Author Archives: Gary Barzel

Ever since Skype rolled out its Skype 4 and Skype SIP in 2009, numerous small businesses have been using the service in order to keep overhead costs to a minimum. In May of this year, Skype released it’s 5.0 beta version packed with several great features particularly appealing to small businesses, such as video conference […]

Cost-cutting needs have produced the latest trend: spouse-run businesses. According to the Kauffman Foundation, 8% of new small businesses in the U.S. are co-owned by husbands and wives.   Both marriage and business co-ownership are relationships with potential for conflict. How can a couple successfully work together without compromising their marriage? Here are some of […]

All predictions indicate that the economic recovery from the 2007-2009 US recession in will remain sluggish well into the next year. (No crystals balls needed.) According to the latest quarterly AP Economy Survey, economists are not very optimistic when it comes to the economic rebound. As opposed to earlier predictions, now they typically use words […]

All the hype aside, Apple products are cool. Those sleek electronics with even sleeker features have suddenly become an indication of those who are with it and *sigh* those who are just not.     But would you use your Apple computer to run your business? Though the majority of small business owners tend to […]

One of the positive fallouts of the recent economic crisis has been the insurgence of entrepreneurism among those who would have otherwise worked for others. Along side this trend has been the emergence of a new phenomenon called “co-working.” For those who are unfamiliar with the term, co-working refers to an arrangement where budding entrepreneurs […]

For the majority of U.S small businesses – the backbone of the nation’s economy – growth and expansion have remained on the back burner as of late. In fact, many smaller companies are struggling just to stay afloat even as reports stream in that the economy seems to be on the mend. Why? Here are […]

According to a recent Federal Reserve report on small business credit card usage, though small business financing remains sluggish in the areas of business loans and business lines of credit, small business credit cards are fast becoming a popular, short-term financing option. Isn’t this a bit of deja-vu?   When the government stimulus program dried up […]

As the unemployment rate continues to hover around 9.5%, leaving consumer income depleted, many industries have been suffering. But not every industry has been hit hard by the recession. The truth is that for numerous companies business is booming as a direct result of the high unemployment rate. What are these industries, and why are they flourishing? […]

Earlier this week, President Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection financial reform bill into law initiating a sweeping reform of financial regulation. While the new legislation is meant to target big banks, it turns out that many small businesses may also be affected.   The bill’s provisions attempt to protect consumers […]