Aside from being a logistical headache, bounced customer checks levy a significant expense to small businesses in terms of both time and money, and these costs often go way beyond the actual face value of the check. As economic recovery continues at a snail’s pace, and consumer dollars are stretched ever further, the […]
Author Archives: Gary Barzel
New Businesses Lacking Job Creation
Now that the U.S. House of Representatives has decided not to extend long-term unemployment benefits past November, job creation is more urgent than ever. But recent statistics suggest that most new businesses are sole proprietorships or very small companies. Thus, new job creation remains elusive. According to research by economists John Haltiwanger, Ron Jarmin, […]
New Businesses Opening at a Clip
The current recession is leading more people toward entrepreneurship, according to a new study. Robert Fairlie of the University of California Santa Cruz found that in every month in 2009, 340 out of every 100,000 American adults founded a business. In comparison, on average, 290 adults a year started new businesses in the ten years […]
What to Consider When Selling Your Small Business
There are many reasons why small business owners would want to sell the company they worked so hard to build up. Some common examples include: retirement, changing life priorities or goals, illness or death. But often small business owners are unaware of the sales process and end up making costly mistakes. The following are a […]
Managing Your Emotions at Work
To be human is to feel. The whole gamut of human emotions gives us a sense of meaning, identity, and place, and without them we would go through life being little more than organic robots. But what happens when your inner emotional world collides with your work environment? Your emotions are often most tested […]
Holiday Hiring Among Retailers Expected to be Weak
Unemployed workers hoping for seasonal positions this holiday season may be out of luck. According to the National Retail Federation, retailers on the whole are reporting that they intend to keep seasonal hiring to a minimum, barely topping last year’s 14 year low. The lackluster hiring is due to a disappointing back-to-school season. While Macy’s, […]
Speed Dating Business Finance Style
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s West Virginia office has a great idea for spurring small business: speed dating. The office sponsored an event that provided a forum for small business owners to present their business plans to bank lending officers and economic development officials. Each entrepreneur had five minutes to request funding, before they had […]
What is Foursquare and How Can Your Business Use It?
For about a year now, the blogosphere has been abuzz about the virtues and possibilities of Foursquare. For those of you who are still unacquainted with the social networking app and how it can be used in your business, here is a brief primer. Foursquare is a neat social networking application that allows you […]
Small Business Owners Still Mired in Recession Mentality
The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) Index of Small Business Optimism indicates that the recession is still going strong. According to September’s report, small business owners have been pessimistic since January 2008, when the index dropped below 93. The report examined various factors, including employment, capital spending, sales, earnings, and credit. In most areas, […]
Five Tips to Avoid Burnout on the Job
As any small business owner will tell you, the onus of responsibility for the business’ success or failure falls squarely on his or her shoulders. Stress seems to come with the territory when you are trying to set up your own company, particularly when the general economic environment is uncertain. How can you avoid […]