One of the biggest challenges for entrepreneurs involves staffing and delegation. It can be hard to know when to hire full-time or put extra help in place and how to do it the right way. Small businesses and new entrepreneurs might want to consider the virtual assistant, or VA. A VA is basically an independent contractor or freelancer who performs support-staff tasks and functions, often...

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or burned out, and constantly daydream about running away from it all, maybe you need more than a vacation. Maybe what you need is a sabbatical. A sabbatical is a long-term, sustained absence from work that’s designed around a specific purpose or intention. It’s not an extended vacation but rather a refocusing of attention...

Most ambitious entrepreneurs have the same major objective — for their startup idea to become the next big thing. It may be hard to imagine, but Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerburg were once in the same position as most business owners. Coming up with an idea for your startup business should be approached with the same dedication as...

The economic recovery hasn’t been as strong in every part of the U.S. as it has in Silicon Valley. With companies sending factories overseas and older people relocating to more sunny regions, many cities in the northern US are experiencing slow economic growth. Cleveland is one of them. Listed as second highest on the Distressed Community...

If you own a small business in California, you’re not alone. The U.S. Business Administration Office of Advocacy reports there are now 3.9 million small businesses in California. They employ approximately seven million people. Your network of small business owners in the golden state shares similar goals and values. Beyond that circle, you can tap...

Entrepreneurial mistakes are inevitable. The process of planning, launching and running your own business is a heady time, full of long hours and exciting challenges. Pure adrenaline, excitement and sometimes lots of caffeine propel new entrepreneurs through hazy days that often run into one another. Some days, it feels as if there isn’t time to...

Employee salaries are a critical business decision made by company leaders and HR managers. There’s much to consider when it comes to salary. You want to look at current and future company revenue. You should examine the opportunity cost of money going to employees as opposed to somewhere else. The impact of salaries on your...

You’ve likely seen the TV shows about people with extreme hoarding habits. You may even have this tendency yourself. A hoarder’s home is stuffed with items ranging from old magazines to clothes to collectibles. The hoarder’s inability to part with items makes living conditions quite difficult. But as reality shows reveal, these folks can’t easily...

You’ve probably spent years of your life honing your product or service so that people will like it and buy it from you. You’ve put your blood, sweat and tears into it. The unfortunate truth though is that most customers won’t ever see that or care. To them, the only real difference between you and...

Insightful, personal stories are the most effective path to get people caring about your brand. As the Internet has become firmly ingrained in our lives, there’s never been a better chance to develop or grow a global business. However, the world wide web has created a more discerning customer who is not content to be simply a number....