ArcaMax

If you have a service business, you have to develop techniques for keeping your clients happy. Without clients, you're out of business.

However, bending over backward for your clients may not be the best long-term strategy for growing your business. The nicer you are to your clients, the more they are tempted to take advantage of you -- by ...Read more

'Tis business plan competition season once again.

This time of year, I spend lots of time traveling around the country judging business plan competitions at colleges and universities. The participants are either undergraduate or business school students who form "teams" and compete for cash prizes or (sometimes) face time with me and other ...Read more

"I run a small business with 10 employees.

"It turns out I have both Republicans and Democrats among my employees, and since the most recent presidential election, I've overheard some very heated political discussions going on in the lunchroom.

"Normally, I don't care about such things -- I'm a big believer in free speech -- but the past few...Read more

"My spouse and I recently decided to start a business designing knapsacks for children. We've got a bunch of great designs; they are lighter and more flexible than other knapsacks on the market, can be made with 100 percent organic ingredients, and have a lot more compartments where kids can put their stuff. We both wish these were the sorts ...Read more

"I was downsized from a corporate job about a year ago. I have never run my own business before, but I am realizing now there is no future for me in corporate America (I am over 50 years of age), so I am looking at entrepreneurial options.

My outplacement firm recommended that I consider buying a franchise. The problem with franchises, though...Read more

On a recent business trip to Orlando, Florida, I was called upon to find a good local restaurant for two important Florida-based contacts who wanted to meet with me over dinner.

As it happened, both of them liked steakhouses, and the hotel where I was staying boasted one of the top steakhouses in the area.

I made it a point to check out the ...Read more

With more and more people starting businesses of their own -- out of necessity, not choice -- I'm seeing more and more people making the same mistakes over and over again.

Here is my top 12 list of the dumbest entrepreneurial moves. All are easily avoidable with a little common sense and street smarts.

Not Knowing Your Customers. Without ...Read more

I don't know about you, but I find most networking groups to be exceedingly boring, unproductive and, in some cases, cringe-inducing.

I'm not generally a fan of networking groups. I'm not sure people get much new business out of them. Still, they have their upside. They can be great places to find people who do not compete with you but serve ...Read more

Those trying to figure out the mood of the American voter right now are bound to be scratching their heads.

Last November, the voters threw Republicans into Congress and the White House in almost record numbers with a mandate to slash government spending, end Obamacare and enact massive tax cuts. Straightforward enough, right?

Yet last month...Read more

"I'm planning to set up a fashion accessories website.

"I think I will be selling mostly on Amazon, eBay and other online platforms, but after watching your YouTube video 'Doing Business on the Internet' (www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7eRDI2_pMU), I realize it's going to be tough to build a distinctive brand without my own website.

"What are some...Read more

It's no secret that selling merchandise on eBay, Amazon, Etsy and other online e-commerce platforms is big business.

According to Quora, the number of people worldwide earning a full- or part-time income on eBay was estimated between 8 and 12 million in 2015.

In 2016, more than 100,000 third-party sellers on Amazon made more than $100,000 in...Read more

"I have run a successful service business for many years.

"I am getting ready to retire and have been approached by several local competitors who would love to buy my business.

"The problem is that I have several long-serving employees in their 40s and 50s who would probably be terminated if I sold the business, with little chance of their ...Read more