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Read the latest from small business expert, Rhonda Abrams!
I have to be honest—I’m frazzled. It’s the holidays, and like most small business owners, December is typically one of the most stressful and challenging times of the year. I not only have all my regular work to do, but I’ve got a number of business-oriented end-of-year tasks, a lot of personal demands on my …
What do Oprah, George Clooney, and Selena Gomez have in common? Yes, of course they’re celebrities, but they’re also entrepreneurs. If you dream of one day starting your own small business, and you look to celebrities for motivation, you’ve got a whole bunch of celebrities . Of course, celebrities—once they are celebrities—have an easier time …
In my USA Today column in November 2009—10 years ago—I proposed a new idea: a tax credit for small businesses who hire their very first employee. Throughout the last decade, I’ve repeatedly advocated this “first employee tax credit,” and now Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) has introduced such legislation. “What this bill is all about is …
Halloween is just around the corner, so I’ve got a “Trick or Treat” Small Business Quiz. When do you know whether something in your small business is a “Treat”—a real opportunity—or a “Trick”—a problem disguised as a chance to grow? Are these tricks or treats for your small business? (Answers below) Your top performing salesperson …
Every small business owner wants to know how to increase sales, improve their marketing, motivate their employees. But first, let’s make sure we keep your company safe—your data, your money, your physical premises. Having survived in business for over 25 years, I’ve picked up a few tricks along the way—and learned a hard lesson or …
I live in the heart of Silicon Valley, where the main industry seems to be starting businesses. As a result, I’ve seen a lot of startups come and go—and I’ve started a few myself—so I’ve had quite an education. I’ve had friends who’ve started businesses they’ve built and sold for millions of dollars. But even …
September 11—9/11—is a day marked forever in the history of America. It’s a day to remember the tragedy of thousands of innocent lives lost, the heroism of first responders, the affliction of those who lost their loved ones. But one story of 9/11 is rarely told. It’s the story of the startups and small businesses …
If yours is a small business interested in selling through online platforms, there’s a ‘new’ online platform looking for you. While I’ve used the term ‘new,’ Alibaba.com—part of the Alibaba Group—is not new at all. Often called “the Amazon of China,” the 20-year-old Alibaba Group has recently announced opportunities for American businesses to sell to …
Want to succeed in growing your small business? Then one skill you’d be wise to learn is how to manage and motivate millennials. After all, millennials—those born roughly between 1980-2000—are now America’s largest demographic group. While the average age of a small business owner is 50.3 years, many of your employees, not to mention customers, …
