5 Ways To Make Firing People Suck A Lot Less
New entrepreneurs who want to survive, and optimize the growth of their startups, need to think globally, and act locally, from day one.
Life's greatest rewards start by making a choice to actively participate in our own lives instead of simply observing them. So what's holding you back?
It is time for anti-small business elements in Washington to be run out of town, and time for President Obama and Congress to develop a real jobs program based on the Small Business Act and the SBA.
For the next eight weeks, we'll look at the world through the eyes of "Ice House Entrepreneurs" who will describe in their own words the opportunities they found, the challenges they faced and, more importantly, the mindset that enabled them to succeed.
Having sat through hiring discussions as an entrepreneur, board member, and now an interested observer, here's what I've concluded.
"Stick to what you know" seems like common-sense advice, but I have watched many business people make the same mistake I did. Once things start to go well, entrepreneurs think success will last forever.
Even though QR codes are relatively simple to set up and use, many small businesses don't know where to begin.
We owe it to one another to be honest about where we need to improve... and when we might need to move on. It's the human thing.
It doesn't matter if you call it a boom or a bubble. The startup business moves in cycles, and what goes up will eventually come down.
The business "dance" obviously has different particulars than TV dancing, but there is serious business and artistry involved in both cases. Here are some observations to startup founders looking for funding and hoping to move to the next level.
We self-employed are doing our part to help the nation reduce its debt by paying taxes. Frankly, if some of the nine million unemployed Americans were given some incentive to join our ranks, we'd be paying down that debt a lot faster.
While they are campaigning, every politician talks about the importance of small business to the health of the economy. Now, Mr. President, senators, and congressmen, we need you to make some painful decisions and do the right thing for those small businesses you claim to value.
If we had process patents or the culture of software litigation in the 1980s as we have today current technology would consist of running terminals on DEC and Wang Computers at the local library for $10 per hour and there probably would not be a world-wide web.
Here are just a few signs that a virtual assistant might be a productivity enhancer for your small business.
Every founder moving into the executive role has to step back and take a hard look at what works, and what doesn't work. The best ones can do that, and they adapt.
I always said that my work was about service and contribution -- and my mission statement said so, too. But it was only partially true. I did want to help others -- but I often wanted recognition and money even more.
At school, I didn't want to talk about myYearbook because I wanted my classmates to like me and, as has been discussed by women far more successful than I, no one likes a successful, ambitious girl.
Well, it looks like they are at it again in Washington. Republicans in the Senate are once again trying to end all small business programs for women, minorities and veterans.
Remaining flexible and nimble should always be the goal but especially in periods of uncertainty.
Robert Levin, 2011.08.24
Steve Blank, 2011.08.22
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