states in the U.S.

Small Business News

76% of Business Leaders See Similar or More Profits in Their Future

More than three-quarters of business leaders believe their business will be equally or more profitable in 2020. 55% of executives said they think their business will definitely be more profitable in the forthcoming year compared to 2019. 2020 Small Business Expectations Advisory and accounting firm EisnerAmper LLP compiled this research. They surveyed around 940 business owners.

IRS Mileage Rate For 2020

The IRS has just released the standard mileage rates for 2020. The big change is the business mileage rate and some moving and medical expenses dropped. IRS Mileage Rate For 2020 The IRS mileage rates for 2020 for business vehicle use are: 57.5 cents per mile of business use. That’s a drop of 0.5 cents from 2019. 17 cents per mile to cover moving or medical purposes.

Annual LinkedIn Report Reveals Most In-Demand Jobs

The creation of new jobs is driven by a wide range of factors. And depending on the dominant industries in the market, some jobs are more in demand than others. The 2020 LinkedIn Emerging Jobs Report looks to find out the fastest-growing jobs around the world.

66% of Customers Look for Social Proof Before Making Online Purchases

A whopping 66% of customers are more likely to purchase a product if it has some form of social proof that it is a quality item, via likes, reviews, mentions, testimonials, public endorsements and more. When it comes to social proof, 82% of consumers believe positive ratings and reviews are the most trusted form of social proof.

Marketing Tips

What is Public Relations?

Public relations is the art of crafting and delivering messages that inform and persuade the public, and get people to change opinions or take action. Public relations (PR for short) is often done to generate publicity and promote a business.

Small Biz Spotlight

Spotlight: Mavely Helps You Shop for a New eCommerce Experience

The company aims to support women owned businesses and responsible retailer through its curated shopping experience. Influencer marketing and social media have completely changed the way people shop online. But many of those eperiences are still hosted across various platforms. Instead of that traditional experience, Mavely wants to create something new.

Small Business Operations

How to Use Body Language to Attract People Your Business Wants

You’ll find a lot of studies revealing how much of communication is nonverbal. Body language creates a more true measure of what the person is actually trying to communicate. Compare this to what is coming out of their mouths. In your business, communication attracts or repels the customers that you want.

Startup

How to Open Your Own Paint and Sip Studio

Paint and sip businesses have really taken off over the past decade. A few of the big names in this space, like Painting with a Twist and Pinot’s Palette, actually launched in the 2000’s. But the concept has moved into many more communities thanks in large part to franchise programs over the last several years.

What is Urban Farming and is it Profitable?

Urban farming includes a wide array of food-producing projects and activities. And with the recent resurgence of farming in and around cities, people have been reconnecting to agriculture by growing food themselves and visiting farmer’s markets. This fast-growing phenomenon has the potential to nourish communities and create economic opportunities.

Don’t Overlook These Small But Impactful Business Tips

Small business owners can only focus on a finite number of tasks at a time. This means that there are many areas or strategies that tend to get overlooked. If you’re ready to step up your business process, consider these tips from members of the online small business community about some overlooked areas of business.

Technology Trends

Cloudways Makes Google Cloud and AWS Hosting Understandable

Cloudways is a hosting company located in Malta. They are bridging the gap between the big cloud platforms that are still technical and the needs of small businesses. Cloudways is helping SMBs take advantage of what cloud hosting has to offer. For example, it tackles the complexity of configuring and setting up platforms like AWS and Google Cloud.