by Toni Schafer
on May 14, 2012
How are minority-owned businesses doing currently? Are the definitions changing? Are there important differences between this group and other small businesses? We haven’t found answers to all our questions but did find some information:
Minority-owned businesses were huge factors in the rise of small businesses in the U.S. in the 80s and 90s. In fact, in the early 80s, the growth of minority-owned businesses outpaced that of all American businesses several times over.
“Minority-owned” were once sub-segmented ...
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by Toni Schafer
on May 7, 2012
News on the economy is still decidedly mixed and continues to lean a little to the negative. Small business owners, too, report a mixed outlook on their economic futures, with some weighing in with (albeit) guarded optimism, others, not so much. Still others report a “wait and see” position, although patience is wearing thin on this front. Overall, we’d have to say that everyone, regardless of business size or sector, just wants to see some ...
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by Jason Price
on May 2, 2012
Usually a small business—or any business for that matter—wouldn’t react too well to a mob suddenly invading their place of business. But a “cash mob” – well, that’s a mob of a different color. And that color is green.
This is a trend sweeping the nation’s small businesses, thanks to one guy’s brainstorm in Cleveland. It’s exactly as the name says: a mob (a bunch of people) with cash in hand. Most importantly, once they reach ...
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by Maria Whiten
on May 1, 2012
It was almost exactly two years ago when President Obama, in a speech in Buffalo, referred to small businesses as “…the backbone of America’s economy.” A lot of us, including the news media, have repeated similar thoughts on small business until we are absolutely certain that small businesses are single-handedly lifting us out of our economic doldrums. But then we read convincing evidence that makes a very different argument: that small business’s share of—and influence ...
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by Toni Schafer
on Apr 6, 2012
As a small business owner, you may look at reading, even when it’s for business, as an unattainable luxury. What, me read?! On top of everything else I have to do? Maybe between the hours 2:00 and 6:00 am… Sounds familiar.
But the winners of the 2012 Small Business Book Awards reminds us that somehow we’ve got to find time to read some of these great books. We’re really missing out if we don’t!
The Small Business ...
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While economic conditions have shown signs of improvement in recent weeks, most experts agree that employment will remain a consistent problem through 2012 and beyond. However, there may be an upside to this trend.
With so few job opportunities, limited advancement opportunities and stagnant wage growth, many people may start looking to entrepreneurship and self-employment as a means of getting back to work. More importantly, 2012 may be the year this trend really begins to take ...
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While we might like to think that everyone can pursue the dream of being their own boss, setting their own hours, and doing whatever they want- it just doesn’t work for most people. Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. Chances are you probably aren’t cut out for it – and there’s nothing wrong with this. Not everyone is cut out to be a gymnast, or a rock star, or an accountant either.
Passion doesn’t necessarily make things that ...
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The new year is here, and many first-time entrepreneurs and fed-up day laborers are going to take this time to launch their first business. And why not? As arbitrary as the calendar year is, why not take this time to reaffirm your commitment to building something great.
Entrepreneurship is an inherently individualistic process. Anybody who’s ever run a business can attest to this, as it sometimes leads to egotism or narrow-minded perspectives. But it doesn’t need ...
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Entrepreneurs are Renaissance Men. Sure, their primary pursuit is in creating and growing profitable enterprises, but that itself is a complex endeavor replete with individuals’ skills and responsibilities. The best entrepreneurs are creative, ingenious, logical and social, and they have skills in networking, public speaking, negotiating, marketing and even mathematics.
So what is a Renaissance Man? He or she is a polymath – an individual who is skilled at and employed by a number of hobbies ...
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Over the next few years, business leaders should expect new innovations and breakthroughs in the world of social media, cloud computing and mobile technology. These trends have already changed the way people interact and do business with each other, and as technology evolves, so will the professional landscape.
One of the most sensational of these innovations is cloud computing. On the surface it seems simple: It is merely the process of storing information, software and other ...
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