Tip Of The Week - The Business Journals

You can search all over for advice on running a business, but only we can give you insights from market intelligence and stories told by real businesspeople. Whether it's finding funding, making a home-run hire or any other issue you face as the boss of a small business, we have you covered. Turn to this space each week for advice and insight from experts that will help you navigate the twists and turns that come with entrepreneurship.

Oct 6, 2014, 8:35 am EDT
6 business etiquette reminders that would make mom proud

Practice good cell phone etiquette by keeping your phone in your briefcase, purse, or pocket. When you place your phone on the desk, table, etc. between yourself and whomever you’re meeting with, you’re signaling that the phone is just as important as they are. Click for more etiquette tips!
Sep 28, 2014, 5:47 pm EDT
7 strategies for balancing work and life

When the people around you have balanced lives, it’s more likely that you will, too. Tell your team about your commitment to a work-life balance and ask them what they need to achieve balance in their lives. Click for more tips!
Sep 21, 2014, 11:49 am EDT
5 signs of high performance to look for in job candidates

Follow the paper trail. Talented hard workers will present sterling resumés with excellent work histories, top-notch references, and glowing letters of recommendation. Click for more tips!
Sep 14, 2014, 10:17 am EDT
8 tips for creating strong passwords (and still remember them)

The longer your password, the more time it will take password-cracking software to access it. Whenever possible, use a minimum of nine characters. Click for more tips on creating a strong password.
Sep 7, 2014, 8:37 pm EDT
How to lay off employees with dignity

When you reduce headcount but not workload, the leftover tasks get reassigned to already overworked top performers. Eliminating or reducing work can help keep chaos at a minimum when you have to layoff employees.
Sep 2, 2014, 7:20 am EDT
How to find a banker who adds value to your business

When deciding on a banker, pick the individual who has substantial tenure and business acumen outside of banking. The best lender for your small business is rarely the hard-charging, promotable, fast-tracker. The tenured expert who loves working with businesses is the far more valuable choice. Click for more tips!
Aug 24, 2014, 8:48 am EDT
5 credit card mistakes that will cost you

Anytime you close out old credit cards, you are raising your credit utilization ratio, which compares the total used credit to total available credit to provide a percentage that directly impacts your credit scores and helps lenders determine how risky it is to loan you money. Click to see more credit card tips.
Aug 17, 2014, 10:17 pm EDT
10 ideas for your new business grand opening

Regardless of the size of your store, you want to make sure visitors are able to easily navigate your store and find the products they want. Guided tours will also provide you with feedback about the design of your store.
Aug 4, 2014, 8:58 am EDT
4 ways to create powerful landing pages for your website

A landing page should be viewed as a campaign- or message-specific page that is best used when you want to track the success of a traditional marketing effort. Here are the best ways to make them.
Jul 27, 2014, 9:39 am EDT
5 ways to minimize interruptions and keep your focus

Distractions come in many forms, and it’s important to recognize the power they have on your overall productivity. Here are some of the biggest distractions people face at work — plus some solutions for staying focused.
Jul 20, 2014, 2:02 pm EDT
10 warning signs your business is out of focus

Can your spouse explain what you do for a living? If not, it's a warning sign that your company's strategy is unclear. Click to see nine other warning signs that your strategy is unfocused.
Jul 11, 2014, 10:05 pm EDT
How to curb your smartphone addiction

Experts say one way to curb your smartphone usage is to only check it between meetings and to let messages pile up. See more ideas so you can concentrate better and feel more relaxed.
Jul 7, 2014, 7:26 am EDT
How to keep your employees from getting bored

Determine a higher purpose for your business. When employees feel a sense of purpose within a company or community, more work gets done, more ideas are developed, and less boredom results. Click for five more tips to help you combat boredom in your workplace and help you engage employees for long-term employment and growth.
Jun 30, 2014, 1:36 pm EDT
3 ways to win the war against your inbox

One idea is to go back to instant messaging. Many companies use IM to reduce the internal email exchange. If you have a quick question that can be addressed with a call or IM to a colleague, go that route.
Jun 23, 2014, 9:26 am EDT
3 key steps for building a culture of excellence

To get a highly functional team, you need to define what cultural “excellence” means to you and outline behaviors and key performance indicators that reflect those values. Here are some key steps to take to get started.