Are you hoping to make a connection that could bring your small-biz from the unknown to the attention of business greats? Part of Yahoo!'s 'Be a Better Marketer' campaign, the 'Ultimate Connection' contest could be your ticket to success. The prize package includes a $25,000 budget from Yahoo! Search Marketing to use toward a keyword ad campaign, mentoring from a marketing expert and a website makeover. Three lucky winners will be chosen to receive the package, and will also get the chance to attend the ultimate power lunch with legendary marketers and business celebrity, Ivanka Trump."The purpose of the contest is to demonstrate the business-building power of the internet through effective online marketing…" says Rich Riley, senior vice president, online channel, Yahoo!. If this contest's for you, submit a 500-word essay focusing on what your company needs to be successful. Get creative, the deadline to enter is May 30. Judging begins in June when Yahoo! community members start voting for their favorite entries, and the winner will be announced in July.

In an article we posted last week, we told you some creative ways to reshape your packaging to save money when the postage rate hike occurs Monday, May 14. One small business came up with another way to beat the increase. Dan Pritchett, director of marketing for Logos Bible Software, was trying to cut expenses when he came across the idea of purchasing stamps from a local stamp and coin store at a discounted rate. Even if an old stamp is worthless as a collector's item, it's still worth the value printed on its face. And as Pritchett pointed out, "The more dollars the local shop has tied up in old postage inventory, the more likely they are to blow it out at a discount."

Interested in giving Pritchett's idea a try? Read the entire article in this blog posting.