A study of networking cultures in China, Russia, Europe and the U.S. has resulted in some helpful information for U.S. entrepreneurs doing business overseas. The study was conducted by Bat Batjargal, who, according to BusinessWeek.com, is a research associate at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University, and an assistant professor at Beijing University, who has been studying cross-cultural networks for about a decade.

First and foremost, when doing business with a foreign country, don’t over do it in trying to fit in with their culture. Russians know that you are not Russian and, therefore, do not expect you to act Russian. They expect you to act like yourself.

Below are some additional information Batjargal learned from his study that you need to know when dealing with the global market:

Continue reading : Global Markets and Business Etiquette »

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In any business, especially small ones, everyone works closely together. Sometimes employees have to deal with the cubicle situation, with desks nearly on top of one another, because of limited space issues. This can cause some messy situations if you, as the boss, don’t lay down some ground rules right from the beginning.

Here are some things you may want to stick in your employee policy manual, in order to help avoid those popular cubicle conflicts:

1. Allow employees to label their supplies.
One of the most popular cubicle complaints among employees is that things keep disappearing from their desk. We all know that popular phrase from Office Space: “Has anyone seen my stapler?” Well, it happens all the time. For me, my pens are always disappearing, mostly because I sit at the front desk. Allow your employees to label their supplies, such as staplers, pens, clipboards, etc., with their name or desk number, in order to help to sway the temptation of others to snatch it.

Continue reading : Helping Ensure Your Employees Get Along »

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There comes a time in the life of our filing cabinet when there is no room to spare for any future files, and the ones contained within are so old we don’t remember where they came from. It’s time to sort your files and weed out the ones you no longer need.

Here are some tips for sorting through your overwhelming stack of files:

1. Establish a Closing System
If you don’t start a means of closing your files when your task for that client is complete, then you will never have enough space for them all. Keep in mind that any files that contain legal documentation, whether you’re actually an attorney or just have a contract with the client, must not be destroyed (by law) until ten years after they have been closed. If you have a lot of files like that, the best thing to do is rent a storage unit to keep your closed files in, so that they don’t take space away from your actual work environment.

Continue reading : Tips for Sorting Through Overwhelming Files »

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From the time I was a little girl, my mother had this look. If I was not behaving in the manner she approved of, all it took from her was “the look” (and occasionally my name spoken in a not so flattering tone) and I’d straighten right up. That look has carried on to me. My husband says I try and use on him sometimes (though he doesn’t like to admit that I’m usually successful) and even our dog, a 95 pound lab/dane mix, will hang his head in shame when I give him “the look.” It must be an acquired skill.

Equally as important as “the look” in getting my point across, is the affection. Though we don’t have any children of our own just yet, I have a great deal of experience with them from working in daycares and children’s ministries at church. And one of the most important things I’ve learned is there must be affection and love in your discipline. With my nephews, for example, when they stay over at our house and get into trouble, we discuss what they did wrong, how to improve in the future, and always end with a hug and “I love you.”

Being a good, strong, dependable leader is all about balance. Being a leader is not a one-sided position. You cannot be rough on your employees and never show them any tenderness. And you can’t be easy on everyone and never show them any discipline. You have to have a balance of both.

And there are many areas in which a balance is needed as a leader, such as the following:

Continue reading : The Balance of a Leader »

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It’s not news that big-box businesses are popping up everywhere and harming the local small business economy wherever they land. In fact, a study in Maine by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) showed that only about 14 cents on the dollar of funds that went into a big-box business stayed in the state. This compared to a whopping 54 cents on the dollar for locally-owned businesses.

In an effort to discover ways to bring more customers to the small business community, the community of Barrington, Massachusetts has created a local currency called BerkShares. One BerkShare note is worth 90 cents in U.S. currency. Four banks int he Barrington area participating, along with some 280 locally-owned businesses who have registered with the program, and 250 more in the area that take the currency but aren’t officially registered. As part of their participation, businesses offer customers who use BerkShares a 10% discount on their purchases.

