“We must learn from the mistakes of others because we cannot possibly live long enough to make them all ourselves.” That quote has been attributed to various individuals. But the sentiment is as true today as when it was first spoken. While accusations of price gouging persist, it’s an old tactic. The earliest known use […]
I don’t know any other way to put it or express how lucky I am to be the beneficiary of it. Yes, I’ve heard luck is the result of hard work. And I’d be hard-pressed to argue with myself I haven’t put in the work in the success of your favorite newspaper. I certainly have. […]
Well, that’s my new, off-hand slogan for the final quarter of 2024 for your favorite newspaper. And it’s for the simplest and most obvious of reasons: The retirement of our 25-year editor, Phil Castle. And even though Phil took on the role of editor emeritus for one final edition of the Business Times at the […]
As you might have read on this website, one random number 30 relates to the years in business the Business Times is celebrating. But this column isn’t about that. No, this column is about the numbers Phil Castle made clear he didn’t want to publish a story about. For the first time in 24 years […]
In a commencement speech to his daughter’s graduating class at Connecticut College, Alan Alda noted a familiar trait of human behavior. “People will talk for hours saying nothing much and then linger at the door with words that come with a rush from the heart,” the actor said. “Doorways, it seems, are where truth is […]
Each year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, Americans celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month as a time to recognize the many contributions, diverse cultures and extensive histories of the Hispanic and Latino communities in the United States. Hispanic founders, business owners and innovators drive in large part a small business boom under way in the […]
States, counties, cities, schools and recreation districts are among the plethora of entities that apply for grants for special projects. If grants are awarded, there’s cause for celebration and local media takes notice. Following a complex and time-consuming application process, the federal government awards significant funding to selected state and local governments and programs. The […]
As both the editor of a business journal and something of a grammar curmudgeon, I loathe the ways in which the elegant language of Shakespeare is abused. Confusion over there, their and they’re. Subject-verb disagreement. Incorrect capitalization. The use of literally rather than figuratively. Don’t even get me started on Oxford commas. I loathe them, […]
Many will read this and think, “Sounds like Craig needs to cunningly wax philosophic to extricate himself from a deplorable situation.” And while I used a similar line in referring to Barabas (oh, those old playwrights and their symbolism) in Marlowe’s, “The Jew of Malta” for a term paper more than 40 years ago, this […]
Among the most frequent questions I get from entrepreneurs is what grants are available for new businesses and how do I get a business loan. Securing business capital can be frustrating and defeating for many individuals who dream of turning their unique ideas into small businesses. Grants are nearly non-existent for most startups unless local […]