Come Visit Me at Way to Grow
April 30, 2009, 5:15 PM
Hard to believe it, but The First Year blog is over three years old. That is, perhaps, the longest "first year" on record! So it's time to move on...

Make Your Advisory Board Part of Your Business
April 30, 2009, 11:20 AM
All the information sources advising people who are starting businesses recommend forming an advisory board. Yet, this is advice is ignored by a surprising number of new entrepreneurs. Perhaps they don't understand the role...

Managing Internal Threats to Your Business
April 28, 2009, 11:45 PM
Never have I written a review -- favorable or otherwise -- of a book that I have not read. So I'm going out on a limb here: I read an article by Steve McKee, author of "When Growth Stalls".

On Compromising
April 25, 2009, 7:10 PM
Just read an interesting post by Dharmesh Shah of OnStartups titled, Why Startups Should ALWAYS Compromise When Hiring. He listed 8 attributes you might seek when hiring for your startup and suggested that the person you hire doesn't need to ...

Social Media: Right or Wrong for Your Business?
April 24, 2009, 4:45 PM
Everyone is talking about social media, and the buzz is that even small businesses should be using it in their marketing. If you're wondering what you should do, take a look at some key considerations before deciding if/when/how to incorporate ...

Do You Have a Business Vision?
April 19, 2009, 7:50 PM
One of my challenges as a marketing consultant sometimes is in helping a business develop appropriate language for their marketing and sales communications. This is not spin. It’s known as messaging, and when done properly, it conveys what is unique ...

Microloans Filling the Credit Gap
April 12, 2009, 6:45 PM
As credit to small businesses from banks dwindles, increasing numbers of business owners are turning to microlenders. The New York Times says, "Even profitable small businesses that once relied on banks for financing are depending more on microlending..." ...

More Than One Kind of Government Stimulus
April 10, 2009, 4:05 PM
The news media has been reporting, analyzing and rehashing the discussion about how the U.S. stimulus package will apply to small businesses. But a new report that appeared in Air Force Material Command suggests that the Air Force may be ...

Help Buyers Buy and Sellers Sell
April 08, 2009, 5:05 PM
Seth Godin can often be counted upon to make me think differently about things. Today he prods us into "becoming proactive" and offers this example. Assume for a moment you're a home builder. If you want to sell a new ...

Build Company Culture with Clearly Defined Values
March 30, 2009, 10:00 PM
I'm reading right now about "corporate culture", causing me to reflect on a company where I worked over a decade ago. It was 5 years old when I joined it; eight years later it was acquired by a major corporation ...