Operations

Your business won't thrive without repeat customers. What's the best way to keep them? Offer stellar customer service, starting with these six essentials.

People stress like crazy over money when it comes to traveling. Fortunately there are now a wealth of options to minimize the anxiety....

No matter what challenges in benefits administration you face as an employer, better communication is the key to coming out ahead.

Small businesses have a host of new tech tools to help them manage their financial lives. Here, we bring you our best finds, fresh from Finovate Fall 2011.

After working so hard to develop a new idea, product, or service, you need to make sure it's protected. These 10 intellectual property guidelines can help.

A culture of negativity in the workplace leads to absenteeism, low morale, and lost productivity. Learn how to combat bad energy in your small business.

Restaurateurs rejoice: The new "Dip & Squeeze" could mean no more ketchup on your customers' shirts.

Radical reinvention can be hip and sexy. But for too many businesses, it's also the quickest way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Shared offices can offer a flexible, cost-effective alternative to traditional business leasing. But some companies point to drawbacks.

Building a solid team in your restaurant will keep employee turnover down -- and keep competitors from stealing your most valuable assets.

Crowded flights can make it impossible to get a business-travel upgrade. That's why it's useful to look for alternative routes whenever you can.

Times are tough, and there may not be much room to spare in your payroll. But that doesn't mean you can't find ways to boost morale and recognize your best workers.

According to the FBI, crime rates nationwide continue to decline. That's good news, but it's definitely not cause to be complacent about crime.

Are your employees working hard, or hardly working? Meet the top 5 workplace time-killers, and learn how to keep them from killing your business.

There are a lot of ways to beat brain-killing jetlag. But I think the most effective one is just getting out and spending some time in the sun.

There's more evidence that tablets deliver a significant productivity boost. How significant? Enough, perhaps, to save a struggling small business.

Need money fast? Consider a check-cashing store. The outlets have cleaned up their act and now offer small business owners quick cash for a low price.

One of the first tasks for anyone trying to grow a business is to map out the competitive landscape. We present 12 important steps to follow.

Patent-reform backers say a new law will create up to 200,000 jobs. What's behind that claim, and does it really hold water?