Disaster. Fiasco. Debacle. That’s how the rollout of the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) is widely described. PPP is the loan program aimed at helping small businesses and the self-employed, with loans that can be ‘forgiven’—in other words, turned into a grant. But frankly, it’s just a mess. As part of the CARES Act, Congress allocated …
Seven Tricks for Home Office Success
For more than a decade, I ran my small business from my home. I loved it. I’d boast about my “one room commute” to friends when they’d complain about being stuck in commuter traffic. My business eventually outgrew my home office, but I still work from home regularly, so over the years, I discovered a …
Immigrant Entrepreneurs Your Students Can Look Up To
We’ve been hearing a lot about immigrants in the news lately—first with the election, then with the proposed wall, and now with the travel bans. Many of your students are immigrants themselves or the children of immigrants. After they graduate, they will start businesses—and likely at a high rate. That’s because—aside from you being a …
Immigrant Entrepreneurs Your Students Can Look Up ToRead More
Clinton’s Plan to Help Small Businesses
What would you want your next President to do for your small business? On Tuesday, Hillary Clinton announced how she, as President, would help small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs in unveiling her plan dealing with a broad range of small business concerns. Clinton’s announcement shows she does her homework. Her small business proposals aren’t going …
Time to Celebrate Immigrants
It’s the Fourth of July, and as you head to a holiday beach or barbecue, look around your town. Take a moment to notice and appreciate all the many small businesses—and large ones too—started by immigrants. As we celebrate America, we also celebrate what America has meant—and continues to mean—for immigrants from throughout the world. …
7 Tips To Succeed In The Gig Economy
Today’s new self-employed, ‘small business’ owner: You rent your spare room on Airbnb while you dog-sit two puppies through Rover, and cook dinner for strangers who found you on EatWith. You drive someone to the airport through Uber, and on the way back, you stop and put an IKEA desk together for someone who found you …
My Mommy’s an Entrepreneur
Can you have kids and build a business? Small kids? Even a big business? This Mother’s Day, I’m saluting entrepreneurs and small business owners who combine motherhood and entrepreneurship, from micro-businesses to multi-million dollar enterprises. As I interviewed owners of three businesses founded and run by mothers, I realized that all were started when the …
Hire Your Way To Growth
Let’s make this the year to HIRE in your small business. Why? Because you want to grow your business, that’s why. One of the things most small business owners and entrepreneurs want most is growth. They want to see their business expand, with more customers and higher sales and profits. But one of “Rhonda’s Rules” …
Self-employed Give Thumbs up to Obamacare
Years ago, a tenured university professor told me his secret: He was desperate to quit and start his own business. He had enough in savings but didn’t dare leave his job. As a man in his mid-50s, he couldn’t get health insurance on his own. The Affordable Care Act, which some call Obamacare, was supposed …
