Does Starbucks hurt small cafes?

One of the worst fears that small business owners have is when the big boys roll into town and open up shop right next door. In many cases it is a ligitimate fear as they have more money so they can buy more of those fiber optic cables, DVD players, televisions, etc. than you can so they get a big discount. Is this always the case though? If you have a little Radio Shack and Best Buy rolls in next door you may be in a bit of trouble, but what about fear of a Starbucks when you own a coffee house? Not necessarily. They aren't undercutting you. So does Starbucks hurt small Cafes?

Appropriate Work Conversation

OK....I'll admit it. I always said whatever it was I wanted to and didn't take any time to censor myself at work. I'm not PC at all and I never plan to be. I'm just not the type of person that will go along and think everything is great at work just because I am told to, and I just don't care about the little silly things people at an office care about. I'm Peter from Office Space.

So I found it kind of interesting to read this article about what is "appropriate" to discuss at work. This one is more about Politics in the Workplace and the discussions that come up. Still things can get a bit crazy when it is. This is probably one thing I never did talk about because frankly, I wasn't at work to debate about things like religion, fibromyalgia, abortion, or anything else that people have a hard headed idea about. I'm just not going to argue with someone that has a moral view I don't have because I won't get anywhere. Anyways, sorry for that tangent. I've been around my family for 2 weeks which consists of many more women than men and I haven't had a chance to talk in that whole time. Take a look at the article on Politics in the Workplace here :P.

Preparing for 2008

The 2008 economy is going to be rough. Hail storms of problems may make you want to run for a canvas tent, or even a bomb shelter. So how can you prepare for the new year?

Alan Greenspan said we would enter an Age of Turbulence between 2010 and 2011, when baby boomers begin retiring and straining government financial systems. I believe the Age of Turbulence is already here. On the same day Greenspan gave that prediction, a Phoenix entrepreneur announced his new business: an auction website for nurses, where they offer their professional services to the highest bidders--namely, hospitals. He was swamped with calls from nurses. more

Take Your Pink Slip and MAke the Best of It

When your employer tells you to pack your luggage and hit the road it is a bad day, or is it? For many getting fired can be devastating, but it may just be the best thing that ever happened to you. I know from experience that getting laid off many times has really changed the way I think about earning money. I decided long ago that putting my job security in the hands of people that can take it away as fast as they gave it to me wasn't going to work. I just didn't want to have to worry every year about losing my job because the company I work for wasn't able to manage its employees well enough to provide them with any sort of security.

Inc.com writes an article about how turning a bad situation into a great one. Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling and other entrepreneurs launched successful ventures only after losing their day jobs. Who knew getting fired could be a great career move? Read more here.

Top 10 2008 Franchises

Every year Entrepreneur.com puts together a list of what they deem as the top 10 franchises of the year. Other than being great link bait, the Top 10 2008 Franchises is something intersting to take a look at just to see some of the trends going on in small business. Be it something like a discount store you can see when you click here, or a Domino's Pizza franchise the list is decent.

Small Business Loan Solutions

When in business for yourself there are times when there is no other way to get started, or to get your business a boost than to go out and get a Small Business Loan. So what is it you should be looking for when you decide that it is time to get a Small Business Loan?

The loan market is very competitive. Being that it is so competitive you are going to want to get as many benefits as you can and the least hassle possible when going out and finding a loan. You almost always want a very quick approval process. When you are in business you can't wait around to get the money you need NOW. You also are going to be real reluctant to have to put up any collateral for a Small Business Loan. You just don't want to back yourself into a corner like that when you are starting out. Professional help and counseling is a must. The people that you deal with must be at the top of their game in order for you to deal with them. If the application process is difficult, you aren't treated like an asset by the lenders, or the loan requirements are just too restrictive, why would you deal with a place like that? Find a place like AmericaOneUnsecured.com who happens to be the largest US loan broker of unsecured personal & small business loan programs. With that kind of solid experience this is a great place to start.

10 Low Cost Weekend Businesses

Entrepreneur.com came up with 10 businesses that work well with the weekend warriors. A few pretty good ones that you should check out if you are looking for something new and fun. Just to pay some bills, earn a few extra for fun, or finally get that diamond rings paid off.

Whether you want to just make some extra money in your free time or desire to one day quit your day job and create a full-time business, starting a low-cost business on the weekend is an easy way to test the entrepreneurial waters. You'll need to invest little more than your time, and before long, you'll know if owning a business full time is the right choice for you.

To help you get started, we've developed this list of 10 great businesses to start. No matter where your interests or talents lie, you'll be sure to find an idea that'll fit you like a glove. full story.

What to Buy Your Sales Rep

Inc.com's article on What to get your sales rep is an angle I haven't ever thought about before. Probably because any company I was a sales rep at before was too damn cheap to get us anything. I would have been happy with some wholesale flowers at least I could have pawned those off on my girlfriend like I was "thinking about her" just for the heck of it ;). I guess these guys think employers actually buy good stuff for their reps. Wish I would ahve been at a place that did.

Real Moms Do Blog

Though there have been many complaints about Mommy Blogging, but really moms are some of the best bloggers out there. They understand what it takes to get the people into the seatss so to say. I blog with a lot of Mommy Bloggers really. They are some of the best bloggers out there and make a hell of a alot more money blogging than I do in mnay cases. Why? They know what they are talking about, and they write about what they know. They can give you real world experience on things like baby toys, household tips, compare platform beds, or just give you great advice on how to manage your household. How is that NOT valuable to other moms out there?

Entrepreneur.com goes even more in depth on how some Mom Bloggers utilize this cheap form of advertising themselves in this article called Real Moms Do Blog

The Five Fundamentals of Business Survival

Many of the things that you must do in day to day operations of your business probably drive you to a migraine. What about the keys to success/failure of a business that come well before you have to worry about passing out the mundane tasks to keep it going?

Doug Ducey, of Inc.com, has recently written about this in his article entitled The Five Findamentals of Business Survival.