The key to good content on your Facebook page is to make it interesting enough that your subscribers feel compelled to comment, and share. For a business consultant, this could be posting articles that you think are relevant to your clients or if you are a retail store, it might be a picture of a new product you are particularly excited about. Each business and organization is different and you’ll have to invest time and experiment to figure out what types of posts encourages the most engagement.

How often should you post? The answer depends on many things. Though it is important to be consistent and post at least a few times per week, it’s also important not to post too often. Even the best content, if posted too often can be viewed as spam.

The report highlights several new business investments that have been committed to the state and breaks down achievements made by each of the state’s regions.

To download the full report, click here.

Though voting will continue through January 31, Lafayette has consistently held the top spot followed most closely by Louisville. New Orleans trails in third place with less than half the votes attained by Lafayette or Louisville.

The nomination is only one nod in a string of many recognizing Lafayette as both a leader in business and economic development and a cultural center with a strong creative class. In August, Lafayette was named by Rand McNally and USA today the best small town for food in America

Click here to vote on the Southern Living website.

“Serving the needs of Louisiana’s small businesses is our top priority,” said LSBDC State Director Mary Lynn Wilkerson. “The new website is the latest example of our commitment to provide quality services and resources to help them grow and succeed.”

Visitors to the website can access up-to-date information with ease.   Dividing the website into two sections, “I Want to Start a Business” and “I Am a Business Owner” helps entrepreneurs easily identify information they need and want.

The website features a wide range of business topics, such as increasing sales, accessing capital and business planning. For easier navigation, users can find information, download tools and templates, and view upcoming training events related to a single business topic all on one page. This one-stop-shop approach provides users with quick access to topics that can help them with every aspect of their business.

Established in 1983, the LSBDC is the state’s premiere provider of small business assistance and the only statewide nationally accredited program that provides business consulting to entrepreneurs at no cost. Through a network of 10 centers, the LSBDC provides high quality one-on-one consulting, training and information resources to help new and existing businesses start, grow and succeed.

To contact the LSBDC located on the campus of UL Lafayette, call 337.262.5344. The center offers free counseling and education for small business owners.

Unfortunately, many people find the service entirely overwhelming and struggle to sift through the hundreds of short micro-blogs (messages or updates) that populate their feeds.

One way to sort out the madness is by creating lists. We’ve curated several lists that are specific to the Lafayette, LA area that twitter users (and non-users) can use to seek information that relates to our Lafayette area.

Lafayette Businesses on Twitter
Lafayette Non-profits on Twitter
Lafayette Media on Twitter

Beginning December 23, voters can go online to vote for our fair city.

Nominated for our “new breed of homegrown chefs delving deep into the region’s culinary roots, with stellar takes on Acadiana classics,” we are up against some great contenders, which include New Orleans, Baltimore, Louisville, Charleston, Houston, Raleigh, Charlottesville, Birmingham and Decatur, GA.

Click here to vote on the Southern Living website. (voting begins December 23)

“The upward trend in retail sales that began in 2010 has continued in 2011, making this one of the best years for Lafayette Parish,” says Gregg Gothreaux, president and CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority told the Independent. “These steadily increasing numbers show the resilience and diversity of the local economy and the confidence of local consumers.”

According to LEDA’s forcast model, if retail sales continue at the current pace, 2011 will be the second highest year on record in the parish (2008 was the highest.)

For detailed information on retail sales in the parish, visit the Lafayette Econcomic Development Authority’s website here.

“When I took office in 2008, I promised to make economic development our top priority, and we’ve done that by making Louisiana one of the best states in the country for businesses to invest in and create jobs. Before we entered office, Louisiana was losing companies and jobs because of our ethics laws, outdated workforce development system and burdensome taxes, but we turned our business climate around by fostering an economic environment where businesses want to expand or invest. We have made incredible progress in moving up in business climate rankings from leading industry magazines, but we will not stop until Louisiana is the number one place in the world for businesses to invest in and create opportunity for our people,” says Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.

The Forbes ranking evaluates states based on six categories which include regulatory environment, economic climate, quality of life, growth prospects, labor supply and the cost of doing business.  The basis for the dramatic improvement of Louisiana’s ranking includes a number of factors.  With the addition of Amedisys Inc. and Superior Energy to the Fortune 1000 list, Louisiana increases from having 4 to 6 of those companies headquartered in the state.  Reduced energy costs and a new assessment of tax competitiveness also played factor in the ranking.

Throughout their lives, the baby boomer generation has had an enormous impact on our economy. In this op-ed for the LA Times, Nicole Gelinas explores the implications and the impact that the retirement of the baby boomers will have on the real estate market.

“When boomers exchange their bigger houses for smaller ones, house prices may fall even more than they already have, helping younger Americans to use their own savings more productively and generating more wealth. When boomers leave the workforce, wages for younger people may rise, pressuring supply to keep up with demand. Retirees may support younger generations — just as the homemakers who stayed out of the workforce half a century ago contributed to the economy with their unpaid labor — by baby-sitting their grandchildren, freeing mothers to work and perhaps encouraging a higher fertility rate. Instead of selling their homes, boomers may invite younger generations to come live with them.”

In the categories used to rank business climate , Louisiana ranked No. 1 in competitiveness, No. 1 in the U.S. for per capita project expansions, and No. 3 in new projects.

According to Governor Bobby Jindal, “Since day one, we have made economic development our top priority by cutting taxes, revamping workforce training, and reforming our ethics code. These changes have helped transform the way businesses view Louisiana and that’s why our economy is outperforming the South and the nation. The bottom line is that Louisiana has become one of the best places in the country for businesses to create jobs, but we’ve got more work to do. Moving up to seventh best in the country is a great sign of our progress, but we will not rest until Louisiana is the number one place in the world for businesses to create jobs for our people.”

Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret says, “We are delighted that Louisiana has moved up to its highest ever position on every national ranking of state business climates. That means that even more companies will become aware of all that we have to offer in Louisiana, which ultimately will result in even more attractive job opportunities for Louisiana citizens. Louisiana’s brightest days are ahead of us. We are just getting started.”

Site Selection, the official publication of the Industrial Asset Management Council , is published six times annually and distributed to more than 44,000 executives responsible for site selection and facility planning decisions around the world. For more information, visit www.siteselection.com.