1-23-2017, CNBC -- Optimism among small-business owners has soared as entrepreneurs hope that President-elect Donald Trump will enact policies aimed at helping them. Trump has promised to ease regulation. While some on Main Street cheer the goal, changing anything substantial about regulation is easier said than done. But there are other ways that a Trump administration can make life easier for small businesses. Consider this five-step plan his first 100 days agenda for Main Street. Encourage large companies and the federal government to hire small businesses "Trump should create tax requirements to source more from U.S. based small supply chain companies, and use incentives to get companies to pay these suppliers more quickly and invest in them with technology and skills training," says Karen Mills, a senior fellow at the Harvard Business School and former head of the Small Business Administration. She served under President Obama from 2009 to 2013. "Instead of squeezing their supply chain constantly, large companies, in exchange for enormous tax benefits, should treat their small business suppliers like partners, creating more value and more jobs at home." Also, Trump should maintain and potentially expand the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, a competitive awards-based program that aims to encourage small-business…
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Entrepreneur, 1-18-2017 -- We all want our startup businesses to hit that coveted $1 million per year in revenue. The unfortunate truth is that only 4 percent of us actually make that goal. This past year my company scaled LeadQuizzes, our lead generation software, past the $1 million mark in less than six months. Having hit that sales mark, I now know how important it is to maintain an awareness of where you are in your business. That means really understanding: 1) the stage of business you’re in; 2) the fears and limiting beliefsholding you back; and 3) the keys to growing into that next sales bracket. Having this awareness creates more confidence and allows you to prioritize and take action. Here are the five stages I believe that you and your startup must go through to reach that understanding and hit that $1 million in sales. Stage 1: Searching For Product Market Fit Your goal at this stage should be finding a product market fit. You’re likely excited at this point, but scared. Now that you’ve jumped in to starting your business, your plan for how to grow isn’t as clear as you'd thought. What's more, you’re not making much money yet, which…
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1-17-2017, Mobile Electronics -- Being a 12-volt business is interesting and challenging. Being a 12-volt business that is family-owned and operated takes it to another level, especially considering that less than one third of family businesses survive the transition from first to second generation. Scosche, which was founded by Roger and Scotia Alves, is going on its 37th year of business with the next generation, brothers Kas Alves and Vince Alves, serving as executive vice presidents. Back in 1980, the company operated out of a residential garage in Southern California with its roots in research and consulting. When the focus turned to car audio, the first clients included heavy-hitters Alpine and Kenwood. Seeing major potential in the automotive audio aftermarket, Scosche developed their first dash kit and launched what has become a signature product category for the company. In fact, the first of the company’s 100-plus patents in 1994 was for a GM vehicle dash kit. From its humble start to a sprawling campus in Oxnard, Calif., the company now has two distribution centers. One is located on the main campus while the second one, which boasts 14 docks and 30-foot side wall construction, is based in Spruce Pine, Ala. It…
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Entrepreneur, 1-12-2017 -- We asked readers: How do you make the most of everyone's least favorite work routine? Here's what they had to say. 1. Plan ahead. Set the agenda one week ahead of time. Allow employees to comment on it prior to the meeting so they have time to really think about it -- and then stick to the agenda. -- T.J. Allan, owner, Ageless Fitness, Gillespie, Ill. 2. Be holistic. We use the principles of sociocracy to make meetings valuable. It’s a whole system approach for inclusive decision making, effective governance and the ongoing evaluation and improvement of your organization. -- Abhishek Gupta, technical consultant, Creative n Innovative Research, Jaipur, India 3. Stand up. Have all-hands-on-deck meetings standing up. We stand in a circle at 9 a.m. every morning and one by one state our goals for the day. Because we’re standing, we’re energized and we move fast. We’re done in 15 minutes. -- Aidah Omar, consultant, Leads Gen Expert Pte Ltd., Singapore 4. Make notes. Always have someone taking notes on actionable items -- who said they would do what, and when. Then have that person send the notes around after. It helps to move things along and make the meeting meaningful. -- Sandi Danilowitz, founder/CEO, The Health Engine, Toronto 5. Get clear. I have…
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1-13-2017, Autoblog -- 2016 was full of talk of autonomy, but little action beyond crazy, futuristic concept cars and announcement after announcement from automakers. If this year's CES is any indication, 2017 is going to focused on connectivity. More than that, CES showed that traditional barriers between automakers are breaking down in favor of universal and open source technology standards that will benefit both consumers and developers.CES, traditionally a showcase for the latest and greatest technology and gadgets like flat-screen refrigerators or televisions that broadcast in the fifth dimension, has become so intwined with the auto industry that we at Autoblog cover it like any other auto show. At every CES event I attended and nearly every booth I went to, there was some talk, display, or demonstration of how cars will connect to your phone and your home, and eventually each other.It seems we're heading toward the tech singularity where all devices work under one cohesive ecosystem – the Internet of Things, if you like. The difference between autonomy and connectivity is how real the latter feels because so much of the connected tech on display at CES is either here already or will be here by the end of the year.…
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1-10-2017, Mobile Electronics, January 2017 -- Choosing a career path isn't always a choice you make alone. Sometimes the world, other people, or possibly fate, intervene to shine the light on a new path. Bill Goldberg began his career tackling professional football players on the field for the Atlanta Falcons, but due to a serious knee injury, he turned to the world of professional wrestling and began tackling, or "spearing," his opponents on the way to becoming one of the most popular stars to ever grace the squared circle. Ronald Reagan began his career as an actor but got bitten by the political bug and began speaking on behalf of General Electric, which started him on his path to becoming President of the United States. Each path illustrates something many people have in common: While you don't always land in your first choice of careers, sometimes a similar, yet better option is right around the corner. Ric Moore is such a person, having started his career working in music production in 1985. "My background was live sound. I've always been interested in music. I'm one of the baby boomers that grew up on classic rock. I bought all the albums…
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