Small Business Management

Running a small business or nonprofit requires wearing many hats and being many things to lots of people.  When an entrepreneur embarks on the journey of creating and growing a business they are susceptible to making mistakes.  Mistakes are part of the learning process but when it comes to owning or running a small business [...]

Businesses today are being increasingly pressured to use social media to promote and grow their business.  I have to admit I’ve been a bit of a laggard in this area because quite honestly keeping up with all of the social media options – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+ and who knows what else is in [...]

Most businesses are birthed out of an idea someone had who possessed the drive and determination to make it a reality.  As a business begins to gain a bit of momentum and success there becomes a need to recruit others to help with the business endeavors.  This creates the challenge of identifying someone who has [...]

We have all heard the horror stories, and even the news documentaries, about businesses that scam the public or fail to follow through on promises made to customers.  The Better Business Bureau is a a great resource for those of us who want to find out if other consumers have had issues with an organization [...]

My daughter recently called to let me know that a co-worker of hers – a young husband and father of two small children was the victim of a violent murder.  My daughter was very upset and overwhelmed with concern for her friend.  Her emotions were those of grief, anger, empathy and care for the young family [...]

Social media is quickly becoming the norm for businesses across the world.  With 80% of adults using social networks, it would be ridiculous not to get your company involved. A vast majority of businesses lack understanding of social media, causing them to lose out on the benefits many of their competitors are reaping.  So do [...]

If you’re an employer and/or small business owner, you need to protect yourself from personal injury lawsuits.  Said suits can be a public relations nightmare, damage your business’ reputation, cause you to lose business, and result in huge suit-related financial losses. Below you’ll find 10 ways to avoid a personal injury lawsuit. 1. Perform Safety [...]

Organizations that use strategy and goals to move the business forward are dependent on how well goals are achieved to fulfill strategic direction.  Having a structured performance management process is the most important part in setting goals and achieving them.  Accomplishing strategy is dependent on the ability to achieve business goals. Well written SMART goals lay [...]

2012 IRS Standard Mileage Rate

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We’re coming to the close of 2011 and people are starting to ask what the IRS mileage rate will be for 2012.  The reimbursement rate had an unusual midyear change in 2011 to adjust for rising gas prices and increased by 4.5 cents to the current 55.5 cents.  The IRS recently announced that the Standard [...]

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2012 Business Planning – What Your Organization Should Be Doing Now

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We’re a few weeks into the 4th quarter and I thought it might be helpful to talk about those things your organization can be doing now to plan and prepare for 2012.  I am a firm believer in the old saying “If you fail to plan – you plan to fail”.  There are no truer words [...]

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Miss Representation – Are You Aware of the Misrepresentation Movement?

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According to a McKinsey Quarterly report, the glass ceiling is still very real and women are not advancing at a rate they should be despite sporadic corporate efforts over the last couple of decades. An interesting documentary called Miss Representation will be aired later this month in the hopes of heigtening the awareness of the [...]

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Glass Ceiling for Women – Have We Made Any Progress?

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Some interesting statistics were presented in a recent McKinsey Quarterly which reports that despite the efforts of the last couple of decades to advance the careers of women and remove the glass ceiling, women who serve on boards or senior executive teams remains at 15 percent in many countries and only 3 percent of Fortune 500 [...]

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