Wouldn’t we all like to see more people creating and growing local businesses, thus creating more jobs, investing more money in our community, and increasing the health and diversity of our Grand Valley economy? And don’t we all know that it takes hard work, smarts, and some luck to start […]
You’ve heard the buzz about how social media can help grow your business. The big question is how? The truth about social media marketing is that you’re not pushing the same message through every possible channel, hoping that .2 percent of your recipients actually will pay attention or even […]
As 2012 approaches, employers will begin to focus on what needs to be reported on the 2011 W-2s as it pertains to health insurance. On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and on March 30, 2010 a bill amending […]
Forward thinking marketing companies use this term as more than just buzzwords. They really have meaning, and a philosophy. Hybrid media is the strategic use of traditional and new media to communicate your message in a more effective way. For example; your company may have a great Facebook page that […]
As my daughter Hannah nears the halfway mark in her high school senior year, she often asks me for advice on what she should study in college. Her interests are in architecture, math, physics, and the sciences. She asks, “Where should I go to college?” and “How do I choose a career?” […]
Over four years ago when the Grand Valley economy started to go south I began getting questions about how local businesses were being affected and how they viewed what was happening. Trying to accurately reflect what over 1,000 predominately small business owners and managers were thinking was a daunting task. […]
Politicians are fond of talking about the importance of small businesses. They frequently point out that small businesses create jobs and constitute the backbone of our economy. They’re right about that. However, politicians sometimes underestimate how powerful small business is in shaping our way of life and looking out for our freedoms. This influence is […]
As the economy continues to gain traction, many small retailers are forced to put more of their economic eggs in the holiday season shopping basket. Hoping to take advantage of an uptick in consumer confidence, an end-of-year holiday splash is possible, but could be more difficult this season. Hiring extra help for the hoped-for push […]
When people thought the sun revolved around the world (geocentrism), the quality of navigational advice was sketchy at best, and might have been downright dangerous at times. For the past twenty years, the quality of investing advice has been tainted by the idea that the one-time selection of investors’ stock/bond portfolio mix accounts for 93.6 […]
Business owners who are solidly focused on moving their company to ever higher levels of profitability are constantly on the lookout for ways to improve their business model. To achieve this requires a discerning awareness regarding what is – and is not – working in the daily operations of […]