Ideas
The economy goes up and the economy goes down. Interest rates go up and interest rates go down. Taxes go up and taxes go … well, up.
Cloud collaboration with remote team members has become much easier since the advent of cloud-based file storing and sharing.
It's been nearly five years since the global economic meltdown. Your family business has survived, but no doubt you've had to make alot of cuts.
It’s always nice to get a "thank you” from a customer in the form of a personal comment, a note, or feedback on your website.
If “time is money,” you don’t want to wait to find out how much time rules your business and your life. Jumping into your own small business without a strategic business plan, however…
You already know that a thorough and well-drawn technology strategy is an integral part of any business strategy. The proliferation of mobile technology and “apps” in recent years…
Finding opportunities in the current economy is a challenge for most small business owners, but trust me, the opportunities are there.
Your character and lifestyle both have a tremendous bearing on your small business success. A thorough personal inventory of both your character traits and lifestyle…
Copywriters know many tricks to lure readers in and get marketing messages across. Most small business owners can't employ full time copywriters so they need to discover the secrets of powerful business writing.
Back when you were in high school or college, I'll bet you didn't devote much time to your English classes. Most of us didn't. We sure should have.
All businesses, large and small, at their core are really built around relationships. Your relationships as a small business owner…
Relationships, in both your personal and business life, are a key component of success. We aren't really taught how to do relationships well.
Etiquette is the simple art of letting someone else know they are valued. In small business it makes sense…
When writing business letters always remember that they are marketing pieces. Every communication you make helps shape positively or damages what others think of you.
The traits of a successful small business owner include their skills and talents, their character, their attitude, their passion, and their dedication to learning and adhering…
I talk a lot about the nuts and bolts of starting or buying and running a small business.
Normally the concept of business leverage refers to how much debt you are using to start and run your business. The idea many promote…
A wage slave can be freed and find financial security. Most though, will never choose freedom. Most don't even know they are slaves.
When starting a new business, many assume that going into debt is the only way. There are other alternatives.
It's not enough to know how to start a business. You must select amongst the profitable business ideas and choose the right one for you. It's always best to critically evaluate your business idea to avoid going down a road you'll regret.
The wonder of small business lies in its agility and responsiveness to the slightest turn of the wheel. (Obviously, it is harder to turn a big ship around.)
Small business owners face unwanted fears on a regular basis – dare I say daily? Personal or business cycles rear their heads frequently, just to make things harder than they have to be.
Small business owners who employ staff find office technology to be both a friend and foe. The ready flow of information and the transparency that comes with it is a boon to business owners and managers.
Is Estate Planning a part of your small business strategic plan? It should be. Yes, estate planning is complicated in the simplest…
Technology should be servant - not master - of your small business strategy. Phone systems, mobile phone apps, payroll management…
A deliberate strategic plan involves a checklist of activities and assumes that you have a marketable product or service (you'd be surprised how many skip that all-important step when starting a business).
Because I often assist with small business strategic planning, I get a front row seat for the business owner's fear of formalizing an effective business strategy.
How do you take your information? A spot of cream? A lump of sugar? Sometimes those additions might make it easier to swallow but still do nothing for comprehension...
This is the third in a series devoted to building business on value and redesigning your business to maximize customer perceived value. Value is not just in the eye of the beholder. It has a feel to it.
Family businesses often happen by accident. The entrepreneur drives the start-up while the spouse and family chip in.
A wage slave can be freed and find financial security. Most though, will never choose freedom. Most don't even know they are slaves.
Finding - then obtaining - small business funding to start or grow a business can be confusing. Interest rates continue to be amazingly low…
Heuristics influences marketing, management, software development, and decision-making. It contributes to algorithms and that pesky way that Amazon always "knows" what you want.
This is the second in a series devoted to building business on value and redesigning your business to maximize customer perceived value.
The increasing importance of credit union financing in small business operations and lending has recently been the topic of an SBA Advocacy report.
Is your website an empty grave? Is there any life to it? This is not just a question of content and design; you need to find out if top search engines can find your site. If search engines cannot locate you, your site is dead in the water.
Ever tried to define the value that you offer your customers? A price is the dollar sign on a product, the tag on the item for sale, but that is not the same as value.
Optimism about the economy is on the upswing, according to recent surveys. Big indexes are reading well - with high holiday sales, record cyber sales, and reduced unemployment.
The Khan Academy is a non-profit organization with a mission to bring free world-class education to anyone anywhere in the world.
When the economy is tight, it's not easy for small businesses to give back to their communities.
Creative leverage can mean profits while debt - what some might call "leverage" - increases small business risk significantly.
We all know the "personality" who constantly seems to get in his or her own way. Short-tempered and shortsighted…
Is your education enough to run a business? Expertise and experience you have in abundance. But, is your education all you need to succeed in the small business you started?
Loss of motivation and confidence in the big economy leads to loss of the same in the smaller world of your business environment.
