If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: Cause marketing is a great way for small businesses to build their brands, increase customers loyalty, and grow. Successful entrepreneurs know this.

Philanthropy in the Future: A New World View

by Geri Stengel on Jan 31, 2012 - 12:20am

donor relations long-term giving Nonprofit nonprofits philanthropy Review

Mind-boggling! That’s my take on Growing Philanthropy in the United States, a report from the June 2011 Growing Philanthropy Summit. Its first recommendation is that nonprofits think of the greater good of their cause and philanthropy in general when looking at donor relations rather than just how much they can get of a donor right now.

Great News: Impact Investing Options Expand Locally

by Geri Stengel on Jan 26, 2012 - 12:20am

community development funding impact investing Nonprofit nonprofit funding Social Responsibility Trends

I’m a long-time advocate of impact investing. It brings new money to the nonprofit world, supports social enterprises, and can provide services and products that would otherwise be unfunded or unresolved.

3 Rules for Surviving as a Brick-and-Mortar Store in a Cyber World

by Geri Stengel on Jan 24, 2012 - 12:20am

e-commerce online marketing Small Business small business customer service small business marketing Trends

With online stores offering how-to videos, discussion groups, and a homey, we’re-among-friends shopping experience, how can small brick-and-mortar businesses compete?

Choosing Your Legal Form Is a Strategic Decision for Social Good Businesses

by Geri Stengel on Jan 19, 2012 - 12:20am

b-corporation Commentary / Opinion Nonprofit nonprofit social enterprise Social Entrepreneurship

Social entrepreneurs -- those using business skills to accomplish social good -- have many choices these days. New York and California recently joined five other states in allowing social good to be given as much weight as corporate profit by approving Benefit Corporations in which the well-being of all stakeholders (employees, community, clients, environment), not just shareholders, are legally taken into account when decisions are made.

New Paradigm for Customer Service: Information, Sharing, and Being Yourself

by Geri Stengel on Jan 17, 2012 - 12:20am

e-commerce online customer service Small Business small business online marketing Social Media Trends

Talking to Gen Xers and Gen Ys lately, I realize how dramatically e-commerce is changing retail business and customer service.

Opening up a store used to require renting space, furnishing the store, and working arduous hours. The last is still true but not the first two. Businesses are thriving without a physical location. In fact, many are able to exist because they skip the fixed costs and upfront investment of a brick-and-mortar store.

A Social Enterprise Learns, Grows From Its Mistakes

by Geri Stengel on Jan 12, 2012 - 12:20am

Case Studies marketing for social good Profile: Company Small Business small business marketing social enterprise Social Entrepreneurship

Editor’s note: To help social entrepreneurs anticipate and avoid some of the problems of starting a social-good business, Ventureneer is doing a series of blogs about the progress of Greenway Grameen Infra, a social enterprise in India.

When last I wrote about Greenway Grameen Infra, its non-polluting stove, fuel efficient stove for rural homes in India was just on the market and hopes were high that 50,000 units would be sold by March 2012.

Are Government Contracts a Way UP for Women Entrepreneurs?

by Geri Stengel on Jan 10, 2012 - 12:20am

government contracting resources How To Learning Small Business Tips winning government contracts women-owned businesses

Government contracting is a big chunk o’ change for businesses both large and small. Last year federal government contracts alone -- never mind state and local -- gave $477 billion to private businesses. And 5% of those contracts are supposed to go to women-owned businesses.

Top 4 Web Pages Show Demand for Curation, Focused Resources

by Geri Stengel on Jan 5, 2012 - 12:20am

definition of social responsibility Nonprofit resources for women entrepreneurs Social Media social media resources Social Responsibility Trends

I try to practice what I preach so I keep an eye on my website metrics. And I’ve noticed some trends, the most notable being that people want easily accessed information about social media, aggregated in a useful collection. My most popular website pages were curated resources to help people learn about social media.

Slum Dwellers Inspire Hope for the Future of Urban Poor

by Geri Stengel on Jan 3, 2012 - 12:20am

collaborative design Commentary / Opinion Design with the Other 90% Motivated by Purpose social enterprise Social Entrepreneurship urban poor

With gray skies and gray economic news, one could feel a bit dismal about 2012 and the prospects for a brighter world. Design with the Other 90%, an exhibit at UN Headquarters in New York City dispels that grayness.