Karen Stoychoff

Customer Blog •

BOTN S1E2 Recap - I have A Bean Coffee Co with Pete Leonard

In this season 1 episode of Back of the Napkin , Pete Leonard, owner of I Have A Bean Coffee Co in Wheaton, IL, shares how a trip to Brazil and a smoke-filled backyard started an obsession for roasting coffee, and how a personal experience changed his perspective on the post-prison population. Pete Leonard loves a good Cup of Joe, and his definition of coffee has evolved over time. “It was what we now call a frou-frou drink, which in my case was a mocha,” said Leonard. “Some espresso, a little
Customer Blog •

BOTN S1E2 Recap - WaG Leads the Pack in Holistic Grooming

In this season 1 episode 2 of Back of the Napkin , serial entrepreneur Maria Erna, owner of holistic grooming business WaG, dishes about how to master canine and client relations, and take a bite out of business planning. Listen to the episode . Maria Erna, owner of WaG Grooming Salon and Spa in Salem, New Hampshire, has a simple philosophy: hire “a top-notch staff” and “let them do their job.” A successful small business consultant, Erna’s love for dogs, inability to find quality canine groom
Customer Blog •

7 Tips to Prepare for a Small Business Emergency | SurePayroll

Regardless of how established, unique, or successful a business, there’s always a chance an unexpected external event could ice operations. Defining a contingency plan for a variety of emergency scenarios is a critical task for business owners. A variety of external events put small business operations at risk. Whether brief or extended, any service interruption is a threat to the bottom line, or the very existence of a small business. Cash-flow quickly slows while bills rapidly build when an e
Customer Blog •

The State of Subscriptions in the United States | SurePayroll

Subscription businesses have grown considerably faster than the S&P 500 over the last decade, driven by an increase in consumer demand. But a new survey commissioned by SurePayroll suggests there may be warning signs for the subscription business model. It’s unlikely 15th century cartographers understood the course they charted by selling subscriptions for maps updated with newly discovered lands. This early exploration expanded across the generations—from newspapers, magazines and milk to boo
Customer Blog •

The Key to Employee Retention for Small Business Owners

A survey of more than 600 U.S. workers shows the key to retention harmony between small business owners and employees is job stability and meaningful work, plus health insurance and retirement plans Will they stay or will they go? When it comes to employee retention, a new study suggests the generations move to a different beat. A survey of more than 600 U.S. workers explored the challenges small and mid-size business owners face when it comes to retaining Baby Boomer, Millennial, Gen X and G
Customer Blog •

Guide to Growth Hacking for Small Businesses | SurePayroll

Growth hacking, sometimes referred to as the Pirate Funnel, is a broad term for a state of mind and map of activities focused on landing new customers on the cheap. Based on a six-plank funnel—awareness, acquisition, activation, retention, revenue referral AAARRR—the acronym aptly conjures the image of a swashbuckler seeking treasure. who adapt the Pirate Funnel to their needs efficiently capture sales from new and existing customers and quickly maximize growth. Inspired by the work of David M
Customer Blog •

SurePayroll Expands Household Employer Solution Set

SurePayroll expanded its household employer solution set with the addition of Centennial, Colorado-based NannyChex . The parent company of SurePayroll, Paychex, Inc. , acquired NannyChex in May 2022. More than 1.5 million childcare and 4.6 million home health and personal care workers will populate the American workforce over the next decade. Add housekeepers, personal assistants, gardeners, and personal chefs to the mix, and the need for a simple solution to ensure household employers comply w
Customer Blog •

The Most Popular Small Business in Each State

Which small business is the most popular in each state? A SurePayroll survey analyzed more than 600 Google search terms to find out. Have you ever twirled around the idea of starting a store specializing in fancy dresses in Alabama? How tough is it to chip away at the competition if you’re looking to start a woodworking business in Michigan? What about if you envision sweeping the marketplace with a new residential cleaning service? A September – October 2021 study commissioned by SurePayroll
Customer Blog •

Brand Voice: A Primer for Small Business Owners | SurePayroll

A clear, consistent brand voice helps your business stand out from the competition, create connections with new customers, and deepen relationships with existing customers. Check out these DIY tips on how to establish a unique brand voice, and take the What Is Your Brand Voice? assessment. Those who stand for nothing will fall for anything. Unlikely British newsman Alex Hamilton had small businesses in mind when he dropped that quote during a 1978 radio broadcast. But the truism unquestionably
Customer Blog •

Is Your Small Business Ready for a Social Responsibility Program?

