Many people come to America to fulfill the dream of a better life. They want better access to education, employment, housing, and, at times, improved health care and a more developed infrastructure. Often, immigrant entrepreneurs start businesses, work in professional services, retail, restaurants, real estate, technology, healthcare or construction. They sometimes own franchises and small...

The vision statement and the mission statement may sound similar. They are both important aspects of business planning, branding, and goal-setting. However, they serve very different purposes. The mission statement is about your company’s commitment to its existing (or soon-to-exist) relationship with customers. Your vision statement is all about your company’s future dreams. Where the...

All of us have been in this embarrassing situation. We meet someone for the third or fourth time, only to realize we can’t remember what that person’s name is. Some of us are great with names and remember right away, but the rest of us don’t. Sure, we may find ways to disguise that we’ve...

If you’ve ever put hours of work into a project, only to spend months and months battling for payment, you can likely see the benefit of requiring a deposit. By asking for an upfront fee, you’re at least guaranteeing that you’ll be paid for part of the work, even if things don’t work out. Additionally,...

In a competitive job market, you need to stand out. And if you own a business, you want to bring in talent with the education and depth of skills to help you accomplish your objectives. For HR professionals, these facts are part of the appeal of HR certifications (and recertifications). Achieving and maintaining your HR...

While there’s no age limit to entrepreneurial success, it’s younger entrepreneurs who often get more attention in the news. Every day I get an email or two from PR firms asking me to write stories about a client, often a company run by a young founder. However, if you’re starting a new business, it’s not just...

No one works harder for your business than you. It’s your baby, and you put in the blood, sweat and tears to make it a success. Of course, it’s not just your effort that propels a business toward success. You must hire incredible talent and use the most effective tools and technology to power your...

Nobody likes to waste money, even if they have more than they could ever need. For businesses, every dollar wasted is a dollar that could be put toward reaching additional customers or improving your products. One of the biggest problems is that too many companies spend too much toward unnecessary expenses. They often do this...

Running a business takes hard work, which can reap the rewards of customers, revenue and satisfaction. While success is the ultimate goal, business risks may stop you from achieving the goals you set. When it comes to risk management, there are steps you can take, however. Here are seven types of business risk you may...

Doing business in the state of California isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s one of the biggest economies in the world, and attracts many of the most talented people in every industry. To maintain a viable business you need all the help you can get. That’s where the California Chamber of Commerce, or CalChamber,...