Tag: susan solovic

Put Your Kids to Work in Your Small Biz

The heat has been brutal so far this summer in many parts of the country. Too hot for the kiddos to play outside. In my community, the swimming pools even closed. Many parents told me their children were going stir crazy — anxious to find something to do with their time.

Even under normal weather circumstance, the summer months often create challenges for small business owners. How do you balance the conflicting demands of running your business and spending time with your children. Many who are working tirelessly to build their businesses, feel guilty and conflicted over the lack of time they have to spend with their children. So let me ask: Why not let them work with you this summer? You get to spend time with them. The children get valuable experience. And there may be tax advantages as well.

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Susan-Says: Happy Independence Day to America’s Entrepreneurs

This week we celebrate America’s independence. On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed declaring our country’s independence from Great Britain. This national holiday, commonly referred to as the 4th of July, is typically associated with fireworks, parades and summer parties. But independence has a broader meaning for small business owners. The spirit of independence is what motivates many entrepreneurs — the opportunity to become your own boss and create your own destiny.

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Guest Blog: The Value of Your Work

At the height of his playing career in 1958, Stan Musial at the age of 38 signed a one-year $100,000 contract. It was the highest salary in the history of the National League. Recently Albert Pujols signed a 10-year $254 Million contract. It is the second biggest contract in Major League Baseball history. At the age of 38, he will earn $25.4 Million.

So what do these two contracts tell us? Is Albert Pujols two-hundred-and-fifty times more valuable than Stan Musial? Is his batting average two-hundred-and-fifty times higher than Musial’s? How about his average number of home runs or average number of hits? Did the Cardinals under Albert win two-hundred-and-fifty times more often than under Stan? Obviously not.

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Six Tips for Hiring the Right Web Developer for Your Small Biz — Guest Blogger Joe Thomas

If you can afford to have your brand new warehouse built from the ground up, who are you going to hire to build it?

The intelligent answer is simple: a reputable building contractor with happy clients and lots of experience, right? I mean, why on earth would you invest your hard-earned dollars to hire anyone less than a pro?

What about your office building or store? As a business owner, you know that it needs to have the right look and feel to be successful. Go ahead, go shopping or to the insurance guy or the doctor. Are the stores and offices run down with bad paint jobs and worn-out carpeting? Does the store you’re buying from have empty crates and clothes blocking the aisles? Of course not. They’re all clean and neat and professional – and most are decorated to impress the customer.

So why, then, would anyone take the opposite approach with their online business?

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