30 Tips for a Successful Business (and Why You Should Post a Video Blog)

Small business has been a focus at Patch since we first started.

We aim to support small businesses in our communities and to help them use Patch as a way to tell the stories of small businesses across our country.

For our small business community, we bring you this collection of top stories from Small Business Patch, your online source for small biz news, tips, and insights to help your business grow and prosper. 

1. 30 Tips for Avoiding Business Failure: Founders of companies, both successful and failed, offer their tips on what mistakes not to make when ramping up a business

2. Lessons from Global Brands for Small Businesses: Interbrand released its Best Global Brands 2013 this week, and we talk about what small businesses can learn from behemoths like Google, Facebook, and Coca-Cola. 

3. Jumpstart Your Marketing Campaign with an Internet Movie: This blog from a resident Patch blogger in Foster City explains how to make a movie that can grab customers' attention.

4. The Rise of Small Business Contests: Social Media and an emphasis on the small businesses that drive the national economy have created an explosion of contests targeting small businesses. 

5. Social Media and Small Business: Calculating an ROI: A new Michigan entrepreneur talks about the importance of figuring out what you are trying to gain for your small business from its social media presence. 

One of the best — and easiest — ways to gain exposure for your small business is by starting a blog on Patch. If you've got an area of expertise, Patch has a place for you to share it. 

To get started, click "Blogs" in the main navigation bar above. Then, in the upper left-hand corner, click the "Start your own Blog" icon. You'll then be asked three things: to name your blog, to write a short description of the blog and to upload a thumbnail to appear on the account. Once you hit the "Create your blog" button, you'll be on your way to making your first blog post. It's that simple! 

Any questions? Contact Patch Community Editor Jason Alley at jason.alley@patch.com.