Small businesses investing in AdWords campaigns should start thinking about how they can integrate new social and mobile features after Google unveiled a range of new upgrades for search ads that will see integration with multimedia and social media.

The move comes as Google is pushing more businesses using its services to adopt mobile and social strategies as it promotes Android and mobile search as two of its biggest product streams.

It also comes as a separate report indicates that Google is speaking with some of America’s largest retailers to create new types of “circular” ads that have the same likeness as paper catalogues.

In a new blog post Google vice president of product management Nick Fox says more businesses are using experimental methods of advertising through AdWords, including the addition of media ads which include video within search ad results.

But as Fox points out, more than 20% of desktop searches on Google are related to location and on mobile that figure jumps to 40%. He po

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After meeting with Vice President Joe Biden, major lenders are increasing loans to small businesses. According to American Banker, Biden met with executives from 13 banks including Citigroup, KeyCorp and M&T Bank.  Citigroup pledged $24 billion in loans to small business in the U.S. over the next 3 years.

 President Barack Obama has said that small-business lending is a key element in the economic recovery, and several banks have announced initiatives to increase their lending. Vi

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There’s no better way to advertise for your company than by putting your name and logo into pockets and purses. Small items that people carry around with them everywhere serve as constant reminders of your business.

You can give away promotional items like koozies and Frisbees, but they’ll probably be put away in a closet or cupboard and not looked at that often. The things people look at all the time are the things they carry around with them. Women’s purses hold items like small mirrors, calculators, and sunglass cases. Men will carry laser pointers and business card clips. Both use key rings and small notebooks.

The virtue in these items is that they’re small, so they don’t cost a lot, but they get used a great deal. By their Get full info…

Jeremiah Rouane, a CPA with First Interstate Bank, has been selected as one of 34 participants attending the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ (AICPA) third annual Leadership Academy, to be held in Durham, North Carolina, this October.

The intensive, three-day program is designed to develop the skills necessary to become the next generation of leaders in business, industry, government, as well as in the accounting profession. Participants must be under 35 years of age and are selected on the basis of their work history, licensure information, professional volunteer activities, community service, and awards and honors. A

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One sad fact in our capitalistic world is that funding for many worthwhile efforts is often difficult to obtain if there is not a direct profit opportunity to be had.  Non-profit’s and local community leaders need special assistance, especially in developing countries, to gain access to appropriate resources of capital devoted to their respective purposes.

Attempting to improve the health, education, and welfare of the impoverished by starting a business designed to support the local need is admirable, but your typical banker is not the one to be approached for a business loan. Mo

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