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Successful Startups: A View from the Trenches

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Sometimes the best lessons of business success come from the trenches. What does it really take to build a successful startup? Entrepreneurs aren’t always able to genuine identify the factors behind their success. Sometimes the real magic happens in the trenches beyond the purview of the founder. Yevgeniy Brikman has worked “in the trenches” of two successful startups—LinkedIn and TripAdvisor—and based on those experiences has developed his own insights for startup success. Brikman presented … [Read more...]

Are You Ready for the Sharing Economy?

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The ownership society is giving way to the sharing economy. Position your company now. The pride of ownership used to be something that parents taught their children. But it appears that Generation Y consumers aren’t particularly interested in ownership as much as they are in consumption. The idea of enjoying the benefits of something without the responsibilities of ownership has given rise to the “sharing economy” and your company needs to adapt to this new reality. Over the past decade … [Read more...]

New Way to Change Government Regulations

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New website gives small-business owners a chance to shape regulations before they are finalized. Complying with government regulations is no easy task for small-business owners. You have to familiarize yourself with each new regulation, determine what elements of your operations are affected, prepare a plan to comply and document your compliance. Failure to do so can lead to potential fines, penalties or even legal action. Before a regulation goes into effect, there's usually an opportunity … [Read more...]

Failure: The Secret to Success

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New study shows that failing at business actually helps your chances of future success. Failure: The Secret to Success As business owners, we're all very aware that the odds are against long-term success. But having a business fail doesn’t condemn you to a life of unrealized dreams. New research shows that previous failures in entrepreneurship improve the odds of success for future ventures. Yonkwook Paik, a fellow at the Kauffman Foundation, recently completed a study for his PhD at … [Read more...]

Want Access to Government? Hire a Lobbyist for $5,000 a Month

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Hire a Lobbyist for $5,000 a Month. Small businesses are banding together to offset the cost of hiring a Lobbyist. Government agencies at the local, state and federal levels are playing a more significant role in today’s economy. Total government spending represents roughly 40 percent of our economy, the highest percentage during the last century (except for WWII). Add to this increasing government regulations and it's clear that small-business owners to an intimate relationship with their … [Read more...]

The Employees Strike Back: What to Do When Fired Workers Retaliate

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What to Do When Fired Workers Retaliate?. Former employees can make life very expensive for business owners if the right protections aren't in place. One of the most difficult aspects of being a small-business owner is having to fire or lay off employees. Even if it doesn’t come as a surprise, it's still shocking, and more so in a job market where it can take well over a year to find a new job. It's difficult to know how someone will react when learning they're out of work. Some former … [Read more...]

2013 Taxes: Changes That Will Affect Small Businesses Most

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Here's what you need to know about the significant changes taking place in 2013 Taxes law. The fiscal cliff deal had two major results: First, it raised taxes on virtually everyone that earns money; second, it failed to fix the underlying budget deficit problem, leading to further “cliff-like” standoffs in the near future. Both of these results will have a direct, financial impact on business owners. While much has been written about the deal, some important details haven’t been covered that … [Read more...]

Department of Veterans Affairs Commits $5B to Small Businesses

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The Department of Veterans Affairs flips government contracting on its head by offering small businesses $5 billion in contracts. The Department of Veterans Affairs is expected to award a $5 billion services contract to small-business prime contractors. In a complete reversal from the norm, the prime contractors selected will be allowed to have a maximum of 150 employees. This will force large companies like Dell and IBM to compete for the right to be subcontractors on the award. The five-year … [Read more...]

Health Insurance Premiums Set for Massive Increase This Year

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Obamacare fallout? Heath insurance brokers are preparing their clients for Health Insurance Premiums to increase by as much as 300 percent this fall. Health insurance brokers across the country are starting to prepare their clients for significant increases in health insurance premiums. This includes individual policies, which many small-businesses owners purchase, as well as small business and other group policies. In some cases, premiums may triple. The increases in premiums are a … [Read more...]

Entrepreneurs Bilked in Multimillion-Dollar Fraud

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The FTC has filed a complaint against the Tax Club, which has defrauded people trying to start businesses in a Multimillion-Dollar Fraud. The Federal Trade Commission has filed a complaint against the Tax Club, an organization that claims to help people start successful businesses. Offering a package of consulting services and advice, The Tax Club was actually a web of more than 60 companies and legal entities with a single purpose: to defraud entrepreneurs. The Tax Club website is very … [Read more...]