When small businesses are faced with an opportunity to grow, the prospect can be scary. Here is want to consider first before you Scale your business. My friend Eric* has a problem that many business owners face. He has been running his small business profitably for over five years. He hasn’t achieved much growth on an annualized basis but the company generates sufficient cash flow to give him a comfortable standard of living, keep his eight employees happy and fulfill his customers’ requests. … [Read more...]

Employers often don't recognize the toll financial stress and matters have on their employees--here's what you can do to help. Many companies institute polices that help their employees take care of the little distractions in life that can sap productivity. Offering free lunches, complimentary coffee, access to an onsite gym, even dry cleaning pick-up services are far less rare today when compared to 30 years ago. While these programs can help employees concentrate, they are just window … [Read more...]

When times are tough, employee raises can be hard to come by. Here are other ways to reward hard workers. Keeping employees motivated during challenging times is extremely difficult. When the economy is performing poorly it reflects on the overall level of sales and profitability of your business. This in turn makes it difficult to offer raises or other monetary compensation to employees. For top performers, this can be especially frustrating. If the situation isn’t managed properly then it … [Read more...]

When PlayStation was hacked exposing users to cyber threats, Sony responded in a few ways. Here's what it means for your business. Sony has been going through a very difficult time lately. The fallout from the hacker attack which impacted around 100 million consumers will have long lasting repercussions that could hurt the company’s most valuable asset: its brand. An alliance of powerful hackers known as Anonymous were able to infiltrate the PlayStation network on multiple occasions and stole … [Read more...]

Is it possible to replicate the "dollar and a dream" model in today's business world? Is The $1,000 Successful Startup A Myth? We’ve all heard stories about that guy. He has an idea. He has a little money in the bank. He decides to give it a shot. Fast forward a few years and that guy has a successful company. Many of the stories I know that start out this way are for companies that started decades ago like Paul Orfalea’s Kinko’s or Fred De Luca’s Subway. Is it possible to replicate this … [Read more...]

It's hard to keep a superstar individuals for too long at the same company. Here's how to replicate the energy and enthusiasm they brought to your In the workplace, people tend to gravitate towards certain individuals that excel in their performance. In many cases they are charismatic people that make others feel good about themselves, push the organization beyond its comfort zone, and are responsible for a significant portion of its success. Sadly, it’s hard to keep these types of gifted … [Read more...]

It's summer but that doesn't mean you can slow down. Use this time to take a good look at where your money is going. 4 Ways To Organize Your Finances This Summer Summer is almost here. Most small non-seasonal businesses will experience a decline in activity especially during July and August. This should free up at least five hours per week that can be dedicated to those tasks that seem to sit perpetually on the “to do” list. Many of these tasks can have a material impact on your company’s … [Read more...]

Need some assistance setting prices on your e-commerce site? The right pricing software can help. Software To Set Your Prices If you use Amazon.com, you will be forgiven for thinking that only billionaires read about the genetics of flies. The book “The Making of a Fly: The Genetics of Animal Design” was recently selling for over $23 million (and it’s only a paperback). This of course does not include shipping and handling. Since its peak price a few weeks ago, the book has been discounted … [Read more...]