BOO-ming Businesses: 12 of America’s Most Haunted Small Businesses

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It turns out that negative cash flows or dipping sales may not be the scariest things you can face as a small business owner. On top of the many challenges of running your business, imagine having to deal with ghosts and other things that go bump in the night at your workplace?

Those are the experiences of many small business owners around the country who are said to be running businesses haunted by the spirits of long-deceased occupants, many of whom met grisly ends at those locations. 

So, in the spirit of the Halloween season, Kapitus found a dozen of the scariest haunted small businesses in America that you may want to pay a visit to if you don’t scare easily.

Hotel Macomber, Cape May, NJ 

This charming, 125-year old boutique Hotel along the Jersey shore may be picturesque from the outside, but is said to be housing multiple wandering spirits on the inside. In particular, room 10 is said to be the center of the hotel’s paranormal activity. In it, you may hear the sounds of the “Trunk Lady” – the ghost of a woman who frequented the hotel in the 1920s – dragging her luggage up and down the hallway during the summertime, or the ghost of a former servant who is said to make lights flicker on and off for no apparent reason. Guests have also reported hearing knocking on their door and when they open it, no one is there, as well as loud voices in the corridors at night, only to find the hallways empty when they open the door. 

Shaker’s Cigar Bar, Milwaukee, WI

This friendly bar in Milwaukee’s Third Ward was built in 1894. In addition to being one of the city’s last indoor havens for smokers, it also has quite a creepy history. Shaker’s Cigar Bar is said to have once been owned as a speakeasy and brothel by infamous gangsters Al and Frank Capone during Prohibition. The current owners not only offer your favorite cocktails and cigars, but also give ghost tours. The bar is said to be haunted by the ghost of  a prostitute who was murdered a century ago by a jealous man on the premises – and if that isn’t enough to freak you out – when the building was renovated in 2001, 70-year-old human remains were found in one of the walls. The building is also said to have been built over an old Native American burial ground. Non-believers and those with nerves of steel can even pay to stay in the building’s third-floor penthouse for the night. Netflix’s episodic drama about haunted tourist spots, “Dark Tourist,” even featured the bar on one of its episodes in 2018.

Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA

At 194-years-old, Pike Place Market is one of Seattle’s oldest and largest public shopping centers, and has only recently reopened after being shuttered due to COVID. It’s known for retail shopping, fine in- and outdoor dining, a Farmer’s Market, and ghost tours run by Market Ghost Tours. There are several ghosts that are said to be roaming around the bustling Western Avenue end of the marketplace, including that of a 19th century native American princess, Angeline, who has supposedly been spotted by many patrons over the years. On the First Avenue side of the marketplace, visitors may catch a glimpse of “The Suspender Man” floating near Kell’s Irish Pub, which was formerly a mortuary. The ghost is said to be of an unknown man wearing suspenders and a cowboy hat, and can be seen in the window above the pub. 

Browse Awhile Books, Tipp City, OH

This quaint bookstore, which specializes in selling used and out-of-circulation books, is also said to be the home of the ghost of Sam Baldwin, the former owner of the 150-year-old building in which Browse Awhile Books resides. The building was once a hardware store, a small supermarket and a bakery. Employees of the two story bookstore have claimed to have seen Baldwin’s ghost wearing a hat and a dark overcoat staring aimlessly at the bookshelves, then disappearing into thin air. If you plan to visit Browse Awhile Books anytime soon however, you shouldn’t worry: the bookstore’s owner and employees all say that while it’s certainly startling to see Baldwin’s ghost, it is harmless and doesn’t bother anyone. 

Northwest Tower “Coyote Building,” Chicago, IL

Built in 1928, this office tower is nicknamed “the Coyote” because the front of the building resembles a coyote howling at the moon. Some of its small business tenants have reportedly seen shadowy figures in the hallways at night and heard doors slamming shut by themselves. A few years ago, one of its tenants, financial advisor Matt Libman, conducted a paranormal investigation of the building using his sideline operation, the Second City Paranormal Research Co. The investigation is said to have caught whisperings on tape when no one was around, as well as a voice that repeats the word “ladder.” 

Pantages Theater, Hollywood, CA

The 2,812-seat Pantages Theater was built in 1928 to present films and live plays and is still in operation today. It is also said to be haunted by multiple spirits. When renovations were being done on the building in 2000, an electrician and a painter working on the theater actually quit their jobs because they claimed to have seen a spectral figure hovering over them on several occasions. It is also said to be haunted by the spirit of a failed female singer from the turn of the 20th century, as well as the ghost of its original developer, theater mogul Alexander Pantages. Witnesses have also claimed to see the spirit of legendary business tycoon Howards Hughes, who once had an office on the second floor of the theater, as well as the ghost of a former building supervisor who is said to still be roaming the hallways inspecting the structure. 

1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, Eureka Springs, AR

Dubbed by many as the most haunted hotel in America, the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa has quite the supernatural history. In 1937 the building was acquired by a well known radio personality at the time, Norman G. Baker. Baker claimed to have the cure for cancer (despite not even having a medical degree) and turned the structure into a cancer hospital where hundreds of patients reportedly died. Numerous guests have reported witnessing ghosts of deceased patients wandering its hallways. In 1997, Marty and Elise Roengk purchased the hotel and, almost immediately, hired a medium who held a seance in the hotel. The medium claimed that the building itself is “a portal to the other side” and in a dimension that “holds the spirits of the dead.” The hotel is one of the featured attractions in many ghost tours in Eureka Springs, and is the subject of an episode of a show about haunted houses on Fuji National Television. 

