Aaron Kremer

Aaron Kremer is the founder of Richmond BizSense. Email him at [email protected].

Ads land at airport security

Perhaps you’ve noticed them, too. At first your trip starts out normally. You approach airport security fiddling with your boarding pass. You take a laptop out of its protective sleeve and check your Ziploc bag loaded with small, see-through bottles of fluid (no more than 4 ounces, mind you!). But something seems different.

Follow the Model

Igor Jekauc often wishes he didn’t have to fork over 19% of his annual revenue, but he says he wouldn’t have been able to open a tax preparation business without Liberty Tax Service’s business model and support system. A computer software that allows Jekauc to instantly issue tax return checks to customers was essential –… Read more »

Henrico Goes to Korea

Ten Henrico County officials will travel to South Korea in May to learn from the growing metropolis of Yangju, and to promote Henrico to Korean businesses As part of the trip, Fred Agostino, head of the Henrico County Economic Development Authority, might also visit Tokyo, Beijing, and Shanghai (Henrico has an economic development office there),… Read more »

Sticking point: !!!!!

Some trends seem so hard to fight. At first just a few people are doing it, but then BAM! Everyone’s wearing Crocs, texting “LOL” or dropping the phrase, “The perfect storm.” I’m winning my war against the exclamation point, but I’m not sure I can hold out much longer. The sticky sentence-ender has spread through… Read more »

Are you ready to start talking franchise?

It takes two to do the franchise tango. First there’s the franchisor. He’s typically the entrepreneur that built a company from scratch. He also generally likes taking risks, said Eric Perkins, a business attorney at Hirschler Fleischer. The franchisee, on the other hand, is usually a “straight-A student and likes to learn a system and… Read more »

Craigslist is the best recruiter

I’ve written about the wonders of Craigslist before. But it’s like the gift that keeps on giving. I’m hiring some new writers so on Wednesday I posted the position on Craigslist. That day alone, I received five applications. Two were strong. One really strong. And it didn’t cost me a dime. Craigslist is probably best… Read more »

Hire one for the Team

The break room at James River Exteriors’ Chesterfield office sometimes feels like a locker room. There’s lots of playful pushing and shoving and some good-natured name calling. On Monday mornings during the fall, employees recount the good and bad from the weekend’s flag football game over a cup of coffee. Sports are a big part… Read more »

Stop throwing away money

Richmond businesses can cut their trash bill by more than 13% percent, particularly offices and restaurants, if they start recycling. No concrete figures exist about how many businesses recycle, but interviews and a driving tour of suburban office parking lots and downtown alleys suggest it’s not exactly popular (despite endless headlines about “going green”) One… Read more »

The Pipeline: Businesses on the move for 5.2.08

This is the first installment of a regular (possibly weekly) feature that will report on businesses that are leasing new space, buying property, expanding or shrinking. Flagstop CarWash bought 1.72 acres at 9828 E. Parham Rd. from the Royal Oldsmobile Company for $1.3 million and plans to tear down the existing structure and build a… Read more »

Craigslist … where everything is for sale

When it comes to taking a pulse of Richmond’s economic activity, leave the consumer confidence index or consumer price index to people who know how to index things. Instead, there’s an easy-to-use alternative in Richmond. Craigslist, the online bulletin board bemoaned by newspapers for stealing classified revenue, is equally loved by those seeking a roommate… Read more »