Great Ideas for your Small Business: Become Politically Active Dal lamagna has sold millions of tweezers. In 1996 he was busy selling himself. “Hi, I’m Dal LaMagna, and I’m running for Congress,” LaMagna said, handing out campaign flyers to sunbathers on Tobay Beach on Long Island. “LaMagna— rhymes with lasagna.” LaMagna, a successful entrepreneur, spent … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Put a Pig in Your Window Iris fuller, founder and president of Fillamento in San Francisco, cried for two hours after attending a retailing seminar by Peter Glen. They were tears of joy and inspiration. “He made such a difference in the way we do what we do,” said … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Produce an Infomercial If you think marketing your product via an infomercial is a quick and easy way to make mil- lions—think again. Industry experts say only one product in twenty actually hits the big time. Although consumers bought more than $1.5 billion worth of products via infomercials in … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Take Advantage of Special Lending Programs for Women Although there are nine million women business owners in America, employing roughly 18.5 million people, women still have a tough time securing bank loans. But there is help: the women’s prequalification program, which was launched as an experiment in 1994. The … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Finance Your Independent Film Powered by black coffee, peter hall raced downtown in New York City to pick up 10,000 slick postcards promoting Delinquent, his independent film that opened in September 1997 in Los Angeles and New York. Rushing back uptown, he double-parked in Columbus Circle, risking a ticket … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Be Talked Out of a Bad Idea Bruce tyson manages money for a living. Big money. As president of Weston Capital Management Inc., in Los Angeles, California, he manages about $150 million for wealthy entertainment- industry clients. Tyson is extremely bright, fiscally conservative, and a careful listener. He serves … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Discount Accounts Receivable Here’s another cash-flow boosting idea. If people owe you money, consider offering them a discount on the balance—if and only if they pay up immediately. Try this only after you’ve called and asked why they haven’t paid up on time. This incentive often does the trick … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Lock Your Supply Cabinet Profit-meister barry schimel shared this idea. If your office supply bill is skyrocketing, and the supply closet shelves are always empty, try locking the closet. Hand the key to one responsible person, the office manager, or if that’s not feasible, to a couple of managers … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Shop Carefully for Long-Distance Service Every day, entrepreneurs are bombarded with offers by long-distance companies. Deregulation has created absolute chaos and confusion in the marketplace. But you can sort it out if you know the right questions to ask. Gerald Dunne Jr., former chief executive officer of Group Long … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Move Your Business into a Main Street Revitalization Zone When paul curtain, owner of raymond’s Jewellers in downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota, needed a loan to remodel his store, he borrowed money, below prime rate, from a revolving fund set up especially for downtown merchants. “As a small retailer, … Read more
