Introduction:In a world where ideas drive economies, it is no wonder that innovation and entrepreneurship are often seen as inseparable bedfellows. The governments around the world are starting to realize that in order to sustain progress and improve a country's economy, the people have to be encouraged and trained to think out-of-the-box and be constantly developing innovative products and services. The once feasible ways of doing business are...more
Wouldn't it be nice to get some of your money back that you have invested in developing policies, procedures and processes for your organization? Well, you can with the recently restored tax credit.$7.6 Billion in Tax Credits are AvailableIn September 2004, President Bush signed the $146 billion tax cut bill restoring the recently expired business Research & Experimentation Tax Credit. The 18-month renewal of the research and experimentation tax...more
In United States of America and Canada, indoor tanning products are very usual. Moreover, the indoor tanning businesses have appreciably grown in the last 25 years and are still increasing, getting more and more sophisticated.It's hard to compete with the global beauty industry. Surprisingly or not, the American population is spending more time and money on beauty than on their education. Thus, regardless of sex, nationality, age or occupation, Americans are extremely attached to indoor tanning salons. The usual surveys reveal the extent of the indoor tanning business in local communities. Americans and Canadians are satisfied with the fact that indoor salons provide a rigurously controlled tanning process, gradual and under supervision. Thanks to these factors, sunburns and health problems are almost out of the question. For instance, 85 percent of those surveyed admit that they really believe in indoor tanning safety. A lot of people also appreciate the privacy and the comfort they get in a tanning salon, which offers them a real break from all the daily tasks they have to attend.The latest surveys reveal a more balanced male/female profile as compared to a few years ago. Unlike...more
Next to winning the lottery, a debt consolidation loan is a debtor's dream. With one monthly payment and a fixed monthly payment schedule, you can actually see an end to those monthly payments. In reality, consolidating bills isn't always easy. If you have a lot of debt, it can be hard to find a consolidation loan at a lower interest rate. And if...more
It is a common question when investors review their retirement planshould we include social security benefits into our retirement income projections?It seems the closer an investor is to retirement, the more likely he/she will include social security benefits into the analysis. Younger investors, however, may feel compelled to omit such...more
Do you ever wonder why some people seem to get all the lucky breaks in business while others struggle to barely get by? They seem to be in the right place at the right time. Fact is, maybe they're not at the right place at the right time; maybe they just know how to make things "happen." As a business advisor I often see people begin and end a business before they have given it a chance to grow. For some reason, they seem to think that all they have to do is have a product or service to sell and the rest magically takes care of itself. Nothing could be further from the truth. For any business to succeed there are steps that must be taken. Success in business is actually quite simple. Not always easy, but it is simple. As the top rated home-based business in the state of Utah for 2004 I speak from experience. My success is a direct result of the actions I have taken on a daily basis. My success is also a result of having some great mentors over the years. Mentors who were willing to share time and knowledge in order that I could grow my business. My choice with the information that was shared was to either use it or not. Fortunately, in many cases I listened and applied what was...more
Branding is one hot topic, although it is wildly misunderstood. To make things even more confusing, branding is often tossed in the same basket as marketing which makes its application to an entrepreneur or sole-practioner even more unclear.While out...more
Starting Your New Home Business The Right Way Once you have made the initial preparations for starting up your home business, it is time to think about getting a little discipline. I don't mean that in any salacious sort of way: we are not talking...more
The seven essentials of business communicationThere are seven essential elements to successful business communication: Structure Clarity Consistency Medium Relevancy Primacy/Recency Psychological Rule of 7±2If you are going to communicate...more
Everyday someone asks me, "How do you start a pet-sitting business?" I try to answer their question succinctly. But the truth is, starting a pet-sitting business, or any business is not always a succinct process. Following are 21 tips that I know can...more
Like human nature over time, the power of good public relations remains the same. Whether you are a manager working for a business, a non-profit or an association, at some point, you will want, or need to create outside stakeholder behavior change...more
We've all heard about certain ways to cut your grocery bill like avoiding the grocery store when you're hungry, using coupons on double coupons day, and buying only the items on your list. These are all good tips and we should keep using them. ...more