This Week in Small Business: 10 Billion Video Ads

(This post originally appeared on the New York Times)

The Big Story: Surface Appeal

Microsoft introduces Surface, a tablet that may attract businesses, and here are seven attributes you should know about. The company also announces100,000 new apps on its Windows Mobile site. Harry McCracken has 23 questions about the tablet. Gizmodo says it just made the MacBook Air and the iPad look obsolete. Adrian Covert says Microsoft is the most exciting company in tech. But Robert Cyran says the device suffers from a lack of greatness, and Bob Cringely believes  the new tablet is no Moses event: “It’s puzzling to think how Microsoft will position these tablets. But having scratched my head a lot I’ve decided their story will be that these are thecorporate tablets. … It’s weak, I know, but that’s the best I could come up with, folks. Sorry.”

The Economy: Twisting in the Wind

The Federal Reserve extends Operation Twist. Dean Baker explains what else the Fed could do to save the economy. But Felix Salmon says the Fed can’t solve our problems, and Jacob Goldstein agrees. Jared Bernstein doesn’t get why people don’t get that austerity isn’t working, and Michael Spence tries tobring clarity to the issue. Barry Ritholtz wonders if our national debt is more manageable now. Meanwhile, Neal St. Anthony makes a case for optimism. The Small Business Administration reports solid net job growth among very small firms and large firms. But a study says most chief executives don’t plan to hire or spend. Trucking companies are struggling to recruit and retain drivers. Elizabeth Blackwell thinks that all the surveys about small businesses can be misleading. Here’s a list of the fastest growing small-business sectors. And these are the 25 most dangerous people in financial media.

The Data: A Bad Week for Banks

Moody’s cuts bank credit ratings, and a report says the big banks are thelargest source of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaints. The costs of raising a child continue to astonish. Builder confidence is the highest since 2007, and May housing starts increased. But existing home sales (pdf) fall and the Architecture Billings Index drops substantially. Rasmussen’s consumer index declines to January levels, and manufacturing activity in thePhiladelphia region plunges. Job openings decrease and the last four weeks’average unemployment claims are the highest this year. These are the top 10 cities ranked by job losses. Truck tonnage fell in May. A bright spot: gasoline isnot as expensive as we think.

Marketing: 10 Billion Video Ads

Here is one way to stay cool: consider these ideas for selling more during the holidays. And if you want more customers, go green. This graphic says that social media could be making us socially awkward. Americans watched a record 10 billion online video ads in May. If your e-mails aren’t sexy enough,Karen Talavera has some tips, like animation: “Even without sound, animation can show versus simply tell.” Michael Cohn says that to be an influenceronline, be consistent: Other people “will start to see you as trustworthy and credible. It is also the way in which you will come to be regarded as a subject matter expert.” Here are 11 ways to bore the boots off readers. Tracey Lawton shares her six-step checklist for a successful sales system. A cool video shows how McDonald’s makes its food look good on TV. Pinterest makes Yvonne DiVita hungry. Jill Konrath says that to build confidence before a meeting, “whistle a happy tune.” Wal-Mart faces a tough customer service issue. A guy proposes to his girlfriend with the help of an elaborate flash mob.

Start-Up: Silicon Valley’s Dark Side

Seth Godin succeeds on Kickstarter. A job-matching service gets $6 million,and another start-up aims to speed up slow money transfers. This would be the most advanced social network ever made. Peter Thiel opens a new firm to back tech start-ups. A comedy series about a small-business start-up begins its second season, and another series explores Silicon Valley’s (fictional) dark side. Ranjith Kumaran says you should build your start-up team like the Wu-Tang Clan: “Over the first decade the Wu released dozens of records, starred in movies, and even had their own video game. They couldn’t help but take on new projects and conduct experiments. Before looking at a résumé, we’ll look at the things the candidate has produced in the never-ending quest to try new things.” Emily Suess says location is the most important thing when building a business.

