Business.com is sponsoring a contest for entrepreneurs who have experiences in solving tough business challenges.  If you have a personal story to share, you can enter to win $2,000 to $10,000. Anita Campbell and Joel Libava of Small Business Trends are experts included in the panel of judges that will narrow down the field to 50 [...]

When you’re looking to own your own business, it’s easy to be drawn towards simply buying an already established one.  You think, “All the work is done, I just simply insert myself into this well oiled money machine”.  Well, not so fast.  Crystal Williams, author of the blog BabeofBusiness.com, has weighed the pro and cons of [...]

Today I would like to share with you a list of the most popular articles from the last 6 months.  Sometimes it’s hard to keep up without missing or overlooking a few posts.  So, I thought it would be nice to highlight the most popular ones you may have missed.   Even if you didn’t miss out [...]

During this economic downturn, some small businesses are struggling to stay ahead.  Maybe you need to consider trimming your expenses to keep more money in your pockets instead of flying out of the window.  I came across this list of suggestions to help you secure your business finances, “78 Ways For Your Small Business To [...]

Once your small business establishes its products and/or services, the next most important step is pricing.  Proper pricing can be the difference between a profitable business or one that struggles to survive or even gain ground.  Charge too little and chance that your profits will suffer, charge too much and possibly drive potential customers away.  So how do you [...]

Getting caught up with growing your business can become all consuming.  Obsessing about your business and forgetting about your life is a common hazard to avoid.  Sooner or later, you’re bound to face a burnout phase when your mind and/or body says “enough’s enough”. As pointed out in the Entrepreneur.com article “How To Avoid Occupational [...]

We would like to open up an invitation for guest bloggers to submit their own blog posts to be published here on SMB CEO.  The articles you submit must be original posts that have not been published elsewhere.  We are only looking for topics that are related to owning, operating and managing a small business.  [...]

As pointed out in the Wall Street Journal article “Web Site Lets Businesses Expose Deadbeat Customers“, there is a new way to vent your frustrations towards non-paying customers.  The website, Uradeadbeat.com, gives you an avenue to post complaints about customers or businesses that owe you money. I can’t seem to decide where I stand on [...]

According to the semi-annual survey of small business owners, conducted by the American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor, offering excellent customer service is the #1 management tactic during this economic down-turn.  I found this tidbit of information in the American Express OPEN forum article by Anita Campbell, “Planning, Prepping, Buckling Down, Taking Action“.  The article [...]

Starting a business with a friend or member of your family isn’t always the best choice.  I’ve asked for your opinions on such topics as “Do Family Members Make Good Employees?” and “Would Your Parent Make An Ideal Employee?”.  Now, I have one last thought to get your opinion on.  Would you start a small [...]