Bube’s Brewery, Mt. Joy, PA

The bowels of this microbrewery – one of the oldest in Pennsylvania – contains three restaurants and distillery catacombs that are said to be haunted by several spirits. It has been the subject of many episodes of paranormal TV shows, and the owners conduct regular ghost tours, especially around Halloween. Built in 1876, witnesses have claimed to have seen the ghost of a middle-aged man standing at the bottom of a staircase, spectral images of children playing in the courtyard, and have heard inaudible whispers when no one is around. Glowing figures have been seen floating across the floor of the catacombs, and some restaurant patrons claim to have spotted a phantom couple sitting – and then vanishing – at one of the tables.

Ashley’s Restaurant & Bar, Rockledge, FL

This well-known eatery in Southern Florida is famous for its American cuisine, stained glass windows and ghostly residents. The establishment, located in a 150-year-old building, is said to be haunted by the ghost of Ethel Allen, a 19-year-old woman who was brutally murdered nearby in 1920. While her murder still remains unsolved, her ghost is said to be found in the women’s restroom. Many female patrons have claimed to see a set of feet wearing 1920s style shoes under the door while they were in a stall, only to find no one there when they opened the door. Diners have also reported seeing her apparition behind them in the bathroom mirror, and employees have complained on more than one occasion that they can feel an unseen force pushing against their backs as they go up and down the stairs. 

 

The Greenbrier Restaurant, Gatlinburg, TN

The Greenbrier Restaurant is known as one of the most haunted places in the Smoky Mountains region. While the restaurant, which survived through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, serves fine American cuisine, it also has a disturbing history. Built in 1939 as the Greenbriar Lodge and Inn, a woman known only as Lydia was scheduled to be married in 1940 at the nearby Gatlinburg church, only to be jilted by her fiancé at the altar. As legend has it, Lydia was so distraught that she ran to the Greenbriar lodge afterwards, threw a rope over a rafter and hung herself. Coincidentally, the partial remains of her fiancé was found only days later in the forest near the lodge, with many speculating that he had been attacked by a mountain lion. Patrons have claimed to see a heartbroken Lydia sadly sitting on the stairs, and hear sobbing in the hallways when no one is there. 

The Patterson Historic Inn, Denver, CO

Built in 1891 by wealthy business tycoon Thomas Croke as the Croke-Patterson Mansion, the Inn is widely believed to be the most haunted house in the Denver metro area – so much so that a book has been written about it, and the Inn was featured on an episode of the Travel Channel’s paranormal documentary show “Portals to Hell” in 2020. Many guests have claimed to see the spirit of Croke’s wife and mother – both of whom died in the house – as well as shadowy figures out of the corners of their eyes. Over the years, other guests claim to have heard the sounds of phantom dogs barking. Also, as legend has it, one can sometimes hear the cries of a baby whose body is said to still be buried underneath the basement. 

The Kehoe House, Savannah, GA

The Kehoe House may seem like a charming and romantic Southern bed & breakfast, but it is said to be covering up a mass of supernatural activity. According to urban legend, the house, built in 1892 by businessman William Kehoe and his wife to house their 10 children, was built over an old cemetery and the bodies still lay underneath it. Two of the Kehoe’s children – twins – are said to have died in the house, and guests have reported hearing children’s laughter at night and feeling someone stroking their hair and cheeks as they lay in bed. Local tourist company Old Savannah Tours regularly features the house as part of its ghost tours of the city.

Female HR Professional at laptop choosing health insurance carrier for company

Best Health Insurance Carriers for Small Businesses

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American healthcare is famously obtuse and legendarily difficult to navigate.  It is no small feat to organize your personal healthcare in America, let alone healthcare for your small business and its employees. When selecting a group health insurance plan for your small business, the number of options are often staggering, and it can be incredibly difficult to know if you are getting the best quality for the price package.  As much as we would like there to be a quick and easy answer to health insurance, there isn’t. The best thing you can do as a small business owner is to educate yourself on the types of health plans on the market today and the most reputable providers.  Once you’ve armed yourself with the key details, it may be easier to make a choice to address the unique needs of your small business.

What Health Plans are out There?

There are six main types of health insurance plans, all of which are available for small business group coverage.  It is important to be well-versed in all plan types as even the most straightforward low-premium plan may end up costing more in the end if chosen for the wrong person.

