The beginning of each new year often brings cold, chilling winds, hailing the promise of another long dreary winter. And just when that wintry depression threatens to take hold, we often find ourselves temporarily saved by that army of precocious females: the Girl Scouts and their annual cookie sale. 

Originally a money-making scheme for a single troop during World War I, Girl Scout Cookies have become a much-anticipated institution for girls and customers alike. According to Wikipedia, sales of these cookies average 200 million boxes per year.

Business blogs come in all shapes and sizes. Some are must-have players for any serious small business owner’s lineup, while others need to be sent back to the minor leagues. Here are 5 business blogs that will be worth their spot on the team.

• First up to bat is Infusionsoft’s marketing blog, designed with small business owners in mind. Written in a casual format, the site contains articles about a wide variety of business topics. Want to know how to woo your perfect customer or learn ways to boost your content strategy success? The Infusionsoft marketing blog has you covered. It also contains handy links to Infusionsoft’s toolbox of goodies for the small business owner.

Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction - John C. Crosby

As you grow in your business career, you may find yourself gradually changing from the person searching for answers to the one who has the answers. Are you ready to pass some of that knowledge on to a promising newcomer? 

At first glance it might seem a mentor-protégé relationship is one-sided. You’re effectively giving away your hard-won experience and asking little in return. A mentor can gain satisfaction from building a legacy however, as well as developing leadership skills and gaining prestige within the industry.

Valentine's Day is a special time for lovers, boxes of chocolate and hearts, not to mention a perfect excuse to send that special someone a sentimental e-card. It’s also a special time for businesses, and regardless of what type of business you have, you can use this holiday to show your customers some love.

Here are some ideas to help you become Cupid for a day:

Although they never met in person, Martin Luther King Jr. found great inspiration in Gandhi's teachings of nonviolence. Using this campaign, he was able to push forward the Civil Rights Movement in a mere ten short years. When you compare this accomplishment to other violence-related protests, such as apartheid in South Africa, it is truly a testament to King's drive and desire to fulfill his dream.

In any business, an entrepreneur needs to have that same drive, a passion to succeed under his own initiative. The entrepreneur needs to be able to persevere when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. He or she needs to have self-discipline and focus, to let nothing get in the way of his or her success.

Once the holidays are over, the decorations have come down and the presents have all been bought, will your cash registers still be busy? For many businesses, the end of the holiday season marks the end of the busy season. But those months don’t have to be slow ones for your marketing efforts. It's important to keep your marketing going strong, especially in the “slow” months.

For more than 25 years, hundreds of thousands of sales professionals and entrepreneurs have turned to Dan Kennedy, the “millionaire maker”, for help with their marketing.

Not every business owner is a born marketing expert, and there's nothing wrong with that. It’s a problem that can be easily solved with a little education and research. That’s where the Infusionsoft Marketing Library comes in. The library has dozens of free eBooks and webinars that can help you develop marketing strategies and generate more sales leads. Among the many great eBooks included in the library are:

The ABCs of Earning Customer Referrals. Word of mouth is the best advertising that money can’t buy. This step-by-step guide has over a dozen unique ideas you can use right away to enhance your referrals and create great leads. It contains proven ways to generate new leads through Facebook and Twitter as well as identifying and opening up untapped lead sources.

There was a time when stores would boast: "If we don't have it, you don't need it." In today's world, if a shopper can't find what he wants at the mall (Black Friday, anyone?), he can make an online purchase on his phone in the mall parking lot within minutes of leaving the store (or maybe save it for Cyber Monday!). However, the long lines and large crowds at the stores during the holidays attest to the fact that not everyone shops online. So why do people face those maddening swarms in the department stores and malls, when they could so easily sit at home in their pajamas and browse the internet?

Want instant gratification?

Going into an actual store and making a purchase means you don't have to wait and see if what you're buying is what you really want. It's so much easier to see that you're choosing the right color or size when you're physically in front of the item. Shopping online, unless it's an item you're already familiar with, can be akin to spinning a roulette wheel.

“I know every mile will be worth my while. I would go most anywhere to find where I belong.”

The words come from a song in Disney’s 1998 animated film Hercules, but they can just as easily apply to many small business owners struggling to find their place in a competitive market.Breaking in can be daunting. It often seems the competition is bigger, badder and more importantly, already entrenched.  If you try to be everything to everyone, you’ll end up spreading yourself too thin. To find where you belong, sometimes you have to find your perfect niche. If you’re good at something no one else is, why not take advantage of it?

With a chill wind blowing and snowflakes filling the air, thoughts of warm spring may seem like a distant dream on the horizon. Even though winter may be seem like a frozen eternity, it’s never too early to start planning your marketing for Q2. What are your goals for spring, and how will you reach them?  

The marketing calendar may look a little bare at first glance, what with Christmas and the other winter holidays receding in the rear-view mirror, but the spring and early summer months have plenty to offer.

In April, there’s Easter, Thomas Jefferson's birthday and April Fool's Day for starters. Throw in Tax Day, Earth Day, Administrative Professionals Day, and Car Care Month, too.

Obi Wan Kenobi.  Merlin.  Mister Miyagi. 

In film and in stories, heroes and heroines have benefitted from the wisdom and advice of a mentor. Would you and your business benefit from someone who could provide you with knowledge, support and guidance? If your answer is yes, then it might be time to consider finding a mentor. 

A mentor/protégé relationship is not one where the mentor offers his time and advice for compensation. Although paid consultants and advisors can be beneficial, a mentor is only interested in helping his or her protégé to succeed.

January is almost over already. Do you know where your Q1 goal is? Like any goal, your plan for Q1 is more likely to be met if you write it down. Better yet, make your goals S.M.A.R.T.

S.M.A.R.T. goals have been around in one form or another since the early 1980’s. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and over the years they’ve been tailored to fit a wide variety of different businesses. Generally, being S.M.A.R.T means having goals that are:

Okay, so maybe that isn't the sentiment that typically occurs to you at tax time each year. If you're one of those people who usually procrastinates just a bit.... puts off gathering those receipts because there's “plenty of time yet”.... let's try to change things up. Here are some tips and advice to make filing a breeze this year:

Find last year's tax return. This is a good guide to what you'll need for this year's return. Look it over and note any changes; maybe you have new machinery this year or retired the old computer, which will affect your depreciation. Just looking through the paperwork may remind you of questions you had for your CPA or tax preparer.

So, your business has 1000 Facebook friends, 5000 likes, 3000 twitter followers, 1500 1st level connections on LinkedIn and you have a big presence on Instagram, Pinterest, and other social media platforms.

Guess what, I don't care about any of those numbers! What I do care about is...

Maybe it is the “slow season”for your business. Or maybe it has been your best season ever, and your stress levels are off the charts. Either way, hopefully you have decided to take a little time off and become reacquainted with your family again.

It can be a little intimidating sometimes, trying to reconnect with family members when you've been putting a lot of time into your business. You may feel like they resent your time away from them.  Or you may simply feel like you don't know one another anymore.

Spending time with loved ones doesn't have to involve elaborate plans.