Who do your students look to for inspiration when it comes to entrepreneurship? Many people—especially young people—look to celebrities for inspiration. Here are a few celebrities you can sprinkle into your lectures and examples to help motivate your student entrepreneurs. Of course, you’ll want to caution students that celebrities have an easier time getting businesses …
Turning Small Biz Stress into Growth
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 …
These 8 Celebrities Are Also Entrepreneurs
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 …
FINALLY! A Real Tax Break for Small Business
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 …
Eight Easy Steps to Keep your Small Business Safe
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 …
How Not to Start a Startup
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 …
Remembering the Businesses that Died on 9/11
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 …
Chinese Powerhouse Aims for US Small Business
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 …
Time for a Small Business Declaration of Independence
Small business owners: King George III had nothing on you as a tyrant. When the colonists in America rebelled against that despotic (and crazy) English King, they were fighting to take charge of their own lives. They wanted to set the rules, not be dictated to. But as a small business owner, are you really …
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