May 2009 - Posts
A battle is brewing between small business owners in Northampton, Massachusetts over the creation of a Business Improvement District, a joint agreement between business owners to undertake various improvements in a popular shopping area. While BID's can help draw customers, they can also be a pricey proposition for the members. Take a look at both sides of the argument and find out how a Business Improvement Districts can help small businesses grow.
Panelists
--Jennifer Hill, Vice President of Astia, a non-profit organization which helps female entrepreneurs secure funding
--Phil Town, investment advisor and author of "Rule #1: The Simple Strategy for Successful Investing in Only 15 Minutes a Week!"
Dollars & Sense: Getting Customers to Pay
Chuck Doyle, Managing Director of Business Capital, a full-service financial firm, provides tips on how business owners can manage their receivables and make sure clients are paying their bills on time.
Elevator Pitch
Jim Song pitches The Germ Terminator, a toothbrush sanitizer that cleans your toothbrush using a powerful combination of steam and dry heat. Jim is looking for capital to expand his business.
MyLaptopGps.com provides software as a service to protect your laptop if it falls into the wrong hands. Simply download the program and your computer will be linked to a remote security team whenever it's working off of a remote wireless connection. In case of theft, report the machine stolen and your important files can be removed remotely once a connection can be established.
1. Washington
2. Virginia
3. Colorado
4. Texas
5. Nevada
Source: U.S. News & World Report
What do you do when someone posts something unflattering about your company on a blog? Do you respond?
We’ve received this question a few times from our viewers and each time it has elicited a different response from our show panel. This is far from a black and white issue.
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This week, I'll be interviewing Karen Gordon Mills, the new head of the Small Business Administration -- the government agency that provides support to small businesses.
What questions do you have for Mills?
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Small Business Newsmakers: Karen Gordon Mills
On the day before the start of National Small Business Week, Karen Gordon Mills, Administrator of the United States Small Business Administration discusses the state of small business and the initiatives the Obama Administration is pursuing to aide small business owners in these uncertain economic times.
The Power of Resiliency
Very few businesses succeed without any hardships and resiliency is a common theme for success. We'll meet a few entrepreneurs who have employed creative tactics to survive and grow their businesses. Find out how you can come up with ways to reverse your business's fortunes.
Panelists
--Dave Anderson, President of Dave Anderson's Learn To Lead and LearnToLead.com, an international sales and leadership training and consulting company
--Bob Phibbs, founder of The Retail Doctor, a retail consulting company
Wave of the Future
Belinda Di Giambattista, co-founder of Butter Beans, makers of all-natural organic meals, and Ben Silbermann, co-founder of Tote, a mobile shopping company developing software for smartphones, are the winners of a recent business plan competition at NYU's Stern School of Business. Cynthia Franklin, senior associate director of the Berkley Center Entrepreneurship Program at NYU's Stern School of Business, discusses what made these plans so strong, and what every entrepreneur should have in their business plan.
A few weeks ago I got a call from an angry neighbor who wanted to know if our neighborhood bylaws include any restrictions on door-to-door salesman.
She called me because I'm the president of our neighborhood civic association and one of my main jobs is fielding tons of phone calls from irate neighbors who want me to make their lives easier.
I thought it was an odd question for her to ask. So many people who have been laid off or have seen their hours cut have chosen to start direct sales businesses, including door-to-door sales, so I figured let's help out those in our community that need a hand.
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As small business owners continue to look for ways to survive and grow in this tough economy, local Chambers of Commerce are becoming an increasingly popular resource. See how entrepreneurs in Ridgewood, New Jersey are joining their local chapter and receiving valuable economic benefits and honing their networking skills at the same time. Find out how your local Chamber of Commerce can help you.
Panelists
--Giovanni Coratolo, Director of Small Business Policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
--Paul Lewis, serial entrepreneur who has successfully founded four companies, two of which were taken public and acquired by Fortune 500 companies
--Kimberly Weisul, editor of BusinessWeek SmallBiz
Small Biz Tech: The Power of Netbooks
Netbooks, portable mini-laptops designed for wireless communication and easy access to the Internet, have surged in popularity in recent years as a cost-effective alternative to expensive laptops or desktop systems. Lance Ulanoff, Editor-In-Chief of PC Magazine Network, shows off some of the best netbooks on the market.
Dollars & Sense: Buying Back Your Loan
Monica Mehta, Managing Principal of the New York-based investment firm, Seventh Capital, provides some tips on how small business owners can buy back their bank loans.
1. Help them network
2. Provide adequate lead time
3. Point employees toward local employment resources
4. Offer to provide a recommendation
5. Keep in touch
Source: BusinessWeek.com
Palringo is a free tool to help you stay in touch with your employees or clients. The service can create a group of contacts and then send and receive messages to them through the popular messaging programs . Palringo can also serve as a handy GPS tool.
