How to Start a Business
Cut Costs Before You Chase More Sales
When a small business is struggling, the first instinct is almost always to sell more. More marketing, more outreach, more networking, a new offer. Sales matter, of course. But growing revenue is slow and uncertain. A new client might take months to land, and might...
Samsung Sold Noodles and Dried Goods First
On March 1, 1938, a businessman named Lee Byung-chul opened a small trading company in Daegu, in what is now South Korea. He called it Samsung, which means "three stars." It traded groceries, including noodles, dried fish and other goods made in and around the city,...
Avis Turned a Loss Into a Profit by Admitting It Was Number Two
By the early 1960s, Avis Rent a Car had a long-running problem. It was a distant second to Hertz, the clear leader in the industry, and it hadn't made a profit in more than a decade. In the year before its turnaround, it lost about $3.2 million. Most companies in that...
Local Service Businesses That Are Growing Right Now
There's a wide range of local service businesses that are growing right now and it's important to know where the biggest opportunities are and where there's growth despite rising prices and difficult economic realities. A major factor for solopreneurs and gig workers...
Offer One Add-On at the Moment They Say Yes
THE TACTIC Create one or two small, useful add-ons to your main service and offer them right when a client accepts your quote. When a client says yes to your quote, most owners send the contract, collect the deposit and get started. That's the end of the sale. But...
Turn Every Good Project Into a One-Page Case Study
THE TACTIC After every project that goes well, write a short case study: the client's problem, what you did, and what changed. Use it in proposals and on your website. Most small business websites describe services. "We offer bookkeeping, payroll and tax preparation."...
Send Every Quote Within 24 Hours
THE TACTIC Commit to sending a quote within one business day of every inquiry or sales call, using a template that makes it fast. A potential client reaches out. You have a great call. They're clearly interested. You tell them you'll send a quote, and then the week...
Rank Your Clients by What They Actually Earn You
Ask most business owners who their best client is and they'll name the one who pays the most. It's a natural answer. Big invoices feel like security. But revenue is only half of the picture. A client who pays $10,000 a year and takes 300 hours of work is earning you...
Tiffany Made $4.98 on Its First Day
In 1837, Charles Lewis Tiffany and his school friend John B. Young borrowed $1,000 from Tiffany's father and opened a small shop in New York City. It sold stationery and what were called "fancy goods": gifts, small decorative items, odds and ends. Total sales on the...
Marriott Started as a Root Beer Stand That Didn’t Sell in Winte
On May 20, 1927, J. Willard Marriott and a business partner opened a nine-stool A&W root beer stand on 14th Street in Washington, D.C. Two weeks later, Marriott married Alice Sheets, and the newlyweds were soon running the business together. Washington summers are...
Entrepreneur Magazine
- Greenwashing Won’t Save You — How Gen Z Is Rewriting the Rules of Brand Authenticity November 7, 2026Discover how Gen Z is redefining brand authenticity, challenging greenwashing and demanding transparency, sustainability and real action.
- Being ‘Good at Social Media’ Isn’t Enough to Run Your Business Accounts. Here’s What Is. November 6, 2026Invest in training your team, and your social media stops being a question mark and starts becoming one of your strongest business assets.
- How to Properly Lead a Team When the Founder Still Calls Every Shot November 6, 2026Reporting to a founder is different from reporting to a manager. Here are four ways to make this special relationship work.