Is It Time To Finally Quit Your Job?

Is It Time To Finally Quit Your Job?: "Whether you want time to look for other work or to take a much-needed sabbatical, how do you know when it's OK to leave?"

The Top Franchises For The Money

The Top Franchises For The Money: "These operators give you the best shot at success for your investment dollar."

How Mobile Communications Costs Can Cripple Your Company

How Mobile Communications Costs Can Cripple Your Company: "And three steps to take to prevent it."

The Most Outrageous Job Interview Mistakes

The Most Outrageous Job Interview Mistakes: "Hug the interviewer? Show off an obviously fake diploma? People have done it."

Tech-Gear Company Makes Traditional Trendy

Tech-Gear Company Makes Traditional Trendy: "How DODOcase leveraged social media, and the skill of a master bookbinder, to catapult its iPad cases onto the market."

Every Entrepreneur Needs to Start With a Prototype

Prototypes in the age of the Internet. Creating a prototype for your product has probably never been simpler with a host of manufacturers, distributors etc. available online. The Internet also makes it easier than ever before to get your product or prototype in front of decision makers or potential customers. But first, be sure you understand what your prototype should do as far as validating your business idea. For more on this, read Martin Zwilling’s full post.

Are You Hiding From Your Customers on Social Media?

Promoting your online adventures in the real world. Making the jump to social media and other online marketing is great, but remember to promote these endeavors as well in the real world. Take every opportunity to let your customers know where they can find you online and don’t expect them to find you. It’s true your online marketing efforts should bring in customers you might not have had otherwise but don’t forget the reverse is also true.

10 iPhone Apps That Small Business Owners Need

iPhone apps for small business. Want to talk about increasing productivity. What about being able to run your company from you smartphone. Want to do everything from sending documents to managing your payroll while on the go? These apps, some free but all modestly priced, will further the movement toward mobile entrepreneurship and have you ready to work even while on the road.

Five Rules of Raising Capital

Tips for raising small business capital. Raising money to start your business may be among your most important steps in the process of getting your small business up and running and make no mistake, it isn’t easy. But with five easy steps you make the prospecting process much easier by establishing a business model, a product and an easily understandable picture of the value your company represents.

Top 10 Cloud Applications for Small Business

10 cloud applications your business could be using now. From communications to business applications to managing customer relations, hooking your business to the resources of the cloud enhances your tech muscle with little or no heavy duty tech investment. Many applications include free plans perfect for tight budgets and shoestring startups so what are you waiting for?

Market research at the click of a mouse

Market research at the click of a mouse. No more is market research solely in the domain of giant corporations with the deep pockets to pay for vast customer and market studies. Meet GutCheck, a startup that is billing itself as a simple alternative to big marketing studies via the Internet at a price even a small business can afford.

Looking for a secret weapon to drive social media sales?

Looking for a secret weapon to drive social media sales? Would you believe the Facebook “Like” button. This brief story tells of one retailers experience using the rather simple and popular FB feature to drive not only individual sales but also overall engagement with online customers. How are you using social media to drive your company’s sales?

How to Pick the Perfect Brand Name

By any other name. Yes, that new product, business or service name certainly can be important. Think of how much is riding on your choice! No, maybe it’s a better idea that you don’t go overboard fretting about this particular choice. Instead, get educated about the best way to identify a new business or revitalize an old one. Fast Company

Get Better Now With The One Hour Rule

Become a better entrepreneur spending one hour a day. Zack Shapiro has a method for acquiring new skills that could be a missing chapter from Tim Ferriss’s 4-Hour Work Week.(Hey, Zack! When is the book coming out?) Learning is a big part of what the small business owner/entrepreneur has got to do to get ahead and stay there. Consider this day one of a class stretching on for the rest of your life.

6 Errors To Avoid When Starting An Online Business

Six mistakes to avoid in online business. Online businesses may be amongst the lowest in overhead cost. But be aware that starting an online business, like beginning any other venture, requires a clear plan of action and a plan that can realistically lead to success.

3 Ways To Keep Your Community Engaged

Staying engaged with your customer base. Whether they’re the people that read your blog, follow you on Twitter and Facebook, buy your products and services or refer others to you, your network is a community that must be nurtured. If you’re just starting a business, this could involve building a network in the first place. If you have a business it means keeping that network energized.

5 Tips for Hiring Legal Counsel in Your Small Business

How to hire legal counsel. Anita Campbell, founder and editor of Small Business Trendsputs her legal know-how as a former corporate attorney to work in this great post on how to hire and then manage the costs of an outside law firm. Whether you’re a big corporation or the smallest of startups, this primer will give you important tips about how to handle your legal representation in a variety of situations.

2011 Top 10 Small Business Ideas

What are your small business ideas? Entrepreneur and blogger Ivan Widjaya has a few of his own to share. The business ideas in this list aren’t exactly specific but explore some brand new trends out there that could stand a second look. It’s a great idea to look at some new possibilities when considering starting a new business or branching into a new product or service. Here are some ideas to get the creative juices flowing.

Cutting down on legal papers

Pair of entrepreneurs seek to cut down on endless legal documents. Keeping necessary paperwork can be a challenge for legal firms and small businesses alike. One company has turned the solution for this problem into a business model. Now their only task is to demonstrate to the rest of the world that automated legal documents are the path to the future.

Top 5 Changes for Small Business in 2011

5 big changes that could affect your small business.Small businesses face change everyday, changes in technology, the appearance of new competition in the marketplace and rising costs are only some of these. But five new legal requirements may spell difficulty for many small business owners depending upon their business model.