Small-business owners hear it all the time: To find out how your business is doing, including what people like or don’t like and what you need to adjust, ask customers for feedback. But your quest for feedback can either produce a magic elixir or simply be an annoyance to customers and prospects, depending on how you do it. more

Commercial landlords and tenants, similar to other parties transacting in a particular business area, have a language all their own when negotiating leases. more

In case you haven’t noticed, the book-publishing industry is about half of what it used to be. There is now a mad scramble by publishers to discover what tomorrow will look like. more

Social media has already had a huge impact on businesses both large and small. But according to the latest projections from the research firm International Data Corp. (IDC), there’s a lot more change coming. IDC analysts expect the coming year to be pivotal for social media in business with (among other things) a new emphasis on using social to grow profits, not just gather followers. more

So you want to start a business of your own and be an entrepreneur. Have you got game? The qualities it takes to be a successful entrepreneur are often misunderstood. It’s much more of a personal game than most people realize. Some people really aren’t cut out to be entrepreneurs. They feel more comfortable working a traditional job where vision, strategy and resources are all in place. more

In a decision that could have significant impacts on the fees that consumers pay in real estate transactions, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that “unearned” fees charged by lenders and other service providers do not violate federal law as long as they are not split with anyone else. more

Should small-business owners advertise on Facebook? While some who’ve tried it seem satisfied, others are convinced it’s a bust for most local businesses. When USA Today ran an article recently on Facebook’s effort to attract small-biz advertisers, many business owners responded to say their experience with such ads was negative. more

You’ve heard this word since the first time you got angry or upset. Or maybe it’s a word in your head that beacons reality. Pent-up frustration, worry, or concern about the present or the future – or both – and nervousness about what’s about to happen in the world, at work, at home, or in your personal life. more

It’s a mortgage problem that is likely to intensify as home-owning baby boomers by the millions shift into retirement: Though they may have significant financial assets tucked away in retirement accounts, their diminished monthly incomes may not be sufficient to meet some lenders’ hyper-strict underwriting rules. more

I’m angry about the misinformation offered by “experts” about referrals. more