Connect with us

Technology

Prepare for Small Business Saturday Success with SCORE’s Expert Tips

Published

on

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — As the holiday shopping season approaches, small businesses are gearing up for one of the busiest times of the year, from Black Friday to Small Business Saturday and beyond. SCORE, America’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, offers entrepreneurs practical advice to make the most of the season.

Small Business Saturday offers a prime opportunity for small businesses to step into the spotlight.

Plan for the Holiday Rush
Reflect on last year’s performance. Did you meet your sales goals? Use your previous data to forecast sales, set promotional strategies and manage staffing needs to provide for outstanding customer care. “It’s about more than just sales; it’s a powerful opportunity to connect with your community, attract new customers and reinforce relationships with loyal ones,” explains SCORE mentor Lizz Smoak. If you plan on extending store hours during the holidays, communicate these updates with your team early so you are prepared to handle increased sales traffic. Ensure that employees are aware of the holiday schedule and have submitted any time-off requests to avoid last-minute scheduling conflicts. 

Create an Experience for Customers
“Engagement is key when customer traffic spikes during the holiday season,” notes SCORE mentor Christy Jones. “Consider offering curated gift guides or exclusive bundles to simplify decision-making for your customers, especially as you compete against large retailers like Amazon.” Plan a special event or connect with other local businesses to promote shopping small.

Stand Out from the Crowd
Consider how you can make your store or service the preferred choice. “Small business owners should contact their existing customers and highlight their unique level of service,” advises SCORE mentor John Doyle. Highlight your strengths—whether it’s one-of-a-kind products, exceptional offerings, or a strong local connection. Design your holiday strategy around what sets you apart and amplify these messages through social media and your marketing materials.

Be E-Commerce Friendly
As you roll out holiday promotions, make sure that your digital doorstep is ready, too. Confirm your hours, location and contact info are updated on your website, Google Business Profile and other local listings. Many customers will be shopping on their phones so be sure your website is optimized for mobile use and that your most popular products are easy to find. A smooth checkout process is vital for keeping customers happy and encouraging repeat purchases.

“Small Business Saturday offers a prime opportunity for small businesses to step into the spotlight,” said SCORE CEO Bridget Weston. “With a strategic approach, small businesses can leverage this season and see big returns.”

If you’re looking for more information, SCORE will host a free online webinar “Market Research – How to Use Free Tools to Grow Your Small Business” on Dec. 3 at 1 pm EST. Register here to attend. For a full list of upcoming webinars and workshops, click here.

Need Help? Ask SCORE
SCORE’s volunteer mentors provided more than 4.5 million hours of free mentoring and education to small businesses last year across a wide range of industries, including retail, food service and e-commerce. Whether you need guidance on marketing strategies, funding, staffing solutions or business planning, SCORE’s experienced mentors can help you navigate the holiday season with confidence. To request a free mentor or learn more, visit score.org/find-mentor.

About SCORE:
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 17 million entrepreneurs start, grow or successfully exit a business. SCORE’s 10,000 volunteers provide free, expert mentoring, resources and education in all 50 U.S. states and territories. Visit SCORE at SCORE.org.

Funded [in part] through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

CONTACT:
SCORE
202-968-6428
media@score.org

Visit SCORE’s media resources to be connected with expert small business interview sources and news updates.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/prepare-for-small-business-saturday-success-with-scores-expert-tips-302311574.html

SOURCE SCORE

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

OGC Named Virtual Law Firm of the Year by LegalTech Breakthrough

Published

on

By

Fifth Annual LegalTech Breakthrough Awards Honor Virtual Law Firm of the Year

BOSTON, Nov. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — OGC, a law firm of seasoned general counsel and senior in-house attorneys who augment corporate legal teams and provide fractional general counsel services to early-stage companies, has been named “Virtual Law Firm of the Year” by the LegalTech Breakthrough Awards. The fifth annual awards recognize the top technology companies, solutions, and products in the legal technology industry today.

“We are thrilled to be recognized for our virtual approach that allows us to customize our offerings to clients on an as-needed basis, while allowing our attorneys to achieve the work-life balance that is so important to professional and personal well-being–and sadly lacking for many attorneys.”

“For more than 20 years, long before most law firms even considered the possibilities of working virtually, OGC has been succeeding as a virtual law firm with its unique structure and business-first approach to lawyering,” said Greg Williamson, OGC’s managing partner. “We are thrilled to be recognized for our virtual approach that allows us to customize our offerings to clients on an as-needed basis, while allowing our attorneys to achieve the work-life balance that is so important to professional and personal well-being–and sadly lacking for many attorneys.”

OGC was recognized for its model that allows its partner-level attorneys to tailor services to meet the specific needs of clients, from small-to-medium sized companies without in-house legal support to large enterprises seeking additional bench strength. With no offices to maintain and no billable hour requirements, OGCs can provide the services and solutions their clients need–not what the traditional law firm legal service delivery model demands.

