Some well-illustrated research from a late 2011 NFIB survey on small business owner sentiment and plans.

Key findings include:

• 3 out of 5 owners said uncertainty – both economic and political – impedes growth.
• Three-quarters of owners want to add employees in the next five years. Sixty percent want to add between on and 9 people.
• More than half of respondents – 53% – said lack of demand from consumers is a key factor impeding growth.
• Oddly, 52% of owners said they expect “little to no change” in their marketing plans.

Check out our January cover story on the new consumer, and what you can do to better understand – and sell to – them in the next year.

The Millennials will soon be your employees, suppliers and customers Here’s a visual guide to this new generation, compiled from data from the Pew Research Center.

Created by: Online Graduate Programs

LinkedIn is a great way to connect with colleagues and potential clients. Take advantage of some downtime this week to get your profile into fighting shape.

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Our May issue goes to press this week, and our cover story focuses on how contractors can use social media to grow their business. To give you an idea of why this important, consider the below infographic. Click here for a full-size version.

Your customers are using these platforms, and you should be, too. Watch for the May issue to find out the best ways to do it.