4 Cash Flow Challenges Facing Small Business Owners Today

You should probably have a good handle on your company’s cash flow, but do you ever wonder how your company compares with other small businesses? Intuit QuickBooks recently released a global study, the State of Small Business Cash Flow, which reveals the cash flow challenges experienced by small business owners and self-employed workers around the world.  The study is also an in-depth assessment of the behaviors and attitudes of entrepreneurs experiencing cash flow challenges. As I read the study, the section on cash flow issues faced by entrepreneurs caught my eye. According to the study, 69% of small business owners are kept up at night with concerns about cash flow.

You should probably have a good handle on your company’s cash flow, but do you ever wonder how your company compares with other small businesses? Intuit QuickBooks recently released a global study, the State of Small Business Cash Flow, which reveals the cash flow challenges experienced by small business owners and self-employed workers around the world. The study is also an in-depth assessment of the behaviors and attitudes of entrepreneurs experiencing cash flow challenges.

As I read the study, the section on cash flow issues faced by entrepreneurs caught my eye. Continue reading “4 Cash Flow Challenges Facing Small Business Owners Today”

Want A Career You Will Love? Tap Into Your Talent And Your Passion

“Looking back on your career 20, 30 years from now, what do you want to say you’ve accomplished?” That’s a question Jeff Weiner, the CEO of LinkedIn, often asks prospective employees. And how would you answer that question? Take a minute and think about it. In other words, what matters to you as you are building your career?In answering that question, you would probably include the accomplishments that you have achieved along the way.   You may include skills you’ve developed and lessons you have learned.

“Looking back on your career 20, 30 years from now, what do you want to say you’ve accomplished?” That’s a question Jeff Weiner, the CEO of LinkedIn, often asks prospective employees.

And how would you answer that question? Take a minute and think about it. In other words, what matters to you as you are building your career?

In answering that question, you would probably include the accomplishments that you have achieved along the way. Continue reading “Want A Career You Will Love? Tap Into Your Talent And Your Passion”

How To Get A New Salesperson Up And Running Quickly

A sales manager once told me he only hired salespeople who could sell; he provided no sales training. You could say that “sink or swim” was his motto—and I’ll bet most salespeople he hired sunk. Let’s banish this myth that anyone can sell without guidance. Here’s what sales managers should do if they want their new hires to be successful.

A sales manager once told me he only hired salespeople who could sell; he provided no sales training. You could say that “sink or swim” was his motto—and I’ll bet most salespeople he hired sunk.

Let’s banish this myth that anyone can sell without guidance. Continue reading “How To Get A New Salesperson Up And Running Quickly”

5 Things Companies Can Do Now To Make The Workplace More Women-Friendly

Women have always been central to labor, both in public and private lives. But their contribution has not always been appreciated or even welcomed. What can today’s companies do to make sure workplaces are women-friendly?The world of business is constantly changing. A big part of this change is driven by technology but also by the societal changes around us.

Women have always been central to labor, both in public and private lives. But their contribution has not always been appreciated or even welcomed. What can today’s companies do to make sure workplaces are women-friendly?

The world of business is constantly changing. Continue reading “5 Things Companies Can Do Now To Make The Workplace More Women-Friendly”

These Two Important Elements Make Up Your Company Culture

We’ve all experienced it: walking into a place of business and, within a few seconds, having that “feeling. ”It’s the feeling of uncomfortableness that resonates from the employees—the scowling, unfriendly, “why are you here?” feeling. You can see it in their eyes, in their body language, and hear it in their tone of voice. The place actually feels like there’s a storm cloud in the room.

We’ve all experienced it: walking into a place of business and, within a few seconds, having that “feeling.”

It’s the feeling of uncomfortableness that resonates from the employees—the scowling, unfriendly, “why are you here?” feeling. You can see it in their eyes, in their body language, and hear it in their tone of voice. Continue reading “These Two Important Elements Make Up Your Company Culture”

You’ve Been Accused Of Patent Infringement—Now What?

Most businesses go about their day-to-day routine without too much focus on intellectual property issues. But then one day an accusation of patent infringement arrives. This accusation could be in the form of a formal complaint filed in Federal District Court, an aggressive cease and desist letter, or a more “friendly” notice letter identifying a patent that may be relevant to the company’s business and is available for licensing. Once a communication of this sort arrives, concerns about potential patent infringement are no longer a back-burner issue.

Most businesses go about their day-to-day routine without too much focus on intellectual property issues. But then one day an accusation of patent infringement arrives.

This accusation could be in the form of a formal complaint filed in Federal District Court, an aggressive cease and desist letter, or a more “friendly” notice letter identifying a patent that may be relevant to the company’s business and is available for licensing. Continue reading “You’ve Been Accused Of Patent Infringement—Now What?”

How Artificial Intelligence Will Affect The Human Workforce In The Near Future

If you’ve ever watched a robot science fiction movie, odds are good you have seen one where the robots try to take over the world. However, if this is your idea of what artificial intelligence is in the real world, maybe it’s time we separate fact from fiction and discuss the reality of AI today. AI and automation are being used for tedious manual and repetitive tasks, saving companies the cost of hiring employees. AI also helps to improve human decision-making (we need a little help in this area) by using algorithms to solve problems.

If you’ve ever watched a robot science fiction movie, odds are good you have seen one where the robots try to take over the world. However, if this is your idea of what artificial intelligence is in the real world, maybe it’s time we separate fact from fiction and discuss the reality of AI today.

AI and automation are being used for tedious manual and repetitive tasks, saving companies the cost of hiring employees. Continue reading “How Artificial Intelligence Will Affect The Human Workforce In The Near Future”