Want to decrease Information Technology costs and improve internal processes? With the advent of cloud computing and Software as a Service…
Steve Jobs' legacy - even before his recent death - is saturated with stories of outstanding leadership and entrepreneurship…
Does your website design help your prospects know, like and trust your business? How do you measure the effectiveness of your website?
Trying to do it all by yourself? Struggling to keep up your motivation? Need someone to bounce ideas off? Join a Mastermind Group!
Every small business owner - regardless of what you think your "risk" is - needs a Disaster Recovery Plan. Floods, fires, earthquakes, tornadoes…
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is part art, part science. And while much of the process can be left to the experts…
Labor productivity numbers report the ratio of the cost of production and value of results.
Who needs a resume when you're self-employed? The simple answer is that you do - and you need to grow it with your small business. Why?
If you get paid faster, you can improve your cash flow and provide the working capital you need.
Does your business need cash? Properly managed A/R (Accounts Receivable) and Collections can…
Smart business owners can improve their cash flow cycle with a few simple changes to their business practices.
Our culture - in its endeavor to be sure that everyone is recognized for their efforts and treated fairly - has traded excellence for equality, particularly in today's workplace.
I sincerely doubt that the 18 year old in your life has read Thomas Paine or Henry David Thoreau or even heard of Adam Smith or Alexander Hamilton.
Today we have a guest post from Derek Singleton of Software Advice. He gives us some insight into…
The entitlement virus has infected our culture, our politics, our businesses, and maybe even our families.
I like the concept of bucking the trend of college being the end all. As we discussed earlier, there are alternatives to college…
Apple is creating a stir again and, to gauge all the chatter going on around the recent iCloud/Steve Jobs announcement, you'd have thought they invented the cloud.
Entrepreneurs differ from wannabe entrepreneurs in one significant way: they take action. Inertia is the first cousin of fear.
Entrepreneurial-types often start small businesses because they think they will have to work less than if they were employed at a job.
Your values tell the story of who you are and who you want to be. Whether you are growing a small business…
When you dream of owning your own small business, or any other "career" aspiration, are you…
Many small business owners start their own companies because they want freedom. They want freedom from a boss or corporation…
So you want to own a small business and funding is in the way. We've looked at reducing auto expenses, higher education costs and learned all about paying…
At this point in our series, you may be wondering what some of this has to do with small business mentoring.
Success is something YOU should define for yourself. For the vast majority of us, we never took…
University degrees are not the only option for building wealth and a business or career path.
My last post, and some recent reading, have my brain humming. I am not sure how many of us…
Higher education is coming under fire these days and I'm one of its many skeptics. I've written here about apprenticeships versus higher education and will continue to explore alternatives…
Successful entrepreneurs and small business owners set big bold goals. Gary Vaynerchuk will…
Successful small business owners tend to be incredibly driven. Unlike a traditional "job", you can find you've made yourself available 24/7 to customers, staff, vendors, and colleagues via your cell phone or computer.
I think we small business owners are starting to take cloud computing for granted.
Small business owners generally aren't very schooled in how to set prices for their products or services.
Inspiring confidence is a key attribute of a successful small business owner or entrepreneur. Confidence from whom?
Listening is a skill that few people have mastered. And if you find one who has, you can be sure that they are respected and well-liked…
Whether you succeed or fail in business and in life could be a matter of how you manage difficult conversations-or if you ever have them at all.
Though the economy is showing signs of strengthening, I hope none of us forget the lessons of the past two years.
Of course, I'm talking about your small business purpose. But life and business are intertwined.
Oh. The Consumer Electronics Show...filled with all kinds of toys, gadgets, productivity and entertainment devices.
Today I wrap up the series on interruptions and time wasters with a challenge for you. If you could only work 2 hours a day, that's right, 2 hours a day…
Today we'll continue the series on interruptions and time wasters. To really focus and get more…
Interruptions and time wasters, the things that keep us from doing what's really important. In my last post, how to do more while working less,
I was introduced to a concept awhile back called Parkinson's Law. I read about it in the Tim Ferriss book The 4-Hour Workweek.
Last time I told you about the 80/20 principle and recommended you read The 80/20 Principle. Take a minute to review that post on Pareto's Law.
Want to change your life? I did when I "met" Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. Actually he passed away in 1923 but I was introduced…
We all know our world is changing rapidly (who can believe that in 2003, YouTube did not exist? Nor did Facebook or iPhones or geolocation).
I've relayed a lot of information to you about small business issues: marketing, branding, legalities, human resources and management.
Watching the banking industry over the last 20 years is a bit like watching Pac-Man. One big bank eats another bank and is then eaten by a larger bank.
Lifestyle design is a new catch-all term for building a life and business/career, free from traditional constraints…
This weekend I watched a piece on Zappos.com on CBS Sunday Morning. For anyone unfamiliar with Zappos…
Is your personality killing your business? We all know someone who seems to chronically get in their own way. Short-tempered and short-sighted…
With all the difficulties in the economy it seems the government wants to ramp up health coverage for adult children through age 26...
