Want to own a small business? It's not as romantic as you may think. We deal with a lot of headaches. And boy, do we hear a lot of lies! Don't believe me? Here's just a partial list of 27 people who lied to me this past week alone.
Small-business owners are holding their collective breaths as the Obama Administration's proposed budget wends its way through the politically-charged Congress.
How could an organization devoted to inspiring the next generation of women entrepreneurs get caught up in allegedly reinforcing stereotypes?
Try this at home: Next time you hire a painter or roofer or gardener or plumber, ask them if they ever do any government work. They will say no. "Too much paperwork."
A successful replication will get your idea into the minds of others, where it can actualize, affect the world at large, and become an agent of change. If an idea has value, replicating it will be the best way to help others and change the world.
Due diligence for early stage companies is as passé as three-button suits or the Hilton sisters. At least that's the impression that many young technology entrepreneurs have.
The idea of a Business Model competition first emerged when I realized that Business Plan writing ought to be taught in English departments -- as they're the best example of creative writing entrepreneurs will ever do.
PR firms spend a lot of money on yearly subscriptions to online databases that give them access to every media contact. As a business owner, speaker, or author, you don't need to have that big of a media list; you just need a strong set of contacts.
Mompreneurs are in love with technology. It allows us to be uber productive, run a biz from home affordably and professionally while being a mom, and even have fun on social media while building our own brands.
Wouldn't it be great if small business owners had facts and stats whenever we needed to make a critical investment decision? Wouldn't it be great if every decision came down to a mathematical exercise, a simple calculation of return on investment without any other factors needing to be considered?
GeoEdge provides the technology -- a software service -- that allows publishers, advertisers and their agencies to track, view and validate ad campaigns on any device platform, virtually anywhere in the world.
Tech innovators and web entrepreneurs are the new rock stars. Their stories are fueling a sub-culture of entrepreneurial-obsessed students that see start-ups as exciting alternatives to traditional employment.
As a mompreneur, Leslie Danelian has less guilt than many as she waited for her kids to be in college until she opened the Sweet Butter restaurant.
Want to train yourself to tell your company's story in 60 seconds or less? Here are tips for doing so.
Ankur Jain, a recent Wharton grad has created a potential juggernaut of students from all over the world -- all looking to "do well by doing good." This is a business model I can get behind.
What bothers you? I mean, what really grates on your nerves? Chances are, whatever the problem, others feel the same way. I made my first fortune in starting a company that automated the credit card industry, because paper cards were very problematic and really grated on the nerves of bankers.
While MBA's have had a stack of texts to help them "execute" a business model, The Startup Owner's Manual joins the growing library of books for practitioners in "search" of a business model.
You have an idea for a phenomenal company. Problem is you have zero background in that industry, no prior entrepreneurial experience, never got an MBA and can't lean on your family for financing or business resources. At first glance, you're facing an uphill battle. But personal and empirical evidence has proven that it can be done.
Let the big names like New York and Chicago host the Olympics and be "world class". I can always visit those places for a day. But create a "world class" school system in my city and I'll have customers (and employees) for life. That's what my small business needs.
Greg Voakes, 2012.22.02
Gene Marks, 2012.22.02