Rosalind Resnick | Page 2

Last night, my web developer and I were batting around some marketing ideas for a new site that we’re creating and he told me the problem he’s having in building his business. Even though he’s a talented guy who can troubleshoot technical problems and whip up cool software in a flash, my developer lives project […]

There’s an ongoing debate about whether going to business school prepares you to start a business. After all, business schools teach things like corporate case studies, financial modeling and regression analysis while building a company takes guts, passion, luck and endless pleas to your friends and relatives for money. But one question that rarely gets […]

Start early to set the best course for retirement--no matter how far off it may seem.

One of the problems with running a small business is that it’s hard to know if you’re winning or losing in the daily struggle to take your business to the next level. Unlike the CEO of a publicly traded company, there’s no stock exchange to tell you if your company is worth more today than […]

If the market isn’t buying what you’re selling, maybe it’s time to take your lemons and turn them into lemonade. Last week, I sat down with my colleague Joe Fulvio of Third Coast Partners, a management consultant who has spent more than 25 years helping clients enter new markets and capitalize on new business opportunities, […]

When raising capital for a startup business, the friends-and-family route generally offers the path of least resistance. Turns out a recession changes everything. Recently, I sat down with two clients who needed help with their business plans. Though their industries were poles apart (fashion and financial services), they shared a common problem. The friends-and-family well […]

In the perennial horse race between Silicon Alley and Silicon Valley, New York-area companies have pulled ahead by a nose. While Northern California’s tech community still receives the lion’s share of venture funding, Big Apple startups raised $566 million in the first quarter, up 18.9 percent from the fourth quarter of 2009 and 32 percent […]

When it comes to sinking your money into the art market, caution is critical.

The mating dance that entrepreneurs do with prospective investors–venture-capital firms, angels or even just friends and family members–has obvious parallels to the dating scene. On the one hand, you don’t want to seem so eager for a term sheet that the investor thinks you’re desperate and tries to low-ball you. On the other, you don’t […]

The problem with most small-business owners, Michael Gerber famously wrote in his book, The E-Myth, is that they’re technicians, not managers. In other words, they can bake a great cake but couldn’t run a bakery if their lives depended on it. Turns out that cake-baking (or plumbing, hair styling or bookkeeping) is a good skill […]

As a consultant who works with startups and small businesses, I often meet with partners who are launching a business together. Whether they’re married couples, high school buddies or friends from a previous job, they’re usually in the honeymoon phase of their relationship, all lovey-dovey and optimistic about the future. But, occasionally, I’ll meet with […]

Are small business owners starting to feel more bullish about the economy? If you’re a trend-watcher like me, it’s hard to know for sure. According to The National Federation of Independent Businesses’ Small Business Optimism Index‘s latest survey, small-business owners are still reluctant to spend or hire, their confidence shaken by slumping sales, price declines […]

Advice for small-business owners on how to finance your kids' college educations

It seems most of the government's $787 billion went to states and big companies. So what's left for small businesses?

Popular social networking platforms aren't the only sites making money online.

Knowing what you're getting into with life insurance will prevent you from overpaying--and from being underinsured.

Tax-savvy ways to ensure that your children are financially secure after your death

Don't offer your customers products--offer them solutions, connections and satisfaction.

Ask yourself these 5 questions before deciding to go it alone.

Even amid signs of an economic bounce, it's still wise for entrepreneurs not to tie up their capital.

Savvy investors know to read the fine print about money-management charges.

Rev up your ROI by choosing the best medium for your message.

A three-pronged strategy for where to park your cash in a recession

If you want real results, ditch the slideshow.

Do some research before signing the dotted line.

It may be time to stop taking those longstanding relationships for granted.

If you know your price is right, it's smarter to add a few useful extras than it is to charge less. Added value is worth more than a sale any day.

Unless you have other income streams, yes, you should.

As with any other investment, understand the risks before putting money in the pot.

Make sure your risk tolerance and investment strategy align.