The Legal Tech Breakthrough Awards aims to perform the most comprehensive evaluation of LegalTech tools, services and companies today, with the goal of recognizing the breakthrough solutions.

About OGC

OGC is a unique law firm that offers the relationship and experience of a traditional law firm with the cost savings and speed of an alternative legal service provider. By combining top-notch legal talent and significant business acumen, our OGCs deliver the value and efficiency of an in-house lawyer, without adding to our client’s headcount or sacrificing quality. With a deep bench of talent, OGC serves companies of all sizes either as a fractional general counsel or as a seamless extension to an existing legal department. OGC’s approach is simple: We offer practical legal advice with less over-lawyering. To learn more, visit OutsideGC.com.

Media Contact

Gregory Williamson, OGC, 1 (904) 412-8739, gwilliamson@outsidegc.com, www.outsidegc.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/ogc-named-virtual-law-firm-of-the-year-by-legaltech-breakthrough-302306856.html

SOURCE OGC; OGC

Continue Reading

Technology

Docusign Unveils “Docusign for Developers” to Accelerate Intelligent Agreement Management at Docusign Discover Event

Published

on

By

World’s First Developer Event Focused on Agreements Showcases Next-Generation Innovation

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Docusign [NASDAQ: DOCU] hosted its inaugural Docusign Discover event, unveiling Docusign for Developers, a powerful suite of tools and resources designed for developers, partners, and entrepreneurs to revolutionize agreement management. This launch makes it possible for businesses to integrate, extend, and scale solutions on the Docusign Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) platform, unlocking the full potential of agreements through seamless workflows, advanced insights, and a thriving ecosystem.

“When developers build on Docusign, their impact is felt all over the globe,” Docusign CEO Allan Thygesen said. “Building a thriving partner ecosystem around Docusign IAM will benefit our customers by creating the world’s largest collection of agreement management applications and extensions to help drive their business.”

Docusign IAM and the Power of the Agreement Ecosystem
The Docusign IAM platform transforms static documents into actionable insights that power business workflows in an open and extensible way. Our ecosystem of partners, developers, and entrepreneurs have a unique opportunity to transform the way 1.6 million Docusign customers create, commit to, and manage their agreements — offering new ways to:

Automate complex workflows with Maestro, enabling businesses to reduce manual work and boost efficiency.Extract actionable insights with Navigator, surfacing critical data locked inside static documents to power better decision-making.Build and publish custom applications that connect and extend IAM solutions to existing business systems.

Introducing Docusign for Developers
Docusign for Developers extends the capabilities of the IAM platform with robust tools and resources to integrate, automate, and scale solutions across the entire agreement lifecycle. Key components include:

Extension Apps: Allow developers to integrate their unique functionalities or services into Docusign and distribute them through the Docusign App Center to reach 1.6 million customers.Developer Console: Create, test, publish, and manage extension apps that work with Docusign IAM solutions.Agreement APIs: An expansion of our existing API portfolio (eSignature, Web Forms, Admin) with new agreement APIs that embed IAM platform capabilities into external product experiences, enabling developers to build integrations that extend beyond eSignature. These new APIs include:Maestro API (beta): Empowers developers to programmatically integrate workflows with their systems, enabling advanced automation and customization of agreement processes.Navigator API (beta): Facilitates the querying and integration of structured agreement data, as well as AI-driven insights into external applications.Docusign Developer Center: Offers new developer tools, including SDKs and plug-ins, content, sample apps, and quick start guides to boost developer productivity. It’s your one-stop destination to explore, integrate with, and extend Docusign faster than ever before.Docusign Developer Community: A vibrant new space in the Docusign Community designed for developers to foster innovation, collaboration, and support.

These tools empower developers to tackle unique scenarios such as automating data verification, connecting to cloud storage, and embedding agreement workflows directly into their existing systems, enabling unparalleled efficiency and customization.

New AI-Assisted Review for Contracts
At Discover, Docusign also announced the launch of AI-Assisted Review, a groundbreaking feature powered by Docusign AI that transforms the contract review process. This new capability streamlines negotiations by reviewing agreements against internally approved legal guidelines, flagging discrepancies, and suggesting language changes in real time.

With AI-Assisted Review, users can also generate new language from simple instructions, ask specific contract questions, and receive instant insights — all within Microsoft Word for a seamless experience. By automating tedious tasks while keeping human oversight at the center, AI-Assisted Review reduces risk, accelerates agreement cycles, and empowers teams to focus on higher-value work. AI-Assisted Review is available for Docusign CLM users in the U.S. starting today and will expand to more countries and Docusign IAM next year.

