You love owning your small business—being your own boss. Perhaps you’re dreaming of starting a business one day. To help you reach your goals, you read everything you can about how to run a business (including this column!). You take small business management classes. But some lessons you can’t learn until you’re actually at the …
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 …
Home Business – Dream or Nightmare?
Is running a small business from your home a long-time dream? Or is combining your work with personal life your worst nightmare? For 14 years, I enjoyed running my consulting business from home. I could get up, go straight to work, wear what I wanted, and loved my “one-room commute.” When my business outgrew my …
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. …
Can You Make It as a Maker?
Do you tinker, craft, invent, design? Would you like to make money from your creations? Perhaps start a business—whether a small business or giant enterprise? Then, you may be part of the growing breed known as “makers.” America seems to have become a nation of consumers—with far too few creators. We import too much; make …
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 …
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 …
Build Your Team
Where do you see your small business in a year? Five years? You almost certainly want to grow. But if you want to grow, you can’t do it alone. The theme of my special Small Business Week series is “Make this Your Year to Grow.” Today we’re going to focus on a fundamental growth strategy: …
How to Reach Your Small Business Customers
You’ve got a killer idea for your small business. You’ve created a great new product or service, set up operations, raised sufficient money to get out of the gate. But where are the customers? It’s time to pay attention to marketing. During Small Business Week, I’m devoted to helping you “Make this Your Year to …