Will small business lift the economy out of recession? Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne hopes so, and he’s trying to help. Recently the online discount retailer announced the launch of its “Main Street Revolution Initiative,” an effort intended to increase the visibility of small, local businesses by giving them an avenue for exposure to...

While seated at Albany’s 5th Annual Small Business Day this week, I had a chance to hear from a Verizon Wireless representative from my area. He was there to talk to business owners about the opportunities that lie in the area of mobile applications. He let us know that 52 percent of the phones he sold last week were smartphones – Web-enabled phones that...

With recovery shaky at best and fears of a double dip recession still looming, small businesses have seen many ups and downs. There are many ways to deal with the problems you face everday in your small business venture and many tough decisions affecting your company’s future. Making these decisions often requires reflection and the information necessary...

Bluewater started at ground zero of the tough economic times in America – Detroit. As one of their people put it: “I love Detroit. But it seems to have become known lately as the world capital of bad business decisions. That has made it a great sandbox to play and learn in.” Checking Out Your Loan Collateral Bluewater’s employees and...

I was lucky to attend yesterday’s 5th Annual Small Business Day that was put together by smAlbany, a networking group for small business owners living in the Capital District. The whole day was spent chatting with other SMB owners and learning from experts. While I had the chance to sit in on a number of great sessions, one that particularly stuck out...

I just received a bill from my lawyer today in which he itemized his time spent on my file last month. He spent four-tenths of an hour on an e-mail to a colleague and one-tenth of an hour leaving me a voice mail. I have found billing by the hour to be a liability in trying to build a sellable business. Years ago I owned a small design studio that charged by the...