This is not a blog about personal finance, but given the events of the past several months of this pandemic, I feel compelled to chime in and say a few words, especially to our youngest readers, since they are the best positioned to ride out these complicated times and come out ahead. I really believe that what happened in the stock market over the last year has been a gross … [Read more...] about How to Survive These Tough Economic Times
Business
Being Resourceful: How to Do More with Less
In this tough economy, amid the layoffs and budget cuts, you’re probably tired of being told to “do more with less”. The phrase has become such a cliché that it may very well belong to a dictionary of corporate B.S. The solution, however, is not to “work harder” at doing the same things, but to renew our focus on the things that are important-that 20% of our actions … [Read more...] about Being Resourceful: How to Do More with Less
Online Reputation Management Tips for Small Business Websites
The Internet is the ultimate equalizer. Inside a browser window, a one-employee home business can look as good as a Fortune 500 company. This presents an important challenge. As a small business, how can you convince potential customers that yours is not a fly-by-night operation? There are several things you can do on your site to generate trust: About … [Read more...] about Online Reputation Management Tips for Small Business Websites
Why Fewer Choices Are Good for Business
Commercial websites have two basic objectives: Sell something immediately, orBuild a subscriber base to sell to them later Evidence suggests that websites that offer fewer choices have better conversion rates. More Choices Don’t Lead to Happiness Barry Schwartz talks about the psychological implications of having too many choices in his excellent book “The Paradox … [Read more...] about Why Fewer Choices Are Good for Business
Leadership Decisions and Focus: Are You a ‘Whatever’ Business Person?
You know the drill: it’s noon and you and your co-workers are planning lunch. You: Where should we go?Co-worker 1: Oh, I don’t know, where do you want to go? (turning to co-worker 2)Co-worker 2: I don’t know, whatever, anything’s fine with me… Suddenly, something as simple as grabbing lunch morphs into the Battle of the Clueless. While ‘I don’t … [Read more...] about Leadership Decisions and Focus: Are You a ‘Whatever’ Business Person?