One of the great promises of the internet for small business was that it was going to eliminate the “middle man”—intermediaries between sellers and customers. Manufacturers could sell directly to end users instead of stores; retailers could stay in touch with customers frequently. All that is true—but what is also true is that the internet …
If You Want to Start a Small Business, Read This
America’s the place where if you dream of starting a business, you should be able to do so, right? If you have the skills and the money, you should be able to make your entrepreneurial dreams come true. But in many states, a former employer can keep you from starting your own business. Crazy, right? …
8 Lessons from Airlines for Small Business
Lately, it seems like airlines can’t do anything right. They drag people off planes, kill giant rabbits, snatch strollers from babies. Is this what customer service should be all about? If you run a small business, the airlines have been giving us all a master class in “what not to do to your customers,” so …
8 Things Scarier than Zombies for Small Business
Embezzlement. Losing your biggest customer. Unending debt. For a small business owner, lots of things are scarier than zombies (reappearing October 23 when AMC’s popular series The Walking Dead resumes) or goblins knocking on your door on Halloween. If you’re checking under your bed–or desk–for monsters, here are fearsome things that might threaten your small …
9 Small Business Problems You Want
If you run a small business, you’ll reap many benefits. But, let’s face it, every business encounters some problems. But if you’re lucky, you’ll have good problems. What’s a “good problem?” It’s the kind showing you’re doing something right. But it still leaves you with a challenge you need to face. Still, no one ever …