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Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Lessons of Small Business Survival: What you can learn from the World’s Oldest Companies

Opening a business can be risky, but there are businesses out there that have managed to weather whatever storms life could throw at them. These companies, many still owned and operated by the descendants of the people who started them, have some very valuable lessons to teach today’s entrepreneurs.


Tags: starting a business

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Posted: 6/11/2008 | Comments Comments (0)

Lisa Doyle
Lisa Doyle

Make Online Shopping Easier for Your Customers

Have you ever shopped for something online, added it to your e-shopping cart and then, at the last minute, backed out of buying it? Chances are you have--and if your business sells its goods online, your clients have done so as well.


Tags: sales

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Posted: 6/11/2008 | Comments Comments (3)

Cheryl Sowa
Cheryl Sowa

Big Idea Solutions for Big Problems Facing Small Businesses

Data recently collected from mail surveys circulated to 3,530 small businesses showed that small businesses face issues ranging from day-to-day operating costs to taxes and insurance. The data also showed that small businesses are at a disadvantage when competing against big box retailers. Here are some of the big problems and solutions for small businesses.


Tags: health insurance, taxes, consumer

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Posted: 6/11/2008 | Comments Comments (0)

Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Small Business Boost from the U.S. Senate? Don’t forget Energy!

The President and the Senate both have plans to help small business, but will it be enough in the face of runaway energy prices? Find out here.


Tags: sba, energy

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Posted: 6/10/2008 | Comments Comments (0)

Dave Cosper
Dave Cosper

Small Biz Statistics You Should Know About

Sometimes it’s good to know where small businesses stand today and what factors effect their success or failure. While the mega-marts and giant online retailers grab most of today’s headlines, there are plenty of interesting stats out there regarding small businesses ... For instance, each year there are over 1,000,000 small businesses started in North America. 800,000 of these fail in the first five years.


Tags: small business, statistics, stats, small biz

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Posted: 6/10/2008 | Comments Comments (2)

Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Playing Broadband Monopoly: Watch Your Internet Costs!

The broadband companies are looking to raise your Internet costs. Learn what they are doing, why they say they're doing it and start thinking how you can protect yourself and your business.


Tags: broadband, internet

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Posted: 6/9/2008 | Comments Comments (12)

Cheryl Sowa
Cheryl Sowa

How To Generate and Receive Effective Feedback

Along with the good always comes the bad. Even though many of us do not want to acknowledge criticism, it is an essential component of success of any small business. Feedback is the simplest way to gain valuable information about your business from your customers' point of view. How you decide to provide a way to receive feedback from your customers is up to you, but it is important you do so.


Tags: customer feedback

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Posted: 6/9/2008 | Comments Comments (0)

Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Webinars, Webcasts and Podcasts for Your Business

The following events, which deal with a number of Internet-related topics, are of interest to any business owner who depends on the Internet. Some can be accessed on demand while for others there are dates and times as well as “limited seating.” Check them out and get ahead of the competition.


Tags: webinars, webcasts, podcasts

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Posted: 6/6/2008 | Comments Comments (0)

Cheryl Sowa
Cheryl Sowa

Top Ten Social Network Websites for Small Businesses

A successful social network allows users to connect virtually by sharing common ideas, goals, and values. Social network services can prove useful to small businesses as they provide a way for them to get their name out there. Here are some sites you might want to consider for your business.


Tags: social networks

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Posted: 6/6/2008 | Comments Comments (31)

Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

D-Day and Small Business: A Story of Success in World War II

Tomorrow is the anniversary of one of the greatest—and most terrible—days in human history: The D-Day Invasion of France. When we think of D-Day, we think of the landings at beaches called Omaha and Utah, Juno, Sword and Gold; but we should also take a moment to reflect on the contributions made by small businesses that helped our forces prevail.


Tags: history, wwii

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Posted: 6/5/2008 | Comments Comments (0)

Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Incentives: Making the Most of High Gas Prices

Leave it to American business to take a problem, such as the high gasoline prices that plague drivers today, and turn it into an opportunity. By turning gasoline into a purchase incentive for cars and hotel stays, these businesses are showing that even in bleak economic times, there are ways to do well by doing good for their customers.


Tags: gas, incentives

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Posted: 6/4/2008 | Comments Comments (0)

Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Saving Money on Company Health Insurance

Employers everywhere are looking for ways to cut the cost of the health care benefits they offer to their employees. Here are some tried and true methods that can lower your costs without leaving your employees unprotected.


Tags: health insurance

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Posted: 6/3/2008 | Comments Comments (0)

Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Helping with the Gas Crisis: What You Can Do for Your Employees

The national average price for regular gas is nearly at $4 a gallon and we are all feeling the pinch. Have you considered the expenses of your own employees? How much does it cost for them to go to and from work each day or, more to the point, what percentage of their income must now be devoted to commuting and what can you, as an employer, do to ease the pain caused by ever-increasing fuel prices? You might be surprised.


Tags: gas, car pool, public transportation

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Posted: 6/2/2008 | Comments Comments (3)

Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Exempt vs. Non-exempt Employees: Which One Are You?

the good old days when it was just a question of whether you had a salary or an hourly wage! If you were salaried, you got a yearly income figure and no overtime. If you were hourly, you got an hourly income figure and overtime. This basic set-up has been around since the inception of the Department of Labor’s Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in the 1930s, but over the years things have become a little complicated, especially when it comes to small business.

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Posted: 5/30/2008 | Comments Comments (7)

Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Protect Your Affiliate Marketing Efforts

Affiliate marketing has been a great thing for many companies and has allowed a large number of people to work from home. However, as with any good thing, there are those intent on abusing it and turning it from a way to make a legitimate living into a tool for thievery. Learn how to spot the scammers and what you can do to protect your affiliate marketing efforts.


Tags: affiliate, marketing

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Posted: 5/29/2008 | Comments Comments (1)

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