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)

Health Maintenance Organizations are plans that generally advise members to stay within networks to keep costs low. Even with network limitations, HMOs generally allow members to access more specialists and preventative care than with other plan types. Key things to know about HMOs:

  •       High out of network costs
  •       Generally lower premiums than most other plan types
  •       Primary Care Physician (PCP) almost always must recommend in order for members to see specialists

Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)

A preferred provider organization lets members go out-of-network much easier than HMOs but often in exchange for higher premiums. PPOs generally offer members more independence in picking their doctors and choosing what care they would like to receive. Key things to know about PPOs:

  •       Much larger provider network compared to HMOs
  •       Referrals not required to see specialists
  •       High premiums for group plans

High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)

High Deductible Health Plans are a type of either HMO or PPO that often only begins to contribute after a high deductible is paid by the member. Unlike PPOs and HMOs copays do not apply; the insurance will only begin to pay in once a given deductible is reached. Key things to know about HDHPs

  •       Lowest HDHPs requires members to pay at least $1,300 before any level of contribution from insurance
  •       Can function either as HMO or PPO, so network size will vary depending on carrier
  •       After deductible is paid, insurance usually pays similarly to an HMO

Point of Service Plan (POS)

Point of service plans generally offer less choices to members in exchange for lower costs even compared to HMOs. Unlike HMOs, however, POS members can often still get out of network service. Key things to know about POS Plans:

  •       Very low deductible if service is in-network
  •       In-network procedures’ paperwork is handled by provider
  •       Sometimes requires referral from PCP in order to see specialists (varies by plan)

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Flexible Spending Accounts function differently from all above plans. FSAs are amounts of money set aside by an employee that is sometimes supplemented by the employer. The money in this account  is then set aside for healthcare spending throughout a calendar year. Employees choose how much money to set aside at the beginning of each year.

  •       Limited to $2,750 per year
  •       Money is FSAs may be used for deductibles, copays and even prescriptions but not premiums
  •   For the most part, there is a use it or lose it component to this plan; however,  $550 may be carried over each calendar year

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Health Savings Accounts are a type of HDHP that lets employees use untaxed money towards medical expenses. Since HSAs only apply to HDHPs, the money in employees’ accounts can be used for nearly every type of medical expense with the exception of  premiums. Key things to know about HSAs:

  •       Contribution limit of $3,600
  •       Does not reset like FSAs (there is no use it or lost it component)
  •       Employees can open HSAs independent of employers
  •       Funds used for non-medical expenses are both taxed and likely to compound a penalty

 

Best Healthcare Providers for Small Businesses

 

UnitedHealthcare (UHC)

UnitedHealthcare has the largest network of providers in the United States with individual plans for every state as well as Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. UHC also has one of the most robust presences both in-person and online allowing plan-holders to select their PCP and specialists directly from their website. UHC offers several plans specifically for small businesses catering to companies with as low as 2 employees and as many as 5,000.

Most Popular Plans for Small Businesses

UnitedHealthcare Choice: UHC Choice is a classic HMO with competitive copays and great discounts for in-network care. Choice members, however, do not need a PCP to see a specialist, making the plan superior to most HMOs.

UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus: At a higher cost to employers, UHC Choice Plus allows employees to leave the already-massive UHC network at lower out-of-pocket costs and generally offers lower copays than standard UnitedHealthcare Choice.

Options PPO: UHC’s Options PPO allows members to use any doctor inside or out-of-network. When using out of network doctors, members often have to submit claims themselves in order to be reimbursed.

Bottom Line on UnitedHealthcare

As a business owner, UnitedHealthcare is likely the easiest provider to work with when it comes to organizing your group account as well as choosing a plan type. Because of UHC’s massive network size, your employees will have a great choice of provider as well. Compared to other providers on this list, however, UHC is likely to cost more for a group plan.

 

Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)

Blue Cross Blue Shield is another massive health provider operating in all 50 states as well as D.C. and Puerto Rico. BCBS generally operates on a state-by-state basis meaning that the key points of health plans are likely to vary along those state lines. Within the BCBS network, however, are several effective group plans that are competitively priced and cater to all sizes of business.

Most Popular Plans for Small Businesses

Blue Select: Blue Select is a family of health plans that partner low-cost doctors and practitioners with equally low pay-in prices for employers. Blue Select functions like an HMO, rewarding in-network care with low copays and out-of-pocket expenses.

BlueCard PPO: The BlueCard PPO is available in the entire contiguous United States and allows members to access out-of-state care at no added charge. BCBS’s PPO plans allow members access to as many as 600,000 network doctors and 6,000 hospitals making the plan especially lucrative for small businesses with traveling employees who may seek out-of-state care.

Bottom Line on Blue Cross Blue Shield

Blue Cross Blue Shield generally costs less than other big-name providers like UnitedHealthcare while offering comparable care. Setting up a group plan, however, is notably more difficult because of BCBS’s lesser web presence. The varying quality of plans on a state-by-state basis means that business owners will often need to do quite a bit of research to see if BCBS is the right choice in their area.

 

Aetna

With a multi-century history of operation in the United States, Aetna is recognized as a reliable and high-value healthcare provider. Aetna is often cited as being the preferred choice of small businesses with less than 50 employees because of unique savings opportunities.

Most Popular Plans for Small Businesses

Aetna Funding Advantage (AFA): Aetna Funding Advantage functions like a Health Savings Account in that employers pay a maximum claim amount from which employees can then use for insurance. Once that claim amount is spent, stop-loss insurance begins. Also similar to an HSA, 50% of surplus money still in the account after a calendar year is returned to the business owner.

Aetna Open Access HMO: Unlike traditional HMOs, members do not need a PCP’s referral to see a specialist on Aetna’s Open Access HMO.

Bottom Line on Aetna

Aetna is a great lower-cost health insurance provider, but Aetha network of hospitals and providers tends to be spotty. Before signing up, be certain that your PCP and hospital of choice are still in-network. Compared to carriers above, Aetna has the granular information on their websites that small business owners are likely looking for, but you’ll likely have to get on the phone with a representative to find out if their plans work well in your area.

