Trade Deficit Falls in March
May 12, 2005 --The U.S. trade deficit fell to the lowest level in six months in March, thanks in part to a surge in U.S. exports of capita... Read more
Strategy and Planning
Recent Strategy and Planning Articles
Small Business Economic Conditions Cool Down
May 5, 2005 --Slower growth in the gross domestic product (GDP), rising energy costs, and increasing interest rates dampened economic cond... Read more
Five Ideas to Watch
...including a new lava lamp, interactive advertising, a boost for wireless coverage, and more. Read more
Tech Spending Top Small Business Concern
A new survey suggests small business owners plan to boost IT spending to help cut costs and grow businesses. Read more
Location, Location, Location
Understanding market research. Plus: Boards for beginners. Read more
Is There a Future for Small Retailing?
Writing a regular column, I'm always looking for ideas. Many come from my clients, indirectly, for their questions and concerns are the questions and conc... Read more
The Secrets of Open-Source Managing
Start treating your customers like employees. Read more
Case Study
The Problem: Handmark had 50% of the market for software for PDAs. Unfortunately, fewer people are buying PDAs Read more
Company, Halted
What happens to a business when the owner is called to duty? Read more
Case Study
The Problem: Handmark had 50% of the market for software for PDAs. Unfortunately, fewer people are buying PDAs Read more
How To Assemble a Board of Directors
Advice on putting a board together that will serve your needs. Read more
How To Get the Kids on Your Side
Keeping the lines of communication open with your children can help foster an appreciation for the work you do. Read more
How To Groom a No. 2 (or, Gasp, a Successor)
Here's how to handle choosing a No. 2, whether you stick inside the company or look outside. Read more
How to Spot Trouble in Your Financials
Diagnose what's wrong with your company by zeroing in on your financials. Read more
NASA Offers Free Rocket Scientists
A great NASA giveaway. Read more
Thinking Small
Forget about finding the killer app. New research shows that smaller ideas pack a bigger payoff. Read more
Grist: Beyond the Vale of Smiles
Come in out of the sun. Your employees are shining you on. Read more
Five Ideas to Watch
Father's Day doodads, franchising dish, Gateway's biometrics, fine food in the air, and an Amber Alert for violins. Read more
Hot Tips: Look Lower on a Client's Totem Pole, Sales Strategies and Techniques Article
The Pro: Rocky Scales The Company: Vesta Inc. of Portland, Oreg. Key St... Read more
Concrete Tips for Urban Pioneers
What to keep in mind if you do business in the inner city. Read more
Five Ideas to Watch
Clothing that repels bugs, Bill Clinton's latest plaything, and more. Read more
Five Ideas to Watch
A pick-me-up patch, haggling made more marvelous, and more. Read more
The State of Being Hip
Why Michigan's economic policies are linked to music acts. Read more
Mickey Mouse Needs to Eat His Vegetables
"I write a column about small business. A question I often get is, 'What's the biggest problem facing a small business?' ... My answer always surprises pe... Read more
Five Ideas to Watch
Easy parking, better emergency response, free names, fragrant law enforcement, and precocious fashion design. Read more
Controversial IPA Silences a Watchdog
One of the most controversial Inc. 500 companies ever wins a legal battle. Read more
The Best Bang For Your Tech Buck
With new offerings hitting the market like a tsunami, entrepreneurs should spend their precious IT dollars with care. Read more
The Well-Balanced Life: The Turnaround
How a life plan charted the course of one company and its owner. Read more
Running the Gauntlet at Wal-Mart
The process of selling to the behemoth of Bentonville starts well before you push open the doors of its Arkansas headquarters. But it's within the fortress i... Read more
Those Weren't the Days?
Clinton economist Joseph E. Stiglitz ponders his legacy. Read more
More Bang for the IT Buck
Corporate buyers of IT goods haven't had it so good in a long time. Technology vendors, feeling the pinch after two years of sluggish sales, are discounti... Read more
War Stories
As writer Joan Raymond points out in the June 2003 feature " Enduring Lessons from a Short WarRead more
Enduring Lessons From a Short War
Over the course of 21 days of war, seven companies faced a test: Would their best-laid plans work? And if not, could they quickly adapt? Read more