Business & Entrepreneurs

Small business is the lifeblood of American capitalism and entrepreneurs are the secret weapon our country's prosperity. Find out everything you need to know to launch a business or make an existing business thrive in all economic climates.

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Treat employees well so your business will thrive

In business, it's not just about having the right product, price point or location. It's about service. Your profits depend on it. Here's an example. "Builder's Square" was a home-improvement warehouse designed by K-Mart to be a direct competitor of Home Depot. They looked like Home Depots, had similar products, ...

Businesses: Lock in office space rents now

In the real estate boom of the last decade, we built far too much commercial space than we really needed. As a result, business owners have enjoyed really great rates on commerical space in recent years. Shopping centers in particular had so much vacancy that landlords were practically giving away ...

More companies go green to make green

Two entrepreneurs out of Orange County are aiming to make it easier for you to get rid of old electronics. Matt Miller and Jaime Gonzalez have created the Green Box, a 6-by-5-foot box being placed in several locations around Southern California with an eye to expand the idea to other ...

New job dissatisfaction stats are a wakeup call for employers

CLARKONOMICS: Do you like your job? Do you love it? Or do you hate it? And more importantly, what are you going to do about it? Nearly 80 percent of people would like to leave their current job and get another one, according to new numbers from FPC -- a ...

How to deal with big 401(k) fees

What you don't know about your retirement plan can hurt you. If you work for a smaller company and have a 401(k), the fees associated with that plan can be very, very high. Right now, those fees are kept secret from you as an employee, and your employer may not ...

Small business confidence picking up

Which way goes the economy? I have some insights based on a very reliable source – the lifeblood of American capitalism. The National Federation of Independent Business does a small business confidence survey that’s closely watched by economists. Right now, small businesses report they’re feeling much better about things. Confidence ...

Best Buy article hits a nerve with disgruntled shoppers, employees

The Internet furor over a recent article about how Best Buy is slowly going out of business has important lessons for all small business owners. When Larry Downes wrote his article, he couldn't have anticipated that more than 2 million people would view it. Nor could he have known that ...

Bank of America shuttering some small business lines of credit

Bank of America is closing credit lines of some business customers at the same time that they're running an ad campaign about how they love small business. Back in 2008, when the financial sector was melting down, I got dozens of calls from small businesses that were having their lines ...

Websites that connect service people, errand runners with clients

Using the Internet to connect with people who have particular skills sets has become extremely popular in a time of high unemployment. Some months ago, I told you about a service called Fiverr.com, where people share things they're willing to do for $5. You might be able to hire someone ...

Customer service often the weak link in security breaches

Customer service representatives are being targeted by cons looking to steal customer information. Whether "customer no service" is outsourced or done in-house, companies are generally contemptuous of their customer service reps. I've never understood that; it's cheaper to make an existing customer happy than to find a new one, so ...