Humana

As their name implies, Humana puts an especially human spin on the sometimes-mechanical health insurance selection process. Humana is widely regarded to have one of the best customer service teams in the healthcare industry. Similar in scope to Aetna, research is likely necessary to see if Humana’s well-priced plans will apply in your state. Humana group plans for small businesses traditionally cap at 50 employees, but plan guidelines vary state-by-state.

Most Popular Plans for Small Businesses

Humana Canopy: Humana Canopy is a great option for employees who do little more than annual physical check-ups. Preventative care is also fully covered on Canopy, but out-of-network and especially out-of-state care is often not covered.

Humana Efficiency: Humana Efficiency has the lowest premiums compared to any other Humana plans and one of the lowest in the industry. Low premiums, however, equate to high out-of-network costs.

Bottom Line on Humana

If your small business has less than 50 employees, Humana is likely a great economic choice. Even Humana’s least comprehensive plans still cover preventative care, and their more inclusive plans are great for in-state care.

Kaiser Permanente

If you are lucky enough to be in one of the eight states (Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia and Washington D.C.) which offer Kaiser Permanente health plans, it is well-worth looking into their offerings for small business-oriented group plans. All Kaiser plans offer extremely competitive premiums for often identical or even superior care. Since Kaiser plans vary so much by state, our overview will focus on the general details of their most common plans.

Kaiser Traditional HMO Plans: No matter which state, Kaiser Traditional HMO plans offer competitive copays and $0 deductibles making them especially helpful for employees that may face chronic health issues or regular non-PCP visits. Almost all Kaiser HMO plans require members to get referrals from PCPs to see specialists.

Kaiser Deductible HMO Plans: Deductible HMO plans from Kaiser function in a way similar to most other carriers’ own traditional HMOs. This style of plan has lower premiums but requires members to pay into a deductible when not seeing a PCP or specialist.

Kaiser PPO Plans: Being that PPO plans are especially useful for out-of-network visits and Kaiser is a very localized provider, PPO plans from Kaiser are likely only helpful for small businesses with very specific needs. If you have a company in a Kaiser-supported state, it is very likely a majority of that state’s providers are within their HMO network. A good example of a Kaiser PPO plan being helpful is if you have employees who split time between Kaiser-supported and not Kaiser-supported states.

Kaiser Point of Service Plans: Kaiser’s POS plans are a great middle ground between HMO and PPO that allows more care options than HMO plans and a deductible often costing between Traditional and Deductible plans. Compared to Kaiser PPO plans, Kaiser POS plans often have lower premiums and offer similar service.

 

Untangling the Knot of Group Health Insurance

It would be fantastic if there was a “number one” choice for group health care that worked for every small business; but, like small businesses themselves, all plans and packages are different. Finding the best health care plan for your small business requires a business owner to consider three key factors: which state your company is based in, how many employees you have and most importantly, the overall costs. Depending on any of these factors, the answer of the “best provider” could be completely different for two companies. Knowing the key plan types as well as the most reputable providers, however, gives any business owner the tools to choose the best provider and plan type for their employees.

 

How Independent Grocers Can Compete With Amazon

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When Amazon acquired organic supermarket chain Whole Foods Markets in 2017 for just under $14 billion, the online retail giant put the grocery industry on notice that it was muscling its way in. Whole Foods has expanded to 500 stores from 468 since, and in August 2020, Amazon launched its first Amazon Fresh hi-tech supermarket and has since expanded to 13 stores. It is also reportedly planning to launch 28 more Fresh stores in the next few years.

Whole Foods, which is known for its healthier, organic food selections, is already an established brand that is always seeking to expand. So what can independent grocers do to survive the expansion plans of the online retail giant?

Amazon’s expansion into the grocery industry casts a looming shadow over the 21,574 independent grocers operating in the US, but independent grocers are still holding their own. According to the National Grocers Association, independent grocery stores (excluding convenience stores), contributed $255 billion to the US economy and were responsible for employing 1.1 million people in 2020. They also account for 33% of grocery sales in the US, and many operate in “food deserts” (low-income areas in which residents, on average, live more than 10 miles away from a supermarket) in which 23.5 million Americans live, according to the US Dept. of Agriculture.

What You’re Up Against

Before you devise a strategy to compete with Amazon, you should get to know the core strengths of the corporate giant. In a nutshell, Amazon’s entire schtick relies on three things: grocery delivery/pickup services, technology, and brand name. 

Amazon Fresh was created in 2007 to compete with Fresh Direct in the grocery delivery business and, in August 2020, opened a select number of brick-and-mortar stores that offer cashier-less shopping experiences. Primarily, the stores are used as delivery hubs for local shoppers to let the public know where their groceries are coming from. 

Electronic shopping carts are one of the features of Amazon Fresh stores.

Fresh stores are smaller than the typical supermarket and offer hot-and-cold buffets, brand name items and organic foods. The biggest feature of the store is that shoppers can use electronic shopping carts that automatically itemize the goods being purchased, and they can use Amazon Alexa devices – which are placed around the store – to locate food items. They can also locate stores and order groceries through their regular Amazon accounts. 

