Clik here to view.
Recruiters: Managing Search Vendors
Recently, we’ve been diving into the ins and outs of recruiting – when to hire a recruiter and your relationship to your recruiter. Now, we get into the kinds of recruiters and who to call for what...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Support Small Business in the Summer!
Most of us are familiar with the push to support local small businesses during the holidays with Black Friday and Small Business Saturday promotions. In Alexandria, every season is small business...
View ArticleClik here to view.
It is Time to Get Organized!
The end of summer is often a time when folks recall what they had hoped to accomplish in the calendar year and panic when they realize that there are only four months left. Where has the year gone? Why...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Making Good Business Etiquette Good for Business
This article is written by Ray Sidney-Smith of W3 Consulting, who facilitated the August SBDC Roundtable discussion: “Good Business Etiquette Gets a Better Response”. Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What the Long Tail, Netflix, Blogging & SEO Have in Common
Netflix, you might have heard of it. It’s a billion dollar company that provides movies to your devices. The company has evolved and leveraged technology better than most in its industry. When I first...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Business Plan: An entrepreneur’s attitude adjustment
This post first appeared in the Alexandria Times on September 2, 2016. It is so easy to develop a negative attitude and self-doubt. All sorts of things can trigger the downward spiral: a clumsy...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Signage – Tips for Better Messaging
The City of Alexandria has asked the Alexandria SBDC to provide specialized assistance during the next year to our retail and restaurant small businesses to increase their opportunities for success....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Are You Ready for the Unexpected?
If a hurricane or other natural or man-made disaster was to hit, would your small business be able to get back on its feet and open right away? To a large extent, that would depend on what you have...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Retail Hiring: Interview Questions
Retail Hiring: Interview Questions Recently, HR expert Patricia Frame of Strategies for Human Resources presented a comprehensive workshop on hiring, geared particularly to small retail businesses. The...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Small Business and Teaming Agreements, Part II
Disclaimer – I am not licensed to practice law or give legal advice. The information written in this blog is based on my experience negotiating hundreds of teaming agreements for large and small...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Owning Recruiting: Outsourced Recruiting Partners
This is the final installment in our series on working with recruiting partners. In my previous post, we discussed options if a client wants to “manage” recruiting. These options include executive,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Referrals and Leads: How to Give, Get and Use Them
Referrals and Leads: How to Give, Get and Use Them This blog post was written by Ray Sidney-Smith, owner of W3Consulting and facilitator of the monthly Alexandria SBDC Small Business Roundtable. It’s...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Business Plan: Don’t gripe about it, fix it
This post is written by Bill Reagan, Executive Director of the SBDC and first appeared in the Alexandria Times on September 30, 2016. Maya Angelou once wrote, “What you’re supposed to do when you don’t...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Roundtable Recap: Great Customer Service Tips We Can All Put to Use
This article is written by Ray Sidney-Smith of W3 Consulting, who facilitated the October SBDC Roundtable discussion: “Great Customer Service Tips We Can All Put to Use”. Let’s face it, Small Business...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Overtime Q&A
Businesses and nonprofit organizations have been readying themselves to comply with the new regulations on Overtime; i.e. which employees must be paid at time-and-a half for hours worked in excess of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
IRS Announces Filing Date Changes
The following blog post was sent by the Internal Revenue Service with the request that it be circulated to all employers who furnish W-2 forms to employees or 1099-MISC forms to independent...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Looking for a model? Companies ARE already purple, America!
Business leaders are expected to leave politics out of the workplace and, for the most part, that’s probably good advice. However, businesses are made up of people and people chose sides on November 8...
View ArticleClik here to view.
HVAC: Accounting for stuff only the birds can see!
Old roof top HVAC unit scheduled to be replaced. Necessary – What has this got to do with me? I am building a chic new retail store. I need to focus on the design, merchandise displays and retail...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Shop Small for the Holidays in Alexandria, VA
This holiday season, make your shopping experience memorable and worry-free in Alexandria, the DC region’s Shop Small headquarters for independent boutiques. You can opt small and shop a local...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Roundtable Recap: Last-Minute Holiday Marketing
I’m sure you are in the same race to the end of the year that most small business owners face around the country, and around the globe. No matter your political persuasion, this year’s election...
View Article