Social media is a hot new marketing tool that is helping many small businesses grow without spending a fortune. However, social networking can create problems for small firms when employees spend too much time using the technology for personal rather than business reasons.

I remember when I started my...

Perhaps, you've seen the major media campaign sponsored by American Express and NBC Universal promoting the Shine a Light contest where a small business can win $100,000 in grant money and marketing support from American Express. While American Express is spending bundles on marketing their brand, they are putting...

The staff at the SBA released a major news release recently announcing small businesses can now watch videos from the SBA on YouTube. Wow! What a wonderful use of our taxpayer money.

And while the SBA is posting videos Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said just this past Friday,...

So Why Does the Obama Administration Want to Give SBA TARP Funds?

I don't know about you, but I'm fed up with listening to the sound bites from Administration pundits espousing feigned concern and commitment to helping small businesses survive the current economic crisis. I'm also tired with the headlines...

When you interview a potential employee for a job opening, according to federal and state law you are forbidden to ask a candidate his or her age. Furthermore, it's illegal to discriminate against job applicants based on their gender, race or religion. But today it's easy to pre-screen candidates and...

Recently, the SIIA (Software Information Industry Association) held its eighth annual Information Industry Summit. The organization is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry.

Ten companies were chosen to be introduced by the organization as representing the next wave of groundbreaking technology. According to Ed Keating,...

Corporate employees and small business owners may as well live on two different planets. Corporate employees work hard to meet the goals and objectives of their organizations just as small business owners do. But unlike small business owners, corporate employees never have to worry about making payroll or keeping the...

"I didn't even know they still exist," Eric Segal, owner, Security Business Solutions, responded when I asked a group of small business owners if they thought the U.S. Small Business Administration was fulfilling its mission of helping small business.

The U.S. Small Business Administration was founded to strengthen the...