Dealing with Zoning Problems
You've found the perfect spot -- except that it lacks the zoning you need. But you may be able to work the situation to your favor. Read more
Office and Operations
Recent Office and Operations Articles
Pick a Legal Location and Avoid Zoning Trouble
Legally speaking, it's far less important whether a certain spot is a good one for your business than if it'sproperly zoned for what you plan to do. The f... Read more
Behind Warehouse Doors
Although your inventory might be quite small and you think your current system works well enough, it's to your benefit to implement a scaled-down version ... Read more
Commercial Lease Checklist
It's crucial to understand from the get-go that, practically and legally speaking, there are oceans of differences between commercial leases and residenti... Read more
Lodge Your Complaint
You've been wronged. The goods you ordered arrived intact, but the craftsmanship is shoddy. You've been handed a bill, but you haven't received satisfacto... Read more
Stephen Gordon: My Biggest Mistake
STEPHEN GORDON CEO and founder of Restoration Hardware Inc., based in Corte Madera, Calif. My biggest mistake was ho... Read more
Start the Presses!
With a little imagination, you can design your company's printed materials without ever leaving your desk. Many online sites offer print services, but how go... Read more
Outsourcing Bookkeeping
An entrepreneur of a fast-growing company wonders when it's the right time to graduate to a big-time accounting firm. Read more
Find the Best Deals for Fall Foliage Travel
For some, autumn comes with a particular appeal. While the others seasons may have their beauty, autumn is the one time in North America where you can tru... Read more
Great Golf Getaways
If you're a golfer, you can't watch a master play without wanting to get out on the links yourself. Now you can go for your personal best -- and save whil... Read more
Affordable Escapes to Europe
Interested in an excursion to Europe that won't break your budget? Here are three transatlantic airline promotions worth checking out. Free... Read more
Employ a Virtual Helper
A tight labor market and work style choices have forced small-office professionals to seek other ways to grow with few or no workers. Some opt to simply d... Read more
Feeling Fit during the Flight and Afterward
Travel guru Tom Parsons offers six time-tested ideas for renewing your energy and staying healthy during flights. Read more
How Fast Should My Inventory Turn?
The quicker inventory turns, the less cash you tie up. Read more
The Question You Forgot to Ask
How much lead time is needed from the moment you compete for an order to the moment when it has to be at its destination? Generally, for international ord... Read more
How do I determine whether someone is an employee or an independent contractor?
Law & Taxation mentor Barbara Weltman responds to the following question from an inc.com user: My company is trying to figure ou... Read more
Understanding Commercial Leases
Your lease is a contract between you and your landlord. A lease can be for a short term (as little as one month) or long term, and it can be written or or... Read more
Software Development Agreements -- Just Hold Your Nose and Write One
The late movie producer Samuel Goldwyn, a Russian immigrant with a shaky command of English, was famous for his malapropisms. Perhaps his most famous, and... Read more
What questions should I ask contractors before agreeing to outsource work to them?
Offices & Operations mentor Charles Bodenstab responds to the following question from an inc.com user: I am the president of a ... Read more
Decide Whether to Design Banner Ads In-House or to Outsource
Careful planning and research up front will save you time and money later in the banner ad creation process. If you want to create a banner ad in-house, y... Read more
The Lowdown on Contracts
Like most people, small-business owners tend to shy away from signing anything. They avoid contracts like the plague. But this is a risky way to do busine... Read more
The Secrets to Their Success
Michael E. Porter and Anne Habiby discuss the types of businesses that are thriving in U.S. inner cities. Read more
Meals on Wheels (and Rails and Water)
Paul Robbins looked at a run-down Florida neighborhood and beheld a transportation utopia. The story of this year's #1 Inner City 100 company. Read more
Implement a Strict Quality Control System
Unlike face-to-face shopping, where customers can touch and inspect goods before making a purchase, online customers must rely completely on your ability ... Read more
How do I turn around a sick company?
Offices & Operations mentor Charles Bodenstab responds: Obviously there is no quick answer to this problem since it depends on how... Read more
Meet Mie-Yun Lee
Mie-Yun Lee is an expert on businesspurchasing for the office. Since she founded BuyerZone.com... Read more
Staffing: Independent Contractors
Contracting out work to independent contractors is another staffing option to consider, due to the many tax and non-tax benefits involved. However, the di... Read more
What Will It Cost Me to Hire an Independent Contractor as an Employee?
Q: Currently I use independent contractors in my business. What is the additional cost of making them my employees? A:Read more
Hot Tip: Recruiting
Brenda Love, founder of $20-million Love Advertising, in Houston, has always looked to pare her payroll. Her problem was how to get strong product... Read more
HW Flrs, Ocean Vw, Stck Optns
MedicaLogic, a 15-year-old medical-records-software company in Hillsboro, Oreg., made its first Internet play in 1999. That was late enough to run into th... Read more
Getting the Right Insurance When You're Going Solo
A fair number of home-based business owners confided -- off the record -- that they didn't have any additional insurance coverage, because they eith... Read more
East vs. West: Location, Location, Location
What does location have to do with venture-capital funding? Plenty, says Scott Randall, founder and CEO of FairMarket Inc., a Woburn, Mass., Internet-auct... Read more
3-2-1 Contract
Having trouble with complex government certification forms? EZCertify.com simplifies the application process and helps minority companies compete for governm... Read more
Keep on Trucking
Can't keep track of your trucks? Here's an efficient fleet-monitoring system that tells owners where their trucks are. Read more
A Fine and Private Page
Want to build an extranet for your customers but lack the resources? For a fraction of the cost and stress, consider creating Web pages that only specified p... Read more
