We all know that when things just start to go smoothly, it usually doesn’t last very  long.   Personal emergencies with yourself or family members can pop up out of nowhere.   Given the choice, of course you have to tend to the crisis first.   But where does that leave your business?   Who will take over where you leave off?   What happens if you can’t attend to your small business for days on end?

Bonnie Price, a contributor to WomenEntrepreneur.com, suggests keeping an up to date binder with all of your small business’ critical information.   Bonnie provides a helpful list, of information your binder should contain, in  her article “Keep Your Business Humming Amid A Personal Crisis“.  …

So, you have a small business and you’re trying to build your brand from the ground up.   What  steps can you take to  establish your own well known brand with limited funds?   SEOBook.com has published a list of 11 ideas and resources for building your brand.  

The article mentions  reputation as  one of the ways to  strenghthen your brand.   Reputation is one of those things that can  make or break your business.   At the beginning of your journey, it  is so important to keep an untarnished reputation in order to grow your company.   It’s impossible to ask consumers to  put faith in your unfamiliar brand when you have a less than perfect  track record.…

I often come across successful small businesses and wonder how on earth they came up with their ideas.   Some of these small businesses start from the most unusual  circumstances.   Take this article,  written by Justin Petruccelli on Entrepreneur.com, for instance, “They’ve Got Baggage“.   This article is written about  Doyle Evans who  in  1970 started selling contents of unclaimed baggage in Scottsboro, Alabama.   The business quickly grew into a 40,000 square foot building which currently  attracts more than a million tourists to the small town yearly.

Is any business idea too crazy?    I think this success story reminds us that even an idea that seems unlikely, is possible.  …

We all know that being an entrepreneur, whether male or female, has it’s many ups and downs with countless daily obstacles to overcome.   I know I may ruffle some feathers here, but as a female myself, I think we encounter  more challenges than men.   I am merely speaking from my own personal experience and observations so please don’t hurt me too badly.

You may ask, “What would make you think that?”   Well let me explain; most women entrepreneurs are not only responsible for the success of their small businesses but the majority of household duties fall on their shoulders as well.  …

Last week I wrote the post, “Candle Wax + Rising Fuel Cost = Zero Profit” and was amazed at the responses I got almost immediately.   I want to thank everyone who took the time out to read and respond to my article.   I took all of your comments into careful consideration.

In response to my article;  reader Mark Riffey wrote “Quitting For The Wrong Reasons”  on his blog, Business Is Personal.   I really enjoyed reading Mark’s post written from his point of view and the quality comments it produced.  

I realize from the business side that shutting down my candle shop was probably not the best or smartest choice.  …