Once upon a time, if you wanted to start a small business, you needed a whole bunch of stuff. You needed an office or store, office equipment, staff, a website. Even when I started my own one-person business from my home, I needed an expensive computer and software, not to mention a printer, copier, and …
Nine Secrets to Small Business Holiday Success
Starting Thanksgiving weekend, holiday shoppers get serious, really serious. There’s Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. And that’s just one weekend. Consumers are expected to spend $655 billion shopping in November and December. That’s a lot of money. How will you make sure your small business gets your piece of the pie during …
The Reinvention of a Small Business Classic
What do Oprah Winfrey, Jessica Alba, Bill Rancic and me have in common? We’re all entrepreneurs and we’ll be speaking at Quickbooks Connect, a three-day gathering of thousands of small business owners, accountants and software developers November 2-4 in San Jose, California. While Quickbooks Connect is an educational and networking event covering all aspects of …
Get Ready for Summer
This week, there may be snow in Colorado and flooding in Texas, but hot or cold, wet or dry, now that Memorial Day is behind us, the summer season is officially here. For many small businesses and entrepreneurs, summer is the busiest time of the year—especially if you’re in the tourism, sports, or construction industries. …
Go Mobile
Just a couple of years ago, I advised small businesses that their future was mobile. Customers would reach them on mobile devices, and they’d run their companies on mobile devices too. Well, the future has arrived. This week – Small Business Week – I’m helping you “Make this Your Year to Grow.” If you want …
9 Numbers Every Small Business Must Know
Every small business owner needs to know some numbers—total revenue, profit margin, cost of goods, and the like. But there are other numbers that, as we start 2015, every entrepreneur needs to know to stay competitive and succeed. I’ve focused on 9 key numbers that are likely to affect your small business in the coming …
10 Small Business Resolutions You Won’t Break
What do you want to achieve in 2015 for your small business? The beginning of January is the time for New Year’s resolutions, so here are my top 10 resolutions for small business owners and entrepreneurs. 1. Focus on recurring revenue. You may be thrilled to find any source of income, but some types of …
13 Small Business Apps Santa Loves
As a small business owner, you think YOU have a busy holiday season. Just imagine what it’s like for Santa! He’s one small business owner with a huge December “to do” list: Maintain and data mine a world-class database for a thorough naughty-nice analysis Manage his global supply chain for materials and inventory for over …
