Archives: July 2006

Closing the Deal: How to Get Prospective Employees to Sign On

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 31

Few people decide they want a job based on an ad's description or a headhunter's pitch. To bring the best job candidates on board, employers need to sell prospective employees...

Checklist for Starting a Home-Based Business

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 28

Starting a home-based business can be a complicated undertaking. The following checklist covers the most important points that you will need to consider and will help you stay focused as...

Take Your Exit Money Now!

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 27

At a recent speaking engagement for family business owners, the attendees were very concerned about knowing how and when to exit their companies. After a bit of discussion it became...

The Structure of a Venture Capital Investment

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 26

A typical venture-capital investment is structured so that the venture capitalist gets convertible preferred stock in your company. This stock gives the venture capitalist an advantage over the common shareholders...

Who's the Loser in Family Business Estate Planning?

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 25

Estate planning among family business owners is always a hot topic, and the percentage of family business owners who have engaged professionals to assist in the estate planning process has...

Successful Debt Collections

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 24

A first step to successful debt collection is to assume that most people are honest and want to pay you. Treat customers with respect during the collection process and remember...

How Much Do Angels Invest?

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 21

Angels usually target early-stage startups and invest anywhere from $25,000 to $500,000. Angel investors often provide the seed money to get a business up and running while the founders pursue...

Building Your Referral Business

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 20

Referrals always begin with providing your current customers with prompt, reliable, quality service. If they're happy with you, they'll be happy to spread the word on your behalf—often without you...

The Top 25 Home-Based Business Ideas

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 19

If you are thinking about starting your own home-based business, the available options can be almost dizzying. However, there are many tried and true home-based businesses that may be just...

Ready, Aim, Hire

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 18

If we're going to spend money on building a new plant or buying an expensive piece of new equipment, we gather as much data as we can, analyze it carefully,...

Understanding Home Office Deductions

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 17

Take advantage of every legal opportunity to reduce your taxes. Recent changes in the law benefit business owners who use their homes—whether the home is rented or owned—as an administrative...

Learn What Keeps Your Customers Up at Night

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 14

Sometimes there's just no substitute for good old-fashioned communication. Just ask Adrienne Lumpkin. She'll tell you customer relationships were key to the success of Alternate Access, the Raleigh (N.C.)-based computer...

Interviewing: It's More Than Just Your Gut

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 13

The decision to hire someone is essentially a purchasing decision. Yet managers tend to make the mistake of treating the interview like a conversation. This presents several pitfalls. First, it...

Avoid Credit-Card Fraud on Your Web Site

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 12

If you do business on the Web, you should be concerned about credit-card fraud. With identity and credit-card theft running rampant, you need to assure your customers that you are...

Are You Developing Your People?

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 11

For years, I've been asking groups of business professionals and managers this question: If a developmental manager is someone who engages you in conversations about your progress and looks for...

Change Your Mind

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 10

The key to turning a losing situation into a winning one is to change your mind about it. We do our best work, with the least stress, when we enjoy...

Perfectionism and Procrastination

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 07

Many small business owners have a strong desire for excellence, which they typically meet or exceed. If taken too far, however, setting high standards can turn into a form of...

Unproductive Worry

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 06

Many committed small business owners are unaware of the longer-term worries they carry with them every day, while others believe them to be useful in maintaining motivation or focus. If...

10 Marketing Tools for Home-Based Businesses

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on July 05

Owners of home-based businesses sometimes view marketing as an unnecessary expense, but nothing could be further from the truth. Because a home-based business doesn't have a storefront for passers-by to...