Management: Decline and Fall

Private-label coffee brands take on Green Mountain. Andrea Rubinfeld offers six tips for hiring family interns this summer. Maria Valdez Haubrich lists three factors to consider when hiring college students, such as, forget grade point average. A service offers a way to appreciate employees beyond their résumés. Howard Greenstein learns how to build a culture that celebrates mistakes. David Butcher shares five bold ideas for business, including workplace flexibility: “Even as technological advances make more flexible working options available, and research repeatedly shows that workplace flexibility programs can benefit businesses of all sizes and result in increased job satisfaction, lower turnover and lower insurance costs, many employees today are still held to a mandatory 9-to-5 workday.” Eric Basu suggests 10 rules from the trenches to help build a business. A study shows Americans gave just 1.9 percent of their disposable income to charity last year, and Rick Wartzman says business leaders should do these three things to help nonprofits. Jeff Haden reports on the decline and fall of a mom-and-pop shop. Becky McCray explains why you can’t finish things.

Around the Country: Hotel Rooms Are Gross

Persistence prevails in government contracting. Marty Nemko says America’smost overrated product is higher education — but these start-ups want to give out college educations free. Kentucky’s governor, Steve Beshear, introduces aHiring Kentucky Heroes program. Fourth of July travel is expected to rise 5 percent. It is recommended that when you stay at a hotel you avoid about 81 percent of your room’s surfaces (and don’t watch TV). A checkpoint of the future takes shape at a Texas airport. After an uproar, Adidas cancels its “shackle shoes.” New York City is plagued by bees.

Around the World: Down and Out in Wenzhou

Spain’s borrowing costs soar but the cost of Greek olives could come down! Anew index tries to take stock of countries’ total wealth. The BBC introduces anInternet start-up incubator, and the winner of the United States Open is interrupted by a squawking British guy. William Smead explains why some people are down and out in Wenzhou. Mark Thoma reports on the bullish environment at the World Economic Forum on Africa.

Red Tape: Cigar Makers Bracing

The Small Business Administration simplifies online disaster-loan applications. Vending machine operators breathe a sigh of relief as the Treasury secretary says there is no set timetable for currency redesign. Google says government requests to take stuff down have doubled in the last six months. The federal government approves gas drilling in Utah. Dave Thomas wonders if VoIP phone services will be regulated. Julie Weeks asks: who getsgovernment contracts? The House Small Business Committee holds a hearingon Small Business Administration lending and the committee’s chairman, Sam Graves, applauds House passage of the Domestic Energy and Jobs Act, a package of energy production bills that he says will create jobs. The cigar industry braces for more regulation.

Technology: The Loyalty Game

Kids, this is what it was like before the Internet. These are 10 innovators who are changing the game for Internet infrastructure. A few young entrepreneurs give advice on building a mobile app for a small business. Square gets into theloyalty game with digital punch cards. Sue Poremba reports on how the cloud can reduce energy consumption for a small business. Symantec warns the blackout is coming! John McKinlay prefers physical keyboards. Facebook buys a facial-recognition start-up. Here are seven great Google spreadsheetgadgets. And this is when technology becomes scary.

Tweets of the Week

@CherylHeppard: Re-purpose your content: Go through your early material — yes: even unrelated stuff from way back when.

@colligan: Looking for a YouTube channel name? Name it after topic – not talent. They’ll find YOU when they search for what you do.

@fefaromano: More than 80% of CEOs think they offer superior customer service and 8% of their customers actually agree.

The Week’s Bests

Catherine Kaputa says successful entrepreneurs have five counterintuitive habits, including understanding that when people say, “You’re starting what?” they are probably on to something: “In 1980, Fred Carl Jr was designing a new home kitchen and his wife, Margaret, wanted a heavy-duty range like her mother’s 1947 Chambers range. They weren’t made anymore so Carl looked into restaurant ranges; but they weren’t suitable for homes. So Carl decided to make one. All the major manufacturers told Carl that no one would want a commercial-style range for the home. Everyone thought he was crazy. That’s when Carl realized he had a good business idea, and named his range, Viking, because it was strong and enduring.”

Tim Berry asks you not to give away ownership: “Giving a piece of your new business isn’t like buying a round of drinks at a table, but sometimes people treat that as if it were. But the truth is that you only have 100 percentage points to give away. The best ownership structure is 100 percent you. If, however, you need resources, key people and investment, then you need those percentage points to trade them for absolutely critical long-term relationships, or money. Not to make your cousin happy. Not to save on attorney fees.”

This Week’s Question: What percentage of your company do you still own?

Gene Marks owns the Marks Group, a Bala Cynwyd, Pa., consulting firm that helps clients with customer relationship management. You can follow him onTwitter.