Operations
5 Tools to Grow Your Locally Owned Business
Here are five must-have tools for every local business. They are easy to install and simple to use. Point of Sale System Sale is the primary objective of any business. It goes without saying that…
Small Biz Interviews: Saving for a Rainy Day
The adage “Know what you do, do what you love” seems particularly appropriate for Freeman, a small Seattle-based company founded on a singular goal: design the perfect raincoat. From an ad hoc space in their…
Small Biz Interviews: Groomed for Success
The repertoire of a barber might have changed over the centuries (they no longer, for instance, offer bloodletting and leeching services, as they did in the Middle Ages), but a couple things have stood the…
One Thing You Must Do Every Time Your Business Grows 50%
I hear it all the time… Small business owners are frustrated with their businesses and they don’t know where or how to start. You got into business because you had an idea, a passion for…
5 Pros and Cons of Specializing in Your Industry
Your company can choose to do it all. It can handle every responsibility. However, the less your business chooses to specialize, the fewer advantages your business will receive from specialization. There are several pros and…
Small Biz Interviews: Half a Century at the Drive-In
Dick’s Drive-In is no flash in the proverbial frying pan. A Seattle staple since Dick Spady, Warren Ghormley, and “Tom” Thomas opened their first outpost in 1954, Dick’s has been serving up old fashioned milkshakes,…
Try These Lean Principles to Boost Productivity
Lean Principles are all about maximizing value, and minimizing waste. The body of thought originated in the manufacturing industry, and is rooted in the principles of the Toyota Production System. It was first described as…
Busyness is Not Productiveness
Somehow a packed calendar/agenda seems to be an indicator of our “success.” We live in a 7/24 world, we have more work than we can manage, and we constantly fill our calendars with activities. It…
Small Biz Interviews: Anything But Your Average Hardware Store
There are few hardware stores that can brag of hosting 300-person art shows or can claim they have a pot-bellied pig parked in the backyard. Fewer still can be spotted in the background of Alexander…
What Wedding Photography Can Teach You About Business Agility
All businesses share certain qualities, but you might be surprised that wedding photography covers a wide range of similarities to most small businesses. A full calendar, strong social skills, uncertain finances, cutthroat competition and expensive,…