To many small business owners, the dream of a nice, lucrative government contract is enticing to say the least. Sure, the process is long and arduous, there are stacks of forms that have to be filled out, you have to comply with a variety of regulations, etc., but the playing field is level and you have a fair chance to compete with other small businesses for those government contracts set aside by law for small businesses. And even if there are some big companies pretending to be small to get this business, they get rooted out and are barred from doing business with the government again, right?
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That’s the PR version of the process, the bright and shiny version of what should happen, of what would happen if money and politics were taken out of the process, the version that gets you in the door. Unfortunately, it’s also a pretty misleading version as t...
By Charles M Cooper · August 05 2009
small business, government procurement, fairness and procurement alliance
Tips from August 4, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss people management: confronting problems in the workplace.
Try to let the two parties solve the conflict on their own. Take action when the conflict is affecting their work & others.
Listen to each side of the story. Let them speak their mind to understand each side. Decide if it is personal or work-related.
Take attention away from details. Look at the bigger picture. Identify the motivation for the real problem & its real cause.
Be fair. Do not play favorites, include office politics, or take sides. Doing so will ruin your credibility & role as a leader.
Daily Overview: Listen, understand, & respect both parties to resolve office conflicts fairly, quickly, and cleanly.
By Cheryl Sowa · August 04 2009
small business tips, small business, conflict, workplace
Government, Politics and the Economy
Small Business Owners See Signs of Hope
Surveys are showing that the owners of small companies do believe that the economy is starting to turn around. However, they are not ready to start spending yet. BusinessWeek.com
Washington Sees Small Business as Instrumental to Recovery
According to SBA head Karen Mills, Washington is looking to small businesses to lead the economic recovery. CNNMoney.com
Management and Operations
By Charles M Cooper · August 04 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
Tips from August 3, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss people management: being an efficient delegator.
Evaluate strengths & weaknesses of your staff to effectively delegate work. Match their skills & talents to the work you assign.
Ask yourself if your employees are READY & ABLE to take on tasks you delegate. Look at the history of their work & worth ethic.
Understand the scope of their current duties. Dumping more & more work on an already busy employee only demotivates them.
Don't delegate all your work to "workhorses." They will burn out from too much work & not allow others to demonstrate abilities.
Daily Overview: Give people assignments you both know they can handle, but also delegate work they can/should learn to do.
By Cheryl Sowa · August 03 2009
small business tips, small business, delegator, people management
There is a lot of talk about small business and the need it has for credit to survive the recession. We hear that small businesses are having trouble, yet we also get news of small businesses successfully finding the credit they need. Which is it?
As part of a new report from the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy called Small Business in Focus: Finance, we finally have some answers to the question of who gets credit. The study, “Who Needs Credit and Who Gets Credit? Evidence from the Surveys of Small Business Finances” (pages 94 – 133), by Rebel A. Cole of Krähenbühl Global Consulting, divides businesses into four distinct categories, each with its own characteristics:
Non-borrowers . Those that do not need credit.
Discouraged borrowers . Those that do not apply for credit believing that...
By Charles M Cooper · August 03 2009
small business, credit, financing
Government, Politics and the Economy
Geithner: US Unemployment May Peak in 2010
According to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, US unemployment may not peak until the second half of 2010, even though the broader economy shows signs of improvement. Bloomberg.com
House Approves Food Safety Overhaul
The US House of Representatives has approved the biggest overhaul of food safety laws in decades in the wake of major outbreaks of food-borne disease that has left industries fighting to woo back wary consumers. Bloomberg.com
Management and Operations
By Charles M Cooper · August 03 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
Tips from July 30, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss time management. Step 5: Look at the Big Picture.
Take advantage of down time. Regroup, prioritize, and view your future schedule. Take a few minutes for "me time."
Get physical. Working out improves your health & lifestyle. Exercise also provides a way to eliminate stress.
Have fun! A sense of humor will keep you in good spirits, put problems into perspective, & evoke positive feelings at work.
Definitely put time aside every day for personal life: family, friends, travel, religion, & more. Work at personal & life goals.
Daily Overview: Although it is sometime hard to admit, work is not the #1 priority. Leave time for important life things.
By Cheryl Sowa · July 31 2009
small business tips, small business, fun, big picture
Spam is more than just a processed meat-food product that fed hungry, displaced Europeans during and after World War II, a real Marshal Plan staple. Nor is it merely the subject of one of Monty Python’s more famous and entertaining skits. No, it is unwanted and annoying electronic communication between some company and their target audience.
Email Spam
It began as the email equivalent of junk mail and, like junk mail; it is just as impossible to stop. At first it was merely irritating, but as the Web evolved, so did spam. Now, by law, there has to be a way for recipients to opt out of mailings. And as people click on these links and opt out of these mailings, one of two things happens:
The spamming company will honor your request and take you off their list. This is what should happen. Then, another spammer appears to take their place.
They use your complaint to simply verify that they have a live email...
By Charles M Cooper · July 31 2009
small business, spam, email marketing
