BASEMENT TO BOARDROOM  

Janine Popick


3 Free Apps to Enhance Your Inner Creative Genius

Give your presentations, documents or Web pages a little creative oomph with these three free business tools.  Read story

Talk to Your Customers; You Might Learn Something

CEOs need to put themselves out there to see what their customers are saying. And the best way is to communicate with them directly.  Read story

Inspire Olympic-Size Team Spirit in Your Employees

Creating a real team-oriented approach, where everyone is rooting for the same thing, is crucial to any company.  Read story

5 Reasons to Build an In-House Creative Team

It's tempting to take creative responsibilities off your shoulders and hand it over to an agency, especially when you're growing. Here's why I decided to bui...  Read story

When Do You Need an HR Specialist?

If HR-related issues are getting in the way of running your business, then it's probably time to bring in an expert.  Read story

Acquisition or Partnership? How to Decide

If you're thinking about forming a partnership or acquiring another business, these questions will make it easier to decide which option is best.  Read story

These 3 Questions Will Help You Close

Understanding the needs of your prospects is paramount to closing a deal. Ask these three simple questions to get those critical insights.  Read story

5 Tips for Creating a Winning Presentation

From no projector to awful audio, it's not uncommon to be faced with unexpected "gotchas" when giving a presentation. Here's how to make your presentation go...  Read story

Don't Let Meetings Suck Your Time

Six reasons why I hate meetings, and what you can do to make them more efficient.  Read story

4 Business Tools That Make Life Easier

These apps are worthy of your attention because they will free up more time in your day.  Read story

Entice Mobile Users to Open Your Emails: 3 Tips

Here's a little-known secret to get more people to open your email marketing campaigns.  Read story

4 Ways to Combat Digital ADD

We've all been there. Here's how to curb online workplace distractions and reclaim your productivity.  Read story

Become a Rock Star on Social Media: 4 Ways

One way to get more social media friends, followers, fans and fervor is to leverage your email marketing campaigns.  Read story

5 Cs Every Start-up Needs to Succeed

Whether you're in software or skincare, you can't succeed in business without these five essentials.  Read story

Not Producing Content? You Should Be

To distinguish yourself from your competitors, you must have content, and you must have a unique voice.  Read story

Are Your Employees Waving Away Customers?

As a business owner, you go above and beyond to keep customers happy. But your employees might not feel the same.  Read story

Trade Shows: Get Bang for Your Buck

Trade shows and conferences cost money and time. Ask these four questions to determine if a show is right for your business.  Read story

Customer Service Pop Quiz: Be Your Own Customer

When it comes to customer service, it's easy to assume that if there aren't any complaints, there's no need to improve it. Big mistake.  Read story

Why You Should Be Geeked About Data

We ran three marketing tests-with surprising results. Here's what our data revealed about the clicking habits of customers.  Read story

5 Leadership Lessons From the Business Trenches

In the age of Pinterest and Instagram, 11 years in business seems like a long time. Here's what longevity has taught me.  Read story

Business Meeting Etiquette: 8 Pet Peeves

Do your days consist of meeting after meeting? Master these eight don'ts to stay focused and distraction-free.  Read story

Marketing Lessons From the ‘Little Guys’

Big businesses need to lighten up, get creative and take a few cues from small business owners.  Read story

Teen Entrepreneurs Win Big

A growing number of young entrepreneurs are launching serious businesses with great potential--and many of them aren’t even old enough to drive.  Read story

All-Hands Meetings: Friend or Foe?

The last thing we need are more meetings, but having a company-wide gathering will allow you to make sure that everyone is marching toward the same goals.  Read story

7 Free Apps That Will Make Life Better

These free (or next to free) apps promise to make your life easier.  Read story

5 Ways You Are Turning Your Customers Away

Are you losing customers without even knowing it? Make sure your business and employees aren't suffering from these easy setbacks.  Read story

The Customer Is Not Always Right

In some rare cases it may become necessary to fire a customer that disrespects your team. In those cases, show your team that you have their backs.  Read story

4 Reasons Business Partnerships Fail

Keep your eyes open for these red flags; they could make a partnership go off the rails.  Read story

3 Lessons From the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Disaster

The foundation's recent public relations mess offers valuable takeaways for small businesses.  Read story

5 Easy Ways to Drum Up PR Coverage

Does the press love your business as much as you do? Here are five ways to grab the media's attention--no PR expertise required.  Read story

Taxi Drivers Get Around Card Fees

Small businesses are always thinking about clever ways to save money, and cab drivers are no exception.  Read story

A Simple E-mail “cc” Could Lose You Business

Those few minutes you save by hitting "cc" might not be worth it. Here's why.  Read story

3 Tactics to Become a Better Salesperson

The secret to successful selling? Don't sell right away.  Read story

5 Biggest Event Planning Fears and How to Face Them

Will anyone show up? What if people get bored? Check out these five ideas to set your next company event up for success.  Read story

6 Marketing New Year’s Resolutions for 2012

The new year means new opportunities to grow your business bigger, better and faster. Get started with these six resolutions.  Read story

Anyone in Your Company Can Have a Great Idea – Harness It!

Your "on the street" employees can be an important resource for business-building ideas.  Read story

Do Your Employees Follow You on Social Media?

How, and when, to react to employees' social media posts can be challenging. Here, some tips.  Read story

How a Revamped Office Environment Can Boost Company Morale

My company recently moved to a new space, and even the slightest changes made a big difference in employee morale.  Read story

Areas of Your Business You Should Be Testing

What worked well for your company yesterday may not be the best today. Make sure you're getting the best results by putting various parts of your business to...  Read story

Two Tough Questions From Women in Technology

At a recent Startup Weekend event, an impromptu gathering with young women in tech brought up some interesting questions.  Read story