Marketing a new small-business product or service in a highly fragmented media world has become trickier than ever. Relying only on slow-moving, old-school methods such as direct mail and print ads is a thing of the past. Today, success belongs to those who compile the most effective media mixture. more

It’s no surprise the late Steve Jobs’ favorite music was written and performed by Bob Dylan and The Beatles. I just finished his biography and it was as compelling a book as “Atlas Shrugged.” more

When business owners create products or services – and the marketing plans to sell them – they often base their decisions on what customers tell them. But which is more important: What customers say? Or what they actually do? more

I just read an article about someone’s totally bogus opinion of “job burnout.” It made me realize some people actually are (or think they are) “burned out.” 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

When Groupon first hit the scene it put the spotlight on a massive new market and inspired countless copycats. But many local businesses lost money with the Groupon deals model, which often requires losing money on the initial offer in hopes of making it up on additional sales and return visits. more

For many small businesses, survival depends increasingly on finding the ever-elusive “right price” for whatever goods or services are being sold. But there’s no magic formula. No matter what you’re selling, the “right” price to ask is never clearly defined. 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

Though many home shoppers who assume they are still in a buyer’s market find it hard to believe, one of the sobering fundamentals shaping real estate this summer is shrinking inventory: The supply of houses for sale is down significantly in most areas compared with a year ago, sometimes dramatically so. And that is having important side impacts – raising prices and homeowners’ equity stakes, and reducing total sales. more

I’ll be spending the month of August in Paris with my family. I can’t describe how wonderful it will be. My goal is to finish a book, take in the culture, enjoy my family and think. more