May 2012
BUSINESS JOURNAL • PAGE 43
U.S. BANK LAUNCHES CONNECT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES New website provides information and advice on starting and growing a business Small business owners are driven by a passion to succeed and grow, but from time to time they also seek fresh ideas, answers to unexpected challenges or a place to connect with other small business owners. U.S. Bank is addressing this need by launching a new site with helpful advice and useful ideas called, “Connect” at usbankconnect.com. Connect provides business owners with the tools and resources they need to help start, run and grow their businesses. The site’s articles, blogs, workshops and videos demystify many of the financial issues business owners face – such as writing a business plan, conducting market analysis, using social media effectively or preventing fraud – and offer real, practical solutions relevant to businesses at any stage. “Our nation’s economic recovery depends on the success of American small businesses,” said Rick Hartnack, vice chairman and head of consumer and small business banking at U.S. Bank. “There tends to be an increase in self-employment and new business generation after a recession, as individuals who lost their jobs or wish to add to their income decide to start their own business. Our goal is to provide the advice and guidance entrepreneurs need to either get started or continue to grow.” Connect is a resource for any small business owner whether they are starting a new business, planning for expansion or getting ready to retire. With content provided by sources such as the writers at Entrepreneur magazine, Connect offers clear information, useful ideas, helpful advice, videos, and a community of business owners to provide support and inspiration. Business owners can follow Connect on Twitter @usbankconnect and on Facebook facebook.com/usbankconnect. U.S. Bank has provided financing, education and banking services to businesses of all types and sizes for generations. U.S. Bank is also one of the nation’s top providers of Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, with a record lending year in 2011 and continued growth in small business lending across the company. In 2011, U.S. Bank invited small business owners to tell their story on Facebook for a chance to win money in the “Look Up With US” sweepstakes. Keeping a finger on the pulse of small businesses, U.S. Bank reports annually on the attitudes and opinions of business owners nationwide with its U.S. Bank Small Business Annual Survey.
Lost in the...
now, and you will laugh at the changes that have taken place in the continued from pg. 25 short interim. A century ago your great grandparents were stunned when the circus brought an elephant to town. Today, your kids can download live video from their natural habitat—and it’s no big thing. (Which is why there aren’t many circuses around any more.) Nothing is as consistent as change.