Business management

As part of my Friday Five series of top five lists, here comes Brian Hewitt’s 5 tips for success in IT consulting. Even though he mentions IT consulting, the list offers good advice for people working in just about any consulting field. Consider Brian’s thoughts about  "throwaway interviews" with prospective clients: A “throw away interview” […]

A fool and his money are soon parted…so, if you’re thinking of starting a home business and you want to make smart decisions, you may want to read 5 things to look for in a home business. In starting a business, you also want to look at the barriers to entry. Even though starting a

This week’s Friday 5 comes from Business Opportunities and Ideas. Check out the top 5 business start-up myths. Myth #2 says: Myth No. 2: It takes years to start a business from scratch. Fact: Most businesses are established within six months, but those thinking about or avoiding starting a business tend to assume that it

Want to increase your productivity? Check out this list of 50 ways to increase your productivity, via Lifehack. Number 29 is good for a chuckle: go on an information diet. Given that the list of ways to increase your productivity runs to 50, just reading the article itself underscores the problem. I know I can

Time for the Friday 5. American Chronicle shares the top 5 business travel nightmares. Number 3 was good for a chuckle: You are receiving the cold shoulder because you used the 6 words that every ticket or gate agent despises. “Do you know who I am” are the six most lethal words any passenger can

Ever get halfway through the summer and realized you haven’t taken a vacation? When you’re self-employed, it can be hard to justify taking time off. A week without work means a week without pay…right? Not necessarily. If you’ve managed to set your consulting fees properly and set aside money throughout the year, you should have

In my post on Discovering your niche, I extolled the virtues of specializing. I wanted to pass along a great article by web development consultant Jonathan Snook — "How I found my niche". Jonathan notes:When I first went freelance, I tried to market myself as a man of many talents. "Everything you need in one

Independent consultant — it’s an important term to understand. Are you an independent consultant or are you actually an employee of your supposed client? If you’re working full-time for a client, working their hours and using their offices and tools, there’s a good chance you’re actually an employee, not an independent consultant. The IRS has

Consultant Cameron Moll has decided to hang up his consulting hat and take on a a full-time job. But his summary of lessons learned from freelancing make for great reading. I know some of you may be wondering why I’m pointing you to someone who has closed up shop. But I’ve said it before and

SmallBizSurvival’s Becky McCray has a great post on going from a business idea to an operating business. Most (if not all) of the resources are free. Becky’s blog focuses on the special reward and challenges of running a business in a small town. She’s based in small town Oklahoma, where it sounds like she’s having