Hiring and firing. Neither are decisions I take lightly. If you hire the wrong people you risk upsetting the balance of your whole team, while firing someone obviously has serious consequences not just for the individual involved but for staff morale in general.

Marketing is a tough nut to crack. I know this as well as anyone else. But it looks like other business owners may also be thinking the same thing. And that's where taking a look at some fantastic marketing books can help.

As a small-business owner, I recognize the importance of rewarding employees who perform well and exceed expectations. I appreciate their contributions and want them to know I’m grateful. Here are inexpensive ways I came up with. 

As Thanksgiving approaches, it reminds me to be thankful - thankful for my business, thankful for my customers and, above all, thankful for my employees (without whom I wouldn’t have either).

Learning how to lead a team can be a case of trial and error, often involving learning from past mistakes. There are many management styles you may wish to follow, and there are even more to avoid, as shown in our latest infographic.

I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that I could do with a few more hours in the day? Recently I noticed that I was getting to the office earlier and leaving later, but I still seemed to have things left on my to-do list every night.

I’m always amazed when I talk to people from other businesses and they’re complaining about some of their customers. I think to myself: “Whoa! Have you ever thought where you’d be without clients? You wouldn’t even have a business.”

We all know good marketing is essential for small businesses, but it’s something that all too many owners (including myself sometimes) put to one side because we simply don’t have the budget.

The more technology develops, the less necessary it is for us to be at specific locations to get things done. Now we can work on the train, in an Uber, from a restaurant and, of course, from the comfort of our living room couches.

If you've got a great idea for a business that has the potential to drive profits and generate a customer following, there is still the matter of transforming your idea into reality. There is more to creating a small business than simply opening up shop.