Small-business owners are encourage to continually reinvent and update their enterprises if they hope to survive.

Entrepreneurship is not for the cheap or rigid.

"People like to be associated with current trends.
They like to see new colors fresh flooring and hand rails," says Mike Munz, a retail expert and member of SCORE, a business counseling organization sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration.



FAST TRACK Tips for freshening an old business:
-- Invest in current technology.
-- Occasionally repaint and change the dcor, especially in a business where customers visit.
-- Retailers should change location of merchandise every few weeks to give a fresh look.
-- Build an interactive Web site to encourage customer feedback and e-commerce when possible.

--Never fall into the "we've-always-done-it-this-way" mentality.