I hit a big goal of mine – finally – just before 2011 ended. I finished writing the novel I began five or so years ago. When I say finished, however, what I mean is that the very first, very …

Being an entrepreneur means making a lot of important decisions, and the decisions you make will often please some, and displease others.  Some people might even go to the extent of publicly criticizing you for some of your decisions.   And …

Being able to build rapport with potential prospects will be a very valuable skill when trying to launch a new business.  This is important because not only do people buy from people they like, but also because having rapport will …

Is there one thing your customers, employees, friends, and family all have in common — one thing they all want from you? Your relationship may be very different with each group of people in your life, and their needs and …

There are a million and one 'systems' and 'programs' out there that claim to hold the secret to having a successful business. For a price, consultants, gurus, and experts of all kinds will tell you what it takes to be …

Want to be a better entrepreneur? I do. Even though my brother and I have been in the entrepreneurial arena since grade school, we each know that there's always more to learn and always room for improvement. That's one of …

A young entrepreneur's ability to embrace failure is paramount to his or her long-term success in business.

Most business owners welcome positive discussions between their employees about their business. On the other hand, negative discussions that can be seen as gossip are problematic. Gossip comes naturally to us, because people generally find it much easier to talk …

"I think and therefore I am" said Descartes. A modern day successful entrepreneur might as well say "I think and therefore my business thrives." Entrepreneurship thrives on ideas. Ideas are the fuel that drives business, the lifeline in times of …

The way of the entrepreneur is fraught with danger. You’ve got to climb mountains of skepticism and cross chasms of underfunding, where beneath you the skeletons of ill-fated startups lie… and there’s only that thin rope of your own determination …

Entrepreneurs are regularly praised as the beating hearts behind their business creations. The fiercely driven, enthusiastic and determined individuals who simply couldn’t stand to see their ideas fail. Passion is always a positive trait. You can never have too much …

Who are your best customers? Are they the ones who spend the most? Are they the people who you enjoy dealing with? You might think this is a subjective question, but there is a methodical way to identify the customers …

Every entrepreneur needs to be honest about their strengths and weaknesses, and realistic about their reasons for choosing the startup route. For any entrepreneur, even the best business opportunities, if entered for the wrong reasons, will likely fail.  Some of …

Mental clutter, like physical clutter, is distraction and reduces your ability to focus and get the work done. Mental clutter forces you to keep redirecting your brain to the task at hand. Mental clutter makes our productivity weaknesses – procrastinating, …

It's a question that's pondered and discussed a lot: Is there a "formula" for success? If you scout around a little online, you'll undoubtedly find a number of people who claim to have the formula — or secret, or plan, …

In a 1959 speech that was otherwise unremarkable, John F. Kennedy said something profound: "The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.’ One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware …

Life presents us with conflicts of interest and ethical dilemmas all the time, does it not?  The business world is no different.  Depending on what stage your business is in, I am sure you have faced a number of challenging …

Businesses are a lot like nursery rhymes. For every over-worked, shoe-dwelling old woman, there’s another who’s prepared to eat cats, dogs, and horses (whole, presumably) in order to catch a fly. Apparently this second old lady didn’t hear that honey …

We all want thriving, successful businesses; and the reasons behind our desire for success vary from person to person. However, there is one thing we all want to avoid – mediocrity. Mediocrity will stall success. Mediocrity will keep the status …

As an entrepreneur and manager of your company, what do you pride yourself on? Career advancement for your employees, regular meetings, providing recognition for a job well-done — these are all great attributes. Now what about the less obvious and …

There are a million and one things out there we have all read about productivity and efficiency. I've read The Four Hour Work Week, Getting Things Done, and Rework. These books offer many helpful hints, but they also have quite …

Every time I hear about a new startup that is in stealth mode, I wonder what problem they are hiding from whom. Of course they pretend that they are trying to avoid alerting competitors prior to launch, but too often …