Business Generation

I took my 12-year-old son to see his first concert two months ago. We had more than our fair share of good luck – Los Lobos, the East L.A. band that has been performing for 37 years now and that I last saw in Tokyo in the mid-80’s – was playing literally down the street from our house.

The show itself was fantastic. But the real story was what the band did after the show was over, and it holds a lesson for every brand – and band – that is striving for loyalty in an increasingly jaded world.

As the show ended, the band announced that they would be out front to meet and greet fans. My son, w

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The U.S. government offers many resources and programs to help small business owners expand into overseas markets. But, you might be surprised at just how much Uncle Sam has to offer.

For example, did you know the government can help target and facilitate meetings with potential partners and buyers? Or that Uncle Sam provides U.S. exporters with international marketing and promotion opportunities?

Let me introduce you to Export.gov.

Operated by the U.S.

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In-house payroll for small businesses seems the likely choice for those with just a few employees. However, whether you have 10 employees or 1,000, there still are certain payroll laws and IRS reporting guidelines to which you must adhere, not to mention your own cash flow to manage.

Here are four tips to help you make payroll a smooth operation every month:

1. Use Software

   Whatever you do, utilize a software program to help you with payroll. Alternatively, simply use an excel spreadsheet that helps you calculate and save payroll data.

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Every real estate agent knows the value “curb appeal” brings to showing and selling a home. That first impression the buyer gets when he/she steps out of the car and looks at the property you want to sell often determines whether the buyer wants to proceed – and how seriously he/she will take the rest of the tour.

The same is true for your e-mail marketing campaigns – no matter what business you are in. The placement of elements on the page, the font choice, even the colors you use all create an impression before your prospect reads a single word of text. So you want to be sure the impression you’re creating is a good one.

Still, you don’t have to be a professional artist or designer to create an e-mail marketing campaign with plenty of curb appeal. These easy-

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“When you’re the business owner, there’s no one behind you. You’re the back-stop.” (Warren Brown, Washington, D.C. Small Business Person of the Year 2006).

How many days and nights has this reality kept you on your toes? From making sure your business stays on track to cheerleading your employees, day-to-day business ownership is about what you make it.

But what happens when you need help? Back-stop or not, you can’t go it alone forever. Help is at hand, if you know where to find it.

The government, in particular, offers a great deal of resources that support small business owners, both online and locally. Take a

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I’ve recently started work on a new book: The Big Book of Business Ideas. I’d like to include a number of case studies in the book and some ‘from the trenches’ advice.

In order to compile the case studies and advice, I need around 400 small business owners to answer a simple questionnaire.

What’s in it for the business owners?

It’s an opportunity to get a bit of free publicity, both in the book and on the book’s website.

So how can you help?

If you have started a business in the last five years please help me by completing the questionnaire.

If yo

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