Stellar Brand Name

Independent grocers also must deal with the stellar reputations enjoyed by Amazon and Whole Foods. The fact is that Whole Foods – which also offers grocery delivery and pickup services – is trusted for its healthy, organic brand options, while Amazon is the most popular and trusted online shopping brand in the world. 

Goliath Does Have Weaknesses!

If you see the challenge of competing with a giant like Amazon as impossible, consider that, despite its size, Amazon does have three distinct weaknesses:

  1. Amazon Fresh/Whole Foods are among the most expensive grocery stores in America. While Amazon has made it a point to open Whole Foods stores in low-income neighborhoods such as Newark, NJ and Chicago’s Southside in recent years, they are still, on average, 10% to 20% more expensive than your typical grocery store, according to the Grocery Store Guy. By and large, it’s clear that Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods are for shoppers who have incomes that are above the national average. By offering regular sales or weekly discounts on popular items, you can gain a competitive edge.
  2. Amazon markets itself to the entire world, while you just need to market yourself to your neighborhood. Neither Amazon nor Whole Foods will change their brands with new marketing strategies or inventories for one particular neighborhood – but you can. As an independent grocer, you know the wants and needs of the customers in your community far better than Amazon. Therefore, it is doubtful that Amazon Fresh/Whole Foods will change its product line for your specific community. This is something you can definitely use to your advantage. 
  3. In a recent poll of American consumers by Avionos, almost two-thirds  (62%) of shoppers say they trust local businesses more than major retailers, so you already have that as an advantage.

Bridget Goldschmidt, managing editor of Progressive Shopper, said independent grocers must promote their local brands to compete with Amazon.

“The main way that independents can compete with Amazon would be to promote their own local brands and depend on the good will of area shoppers,” said Bridget Goldschmidt, managing editor of Progressive Shopper. 

“This they can do through various community efforts and philanthropic activities. That is to say, it isn’t just a brand campaign, but a long-term strategy to become an integral part of a community and win the trust and continuing loyalty of local shoppers.”

Meet Neighborhood Needs

Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh aren’t going to change to meet the specific needs of the community, but you’re small and nimble enough to. You can offer weekly discounts on food items that you know are popular with your particular community, or special food items that Amazon doesn’t sell. 

For example, if there is a concentration of a particular ethnic group in your neighborhood, you may want to make sure you have imported foods in stock from their native land.  

Organic food is typically very expensive and is something that Whole Foods and Fresh specialize in, so it’s probably not worth trying to compete with them in that area. You can, however, make yourself an expert on fresh produce and meat and make yourself readily available to customers to explain to them the nutritional benefits and preparation of foods. Doing this would make your customers’ shopping experience personable and keep them coming back.

Strengthen Your Digital Presence

If you don’t already have a website, you need to build one. Like every other small business, your business needs to show up in local Google searches and your digital storefront has to be attractive. While you’re not going to compete with Amazon and Fresh Foods in the eCommerce space, promoting weekly sales and discounts or offering recipe suggestions and touting the nutritional benefits of various foods on your site can go a long way in catering to your specific community.

Set up Limited eCommerce

As an independent grocer, you generally want to avoid playing to Amazon’s strength, which is the grocery delivery business. However, you can set up a rudimentary grocery pick up service for local shoppers, and you can even make a limited number of grocery deliveries to a select number of customers you know well, such as elderly customers. 

For pick up services, you would need to add payment software to your website and allow customers to shop for items directly from your site, and have the items ready for your customers to pick up at your store. 

Setting up an expansive grocery delivery service, on the other hand, will require resources such as a new software system, delivery trucks and extra employees that you might not be able to afford. So instead of trying to match Amazon’s delivery service and technology, you would probably be better served focusing on providing excellent customer relations – an area where you probably have an advantage since you know the neighborhood better than the corporate giant.

Get Involved in Your Community

Take advantage of your biggest edge over Amazon: you’re a fixture in your community and Amazon isn’t. Sponsor local charity events and get involved in local philanthropic activities, such as showing your support to the local police and fire departments and hospitals, or the local school sports teams. Set up a booth at your town’s seasonal festivals where people in the community can get to know you.

In all, if you’re an independent grocer and see that Amazon is pushing its way into your neighborhood, it may seem like you’re David and Goliath is staring you down. However, you do have some aforementioned slingshots you can take advantage of. Don’t try to compete with Amazon’s strengths, rather, elevate yours by working harder to cater to your specific community.

Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Website

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Having an attractive storefront is a great start for your business, but how do you get potential customers to walk through your doors? More importantly, how do people even know you’re there? 

That’s the same challenge that small business owners face after they’ve taken the time, effort, and expense to build a website for their businesses: how to get potential customers to click onto their sites and stay there when they do.

Making your website easily searchable and marketing it to potential customers is a daunting challenge, but one that small business owners need to take on. After all, a well-crafted site won’t do you any good if no one is looking at it. 

Get to Know SEO

Over 60% of internet searches are done on Google, so it is crucial that you learn how to optimize your website so that it pops up in Google searches whenever someone searches for businesses such as yours. Optimizing your site can be tricky, however, and if you don’t have a lot of technical skill, there are plenty of companies that specialize in search engine optimization (SEO) services.  If you can’t afford one, there are steps you can take to do it yourself.

If you’ve already created a website, then you most likely are using a content management system. This is software that allows you to write, optimize and transfer text and artwork to your website, with the most common being WordPress. 

