Has business been slow? Are you finding that people are pulling the trigger as fast as they used to?

You’re not alone.

The latest Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business index shows that half of 600 owners polled nationwide said they’ve postponed major purchases over the past three months.

In addition, just under half said they’re putting less into savings, while 31 percent have reduced their contributions to a retirement account, the survey found.

About a third said their personal finances were getting worse.

What about you?  Are you holding back from spending?

Web 2.0. Social Networking. We’re told we need to use these to build our businesses, but are overwhelmed with it all!

So I’m bringing in my good pals, Michele PW, Your $Ka-Ching! Marketing Strategist, and Mary Pat Kavanagh, Queen of Connections, on exactly what all of this is and how you can use these strategies to get more leads, contacts, customers and MONEY.

On June 24 at 8 PM EDT (5 PM PDT), I’ll be grilling them to reveal the Insider Secrets of Using Web 2.0 and Social Networking to Get Thousands of Warm, Hungry Visitors to Your Web Site.

We’re going to learn:
* The psychological reasons why people are using Web 2.0 and social networking in the first place (understand this and you are LIGHT YEARS ahead of what most marketers are doing with it so you’ll be FAR more successful)
* How you can use those psychological triggers to position yourself above your competition (and reap more traffic and sales in the process)
* What are the different social media and Web 2.0 sites and which ones are right for YOUR business
* The best way to position yourself so you will continue to get high quality traffic REGARDLESS of what’s happening in the social media landscape
* Time-saving tips so you CAN get the most of your social networking without it sucking all your time.
* And much more!

But to get the call in details, you’ll need to register at
http://www.beheardsolutions.com/registerfreeteleseminar.htm

The latest issue of Be Heard!, my weekly ezine chock full of publicity tips, is now available.

I share with you how to find media contacts to get free publicity. I’ve also opened my little black book of reporters and offered up some Today Show contacts.

Check it out here.

In this week’s issue of Be Heard!, I share my secret to getting year-end publicity. Plus, you’ll get a great contact for Power Lunch!

Check out the ezine here.

Many small business owners and entrepreneurs think marketing and publicity is out of their reach, especially when they feel they can’t compete budget-wise with big corporations.

But I disagree. With the right amount of exposure in the right places, any small business can flourish and succeed. National Be Heard Day is on March 7^th and small businesses can celebrate their own unique marketing efforts.

Established in 2004, National Be Heard Day calls attention to the 145+ million people who own small business or is an independent professional or entrepreneur in the United States. They’re the owners of the local grocery store and advertising consultants, piano teachers and plumbers, business analysts and bakers, attorneys and artisans. The day urges these professionals to find their voice, tell their story and be heard through marketing and publicity.

Marketing is a key element in any small business, but it doesn’t need to break the bank.

Small businesses typically have a limited marketing budget if any at all,. Does that mean you can’t succeed like the big guys? Absolutely not. It just means you have to think a little more creatively. And that’s what National Be Heard Day celebrates: creative tactics that helps the little guy grow and thrive.

To help small businesses owners, here are some tactics to help small businesses to be heard on National Be Heard Day:

1. Write articles: Articles don’t have to be long; they just need to be informative. Writing articles gives you instant credibility, too. Submitting online, as well as offline, provides another good chance to get your name in print at no cost. Be sure to put your contact information in a contact resource box at the end of the article.
2. Use your business cards: Think of your business card as a small billboard and start handing them out everywhere. Include them in all your correspondence – even in your bills!
3. Public speaking: Speaking in front of an audience usually makes you an expert. People like to buy from experts. If they’re in your audience, then they’ll remember your expertise and come to you when they need your product or service. Speaking is free, and it’s just like making a sales call to many people at one time.
4. Free reports: Offering a free report online is a good way to get an e-mail from prospects so you may market to them later. This is the whole basis of permission-based marketing, or opt-in lists. You can do the same thing offline.
5. Build strategic alliances: Introduce yourself to other businesspeople who don’t compete with you but sell products or services to the same target audience. Offer to promote them if they promote you. Make sure they’re people you like and trust.

As part of the celebration, I’ll be featuring interviews with leading marketers on Startup Spark. They will lead up to a wonderful Be Heard Day Giveaway, where you can download free gifts (without any sleezy sales) to help you to ‘be heard!’

You may have read my recent post about health care costs and small business owners. But it seems that health care isn’t only only issue on the minds of small business owners.

According to a recent poll by Wells Fargo and Gallup, retirement looms large on their minds. About 43 percent of small business owners are concerned they will not have enough money to retire.

With all the to-dos we have running a business, it’s no surprise we don’t plan for our end-game.

It wasn’t until about a year ago, I really started thinking about how I wanted retirement to look for me - and began actively saving for it.

What about you?