General Business

By Rhonda Abrams

Since 1963, the first week of May has been designated by the President of the United States as a time to celebrate entrepreneurs.

To mark the start of this year’s Small Business Week, small-business owner and USA TODAY contributor Rhonda Abrams sat down for a discussion with Maria Contreras-Sweet, the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Contreras-Sweet talked about technology and small-business lending, and elaborated on some of the challenges — and resources — for the nation’s estimated 28 million small businesses.

She also encouraged shoppers to spend at their local stores.

“When you shop at a small business, 64 cents of your dollar stay right in your neighborhood,” she says. In turn, she adds, those stores could become a “destination” for more consumers, leading to more job creation in the community. (more…)

 By Maria Contreras-Sweet

With apologies to baseball and your mother’s apple pie, nothing is more American than National Small Business Week.

Our country was founded by risk-taking pioneers in search of new horizons. More than two centuries later, what sets America apart in the world is the willingness of our entrepreneurs to take risks. Small businesses allow Americans to be their own boss and improve their lot in life through hard work – a core American value.

Every year since 1963, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation declaring National Small Business Week to recognize the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs, who create nearly two out of every three net, new U.S. jobs each year. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said it was our small businesses that powered our recovery after the Great Recession.  (more…)

It’s not easy being green, or so we’re told, but take a look around your office and consider: How “green” are you?

It’s no surprise that an increasing number of companies are working toward becoming more environmentally conscious: constantly introducing programs to reduce both costs and their carbon footprint. Typical areas of opportunity are employee telecommuting, lighting, recycling and paper usage.

Here are some suggestions that you might use in your green movement at work:

1. Telecommute to reduce and produce

It could be argued that people working from home face more distractions and are often less productive. In reality, reports indicate that the opposite is true — not only does productivity increase, but there is often reduced stress on the employees. Gone are endless hours sitting in traffic, and the stop-go of a slow car creates a lot more pollution than a car that never leaves the house. And what does it mean to ROI? Well, for the company, approximately $11,000 per year per employee, in addition to the savings made by the employee, and the not-to-be-forgotten oil and greenhouse gas savings. And in case you need to ask, yes — I am sitting at home writing this, and it’s past 5 o’clock. How’s that for productivity?  (more…)

As a business grows, entrepreneurs must often reinvent themselves as a rite of passage. It’s often the very work habits that help you achieve a level of success that hold you back from getting to the next level. Being involved in all areas of the business, making every decision, and managing every outcome in the company becomes unsustainable as your business grows. I’ve gone through several reinventions as my own business grew and changed.

I started my company in 1989 at the age of 21. I was involved in every area of the business including strategy, sales, management, and administration. I always put the business first and grew it with stubborn single-mindedness. The company was structured in a hub-and-spoke model and I made every key decision. As we grew, I began to feel overwhelmed by the increasing complexity of the business. There was never enough time in the day. It seemed there was no end in sight and I began to resent my business. In fact, the more we grew, the worse I felt.

In 1995 I was invited to join a Young Entrepreneurs Organization event (then YEO, now EO). My first EO educational experience featured Michael Gerber, author of The E-Myth. Gerber yelled at the roomful of entrepreneurs driving home this point: “If you’re trapped working in your business then you’re not an entrepreneur! You just have a job working for the most unreasonable boss in the world… yourself!” (more…)