Two years ago, I wrote a column on how small businesses could best use Instagram to grow their businesses. Geez, does that seem a long time ago now. Social media changes faster than Beyoncé changes outfits. There’s a lot you need to catch up on if you want to take advantage of the benefits of …
You Built It. Now What?
Few things in life beat the excitement of starting a new business or launching a new product. Creating a startup is thrilling. Sure, there’s risk—but risk can be exciting. There’s also challenge and creativity—figuring out how to build something from nothing, finding money, solving problems. But what happens when the startup is started? You built …
8 Tech Tips for Small Biz
Today, every business is a technology business. Whether you have a one-person consulting company or a 500-person manufacturing firm, every business must use technology and use it well. Small business owners don’t need to be early adopters of technology, but you do have to be adopters. But tech can be overwhelming to a small business …
29 Businesses to Start Over Age 29 and One to Avoid
Are you a millennial stuck in a job you hate? Got kids but not earning enough to make ends meet? Still haven’t paid off that student loan? Maybe it’s time to start your own small business. I’ve got 29 great business ideas for those of you over 29—and one business to avoid. Whether it’s a …
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Run your Small Business from your Phone
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 …
Divorce-Proof Your Small Business
Do you love your small business more than your spouse? Wait, don’t answer that. When you’re an entrepreneur, it’s easy for your spouse or partner to feel like you care more about your business than you do about them. Running a business can be all-consuming, taking a lot of time, a lot of money, and …
11 Secrets of Small Business Success
Over the years, my small business has had its share of ups and downs. The economy tanked. My distributor went bankrupt. I lost valuable employees and lost a lease. In fact, the entire book publishing industry changed in the time I’ve been in it (I’m a publisher…). But 25 years later, I’m still here. What’s …
Keep Your Small Business Customers Coming Back
When it comes to your small business customers, are you afraid of commitment? Are you constantly seeking a new client to excite you? Is hanging out with your old customers turning you off? Many entrepreneurs build companies based around having a continual flow of new, one-time clients. Many types of businesses provide services a customer …
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 …