Continue reading : Local Currency Helps Small Business »

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When I started my photography business this year, I vowed that I would not go into debt to make it happen. Things are still slow as I build my portfolio and get the word out, which means there are times when I have no money coming in at all. And that’s fine, it just means that I’m not making any purchases to further things along either.

I do invest my own money in the business. In fact, that’s exactly how I got the business started in the first place, by saving up for it. And that’s how I take it to the next level with advertising, etc. I save up for a particular piece of equipment or ad.

Investing your own money in your business is the most cost effective way to get things moving, especially in the beginning. Additionally, as your business grows and has more revenue coming in, you can invest your personal income as a loan to the business, with an interest rate and all, where the business pays you back for your investment.

Continue reading : Funding Options for Small Business »

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According to a survey by the Institute for Legal Reform, release in May, more than half of small business owners polled are not all that concerned about being sued. But, as I pointed out in a post earlier this month (see The Lawsuit Risks of Having a Website), we live in a world of lawsuit happy people, who want anyone to blame but themselves.

That seems to be the circumstances, in my opinion, in the case of the D.C. judge who sued his neighborhood dry cleaner for $54 million over a misplaced pair of pants. Apparently Judge Roy Pearson dropped of a pair of pants at Custom Cleaners, owned by Soo and Jin Chung, to be altered. According to his side of the story, when he returned to pick up the pants, the Chung’s said they couldn’t locate them. A week later they returned pants to him, but Pearson claims they were not the one’s he brought in.

Continue reading : Is Tort Reform Necessary to Protect Small Business? »

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Recently I posted about the influence a leader has on those under his authority and respect. What someone in a position of leadership does guides others down a similar path. This can manifest in many areas, and one area that needs it most is compassion for others.

Consider the fact that, statistically, two of every three Americans are overweight. We are a gluttonous nation. And yet, a child dies of starvation somewhere in the world (though typically not here) every four seconds. Unfortunately, many people won’t act upon such sobering statistics and try to make a difference because they don’t believe that they truly can. What’s one person to such a monstrous global epidemic?

Continue reading : Showing Compassion »

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Are you a Harry Potter fan? I am. I love the movies, but haven’t read the books yet (I know, any die-hard fans would be appalled). My husband has suddenly gone on a “read all the books NOW” craze and has flown through the first three in a week. But I can’t say that I spend a lot of time at work discussing Harry Potter. But apparently, it has become something more than a little water cooler chatter.

According to Entrepreneur.com’s article Potter Casts Petrificus Totalus Spell on Workplace (nice title, by the way), the Harry Potter craze that has swept the nation for the past few years has escalated with the release of the fifth movie, The Order of the Phoenix on July 11th and the release of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on July 21st. And with that escalation has come a bit of, shall we say, distraction during business hours.

Continue reading : Businesses Embrace the Harry Potter Craze »

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Stress - it can get the best of us. Especially when there are stacks of papers and files on our desk that never seem to get smaller. Unfortunately, too many of us, from the low man on the totem pole to the big-wig on top, openly profess our frustrations to anyone that crosses our path.

As professionals, we must keep in mind that what we say effects how people view us - both our capabilities and weaknesses. What follows are some phrases that definitely don’t enhance your image, and what would be a better approach to the same situation, regardless of the frustration brewing within.

Continue reading : Enhance Your Image Through Your Words »

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Think hotel lobby, bars and fast food ordering counters. Or even counter-top dining tables (I have one myself, which comes in very handy when you have a dog that stands over three feet tall on all fours). So how about a counter-top desk in your office that you can stand at?

Donald Rumsfeld, the US Secretary of Defense has one. And so does business owner Thomas Gimbel out of Chicago. And, unlike a counter-top table that simply has taller chairs, Gimbel (and Rumsfeld) stand at their desks. Gimbel initially got the idea when his 6 foot 6 inch frame caused him back problems no matter what chair he tried. He found relief only when he stood. So why not work that way all the time?