Cash-strapped consumers may not always have spare change to donate to the social causes they believe in, but the trend to align spend with businesses they morally support is on the rise. Corporate social responsibility-even for small businesses-is simply becoming part of the cost of doing business. Cash-strapped consumers may not always have spare change to donate to the social causes they believe in, but the trend to align spend with businesses they morally support is on the rise. A Cone/Porte
Customer Blog •

Tips on How to Cross-Sell and Upsell your Business |SurePayroll

A long-time “check sweetener” in food service, cross-selling and upselling offers small business owners across all industries a chance to build or deepen the customer relationship and increase the bottom line. “Would you like fries with that Coke?” Upselling and cross-selling, also known as suggestive selling, deliver a higher margin per customer transaction by simply listening to the customer and recommending something more. If suggestive selling isn’t already part of your regular sales pitch
Customer Blog •

Ready to Chase Your Small Business Ownership Dreams? | SurePayroll

An astounding one-third of all employees who quit work recently plan to start a small business. If you’re one of them, are you ready for the challenge of small business ownership? Millions of people lost their jobs during the 2020 pandemic-driven economic shutdown. Now as the economy recovers, people plan to willingly leave their jobs in what is being called The Great Resignation. Plenty of these workers held jobs in the restaurant and hospitality industry, retail, or healthcare before the shu
Customer Blog •

Five Tips for Sustaining a Small Business | SurePayroll

More than 60 percent of second-generation small businesses fail, yet the sibling owners of 40-year-old Café L’Appetito have defied the odds, expanding the family business in ways their father could never dream. Chicago-based restauranteurs Licia Accardo and Tony Spatara offer five tips to thrive as a second-generation small business owner. The pizza joint where grandpa makes the sauce, mom makes the crust and the college-aged daughter works summers. The corner dry cleaner now run by the founder
Customer Blog •

Technology Helps Small Businesses Keep a Personal Touch | SurePayroll

A new survey—released in time for Small Business Saturday, Nov. 26—shows the right technology helps small businesses focus on delivering the personal services their customers want. Long before websites, large chains stores, and social media influencers, small businesses sold goods and services—and provided the community connection—humans needed to thrive and survive. With the ubiquitous convenience of online shopping and rewards programs, is the small business personal touch out of fashion? Not
Customer Blog •

Moms Returning to Work | SurePayroll

A new survey commissioned by SurePayroll shows moms eager to return to the workforce but raise concerns about barriers to their success. Survey reveals moms missed their job, but not the gender-based bias, issues surrounding breastfeeding It’s been 44 years since a fragrance company introduced the “eight-hour perfume for the 24-hour women” with a jingle featuring the lyrics, I can bring home the bacon. Fry it up in a pan... The television commercial stirred controversy and epitomized the late
Customer Blog •

Americans Crave Connection with Small Businesses | SurePayroll

A new survey finds Americans crave connection, agree that strong partnerships help simplify the complexities of life. Check out the animated survey infographic. Reuniting with family. Honoring traditions. Reconnecting with friends. Shopping at a favorite small business. The excitement and anticipation of the holiday season nears. And according to a new survey of 2,000 Americans commissioned by SurePayroll, Americans are feeling more sentimental than ever. The survey gauged Americans’ gratitude
Customer Blog •

Americans Crave Connection with Small Businesses | SurePayroll

A new survey finds Americans crave connection, agree that strong partnerships help simplify the complexities of life. Check out the animated survey infographic. Reuniting with family. Honoring traditions. Reconnecting with friends. Shopping at a favorite small business. The excitement and anticipation of the holiday season nears. And according to a new survey of 2,000 Americans commissioned by SurePayroll, Americans are feeling more sentimental than ever. The survey gauged Americans’ gratitude
Customer Blog •

Technology Helps Small Businesses Keep a Personal Touch | SurePayroll

A new survey—released in time for Small Business Saturday, Nov. 26—shows the right technology helps small businesses focus on delivering the personal services their customers want. Long before websites, large chains stores, and social media influencers, small businesses sold goods and services—and provided the community connection—humans needed to thrive and survive. With the ubiquitous convenience of online shopping and rewards programs, is the small business personal touch out of fashion? Not
Customer Blog •

Shop Local this Holiday Season | Support Small Business | Local Holiday Shopping

New survey reveals small business owners are set to win big with consumers this holiday season as a majority of Americans plan to skip Black Friday and instead support local shops on Small Business Saturday November 27. Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas…perhaps means a little bit more! Give the Grinch partial credit. Americans this year report they’ve put big box stores on the shelf in favor of supporting small, independently owned businesses that seem to