No matter which CMS software your choose, each one will have a feature that allows you to write in meta tags and titles – a short description of your content that is embedded in the underlying HTML of your page that makes your content more searchable online. It is important to have your meta tags and titles include keywords that you believe web browsers would naturally type into their search engines when searching for businesses such as yours. 

Show up in Local Searches

You should also set up a Google My Business account and fill your account with photos, descriptions, appropriate key words and up-to-date information about your business. This way, your business will show up in local searches. 

For example, if you own and operate a local Italian restaurant, you want your restaurant to appear in the “businesses near me” Google result when a resident in your community does an online search for “Italian restaurants.”

Use Sitemaps

Google Search Console will allow browsers to seamlessly sift through the pages of your website.

A sitemap is a list of the URLs of the subpages on your website that search engines can use to discover and index all of your content. One of the easiest ways to ensure Google can identify your most important pages is to create a file that meets Google’s standards and submit it through Google Search Console. This will help web browsers to follow a path to all of your website’s pages. 

Appear in Image Searches

Image searches are also becoming increasingly popular as well and optimizing your images can drive further organic traffic to your website. This is especially important if your business sells physical products. 

Whenever you search for something on Google, you may notice that images also appear atop the search results. For example, if you own a small furniture company and someone is looking for a new sofa set for their living room and Googles “white sofa set,” you want images of your sofa sets to appear in the search results. 

Alt text (also referred to as alt tags) can be inserted into whatever CMS software that you are using when you post images. In order to come up with alt text, think about what potential customers would type when conducting a Google search for the type of products that you sell. For example, if you own a pet store, you may want to type in “cute dog toys” or “gourmet cat food” as the alt text for your images.

Marketing Your Website 

Everyone pretty much knows that their websites should be SEO optimized, but often, optimizing your site won’t be enough. Everyday small business owners shared some of their most successful tactics to get visitors to their websites, indicating that getting backlinks (getting other sites to link back to your website) is also crucial. 

They also emphasized marketing techniques such as offering weekly specials or discounts, appearing on podcasts applicable to your industry, writing guest blogs or columns, and promoting your site on social media as key steps to making sure your website gets noticed. 

Market Yourself in Podcasts

Ray Blakney, CEO of Live Lingua, says appearing in podcasts is a sure way of driving traffic to your website.

“You can get more website hits by being a guest on podcasts in your business niche, as this initiative will place you right in front of an audience of thousands, tens of thousands, or even more listeners who are in your consumer target market,” said Ray Blakney, CEO and co-founder of small business Live Lingua. 

“Capitalize on this by discussing your business offerings and sharing your website during your interviews. Also, every SEO guru knows the importance of getting backlinks for a website. Every time a new website domain links to an enterprise’s website, it can help boost that company’s ranking in search engines. This in itself will result in more clicks when people search for the products or services that that business offers.”

Maximize Social Media

Setting up pages for your website on as many pertinent social media channels as possible will go a long way towards getting to people to find your website. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram are just some of the platforms to use to get your name out there. However, when you do set up a page for your business, don’t just describe your business – give readers a reason to visit your website. 

“Hashtag themes get great responses from customers, e.g. ‘#giveaway Monday,’ etc.,” said Avrind Patil, business developer at Selectra. “Add details of your business that catch the attention of the customers by giving them exciting offers and discounts. Include games and coupons for your loyal customers.” 

Connect With Influencers

One key step in getting your website (and business) noticed is to try to connect with influencers in your community. These people may be local news anchors or business owners in a community that are well known by residents. 

Summer Romasco, marketing director at Ad Hoc Labs, says connecting with influencers in your industry will get people to go to your website.

If you own a plumbing business, for example, and you know a bad rain storm will hit the area, you may try to get the local news station to instruct residents to make sure the sump pumps in their basements are working in case of flooding (while giving a plug for your business, of course). 

“The best way to find out if a particular influencer will effectively reach your target audience is by following them on social media,” said Summer Romasco, marketing director at Ad Hoc Labs. 

“Doing so will help you discover how that person interacts with their followers and if their voice and messaging resonate with your brand and your target audience. Once you determine that the influencer is a good fit, engage with them directly through a message or chat. Ask them if they’d be willing to share your content or even create content that will resonate with your desired audience,” she said. 

Write Guest Blogs

Another effective way to get backlinks is to find popular publications and blogging sites that write about your industry, and see if they will allow you to write a guest blog. This will help establish you as an authority in your industry, and create publicity for your website. 

“When we write [guest blogs], we make sure that they are relevant to the type of audience we want to bring. Moreover, we link from the guest blogs to our website, using relevant anchors and links,” said Snizhana Kolomiets, marketing manager at Better Proposals. “This ensures we get highly qualified, relevant traffic to the right pages.”

Engage in Email Marketing 

Email marketing involves emailing promotions or information about your business on your website to a bulk of potential customers. Of course, many of your emails may get tossed in people’s spam folders, but don’t get discouraged. According to the Data & Marketing Association in the U.K., email marketing on average yields a whopping 4300 percent ROI for businesses in the US. 

“Many businesses fail to attract more visits to their website because they never consider the importance of email marketing,” said Henry Davis, owner of Adept Golf. 

“Email marketing lets you reach your ideal visitors personally. If you do email marketing right, you not only boost your website hits, but you also attract customers that are high-quality.” 

