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Cheryl Sowa

Small Biz Tip: How to Grab a Prospective Client’s Attention

Small Business tips about how a sales team can grab a prospective client’s attention to lead to a successful sale.

Tags: small business, tips, sales, prospective client, attention

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Posted: 6/17/2009 | Comments (0)

Charles M Cooper

Sometimes You Just Need to Apologize and Make it Right

Everyone makes mistakes; it comes with being human and if you are in the service business, a mistake can cause problems. The real measure of your business, however, is what you do once the damage is done.

Tags: small business, customer service, problem solving, making amends

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Posted: 6/17/2009 | Comments (2)

Charles M Cooper

ARC Loans Now Available

The SBA is accepting loan applications for a temporary new program called America’s Recovery Capital. These “ARC” loans, which go up to $35,000, help viable small businesses with immediate financial hardship to keep their doors open until they get back on track.

Tags: sba, small business, financing, arc, arc loans

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Posted: 6/17/2009 | Comments (0)

Cheryl Sowa

Small Biz Tip: How to Make a Successful Sales Call

Small Business tips about steps in order to make a successful sales call.

Tags: small business, tips, sales, calls, prospects

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Posted: 6/16/2009 | Comments (0)

Cheryl Sowa

Small Biz Tip: Supporting Your Sales Staff

Small Business tips about supporting your sales staff.

Tags: small business, tip, sales, support, motivation

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Posted: 6/15/2009 | Comments (0)

Charles M Cooper

Get Ready for the Pay Czar

If it seems that the government’s interest in executive pay seems to be broadening, it is. While the White House is talking pay caps for companies that have taken bailout money, there is a movement afoot to cap all executive pay. You have to wonder: Will that include union executives?

Tags: small business, executive pay, obama, congress, pay caps, pay czar, unions, union executives

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Posted: 6/11/2009 | Comments (2)

Charles M Cooper

Stimulus Scams Continue

Repeat after me: The Federal Government will not directly give me free money as part of the Stimulus Plan. Now, say it again and a third time just to make sure. I want this idea firmly in everyone’s head because there are scammers out there—some pretty sophisticated ones, too—that will try to get you to believe otherwise.

Tags: small business, stimulus, american recovery & reinvestment act, scams, scammers

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Posted: 6/9/2009 | Comments (0)

Kim Fenolio

Announcement: Kim Fenolio Guest Expert on Twitter Dos and Donts Discussion

Kim Fenolio will be leading a Twitter chat that answers questions about how to use Twitter the right way for business. She’ll cover DOs and DON’Ts on how to get and keep followers, get attention, make some money in the process and anything guests may want to talk about.

Tags: twitter, marketing, right, small business, social media

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Posted: 6/9/2009 | Comments (1)

Cheryl Sowa

Small Biz Tip: New Employee Orientation

The Small Business tips today will be about ways to orient new employees on their first day of the job.

Tags: orientation, new employees

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Posted: 6/9/2009 | Comments (0)

Charles M Cooper

Do We Really Need a Compensation Czar? Or Maybe a Different Kind of Czar?

In a wonderful example of having to play the King's tune when you take the King's shilling, the White House is expected to name Mr. Kenneth Feinberg as the "Special Master for Compensation." I could ask where in the Constitution President Obama gets the authority to do this, but we already know the answer to that one. The real question is this: Do we really need another czar, and for what?

Tags: small business, executive pay, compensation czar, special master for compensation, kenneth feinberg, president obama

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Posted: 6/5/2009 | Comments (1)

Charles M Cooper

GM Bankruptcy: The Small Business Crisis Begins

While all the attention is focused on the long-awaited bankruptcy of General Motors, very little attention is being paid to those who will be hit hardest, the small businesses that provide parts and services to the auto giant or depend upon it in some way – and there is no talk of bailing them out!

Tags: small business, gm, bankruptcy, gm bankruptcy

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Posted: 6/1/2009 | Comments (0)

Charles M Cooper

When Fluffy Flies First Class

Pets are great, aren’t they? They offer the companionship some crave, the unconditional love so rare in our human companions, and for a few they make for a great fashion accessory. We walk them, we feed them, we play with them and now, Southwest Airlines is allowing us to fly with them, right in the cabin. That is great, if it is your dog, but I think that Southwest is forgetting one thing—the other passengers!

Tags: small business, customer service, southwest airlines, pets, allergies, phobias, bad business ideas

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Posted: 5/29/2009 | Comments (0)

Charles M Cooper

Tax Credits Expand for Businesses Hiring Unemployed Veterans and Certain Youth

According to the IRS, any business that is planning to claim the newly-expanded work opportunity tax credit for eligible unemployed veterans and unskilled younger workers hired during the first part of 2009 has until August 17th to request the necessary certification required to be able to take the tax credits that come with hiring these workers.

Tags: small business, work opportunity tax credit, unemployed veterans, disconnected youth, hiring, employment, wotc, irs, american recovery and reinvestment act

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Posted: 5/29/2009 | Comments (1)

Charles M Cooper

A Scrushy Lesson for All Business Leaders

Why are you in business? Is it to work hard and profit by offering the public something they need at a reasonable price? Or, are you in it for something else, for the glorification of your ego or to line your pockets with no regard as to where that money comes from? If you are in the first group, keep up the good work! If you are in the second, let the tale of Richard Scrushy be a warning to you.

Tags: small business, entrepreneurs, financial crime, embezzlement, richard scrushy

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Posted: 5/28/2009 | Comments (0)

Charles M Cooper

Small Business Week: SBA National Small Business Person of the Year

A small business owner from Oklahoma City who battled a brain tumor and overcame challenges generated by 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina to lead her environmental remediation firm to success was today named National Small Business Person of the Year. State winners from Massachusetts and Hawaii are Runners-Up

Tags: small business, sba, national small business person of the year award

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Posted: 5/21/2009 | Comments (1)