Posts Tagged ‘smallbiz’
Business Owners: Only Two Numbers Matter
Ross | December 7th, 2011Howard Morgan, the Managing Partner of First Round Capital has a simple and practical view on evaluating Internet-based businesses: If you have a business that’s based around the internet, basically only two numbers we need to know: What’s the cost to acquire a customer? What’s the lifetime customer value? If the lifetime customer value is [...]
Small Business and Startups: For Great Service, Speed Counts
Mike | December 5th, 2011I have written several times about customer service and how important it is for small businesses and startups to deliver it effectively. Great customer service is about several things: accuracy, honesty, fairness, efficiency, and – perhaps most important of all – speed of delivery. How many times have you sat on the phone listening to [...]
10 things entrepreneurs can learn from athletes
Mike | November 21st, 2011Entrepreneurs can learn a great deal from the world of sport, and in particular we can learn from the professional athletes themselves. In the past year, I have written a number of posts about ways we can learn from others and from the world around us; I wrote about how much we can learn from kids, [...]
Secrets of The World’s Best Brands
Ross | November 9th, 2011Interbrand has released its annual ranking of the world’s best brands: Best Global Brands 2011 report. Interbrand’s report is considered to be one of the most influential benchmark studies on brand value. Let’s first look at some of the highlights from the report, and then look at some of the important trends and lessons startups [...]
Small business and startups: 5 great self-service HR resources
Mike | November 7th, 2011The everyday grind of running a business can be tough. I am not talking about wooing potential partners at fancy lunches, or drinks with clients after work, or even the whiteboard sessions that can fill our days. I am talking about the nitty-gritty reality of operating a business, paying the bills, washing the dishes, and [...]
Small business and startups: great reads from the business press
Mike | October 24th, 2011I have been spending some time recently with the online business press. Lots of great articles and information out there, so I thought it was time for another edition of the Business Press roundup! It is an incredibly dynamic time in the world of startups and small business: the economy continues to freak, but at [...]
Startup tips: 5 great tools for freelancers (and small businesses)
Mike | October 17th, 2011What is a freelancer if not a small business? Just like small businesses, freelancers must engage in marketing, manage payables and receivables and other accounting tasks, perform HR functions, direct production, and plan strategy. 1. Planning and strategy. There are lots of great tools and apps out there that will help you to plan and [...]
Small business tips: mobile technology, the iPad, and your business
Mike | October 3rd, 2011Last week I was struck by a news story that was unusual in several respects. I turned on the news to see video of a small group of rock climbers rappelling down the exterior of the Washington Monument. The sported the typical gear one would expect to see on such folks: harnesses, helmets, ropes, and [...]
