Many small-business owners fear that an increase in prices will drive customers away. This idea made the headlines in 2016 when New Jersey implemented a substantial gas tax increase making prices jump 10% or more overnight. Gas station owners were concerned that people will go somewhere else for cheaper prices or to other transportation alternatives. […]
Who will run small town businesses when the owners retire? One unusual option you may not have considered
It’s already happening. Older business owners are retiring and closing businesses because they can’t find buyers. Universities and business support agencies are scrambling to set up succession planning courses and workshops. Chambers of commerce are making desperate efforts to find buyers. But there’s an unusual option most people overlook: employee ownership. If the business […]
How to start a big business in a small town, when the big dream seems out of reach
A young man approached me at a conference last month, trying to figure out how to get started on his big idea. He’d like to start a maker factory in Alberta, Canada. He can picture it filling thousands of square feet downtown with maker equipment, tools, specialized workspaces, and room to grow. But he […]
To-do Lists and Time Management
“There never is enough time.” You probably would agree with me that we hear this phrase repeated over and over by people everywhere. Because time is a limited resource and we feel we never have enough, we’ve been bombarded with hundreds, if not thousands, of suggestions on how to make the most of the time […]