Business Generation

The Baby Boomer generation is quickly approaching retirement age, and as a result, the US workforce is faced with losing almost 25 percent of its workforce. However, on the flipside, a struggling economy and shrinking IRA account balances have forced many Boomers to remain in the workforce simply because they cannot retire.

How can you as a business owner be a part of the solution for the Boomer generation as they reach their sunset years? It’s easy: hire them!

Hiring Boomers near retirement may at first give you pause. Why hire someone who is not destined to be a long-term employee? Interestingly, many businesses are hiring more near-retirement employees. In fact, a recent study performed by the HR consultancy firm, Hewitt Associates, shows that 61 percent of US companies have or will establish employment programs that are targeted at near retirement workers. A

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The first wave of reaction from retailers to Groupon was overwhelmingly positive. Where else could you get hundreds of people to buy from your business so easily?  The second wave wasn’t so positive. Businesses were losing money on the deals, and didn’t have the staff to accommodate the customers.

So where do we fall now? Is Groupon inherently evil, or is it a fantastic marketing tool? The answer, I’m afraid, is up to you.

The Problem

In looking at the businesses that suffered from their Groupon (and similar deal sites) offers, the connection seems to be a lack of preparation and unrealistic expectations. Restaurants simply didn’t have the staff to take care of the steady flow of traffic they’re likely to see after a deal.

Then there’s the revenue (or lack thereof) generated from the deal. Word has it

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Software as a Service (SAAS) has become the standard for software delivery and integration. While the old paradigm of installing source code and purchasing license agreements to run software on your own servers is a phenomenon of the past, there is still much to be considered from the ease of utilizing software via an internet or other network connection.

Your SaaS contract spells out how your software is to be used by your company, and it outlines the expectations for both you and the service provider. However, SaaS contracts are not boilerplate. You have every right to negotiate anything and everything.

If you have chosen a SaaS company, here are a few important things to consider:

Get What You Want – And Opt For More

Much like installed and licensed software, SaaS can be purchased and utilized in modules or components. <

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WARWICK – Jordan’s Furniture announced on Tuesday that it plans to open its first Rhode Island store at the Warwick Mall in the fall.

Jordan’s will move into the former quarters of Old Navy, which relocated to a smaller storefront in the building after floods devastated the mall in March 2010. Jordan’s will join JC Penney, Macy’s and Target as the mall’s anchor tenants. Jordan’s said it expects the new store – the company’s fifth – to employ about 100 people.

“After considerable research and site reviews, the space in the Warwick Mall is perfectly suited for us,” company President and CEO Eliot Tatelman said. “We are very excited ab

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Spearmint Rhino is planning to open a club in Brighton and Hove.

Bosses of the lap-dancing chain claim about 50 women would be performing every night at their city centre venue, which they hope to unveil by mid summer.

The opening of the club would bring the number of gentleman’s bars in the city up to four.

Critics, who said any application will test Brighton and Hove City Council’s recent cap on the number of sex venues, claimed another lapdancing club would make women feel “vulnerable.”

Most small business owners constantly struggle with the strain between growth and capital reinvestment. Bootstrapping, cost cutting, short cuts, bartering, and even taking no pay as the owner are often solutions to help keep a business running.

However, there are many easy technology solutions that are often cheap, or even free, that can help streamline the operations of your business and help with your growth. Here are a few ideas that can help your small business:

1. Google Calendar

   Try putting your entire business on Google Calendar. This is a simple and absolutely free option to keep all your business scheduling in one place where everyone has access to it.

   Google Calendar allows you to create different “calendars,” or types of events, each with an assigned color. Create a calendar for strategy meetings, sales meetings, even embed your Google Calendar on your website. You

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