Shoppers often rely on unadulterated opinions of former customers to judge whether or not they want to make a purchase. This makes online reviews a key factor in people’s purchasing journey—and it’s why there are so many review websites where customers go to share their experiences with both local businesses and national brands.

As the world’s most popular search engine, Google has access to decades of information on what users are looking for online—and that information is accessible via the Google Trends tool. Researchers have used Google Trends search data for everything from predicting the stock market to monitoring the spread of disease. Read on to learn how you can put this powerful free tool to work for your business.

When you think of the word “pitch,” you may think of the TV show Shark Tank. There’s a carpet, a line of potential investors, and glaring lights as someone presents their idea in 90 seconds. However, pitching goes beyond seeking funding for your business—it also applies to communicating with potential customers, partners, and team members.

While wellness has achieved buzz-level status, fueled by an estimated $1.5 trillion global market, it’s by no means a new concept. Upon its formation in 1948, the World Health Organization defined “health” to include mental and social wellness—not merely the physical.

Influencer marketing is a proven tactic to help companies reach new audiences, build brand awareness, and increase trust. If done right, an influencer marketing strategy can be one of the best ways to grow your business.

Anaita Sakar and Vik Davé came home one day to find their kids playing in piles of plastic wrapping material left over from their business. They were disgusted. “It made me feel sick,” Anaita says. “I knew we had to do something differently.”. The couple couldn’t find any sustainable alternatives, so they experimented with their home compost bin and different materials. The result? One hundred percent home-compostable shipping packages and a new brand, Hero Packaging. Anaita and Vik’s idea has been such a hit that just last year the company received more than $1 million in investment funding, and served their 50,000th customer.