Vacation? What’s that?

A small business weaves a fine seam between itself and the life of its owner. In the beginning, it’s because of all the work it takes to get the business out of the ground. Later, as the business matures, the owner often becomes the brand customers identify with, which means consistent sales performance seems to depend upon the owner’s omnipresence.  At least that’s the way it seems.

Between the business consistently getting in the cash line ahead of a vacation budget and the owner being afraid to leave – like a new mother leaving her baby with a babysitter for the first time – it can be tough for a small business owner to take a real vacation?

We wanted to know how the whole vacation thing was looking for small business owners these days, so we asked this question: As summer approaches, will you be able to leave your business long enough to take a vacation where you’re away from work for a week? Here’s what we learned.

A little more than 40% of our respondents said they were definitely taking a real vacation this summer. Goodonya, g

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Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 Small Business No Comments

The Sapphire Hotel – An Ode To Customer-Driven Marketing

Last night the two gorgeous owners of the Sapphire Hotel celebrated their 5th anniversary. They shut the place down at 10:00PM and held a hosted party for their customers, and what a party it was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The band played, the booze flowed and the food was awesome. A mixture of 3 different kinds of pita pizzas: Roasted Garlic, Bleu Cheese & Green Onion; Margherita (Basil & Mozzerella); and Roasted Red Pepper, Kalamata Olives, Peppercinis & Cheddar Cheese, together with Mini Salmon Corn Cakes, Burger Sliders and Artichoke & Arugula Dip all on the house.

The owners kept circulating among the customers thanking them individually for their support.

Think Ill ever stop going back! Think again. And it

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Tags: Hotel, Sapphire Hotel

Monday, June 20th, 2011 Small Business No Comments

Test Your Business Idea with Real Customers Before Launching Your Small Business

I read this article written by Carol Tice yesterday in Entrepreneur http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219772 and it made so much sense that I had to blog about it here. Not only should it be taught in business schools like Stanford where it made it’s debut but it should be a staple part of all small business education at the SBDCs and at SCORE.

This particular course called Lean Launchpad was developed and introduced at Stanford this past spring by Steven Blank, the serial entrepreneur and Stanford lecturer who created the course. The program is designed to allow the budding entrepreneur to fail over and over, quickly, until he/she discovers a working model. This ensures that the business will more likely succeed upon launch.

Lean LaunchPad: The Week-by-Week Course Outline

1. I

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Friday, June 17th, 2011 Small Business No Comments

Vacation? What’s that?

A small business weaves a fine seam between itself and the life of its owner. In the beginning, it’s because of all the work it takes to get the business out of the ground. Later, as the business matures, the owner often becomes the brand customers identify with, which means consistent sales performance seems to depend upon the owner’s omnipresence.  At least that’s the way it seems.

Between the business consistently getting in the cash line ahead of a vacation budget and the owner being afraid to leave – like a new mother leaving her baby with a babysitter for the first time – it can be tough for a small business owner to take a real vacation?

We wanted to know how the whole vacation thing was looking for small business owners these days, so we asked this question: As summer approaches, will you be able to leave your business long enough to take a vacation where you’re away from work for a week? Here’s what we learned.

A little more than 40% of our respondents said they were definitely taking a real vacation this summer. Goodonya, g

Read all post…

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011 Small Business No Comments

Chetan Kapur – Integrity And The Well Rounded Individual

Chetan Kapur — Integrity And The Well-Rounded Individual

After schooling in both India and the United States, Chetan Kapur has learned that integrity is one of the most important values a person can possess. Integrity is defined as the concept of consistency of actions, regardless of circumstances or discerning opinions. Chetan Kapur strives to maintain his consistency of character and lives both his personal and professional lives with the value of integrity always on his mind.

Chetan Kapur Upholds His Personal Beliefs

During his eventful life, Chetan Kapur has been exposed to a variety of cultures, lifestyles, ethical frameworks, and beliefs. All of these experiences have helped mold his values, opinions, and principles, and have made him the man he is today. H

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Tags: Chetan Kapur, Individual, Rounded Individual

Monday, June 13th, 2011 Financial News No Comments

Small Biz Resource Tip: SBA Mobile App

All mobile apps are not created equal. If you’re an app junkie, you know that too many useless apps can use up your smartphone’s memory and drain your battery in no time. But if you’re a small business owner looking to get your business off the ground and could use a little help straight from the top, you should look into the Small Business Administration’s new Mobile App for the iPhone. The free app features a partner locator to help users find the closest SBA offices, Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), Women’s Business Centers and SCORE offices. Users also have mobile access to SBA videos and social media alerts, including Twitter and YouTube feeds. Don’t worry, non iPhoners; Blackberry and other smartphone versions will soon be available.

Tags: App, Mobile App

Monday, June 13th, 2011 Small Business No Comments