Start your day earlier. I talked about that here. Wait to open email. Review for important projects/tasks left over from the previous day instead.
"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man (woman) healthy, wealthy and wise." - Ben FranklinWow. Is managing sleep a hot topic!
I recently read a great piece by Brian Tracy (author of Eat that Frog! about procrastination and worth your time) about creating your own security.
User reviews have changed purchasing forever. Amazon.com really spearheaded this, and many other giant retailers have followed suit…
I just read an article from a 2009 issue of Fortune Small Business about backing up your hard drive. It had some disturbing information…
You've probably seen this story in a couple of different media locations. By eliminating smoking and alcohol, eating right…
I'm a CPA/attorney and I just ended the intense tax period that left precious little time for anything else-family, friends, hobbies…
Small business owners are exemplary planners. We advocate financial plans, business plans, marketing plans. But do you have a disaster plan?
I've recently started working with a new retail client. They do manufacturing and sales of trophy-type products.
Is the government looking to take control of your retirement plans and IRAs?
Would you like to have a government official or agency running your business? Not unless you want to run it into the ground.
The Vancouver Olympics will be ending soon. Steeped in tradition that has lasted thousands of years, the Olympics offer no inherent rewards…
The IRS and Congress would love for you to keep tax planning the way you always have. It means more money for them to spend and bail…
A question I always ask myself is "am I willing to do whatever it takes?" Being relentless in discovering what I need to do to succeed and then doing…
Happy new year everybody! It is a happy new year ... right? Sometimes with the economy in trouble and uncertainty on every side
Estate planning is just for the very well to do. If you have a sizable estate the government wants half of it when you pass away.
I'll be honest with you. Thinking for thinking's sake can be tiring. It doesn't get the respect it deserves. I do a lot of it and it can be exhausting.
Kaizen is a familiar word for nearly anyone who has worked for a large corporation in the last 20 years. Many small business owners may…
I've encouraged clients who are interested in starting or buying a business to pursue something they are passionate about.
Small business owners can be their own worst enemies. They can be short-tempered, short-sighted and chronically worried.
I talk a lot about the nuts and bolts of starting or buying and running a small business. In my coaching and consulting business…
Most small business owners don't employ their own copywriters, but they are responsible for a lot of writing.
A recent news program focused on Ford Motor Company and how it managed a more solid performance in the midst…
Business owners have always had many avenues for communicating their marketing messages to clients, but the newest avenue is videocasting (online video).
Being a small business owner or entrepreneur can be lonely. It can be hard to stay motivated. It isn't necessary to struggle this way. Add a coach, mentor and mastermind group to your success toolbox!
I often recommend that small business owners and entrepreneurs have three key tools in their "success toolbox": a coach, a mentor and a mastermind group.
The training you need can come in three different forms, depending on your unique situation. Each of us learn differently and have different needs. Let me share a little about each so that you can decide what makes the most sense for you.
Bootstrapping is slang for starting your business super cheap. Guy Kawasaki's The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything and Seth Godin's The Bootstrapper's Bible: Volume 1 are two…
When you are first drafting, or later revising, your company's Web site, don't underestimate the power of your "About Us" page. For new visitors, this can be a key component of creating interest in delving further into your site, your service or product offerings and can help lead to a sale.
Like life, your business always has a list of crucial, but painfully boring tasks that need to be routinely checked up on. Not doing so could mean a loss of money and right now, none of us can afford to let it leak out in small, seemingly insignificant ways.
This post really isn't just for small business owners or entrepreneurs. We all get in our own way from time to time, but some of us truly are our own worst enemies when it comes to organization, time management and productivity.
No one said that being an entrepreneur or small business owner would be easy. You are constantly being challenged by "issues": technical, people, equipment, economical.
There might be a bright spot that results from the current recession. According to a recent survey by Network Solutions and University of Maryland's Smith Business School, 66% of businesses are streamlining to be more efficient.
Before you think brand or business name, before you start dreaming of logos and business cards, you need to know if your business idea is viable.
Whether it is an employee, a customer or a vendor, you've undoubtedly found yourself in the perplexing position of wondering why you can't seem to communicate with this person. They zig, you zag.
Every thing you do, every thing you say in person and online, every product or service you offer, who you ARE, defines your personal brand.
I have a passion for many things: supporting startups and entrepreneurs, family, strong values and photography. I personally enjoy the challenge of learning the camera and I love
Don't worry if you seem to be stuck when it comes to choosing a business name. It's not unusual to have a hard time deciding how to name a business.
In my previous post we discussed the only four ways to grow a business. Remember what they were?
During these difficult economic times many are just trying to hold on. Every difficulty and every problem is an opportunity if you pursue it.