When I ask small business owners if they’re seeing a slowdown, I’m told that invoices are taking longer to get paid, that expansion plans are getting put on hold, or that new contracts are slower in coming than in the past. Construction and auto dealers so far appear to be suffering the most. But any… Read more »
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Wanna Trade: bartering can help conserve cash
Most business owners have at least a few good yarns to tell about a trade gone screwy (possibly involving a goat, if you’re lucky). No hard statistics exist on the volume of bartered transactions because much of it is off the books. One accountant said it happens, “all the time.” Sometimes Scott Brown likes to… Read more »
Managing Expectations: how local wealth advisors steer clients through rough seas
whenever the stock markets take a dip, Chris Williams, Director of Investment Products and Services at Virginia Asset Management, likes to tell the story about the guy who would always impulsively buy a stock at the market peak and ride it all the way to the bottom and then sell everything, ending up with a… Read more »
Begging for donations leave a bad taste in patron’s mouth
Next week restaurants around Richmond will be asking patrons who order tap water to donate $1 to The United Nations Children’s Fund, commonly known as UNICEF. VCU BrandCenter is promoting the event, called Richmond Tap Project . In their push to be creative, the BrandCenter effort shows a lack of understanding about incentives and basic… Read more »
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 »
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 »