honeydo.com Blog

Tips for Small Businesses to Cope with the Economy

This article from the Small Business Newz Web site features tips to help your business grow in the economy.

Small Businesses are Still In Need of Economic Recovery

With the economy on the slow slope up, small businesses are still facing the backlash and recovery may be far down the road, the AP reports today

How has your small business coped withe the economic downturn? Share with Honeydo.com your tips for finding economic recovery!

Moms Who Work Part-Time May Have Healthier Children

On April 10, the Chicago Tribune reported that moms who work part-time may have healthier kids. The article by Wendy Donahue, explained that the children of mothers who work are more likely to be physically active and less overweight, watched less TV and ate less junk food.

Read the article and tell us what you think! Are the children of working moms, healthier? Why or why not?

Virtual: The Wave of the Future for Internships

This article by A.J. Panian, was published today on The Pittsburgh Tribune Review's Web site detailing the new trend in internships, going virtual.

Could this be the new wave of the future? Are virtual internships on the verge of going viral? Could be. What's you opinion? Share it with Honeydo.com? How do you see internships changing?

Top Ten Organizing Tips for Your Home

Organizing your home does not have to be a challenge. It can be fun and easy. You can accomplish your goals, by setting your mind to it.

This article features the top ten home organizing tips from Wilton Bulletin.com, by Bonnie Joy Dewkett. 

Spring has sprung! Get a head start on cleaning and organizing!

What are some of your organization woes and wins? Share then with the Honeydo.com blog!

Also, enter the Honeydo.com To-Do List Contest. Just visit the Beehive and complete and entry form. You could win $250 worth of Honeydo.com service, giving you a leg up on spring cleaning!

Pittsburgh Mother Looks to the Future for Her Family After Home Forclosure

This article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette details how one, divorced mom is looking into how to rebuild her family's future after their home foreclosure.

Heartbreaking stories like these are taking place across the region. Share your stories here at the Honeydo.com blog.

And visit the Honeydo.com Web site for more information on how we can help struggling service providers find more work or how we can help struggling workers, homeowners and parents find quicker, easier, cheaper and more trustworthy service providers.

The Health Care Reform, how will it effect your small business?

There has been a lot of buzz across the nation and around the 'Burgh about the Health Care Reform. How will this effect your small business?

Read an article on this topic from the Pittsburgh Business Times here.

What are some of your concerns for your small business? Share your thoughts and opinions with the Honeydo.com blog. We want to know what you think!

Small 'Burgh Businesses Adapt During Tough Economic Times

The Pittsburgh Business Times (PBT) reports how small local businesses, especially small construction companies, are adapting to the difficult economic climate the city, as well as the entire nation, is facing.

"Dan Lucas, project manger for the Pittsburgh-area office of Walsh Construction Co., is grateful to have a clear view of where his company is going to find work: road projects."

In this passage taken from the PBT article by Tim Schooley, we see how jobs can be few and far between right now. But thanks to Pittsburgh's infamous roads the Walsh Construction Company is finding work.

Read the entire article and other companies' stories here.

Do you own or work for a Pittsburgh construction company? Tell www.honeydo.com your story! Share your tales of luck or your troubles with the Beehive or give fellow small businesses some advice. You can also create a Honeydo.com profile and find employment opportunities in the 'Burgh.

Small Business Gets it Done

For all the small businesses out there here's some stats to put it in perspective and a big thank you as well.  It's not the big businesses that keep the wheels of this economy moving, but all the little mom & pops and people who toil from nondescript office and industrial parks across the nation. 

Small businesses now:

• Number almost 30 million

• Employ more than half of all workers

• Constitute 99.7% of all employers

• Constitute 97% of all exporters

• Create the majority of business innovations

(Source: U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, 2009)

Why is the Customer Out of Focus?

If you've been paying attention to the people that are in the trenches that are "doing" Social Media and not just preaching it, then hopefully you're finding the ones that are doing it right.  Unfortunately, many people can't turn the corner without hearing about the latest @feed_my_ego or being asked to join the next facebook fan club. 

Everyone gets so enamored with the bright shiny objects, they lose sight of the business goals and objectives.  The tools are very powerful channels of communication.  In the right hands they become very effective platforms for creating dialogues with partners and customers.  In the wrong hands, you end up getting spam all over your shirt.

So where should a small business start to plan their online/social media efforts?  Hint: It's always about the people.

Sphere of Social Engagement

 

The Sphere of Social Engagement is a simple way to think about how conversations, strategies and messaging can be targeted to bring people closer to the center.  Ultimately, a business that best communicates with the core can reap the rewards of having those people reach back out through the sphere.

In the next Part of this series we'll discuss each sphere and start thinking about how to transition people between the rings.

As always, thoughts, insights and comments are always welcome.  It takes a village to make one.

PA Contractor Law - What it Means to You the Consumer

If you haven't heard, 3 months ago, Pennsylvania enacted a new home improvement contractor law and they're already considering some pretty significant changes.  It's something consumers should be aware of and know their rights.

Here's an article from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review about the proposed changes:

Pittsburgh Trib Article

and here's a link to PA's website about what's in the law for consumers and homeowners

www.attorneygeneral.gov

We're working on being able to incorporate this information into provider profiles on honeydo.com, but this is only part of the information.  Just because a contractor is licensed and registered doesn't qualify them as a good or bad service provider.  That's up to their reputation with customers and why ratings & reviews from people in your area are so important.

If you have any suggestions or comments on how they should improve this bill please let us know.  Also if you comments or suggestions about how we can help you become better aware of this info, we'd also love to hear that as well!

Best,

Brian

co-founder