Author Archives: Gary Barzel

If your business involves the shipment of delicate items, such as electronics, art work, glass pieces, or fragile antiques, then the new shipping price changes that went into effect this year may result in higher shipping costs. But with a little know how, there are several things that you can do to help keep these […]

Even though the worst of the Recession has past us over, and there are signs that at least some parts of the economy have rebounded, the traditional credit markets are still closed to the vast majority of small business borrowers. While many types of alternative lenders have since emerged to help fill in the financing gap, lately […]

Around this time of the year, an assortment of small business experts take out their crystal balls and make predictions about what the next twelve months or so will bring. While many of the these potential future trends are important to be aware of, sometimes events come together to create a literal transformation in the […]

One of the biggest challenges that small businesses are facing today is in hiring employees that can truly help their business grow… and getting these people to stick around long enough to see that growth happen. Not only are today’s workers more likely to job hop then those of the previous generations, but small businesses […]

The 3D printing industry has been generating a lot of attention lately, and it’s with good reason. While the concept has actually existed for three decades, over the past few years 3D printer technology and equipment has gotten much more accurate, faster, and cheaper. This has generated a 3D printing market for both small business […]

Not so long ago, retailers of all sizes were worried about a trend called showrooming- where consumers go to a physical store to look at a product and then shop online for that same product at a cheaper price. But according to a recent study, it seems consumer buying habits have flipped around, and that […]

As the year comes to an end, it’s the perfect time to take stock of how your business is performing and try to identify the areas that need improvement. Whether you and your business openly embrace technology, you have been putting off making some necessary upgrades, or you tend to be a bit technophobic, there […]

If you own a brick and mortar store, then one of the biggest boosts you can give to your holiday sales is to be an active participant in Small Business Saturday which falls out on November 29th this year. It’s a day when communities across the US celebrate and support their local small businesses. I […]

Earlier this week I saw an interesting post by Scott Shane over at Small Business Trends. In it, he pointed out an interesting trend based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the data, the number of incorporated self-employed individuals was 4 percent lower in September of this year than it was […]

For many people, one of the biggest challenges to successfully starting a new business is just starting in the first place. As adults, we can easily get caught up in and overwhelmed by our own fears to the extent that we get stuck in a comfort zone and never push ourselves to dream, to experiment, […]