Continue reading : Standing on the Job »

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So, you’ve made some investments in rental property? A very popular business venture these days, as you can never go wrong with investing in real estate (well, almost never). As you begin the process of finding tenants, one question that you must address is whether to use a Lease or a Rental Agreement for your property.

First, you must determine what type of market the property will appeal to. If it’s a residential home, such as a single family house, duplex or apartment complex, then your market will likely be those that are looking for a place to settle down for a while and stay put. For this type of property you would want to offer a Lease.

However, if your property is in the heart of the business district, close to a college campus, near a military base, etc., then a Rental Agreement may be the best option for you. Most especially if you are having a hard time finding someone to rent the property in the first place.

Let’s examine what each agreement consists of so you have a better idea of what would work best for you:

Continue reading : Lease or Rental Agreement… That is the Question »

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There have been many times when out dining with my in-laws, that one or both of them have forgotten their reading glasses and have to strain to read the menu. When that happened to Susan Perry, while dining with her blind niece, she realized there were few options and got a great idea. What if the menu talked?

Your first thought may be that there are Braille menus for the blind, but less than ten percent of blind individuals can read Braille. That fact is what truly motivated Susan Perry to pursue her idea. And, after three months challenges and an investment of $300,000 of her own money (including the patent, legal fees and a lot of trial and error), the first prototype of “Menus that Talk” was born.

Continue reading : For Vision Impaired Diners: Menus that Talk »

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When you are in a leadership position, what is the one principle that is the root of everything you do across the board? Lead by example. Why is that? Because we live in a world of copy cats and people do what they see their leaders do.

For example, say the CEO of a company is using his petty cash account for personal expenses (such as a 2008 Mercedes), rather than business expenses. Now Bob in sales knows what the CEO is up to. And it’s likely that Bob won’t report the events. Instead, he’ll follow in his CEO’s footsteps and start requesting reimbursements for the dinner he had out last week. No one has to know it was just him, the wife and the kids. He can say it was a business dinner with potential clients. Afterall, if the CEO gets away with it, so should Bob.

Continue reading : Leading by Example in a World of Copy Cats »

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We all know that with any business venture there is risk involved - sometimes minor, often substantial. Being sued is a big risk, especially as your company grows and your network of clientèle and other businesses expands.

Especially if you have a website.

Yes, you read that right. In this lawsuit-happy world of ours, all it takes is having a website, or allowing employees to use the internet at work, to drag you and your business into the courtroom. Everything from whines about content to product trademark and patent issues - all at the click of a mouse. Don’t get me wrong, having a website is synonymous with being successful with your business. It’s practically necessary. But you should be aware of the risk it involves.

Here are some examples of what can get you and your business into trouble when it comes to the internet:

Continue reading : The Lawsuit Risks of Having a Website »

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We’ve all heard the stories. Hewlett Packard and Apple were started in someone’s garage. YouTube and Goggle were the children of brilliant, spontaneous ideas, etc., etc., etc. We love to hear that these entrepreneurs simply had an idea, ran with it, and became multi-millionaires. Because that’s what we want to happen to the businesses we’re putting our blood, sweat and tears into.

But the truth of the matter is, they’re simply stories. Fairytales of success, if you will. The reality is, most entrepreneurs get their initial idea for a bright innovation from a previous job they may have had. In fact, a study of VC-backed companies showed that 91% of them were related to the founders’ previous employment.

Continue reading : Startup Myths Keep Entrepreneurs Motivated »

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Balancing work and family life can be quite the challenge. Add a social life in the mix and you’ve got yourself one overly busy schedule to deal with most days.

Does that busy schedule affect working moms or working dads more? A survey conducted by Harris Interactive for Adecco USA may shed some light on that. The survey polled 223 employed men and 272 employed women who have at least one child.

Some of the results are as follows:

Continue reading : Flexibility is What Working Parents Desire »

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