Offer Promotional Games and Contests

“Organize contests and games where you give winners prizes, freebies, and giveaways. Hosting a contest is one of the simplest ways to boost website hits,” said Liam Johnson, CEO of The Hitch Store. 

“People fancy getting rewards and freebies, and they also enjoy competitions. Holding regular contests like trivia, raffles, and mini-games leads people to your website. It increases brand awareness, too.”

Next Up in the Claim Your Corner of the Internet Series – Become an Authority

Creating and marketing your website will go a long way in making your business more successful. However, you can compound that success by adding a blog to your site. Blogs (such as the one you’re reading right now) give you a way to intellectually and emotionally connect to your customers and become a leading authority in your industry.

Should you be Using CRM Software?

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It was only about 25 years ago that customer relations management (CRM) meant manually keeping up with key touchpoints with your customers throughout their buying experience. This meant having to keep a rolodex of current and prospective customers and having to physically mail or call regarding promotions or updates to your business. This also meant having to research consumer buying and industry trends.

Fast forward to today’s digital world where the bulk of consumers rely on their computers, smartphones, or tablets to purchase products and services. So, doesn’t it make sense to consider software that can automate most CRM functions for you and reach current and potential customers through the modern mediums they are using? Especially when – thanks to the dramatic rise of software-as-a-service (SaaS) – there are affordable tools out there that can not only save you hours of time, but can also  help you gain new customers and keep existing customers coming back.

What Should CRM Software do?

Good CRM software should allow your small business to do a variety of sales and marketing tasks all in one centralized location. The software should have the ability to:

  • Store customer and prospect information.
  • Identify sales opportunities.
  • Record Service Issues.
  • Keep track of buying trends and
  • Manage marketing campaigns.

Purchasing CRM software for your business can be expensive – the cost can range from $1,000 to nearly $5,000 per year, but the return on investment for your business will make it well worth it.  

Here are some of the most popular and best-reviewed CRM software packages out there, and what they can do for your business.

Salesforce Sales Cloud

SalesForce Sales Cloud is ranked by both Capterra and Business-Software.com  as one of the most popular and user-friendly CRM software. This software allows you to increase productivity by deploying industry-specific apps and best practice processes. It also gives you access to more than 150,000 sales organizations and a user-strong community of over 2 million of your peers.

 

Zendesk Sell 

Zendesk Sell is also highly ranked as one of the most user-friendly CRM software packages and has a strong focus on sales. It allows you to track all your customer interactions in one place. The company claims that 80% of customers say that the software has made their businesses more efficient and helped increase Sales. 

Oracle NetSuite

Oracle NetSuite CRM is among the most popular CRM software among both large and small businesses in the US, but is one of the more expensive out there. It offers a comprehensive front-office solution that gives you a complete overview of your customer histories, and integrates your CRM practices with accounting, eCommerce, warehousing and shipping applications, thus tracking your customers’ activities from sales order and fulfillment to renewals a cross-selling. 

Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM is one of the more affordable CRM packages out there. Like Oracle NetSuite, it also offers full histories of your customer relationships at a glance. Its features include contact management, sales funnels, pipeline management, workflow automation, AI-powered conversational assistant, task management, managing marketing campaigns, sales forecasting, customer support & service, inventory management, reporting & analytics, and seamless integration with 500 business apps in a single system. 

C2CRM

Produced by ClearC2, C2CRM is one of the cheaper yet most comprehensive CRM packages out there. It offers sales management that full overviews of all customer relationships, sales force automation and customer service that tracks post-sales activities. It also is capable of converting data files to Excel. 

Copper CRM

Copper CRM specializes in servicing small business owners who are overwhelmed by data entry. Its software packages is one of the most user-friendly. The CRM software integrates Gamil and other Google apps, thereby allowing it to log all your customer emails and other interactions to the right contact at your small business. It also allows you to easily see your customer relationship histories, including past transactions, from past email threads.

Infor CRM

Infor CRM offers standard open application programming interface and integration options, seamless integration with back office systems and advanced customization capabilities, as well as round-the-clock customer service. While it is custom made for small businesses, its clients include Amica Life Insurance, UniFirst and Meridian Bioscience.  

Sage CRM

Sage CRM offers software specifically tailored to small businesses seeking to integrate their sales and marketing records with Gmail or MS Exchange email accounts. Sage CRM offers customer relationship management graphs, customizable workflow graphs and marketing campaign tools for a cost that is cheaper than most. 

Nutshell

One of the less expensive options for CRM software, Nutshell is both a CRM package and email marketing platform that focuses on helping B2B companies work together to get more sales. With this software, you won’t have to juggle both sales and marketing tools, as it offers unlimited CRM contacts, data migration assistance and live support. 

Quickbase

Quickbase tracks leads, sales tasks and sales opportunities in real time using built-in mobile forms and workflows, automated reporting and trigger-based actions to help your sales team and stakeholders (even if the only stakeholder is you) informed on the progression of your company. 

Don’t Get Overwhelmed

A lot of investments go into successfully running a small business, and most business owners understandably wish to keep costs to a minimum. As a business owner, however, there are areas you shouldn’t skimp on, and CRM is one of them. Managing customer relationships can be an overwhelming task, but failure to do so can significantly cost your business. CRM software could make your life as a small business owner more time-efficient and ultimately lead to more success. Given the fact that there are free software options out there, it’s something you can’t afford not to do. 

