March, 2015

Do You Have What it Takes to Be a Manager?

Getting your first promotion to manager is cause for celebration.

Obviously, your supervisor saw something in you that gave him the confidence to put the management reins in your hand.

You may be nervous about leading the team, but that's natural for a first time manager, especially if you're managing a department of people who used to be your colleagues. The situation can be tricky.

Is Your Office Running Out of Space?

Trying to figure out whether it's time to expand your office space? Let's look at a few examples to see if it's time.

You're a lawyer renting a space in an office building. You have a secretary and a business partner and are hoping to bring an intern on board, but you're running out of room and want everyone to be comfortable.

Creative Ideas for Selling Your DIY Projects Online

If you’re a crafter at heart and love to create just for the fun of it, you may or may not have considered turning your hobby into a money-maker. Sure, launching a full-fledged business is an undertaking, but there are easier ways to sell your products online; a few in particular rise above the rest. Here are some tips for making the most of your entrepreneurial venture.

Spam or Scam? Tips for Treading Through Emails

The second you get a new email, your first message is likely from someone you don’t know. From that moment on, you are always making decisions about whether you should open an email or not. As a business you need to be extra vigilant in checking for scams and spammers. Here are some tips for determining if that email is a spam or scam and how to protect your business email.

How American Businesses will Be Influenced by the Upcoming Surge in U.S. Manufacturing

According to a Congressional Research Service report, the current U.S. share of global manufacturing is at approximately 17%. However, many experts are predicting that the recent surge in U. S. manufacturing will continue. A combination of rising wages in China and other countries, and a two third reduction in the price of natural gas since 2008 has made U.S. manufacturing more attractive to businesses. Many businesses that formerly outsourced their manufacturing processes to other countries are returning to the U.S.

Tips For Mom And Pop Shops For The Best Year Yet

Talk to any resident of any town in America and chances are, they’ll be able to name a local mom-and-pop business – a favorite shop, a trusted place for a certain good or product, somewhere they know the owners by name and are willing to pay a little more for a more personal experience.

Competition is tough with large Internet companies rated as the number one challenge facing independent businesses. But as much as online retail giants like eBay and large chain stores like Target and Walmart have made it harder for these kinds of specialty stores to stay in business, small, family owned businesses remain an integral part of the nation’s economy. These stores may not have the resources that the powerhouse retailers do to spread their message, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to compete.

10 Tips To Running A March Madness Incentive

Every March, sales leaders across the globe turn their attention to March Madness sales contests.  Thousands of companies run some form of incentive or SPIFF in March focused around getting their sales reps to push harder to close out the quarter.  The large majority of these games have some sort of bracket where individuals compete and are “knocked out” as they move closer towards the finals.  But isn’t the goal of any sales contest to keep a

Constructing the Most Efficient Office Space

When you build your office space, you build your business.

Your center of operations has the potential to be one of your business' greatest assets, providing a space that's conducive to a good working atmosphere.

That means happier workers, better productivity, and an all-round better experience for you and your team.

Don't Let Your Business Internet Connection Slow You Down

As a business owner, do you have any idea how much difficulty you would have running a first-rate company in today’s technological world if you did not have any online presence.

Well, if you have a bad Internet connection, you in essence are not really a big-time player on the Internet, something that can certainly have negative ramifications for your company.

The 6 Most Important Documents for Starting a Small Business

Starting your own business can be a daunting task. Even when you have your business plan nailed down, the perfect space rented, and a killer website built, taking care of the nitty-gritty details needed to make your dream a reality can feel overwhelming. After all, you’re an expert in your chosen field — you’re not an accountant, a lawyer, or an HR expert.

Wading through the legalese and verbose explanations on tax forms can be tough, but there are several key documents that you need to get familiar with to run your own company: