Posts Tagged ‘startup’
Lean Business Tips: Hiring Contractors for Fun and Profit(ability)
Mike | January 28th, 2013We write often about ways small business can reduce expense, increase productivity, and operate more efficiently through a lean approach to marketing, technology, and operations. Today I want to write briefly about a strategy we have used to very good effect when hiring new workers: outsource. When we hear that word, we typically envision massive [...]
The Work/Home Möbius Strip
Mike | January 21st, 2013Today is Sunday and, as is the case with most Sundays, I am working at home. Not a ton of work, mind you. I will probably put in 4-5 hours today: writing this post, updating BI data, checking in with customer service, and answering the emails that demand attention. I also was abe to cook [...]
Small business Congress-watch: Two Reasons to Call Your Representative!
Mike | January 14th, 2013On occasion we take a look at recent legislation coming out of our Federal government in Washington. While the news is often discouraging and the activities of our politicians typically frustrating, there are those times when truly great ideas are put forth and, every so often, these idea become actual laws. Hard to believe, but it is [...]
Small Business and Startups: 5 Threats to Your Online Security
Mike | January 7th, 2013How often do we read about online security breaches, loss of data, or massive credit card theft? While these events typically involve larger companies or even governments, all businesses are vulnerable to fraud, theft, or other forms of malice or just plain mischief. Most small businesses assume that it is only larger companies are at [...]
Key Digital Marketing Trends For 2013
Ross | December 20th, 2012Whether you run an established small business or startup, or plan to start one in 2013, you will need to understand how to leverage digital marketing to find new customers and increase sales. Market firm eMarketer recently put together a helpful slideshow, highlighting digital marketing trends they believe to be most important. The five key [...]
The Power of Thinking Long-Term
Ross | December 19th, 2012Amazon is an unusual company. It focuses on the long-term (typically 10 to 20 years) instead of short term (typically quarterly earnings). For example, in talking about the Kindle, Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO, offers the following insight: Go back in time when we started working on Kindle almost seven years ago. There you just have [...]
Small Business and Startups: Dear Santa
Mike | December 17th, 2012Perhaps I am a couple of weeks late with this post, but it just occurred to me that there are some things I would like for Christmas this year and perhaps Santa can find a little spare room on the sleigh. No I am not asking for a new camera or some other gadget-of-the-moment. I have been [...]
10 Things Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Standup Comics
Mike | December 10th, 2012Great entrepreneurs are great observers. They carefully monitor the competition, the market, their team, and their various stakeholders. Great entrepreneurs learn from the world around them and they never, ever stop learning. This is the latest in a series of posts, musing on what we can learn from the most unexpected of sources. Sure we [...]
Small business: The Affordable Care Act, Part II
Mike | December 3rd, 2012Earlier this year, I wrote a post about ways that Obamacare might help small businesses. At the time, the Supreme Court had just released it’s decision upholding most of the Affordable Care Act’s provisions and the dust was still settling on what it would all mean. Last month, President Obama won re-election, effectively removing the threat that [...]
How To Choose A Market For Your Startup Or Small Business
Ross | November 27th, 2012I’m rarely surprised when a young entrepreneur or small business owner hasn’t fully identified how their new business will make money. But I’m always surprised when that entrepreneur or small business owner has a tough time describing the potential customers for their new business’s products and services. After all, without customers, there is no [...]
