San Diego, March 04, 2014

The UPS Store Aligns Itself with Service Providers To Help Small Business Owners Make Informed Decisions

It's National Consumer Protection Week March 2-8, a nationwide campaign dedicated to encouraging people to make better-informed decisions about finances, health, privacy and technology. To help make it easier for small businesses to make smart decisions, The UPS Store® announced the addition of several companies to their small business solutions site. The site presents exclusive offers for a variety of services and products small business owners may look to outsource.

Results from an online survey of small business owners* indicated nearly all respondents (93%) would consider using a The UPS Store small business site resource.

The UPS Store introduced these additional business services, available through the Small Business Solutions site, in an effort to further support its small business customers with services that can aid in day-to-day operations, planning, and secured information storage and delivery. To date, nearly one million** customers have utilized the site, providing access to exclusive content and offers from a variety of service providers. The new additions include exclusive services from:

  • 8x8, Inc., providing business phone service that allows small businesses to communicate and connect with their customers while they are in the office or on the go

  • AccountingDepartment.com, offering accounting, bookkeeping and controller services, providing small businesses with the data they need through financial statements, budgets, forecasts and dashboards

  • Act! from Swiftpage, providing a contact and customer manager used by individuals, small businesses, and sales teams to organize prospects and customer details in one place

  • CAN Capital, offering small business customers access to working capital for things like opening a new location, purchasing new equipment or adding to inventory

  • Constant Contact, offering email marketing, social media marketing, event marketing, and online survey tools to help all types of small businesses and organizations find new customers, drive repeat business, and generate referrals

  • eVoice from J2 Global, providing a virtual phone solution that lets small businesses answer, manage and route business calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week

  • Vionic providing a social media deals platform for small business owners to market their products and services on Facebook, Twitter and Google+

  • Wise Business Plans specializing in creating professionally written business plans for small business owners

More than half* of small business owners taking the survey indicated they rely on outside resources for help, because they simply don't have time to do it all.

"We know small business owners wear many hats, and are pulled in multiple directions," said Michelle Van Slyke, vice president of marketing and small business solutions at The UPS Store. "Seeking outside expertise is a must, but knowing where to turn can be challenging. We make it easy for business owners to make informed decisions by sharing exclusive offers, information and resources for small business owners."

In addition to special offers, The UPS Store's Small Business website also includes a small business-focused blog along with tips and advice from small business experts.  

For more information, visit the Small Business Solutions portal at smallbiz.theupsstore.com. For more information on National Consumer Protection week, visit ncpw.gov.

* Results based on a survey of 107 The UPS Store customers, conducted between 05/20-06/04 2013 via The UPS Store's internal small business owner community.

** Statistics pulled from Google Analytics website metrics

Vendor Provided Summaries of their Product and Services Offerings:

About 8x8
8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ:EGHT) is a provider of unified communications and collaboration (UCC) services in the cloud to small and medium businesses and mid-market and distributed enterprises. The company delivers a broad suite of UCC services to in-office and mobile devices spanning cloud business phone service, virtual meeting web conferencing, and contact center through our proprietary unified software as a service, or SaaS, platform. For additional information, visit www.8x8.com, or www.8x8.com/UK or connect with 8x8 on Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

About AccountingDepartment.com
AccountingDepartment.com is the next generation solution for SMB owners looking to streamline and improve their accounting and bookkeeping functions with cutting edge technology, forward-thinking culture and dedicated, full-service expert processes. We provide top notch virtual bookkeeping services for small and medium-sized businesses nationwide. Our bookkeepers, controllers and other accounting professionals are all experts in their fields, working at home in a 100% virtual environment on the very front line of advancements in accounting and technology.

About Act!
Act! is the #1 best-selling contact manager for over 25 years. Designed to take the guesswork and complexity out of managing customer relationships, Act! gives users a 360-degree view of their contacts and interaction history, tightly coupled with simple yet powerful scheduling and emarketing tools. This enables users to determine the best next move more easily, then take action faster, so they can focus more of their time on doing what matters most: attracting new customers and growing their businesses.

About CAN Capital
CAN Capital (formerly Capital Access Network) is the largest, most experienced company providing small businesses with access to alternative capital. CAN Capital uses innovative and proprietary risk models combined with daily performance data to evaluate business performance. Its business evaluation model allows it to facilitate capital for entrepreneurs and help them qualify for more money than they could obtain elsewhere. Since 1998, thousands of small businesses in over 650 industries have chosen CAN Capital to obtain easy access to the funding that they need. CAN Capital grew its revenue 49 percent between 2009-2012 and it operates profitably with a $460 million line of credit from a syndicate of leading banks, including Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo Capital Finance LLC, Capital One, Fifth Third Bancorp, Brown Brothers Harriman, Key Equipment Finance, Amalgamated Bank, Regions Bank, Capital Source and AloStar as well as equity capital from Accel Partners.

About Constant Contact, Inc. 
Constant Contact wrote the book on Engagement Marketing - the new marketing success formula that helps small organizations create and grow customer relationships in today's socially connected world. More than half a million small businesses, nonprofits and associations worldwide use the company's online marketing tools to generate new customers, repeat business, and referrals through email marketing, social media marketing, event marketing, local deals, digital storefronts, and online surveys. Only Constant Contact offers the proven combination of affordable tools and free KnowHow, including local seminars, personal coaching and award-winning product support. The company further supports small organizations through its extensive network of consultants/resellers, technology providers, franchises and national associations.

About eVoice
eVoice - "A Better Way to Connect", is a brand and trademark of j2 Global (NASDAQ: JCOM.) A leading virtual phone service that helps small businesses manage incoming calls cost effectively with features normally only available with an expensive PBX phone system. eVoice is online at www.evoice.com.

About Vionic
Vionic is a social deals platform that empowers small business owners to amplify their marketing strategies by harnessing the power of social media and turning it into revenue. Merchants can connect and engage with their Facebook audience through exclusive deals and promotions. Vionic consistently seeks out new technologies to ensure its merchants have the most effective and affordable tools to connect with customers. To learn how to monetize your social marketing strategy today, visit vionic.com.

About Wise Business Plans
Wise Business Plans specializes in creating professionally written business plans for small business owners. Staffed with accomplished MBA writers, researchers, financial experts, and graphic designers, Wise Business Plans is a trusted partner for businesses across the globe. With an unmatched reputation, Wise Business Plans is committed to empowering its clients to make the best possible business decisions, boost company performance, and facilitate funding success. When planning matters, visit www.wisebusinessplans.com.

Related Content
Learn More
  • The UPS Store
About The UPS Store
With more than 4,400 locations, The UPS Store network comprises the nation's largest franchise system of retail shipping, postal, print and business service centers. The UPS Store locations in the U.S. are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of The UPS Store, Inc., a subsidiary of UPS (NYSE:UPS). Services, pricing and hours of operation may vary by location. For additional information on The UPS Store, visit www.theupsstore.com. For information on franchise opportunities for opening a The UPS Store location, visit www.theupsstorefranchise.com.

To ask about this press release, contact:
distributed by