Small Business Consulting

Some of our greatest business leaders are also remembered as historic icons (e.g., Ford, Disney, Edison), but the opposite isn’t usually true. Most history texts focus on political, military and artistic accomplishments, so the titans of commerce – unless they’ve dramatically altered human events – tend to […]

Sometimes you can’t appreciate what’s good until you shine a little light on what’s really bad. Example: A friend who probably spends too much time thinking about these things claims that you don’t really know what a good movie is until you’ve sat through a few bad […]

Being able to think in terms of “good profits” and “bad profits” might seem like a luxury you just don’t have when your company is struggling to grow. After all, profitability is the goal, so any business profit must be good, right? Not necessarily. There are at least […]

It’s no fun being paranoid, and there is no intent to make you worry unnecessarily here, but the fact is that as a small business owner or operator, you need to watch your own back when it comes to potential legal troubles. The chance of legal action […]

In the movies, the scene opens with the retiring owner of the prosperous, privately owned company calling his son or daughter, or some astoundingly loyal long-term employee, into his private office. It’s early evening, and the other employees have left for home, leaving a quiet, understated atmosphere. […]

We’re all in sales. Really, we are. At least, that’s the premise of Daniel Pink’s new book, To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others (Riverhead Hardcover. December 2012). Sales titles have always performed very well in the business category. That’s fine except that with […]

A business associate about to hire a summer intern for the first time couldn’t believe what he was about to do. “It seems like I was just an intern myself,” he said. It had actually been about twelve years, but if you were fortunate enough – or […]

Issues affecting small business include illegal immigration and undocumented workers – and here’s how those problems might impact YOUR company… Deferred Action Immigration Illegal immigration. Undocumented workers. Not many public policy issues can match the controversy generated by these two. Whatever your feelings on the matters, and […]

There is no sure thing when it comes to hiring decisions. But a little creativity and preparation can help tilt the odds in your favor, and that is good for both you and for the right candidate. The hiring process can be as stressful for a company […]

Hiring illegal workers might seem like a quick fix to your short-term labor shortage, but the risks can far outweigh the benefits. Few issues confronting the country are as complicated and controversial as the matter of illegal immigration. The government estimates there are roughly 12 million illegal […]