4 News Stories Not to Miss This Week
Retail takes a beating, PC sales plummet, craft beer brewers spot a new opportunity, and software geeks now have talent agents. Read more
Strategy and Planning
Recent Strategy and Planning Articles
Why Building a Business Is Not About You
Linking yourself to your business, emotionally or financially, is fraught with danger. Read more
What You Can Do, in the Face of the Boston Bombings
What happened at the Boston marathon yesterday should only remind you that violence is a fact of American life. Prepare--and be more determined than ever. Read more
Rebecca Minkoff: Inspiration Is Closer Than You Think
Here's how the fashion designer uses social media to stay close to customers. Read more
Where Have All the Big VC Deals Gone?
What's behind the Series A Crunch? Since 2008, the gap between the number of seed rounds and Series A investments has widened. Read more
No. 1 Cause of the Country's Budget Woes
There are three budget proposals on the table right now in Washington. Which one is best for your business? Unfortunately, none of them. Here's why. Read more
Here's What Happens When You Focus Too Hard
Too much self-control can actually backfire. Here's how to replenish your ability to make smart decisions. Read more
Be a Rule Breaker
The life of Lilly Pulitzer can teach small business owners the value of catering to a specific market, innovating, and fostering connections. Read more
Margaret Thatcher's Death Marks an End to the 'Heroic Soloist' Era
Margaret Thatcher's leadership style was distinct and dazzling--and is now obsolete. Read more
5-Step Primer to Entering New Markets
Expanding into a new market can be an effective way to grow your business. A disciplined process will help you accurately assess the potential of each growth... Read more
3 Reasons to Tell a Customer It's Time to See Other Companies
When a customer demands to speak with me, the owner, about an issue normally resolved by my customer service team, it usually means that the end of our relat... Read more
News Ticker: Healthcare Puts the Hurt on Small Business
The would-be flood of overseas tech workers, airports you might want to avoid, and who's up and who's down in the electric car industry. Read more
Do Your Company a Favor-Go Away
Business owners are often hard pressed to take vacations. But getting away from the business helps you to work on it rather than in it. Read more
How the Craziest White House Petitions Would Affect the Economy
Whoever said there's no such thing as a bad idea hasn't spent a lot of time crowdsourcing proposals from the general public. Read more
'Create a Bond Between a Customer and Your Product' 
A.G. Lafley, the former CEO of Procter & Gamble, explains how customers can help you define your start-up strategy. Watch video
Small Business News Ticker: The Tax Wars Are On
A manufacturing rebound (sort of), the sweet spot for buying cheap flights, a Facebook phone, and all the tax news that's fit to read. Read more
How Hard Could It Be?
Oh, pretty hard. A dispatch from Startup Weekend, where would-be company founders learn what can-- and can't--be accomplished in 54 crazy hours. Read more
A Survey Finds 50% of Owners Plan to Invest in the Second Quarter
The March SurePayroll survey reports a tale of two small business economies. Read more
Want to Improve Your Business? Talk to Your Vendors
I find some of the best new ideas come from the companies I already work with. Read more
How to Protect Your Privacy on Facebook
Dave Kerpen, CEO of Likeable Local, explains exactly how to navigate Facebook's privacy settings. Watch video
What Should You Do About Health Care Reform? You Have 3 Choices
On January 1, 2014, the Affordable Care Act will require businesses with 50 or more full-time employees to offer health insurance. What if you have fewer tha... Read more
Your Business Needs a "Special Sauce"
The most successful businesses define what sets them apart--almost to the point of obsession. Read more
7 Traits That Distinguish Super Successful People From Ordinary Ones
How'd Richard Branson, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett do so well? They lived according to these seven strategic, wealth-building principles. Read more
Why Smart Entrepreneurs Care About Gay Marriage
Hundreds of thousands of gay couples could soon hear wedding bells. Here are five ways for entrepreneurs to capitalize on them. Read more
Starting up? Plan for the Long-Haul
When you're starting a company, you're focused on the here-and-now. But the long-view is just as crucial for success. Here's a checklist to guide you. Read more
Why Zuckerberg's Super PAC Won't Speak for Start-ups
Facebook's CEO and other tech execs want a Washington lobby group. But the needs of small tech start-ups may not be on their agenda. Read more
Does Your Business Need a Sequester?
The end of the first quarter is the perfect time to evaluate where your business stands. Here's why it might pay to take a page out of the government's playb... Read more
4 Ways Pope Francis Masters New Leadership
While the world watches, the new Pope is already making strategic moves that will go a long way toward bolstering his reputation. Read more
A Job Listing Should Be Like a Love Letter
You're not looking for generic employees. So why are you writing generic job listings? Read more
Cory Booker: Start-ups Will Define America's Future
The Newark mayor and video-site founder spent the past week hanging out with hackers, founders, and tech geeks. Here's why. Read more
Move Innovation Beyond Product Design
Just because you've implemented a system doesn't mean your work is done. Read more
New Crowdfunding Site Aims to Understand Manufacturing
For backers of crowd-funded physical products, the mantra has always been 'buyer-beware.' Here's how a new crowdfunding site, Crowd Supply, seeks to fix that... Read more
Why I Nominate a Southwest SVP to Head the SBA
The Small Business Administration needs a leader who can run a large organization that provides the highest level of customer service. Read more
7 Habits of the Ultra Wealthy
Is the secret to success hiding in plain sight? Here's what you need to know about getting ahead (that others don't). Read more
Stumbling Towards Revenue: The Case of 3 Hot Web Companies
Foursquare, Pinterest, and Tumblr have plenty of users; now they need to make money. Here's how they plan to do it--and why it may be a challenge. Read more
