The Employee Mentality
Learning to accept that people have a life outside the business. Read more
Street Smarts
Norm Brodsky
Recent Street Smarts Articles
StreetSmarts: Peripheral Vision
Most entrepreneurs are compelled to beat the odds, to disprove the naysayers. They don't always succeed, but when they do, the experience is tremendously sat... Read more
The Unkindest Cut of All
If you've ever experienced employee theft, you know that the money is the least of it. Far worse is the sense of betrayal. Once you've been burned, can you e... Read more
A Breach of Trust
Despite the recent revelations about high-level corporate larceny, most businesspeople are out to earn an honest buck. So it still comes as a surprise to dis... Read more
A Few Good Competitors
Every company needs a few good competitors. Not only do they keep you on your toes, but they can help you set high industry standards. Read more
Firing Customers
The idea of firing customers might sound like a sacrilege. But when they abuse your employees, refuse to pay their bills, and generally take advantage of you... Read more
Roll-ups: Swimming Against the Tide
These days you can't even mention the word roll-up in financial circles without drawing hostile stares. Many compare the roll-up bust to the dot-com... Read more
Changing Course
Companies these days have to change constantly just to survive, but some changes are bigger than others. Sometimes you even transform your company from one t... Read more
Building to Sell
Right now might not be the best time to sell your business. But that doesn't mean you can't start getting it ready for sale. Read more
A Failure of Responsibility
Why using layoffs as a business tool is bad business. Read more
Opportunity Knocks
Four reasons why now is the best time to build a new business. Read more
The Tournament
Morale took a real beating this fall. But there's nothing that lifts the spirits like some friendly competition. Read more
A Time for Leadership
The economic toll from the terrorist attacks could worsen -- unless businesspeople take steps right now to ensure that their companies can weather the crisis. Read more
Ransom Notes
It's never a good idea to pay ransom to key employees. Read more
Fighting Back
The terrorist attacks could claim even more victims unless businesspeople take steps right now to make sure that their companies will be ... Read more
Barriers to Entry
Why barriers to entry are good. Read more
The X Factor
The one quality that can't be taught and that every entrepreneur must have to succeed. Read more
Groundhog Day
Confronting bad habits of mind can strenghten your business. Read more
How To Grow In a Soft Economy
Worried that the economy is tanking? Don't fret. Even when times are bad, your company can still find ways to thrive. Read more
An Internet Model That Works
The dot-coms may be dropping like flies, but the Internet can still turbocharge a traditional company's sales. CEO Norm Brodsky offers six advantages to maki... Read more
The Right Price
Too many new entrepreneurs harm their own prospects by underpricing their goods and services. But if those company owners just take the time to think, they c... Read more
Deciding to Grow
When a business is successful, it's only natural to want to expand it, but be careful. Norm Brodsky discusses why bigger isn't always better. Read more
Your Good Name
There's nothing more important than having a good business reputation. And the best people to help you get one are your competitors, Norm Brodsky argues. Read more
What Business Are You Really In?
Meanwhile, I kept trying to think like a real estate person. I asked myself what I'd do if I had a brand-new office building in a cold ma... Read more
Help! I Need Somebody
Were there any obstacles that would keep her from increasing sales? Maybe. Pat was doing all her business in New York City, and it looked... Read more
Becoming the Boss
But one episode in particular convinced me I'd gone too far. It involved my head dispatcher, who'd been with me from the start and had be... Read more
The First Step
There's so much to do when you're starting a company that the hardest part may be figuring out what to do first. CEO Norm Brodsky advises that, before gettin... Read more
The First Step
There's so much to do when you're starting a company that the hardest part may be figuring out what to do first. CEO Norm Brodsky advises that, before gettin... Read more
Return of the Middle Manager
The labor shortage has set off bidding wars for talent, which can easily wreak havoc on a business. CEO Norm Brodsky advises that, if you want to avoid losin... Read more
Small Is Beautiful
It may feel good to sign up big clients when you're starting out. But CEO Norm Brodsky suggests that it's the smaller customers who will prove to be your sal... Read more
The View from Brooklyn
Change creates opportunity, and the Internet is producing both. But that doesn't mean the only opportunities are in the world of dot-coms. Read more
The Case for Higher Prices
Thanks mainly to Alan Greenspan, it's harder than ever to get customers to accept price hikes. But, argues entrepreneur Norm Brodsky, you're making a big mis... Read more
The Art of the Deal
People assume that the high bid always wins. But looking beneath the surface, you may find factors that are more important to closing the deal. Read more
The Road Not Taken
CEO Norm Brodsky discusses why, of all the challenges people face when they decide to start a business, one of the most difficult is learning to say no. Read more
Getting It Right
It's easy to fall in love with a business idea. But the fact is, few successful companies end up with the same concept they began with. CEO Norm Brodsky disc... Read more
The Inspector
Most entrepreneurs believe that their companies are the best at what they do. But, as CEO Norm Brodsky examines, being the best doesn't mean you can't get ev... Read more
Fear of Flying
What keeps people from starting their own company? CEO Norm Brodsky examines why, rather than lack of capital or opportunity, the biggest obstacle often lies... Read more
