3 Easy Tools That Protect Your Online Privacy
Are you concerned about your privacy online? What about your customers? With the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the incessant hacking behaviors of bad actors, how safe can we really be? It’s worse now that the U.S. has the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulation that required ISPs (Internet service providers) to ask…
Read MoreFranchisees: Understanding Your Exit Strategy
You need an exit strategy. It’s as plain as day, yet most new franchisees never address the idea of leaving their business one day. All the excitement centers on opening and growing. It’s a different, but mandatory, approach to open their franchise unit with the end in mind. Bar none, the best exit strategy is…
Read MoreFacebook’s Dramatic Organic Reach Reversal and What It Means to You
It’s fascinating (and fun) to watch the ups and downs of some high-profile tech stocks. Sometimes they go from bad buy to impressive price faster than daytime soap opera characters morph from evil twin to great guy. If you consider how Facebook stock took a tumble after its 2012 IPO – losing half of its…
Read MoreHow to Get Distribution for Your Products
The ultimate goal of many small business owners is to eventually see their products on the shelves at Target, Costco, or other big-box stores. After all, you can make far more money this way, as your product gets exposed to so many more people than you can could get on your own. So how do…
Read MoreSecrets of Succession Planning for Successful Business Owners
It’s the one part of running a business that no one ever wants to talk about. Succession planning is the process of drawing up a contract that outlines who will take charge of your business if you are incapacitated or pass away. While many people wrongly assume that their business will go on as normal…
Read MoreCentralized Inventory Management is Doable!
Recently, I ordered a combination stroller and car seat from a major retailer. This retailer has storefronts, of course, but also a website from which items can be ordered. I chose to order through the website and have the item shipped directly to the recipient of my gift. Several days later, I received a call…
Read MoreFewer Words, Greater Effect
I have a good business friend, an experienced manager and teacher with a Harvard MBA, whose deep thinking creativity and intelligence are admired by many. But he dilutes his effectiveness with wordy PowerPoint presentations. It has become a long running joke between us, as I often remind him that most of us have a very…
Read MoreHow Being Available 24/7 Can Improve Your Business
When do consumers want something? Right now. When do they need your attention? 5 minutes ago. People don’t check their watches to see if it’s a good time to want or need something. They want when they want and they need when they need. But that means your business must be ready to accommodate around…
Read MoreWhy the Skills Gap Matters for Today’s Small Businesses
In 2013, 39 percent of American companies reported that they were unable to fill positions thanks to a lack of sufficiently talented job-seekers. This mismatch between the number of qualified people looking for jobs and the positions that managers would like to fill is known as the skills gap, and it’s not going anywhere anytime…
Read MoreHow Entrepreneurs Can Save Money Without Penny Pinching
Small businesses may be making great contributions to the U.S. economy, but their financial health is in critical condition. According to a 2016 JPMorgan Chase Institute study, most small businesses only have 27 days’ worth of money on hand to cover expenses if inflows stopped. Essentially, this means that many small businesses are operating on a…
Read More