Research and Development


Recent Research and Development Articles

Train Yourself to Be an Optimist: 4 Steps

Optimistic people are happier, healthier, more successful, and have longer lives. You can be one of them.  Read more

Go From Employee to Entrepreneur: 4 Tips

Use the skills, industry knowledge, and contacts you have today to set your business up for success.  Read more

So You Want to Write a Business Book...

Inc.com columnist and five-time author Phil Simon reflects on five hard-won lessons every aspiring writer needs to know.  Read more

6 Steps to Productive Brainstorming

Think big and follow these tips to make the most of your next brainstorming session.  Read more

Groovy: New Communes Cater to Entrepreneurs

Forget peace and love. These communes aim to see what happens when smart entrepreneurs spend every minute together.  Read more

One Test Every Entrepreneur Must Take

Why you decide to start a business of your own matters almost as much as what kind of business you start.  Read more

Hardware Wants to Be Free

Technology is getting cheap--so cheap, in fact, that gadgets alone may cease to be the moneymakers. Tech start-ups, take note.  Read more

Easiest Way to Win Friends and Influence People

Charm is good and cleverness never hurts. But there's one very simple thing you can do to create instant rapport with someone else.  Read more

Where to Invest Your Tech Budget

Before you decide how to spend your tech dollars, check out where other companies are investing.  Read more

3D Printing Has a Bright Future With Dark Problems

DIY gunsmithing is just one potential issue 3D printer companies must decide how to handle. But there are many more risks on the horizon.  Read more

Cars: The Next Big Advertising Platform?

Connected cars are taking mobile marketing to a whole new level. Here's what to expect.  Read more

3 Steps to Turn Around a Failing Company

"Turnaround King" Grant Cardone says you may think you know what's ailing your company--but you're almost certainly wrong.  Read more

7 Easily Avoidable Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Fail

You have no excuse not to see these potential hurdles coming--so don't let them trip you up.  Read more

4 Tips to Expand Your Niche Business

The potential opportunities might be much bigger and broader than you think. Think outside your niche with these tips.  Read more

Rise of the Microserver

Go ahead and keep your data in-house. Thanks to some of the macro names in computing, servers are going micro and getting more efficient.  Read more

Biggest Tech Trends of 2012

After a year's worth of hardware and software news, these six developments are the ones to remember.  Read more

Why Didn't Fred Wilson (& Other VCs) Invest in 2012?

A handful of prominent tech VCs didn't make any early-stage start-up investments in 2012. Is it time for founders to worry?  Read more

How Not to Do Target Marketing

Will women buy a toolbox just because it's pink? Don't assume you know anything about what your customers really want.  Read more

It's Not Rocket Science: Eliminate Stress

When it feels like everything is on the line and you just can't get a grip, try one of these ridiculously easy strategies to keep your cool.  Read more

4 Ways to Embrace Big Data

Here's a handful of useful tools to collect the kind of data you need to make better business decisions.  Read more

4 Tips to Take Your Company to the Next Level

Stuck at a plateau? Here are four things that could help your business reach new heights.  Read more

Why Money Can Hurt Your Marketing

The size of your advertising spend has little to do with your success. In fact, sometimes too much cash can be a very bad thing.  Read more

Is It Human Nature to Stifle Big Ideas?

Investors say they want big, bold start-up ideas--but their investments suggest otherwise. What's an entrepreneur to do?  Read more

One Business Decision That Changes Everything

Derek Sivers--successful entrepreneur, speaker, and blogger--explains the basic decision every entrepreneur needs to make.  Read more

Best 2012 Books for Entrepreneurs

Inspiration can come from anywhere. These nine books may not all fit into the "business book" genre, but they're still must-reads.  Read more

4 Most Important Qualities of an Entrepreneur

Forget about your business idea--most of them don't pan out anyway. Here's what it really takes to succeed.  Read more

Whittle Down Your To-Do List. Finally

Those items at the bottom of the list? You know you'll never get to them, so stop trying--there's a better way to get more done.  Read more

How to Turn a Commodity into a Unique Business

Here's how one founder turned popcorn--yes, popcorn--into a multi-million dollar company.  Read more

The Next Big Thing in Ads

With the help of NFC-enabled smartphones, ads are getting even more interactive. But are they right for your company?  Read more

5 Reasons Why You Need a Shrink

The start-up life is lonely and stressful. Without solid emotional support, your new venture might be dead in the water.  Read more

Windows 8: The Next Frontier for App Developers

Pundits are skeptical about the future of Microsoft's operating system, but there are three reasons why it's a big deal for software entrepreneurs.  Read more

The Case Against Holiday Sales

This time of year, your competitors slash prices to reel in the holiday shoppers. Here's why that's not a game you should play.  Read more

Big Data: You Have No Idea How Much It Will Change Your Life

Futurist Juan Enriquez on the mind-blowing changes that Big Data is about to unleash on your business, your health, and life in general.  Read more

4 Decision-Making Mistakes to Avoid

Every day, you must make decisions large and small. Here's what's keeping you from making them more confidently.  Read more

How Much Poor Performers Cost You

Chances are, you're spending too much time on employees who don't deliver. Here are seven tips to pull yourself out of the time suck.  Read more