Kapitus Celebrates Hispanic Small Business Owners

Celebrating Hispanic Small Business Owners

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From the Kapitus team, we wish the world over a happy Hispanic Heritage Month! As the world reminisces on and celebrates the world’s Hispanic icons, we at Kapitus are excited to recognize several Hispanic small business owners from across the country whose stories of trailblazing are sure to inspire. The beautiful Hispanic tradition runs deep in the veins of America and these small business owners are furthering that tradition of greatness through their own stories of perseverance.

Matthew Ramirez, Founder, Rephrase Media, McCallen, TX

“For the last eight years, I’ve worked on free and low-cost AI products to improve literacy in minority communities. The first product I developed, called WriteLab, gave automatic writing feedback to students, particularly in community colleges, where most do not have access to extensive tutoring or mentorship to help them develop into clear and effective communicators. My most recent product, Paraphrase Tool, provides writers with an opportunity to see multiple versions of their own thoughts, so they can optimize for clear, simple, diplomatic, or academic writing, to give a few examples of the fifteen free writing modes we offer. The question I’ve repeatedly gotten is why try to enact change through industry rather than through teaching, since I started as a writing instructor at UC Berkeley. My answer is very simple: the need to improve literacy at scale is urgent and complex, and the fastest way to iterate through complexity is to proceed in a bottoms-up fashion, listening to feedback to users, making changes, and working to better serve them.”

 

Stefanie Juliano, MS, LPCC, Founder/Therapist, New Mexico Wellness Center & Stefanie Juliano Therapy, Rio Rancho, NM

“When I started my business about 4 1/2 years ago I was a mom of an almost one-year-old. I was working 40 to 60 hours a week as a therapist prior to maternity leave and that was not sustainable.

It was important to start my own business so that I could make my own hours and be there for anything that my daughter needed. I started my own private practice when my daughter was almost a year old and now – about four years later – [I own] a very successful mental health counseling agency called New Mexico wellness center and Stefanie Juliano Therapy. We have won numerous awards and we continue to do continuing education to best serve our communities. I went from myself as a sole owner to having over 10 contract offices and a biller and administrative assistant.

I really wanted to make healthcare-in particular, mental healthcare – more accessible to people in my community and throughout New Mexico (USA) which has an extremely high Hispanic population as well as Native American population.

Many times people were on a waitlist for a year or more so that they could receive mental health services. To have somebody suffering from postpartum depression, anxiety, ADHD, or other mental health issues for a year is just way too long to wait.

There have been many Hispanic lives lost and lives in general due to mental health disorders so it was my mission to have a group of therapists that could do in-person therapy as well as telehealth to reach rural communities.

I have had many challenges along the way, as I am a therapist and have no business background. I did not have any business mentors along the way and so I had to research and collaborate with other people to try to figure out what to do—from getting a business license to getting credentialed with insurance companies as many people in New Mexico (USA) are on Medicaid and cannot pay for any mental health services.

I was born and raised in a small New Mexican town close to the Texas border. I went to Eastern New Mexico University for my bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and psychology. For several years I worked at different professional jobs and decided that I wanted to help others in a different way. I went back to school and became a therapist. I received my master’s of science degree in mental health counseling from University of Phoenix-Albuquerque based campus in 2013.”

Diana Rodriguez-Zaba, President of ServiceMaster Restoration by Zaba, Chicago, IL

“I knew from an early age that I wanted to run my own business. I would imagine how I could make a positive difference for my employees and the people in our neighborhood. My family teased me about how authoritative I could be. My three brothers probably helped inspire that trait, and I say it with a big smile and wonderful memories.

My father encouraged me to follow my dreams. I was buying and rehabbing properties right out of high school. He taught me about the hands-on side of things, but his faith in me was just as important.

For several years, I also worked in Chicago city government. I was laid off in 2008 during a bad economic downturn. It was the middle of the Great Recession, but I took the leap. I opened my own restoration business.

As a woman entrepreneur in the restoration industry, I’ve overcome many challenges that made me stronger. On the business side, securing funding wasn’t easy. Hiring decisions didn’t always work out. The hardest part was being accepted in a male-dominated industry.

I often work shoulder to shoulder with my teams in the field. I remember wondering why I was surprised when a customer would look past me and talk to one of my technicians. It still happens. I just smile, connect with the customer and take the lead.

My employees are always looking for ways to do something extra for a customer. It’s part of our Random Acts of Kindness policy. Some of our best memories are about helping an elderly gentleman restore his home after a fire. A garden in front of the house had been destroyed.

We came to understand it had been planted by his wife, who had passed away a few years earlier. After we finished restoring his home, my team came back and replanted the customer’s garden. It’s one of my favorite examples of how every one of us can make a positive, lasting difference through the work we do every day.”

 

Even outside the 30 days designated for heritage recognition, Hispanic small business owners continue to thrive in the United States even in the face of their several unique challenges. No matter how you choose to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, regard the Hispanic small business owner with the same grandeur as any icon, as their stories are often profoundly inspiring. This Hispanic Heritage Month, make an effort to seek out your own local Hispanic small businesses. At the base of every small business success are clients, so you as a consumer have the opportunity to help build another story worth telling.

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