Is there change going on in your world? Is there a major change pending in your organization or non-profit you volunteer with? Many of us face change everywhere we look. We’ve always heard change is hard. Sometimes it is harder than other times. What if there was a formula to approach change that would help get people aligned to work together toward the needed change? Continue reading
Have you ever been so busy with the work of your business that you felt like it was time to stop and take stock of what it is you do?
Bonnie reminded me that it’s probably time we do just that. I thought I would share with you what I came up with. Continue reading
The week started with each of the 14 Roane State Community College’s Cumberland Business Incubator Make Camp 2015 campers aged 8 through 18 customizing their personal safety glasses so they could easily be identified if left behind. The amazing result? Not one camper lost their safety glasses during the 5 days of camp! 
More safety rules for use of the Maker Space followed as well as an overview of the options for Monday making; video documentary, tile art work, rockets or woodworking followed by all campers attending a Karate session taught by a third degree black belt. By the end of the first day campers were talking about production runs of some of their projects to sell. Entrepreneurs in the making! Continue reading
This 4th of July, the United States celebrated its 239th birthday. Hopefully you’re reading this with memories of a holiday weekend filled with fun and relaxation with family and friends.
In honor of our founding fathers, I share a few quotes that apply to business, from some of the more notable men who signed one of the greatest documents ever drafted. It’s amazing that these concepts hold as true today as they did over 200 years ago. Continue reading
John Steele Gordon
The following is adapted from a speech delivered in San Diego, California, on November 15, 2013, at a Hillsdale College Free Market Forum on the topic “Markets, Government, and the Common Good.”
The word “entrepreneur”—one who undertakes, manages, and assumes the risk of a new enterprise—comes from the French, where it literally means “undertaker.” The word was borrowed into English in the mid-19th century—perhaps the golden age of the entrepreneur—when the number of new economic niches was exploding. The activity of entrepreneurship, of course, is much older, going back to ancient times. As for America, our nation was founded, quite literally, by entrepreneurs. Continue reading
Offering value is not enough. If no one knows (or cares) about what you have to offer, it doesn’t matter how much value you create. Without Marketing, no business can survive – people who don’t know you exist can’t purchase what you have to offer, and people who aren’t interested in what you have to offer won’t become paying customers. Continue reading
Many small business owners start out thinking they will do everything they possibly can in their business to keep costs low, including doing their own accounting. Some have learned the hard way that small errors can add up to a big mess. Continue reading
We just filed a report with the Economic Development Administration (EDA) on the impact the Cumberland Business Incubator has had since February, 2013. Our number for Private Investment Generated came to $1,423,400! This is money that our clients have spent in their businesses on real estate, building expansion, equipment, rent and build out. Continue reading
Your initial employees can make or break the place. Choose wisely.
The first few employees at your startup are crucial. They set the tone for your company and determine whether you fade out or make it to the next level.
“Hiring the right people is absolutely critical in the beginning, because each person you add will have a significant impact on shaping what will – and won’t – be valued, and how people will behave,” says Chris Cancialosi, founder and managing partner of gothamCulture, a New York-based organizational consultancy. Cancialosi was interviewed for Entrepreneur magazine about attracting and selecting employees to create the right corporate culture from the start. Continue reading
From Forbes by Ryan Frankel
Technology, access to capital and tremendous desire to start a business has made launching a new venture easier than ever. The growth in new businesses has been met by a proliferation in business accelerator programs designed to help entrepreneurs launch and scale their pursuits through carefully designed programs and access to mentors, talent and capital. Continue reading