Real-World Innovations
The event also showcased transformative solutions from partners and developers who are already improving agreement processes across industries today:

With Workday, SAP, and Salesforce integrations, the data that needs to be added to agreements, such as offer letters, procurement contracts, or sales deals, flows automatically from these systems into each agreement, ensuring accuracy and eliminating manual data entry.Sandbox Banking’s Glyue app automates customer account management for financial institutions, reducing errors and improving the customer experience.Quik!’s FormXtract uses AI to extract data from forms with near-perfect accuracy, while NeuraFlash’s connector app, built in partnership with MuleSoft, integrates Docusign with systems like Coupa, SAP, and Workday, eliminating manual data entry and unlocking agreement data.Velatura digitizes patient consent management, streamlining workflows and enhancing data sharing for over 12 million healthcare records.Bonterms streamlines agreements with open-source, standardized templates for enterprise businesses, such as NDAs, service level agreements, cloud terms, and more, crafted by expert legal professionals to reduce negotiation time.

About Docusign
Docusign brings agreements to life. Over 1.6 million customers and more than a billion people in over 180 countries use Docusign solutions to accelerate the process of doing business and simplify people’s lives. With intelligent agreement management, Docusign unleashes business-critical data that is trapped inside of documents. Until now, these were disconnected from business systems of record, costing businesses time, money, and opportunity. Using Docusign’s Intelligent Agreement Management platform, companies can create, commit, and manage agreements with solutions created by the #1 company in e-signature and contract lifecycle management (CLM). For more information visit http://www.docusign.com

Media Relations
media@docusign.com 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/docusign-unveils-docusign-for-developers-to-accelerate-intelligent-agreement-management-at-docusign-discover-event-302311079.html

SOURCE Docusign, Inc.

Continue Reading

Technology

Gainful partners with Recharge to power smarter subscriptions for personalized nutrition

Published

on

By

The nutrition brand, which specializes in customized supplements and powders integral to subscribers’ daily routines, will use the Recharge platform to retain, manage, delight, and grow their customers

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Recharge, the leading subscription platform, today announced that Gainful, the personalized nutrition company, has migrated their subscription business to the Recharge platform. The partnership will see Gainful collaborate with Recharge to fulfill their mission of thoughtfully serving their hundreds of thousands of customers through highly personalized nutrition solutions.

Historically a subscription-only brand, Gainful has delivered over one million personalized solutions to hundreds of thousands of customers since launching in 2017. With Recharge, Gainful will continue to bolster their subscriber retention strategies and drive revenue with best-in-class features and tools like Recharge’s Bundles, prepaid subscriptions, and more.

With personalization at the heart of Gainful’s business—from an in-depth pre-checkout quiz that recommends products to their customers to offering all subscribers free, one-on-one access to their own Registered Dietitian—their partnership with Recharge will take their customer-centric approach to the next level.

“Gainful has been making its mark on the DTC world as a top nutrition brand for the better half of a decade and we’re honored to be part of this next phase of their journey,” said Oisin O’Connor, co-founder and CEO of Recharge. “I’m excited to see Gainful continue to scale its subscription business with Recharge by its side, helping deliver the best and most innovative retention solutions in the industry.”

“I’m thrilled to announce our partnership with Recharge. Their world-class subscription management platform will enhance our customer’s ability to personalize their regimen to fit their precise needs,” said Jahaan Ansari, co-founder and CTO of Gainful. “By relying on this technology, it allows our engineering team to focus on bringing additional value to our customers: personalized recommendations, education, and guidance will continue to be key pillars in Gainful platform, enabling customers to gain more from each day.”

Recharge’s turnkey suite of tools, including its core subscription management solution, will allow Gainful to drive incremental revenue by converting, retaining, and delighting subscribers, all while reducing tech stack costs and inefficiencies.

About Recharge:
Recharge is simplifying retention and growth for innovative ecommerce brands. As the #1 subscription platform, Recharge is dedicated to empowering brands to easily set up and manage subscriptions, create dynamic experiences at every customer touchpoint, and continuously evaluate business performance. Powering everything from no-code customer portals, personalized offers, and dynamic bundles, Recharge helps merchants seamlessly manage, grow, and delight their subscribers while reducing operating costs and churn. Today, Recharge powers more than 20,000 merchants serving 100 million subscribers, including brands such as Blueland, Hello Bello, LOLA, Chamberlain Coffee, and Bobbie. For more information, visit https://www.getrecharge.com

About Gainful:
Gainful launched in 2017 with a simple mission: to empower their customers to be their best, healthiest selves. Gainful sweats the details so their customers don’t have to, giving them peace of mind that their supplements contain the finest ingredients, specifically for them. With a wide range of nutrition products — from protein powder to pre-workout, hydration to fiber, and everything in between — Gainful’s team of registered dieticians help all of their customers in crafting personalized, effective nutrition plans. For more information, visit https://www.gainful.com/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gainful-partners-with-recharge-to-power-smarter-subscriptions-for-personalized-nutrition-302311682.html

SOURCE Recharge Inc.

Continue Reading

Trending