Culture

The Telephone Tree in Reverse

So you want to know something you don’t know. Here’s one way to find out. Get on the phone. Think of somebody to call first. Come on, you can think of somebody. Somebody who might have some idea. No ideas at all? Then call up the local Small Business Development Center, if you have one...

By Tim Berry

90% of success is just showing up

People always wonder what it takes to really be successful. I remember wondering as I graduated from college whether I would “make it” in the “real world.” I somehow had this picture  that everyone would be smart and hard working and know what they were doing. 12 years out I know the sad reality of...

By Sabrina Parsons

The very definition of the word

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a conversation and realized you weren’t quite sure what a particular turn of phrase from someone might be? There are several online business term dictionaries and glossaries out there to make sure you’ll never again have to guess what the business term “mouse milk” means.  ...

By Bplans

Who Teaches Entrepreneurship?

Fortune Small Business has a quick and easy list of business schools with entrepreneurial flair, complete with short summary and picture of each of the schools they mention. That first list is about graduate business degrees, the classic MBA degree. I got drawn into it, and clicked most of the other links there offering lists...

By Tim Berry

The Sample Business Plans You Won’t See…

At Palo Alto Software, we pride ourselves on the wide variety of sample business plans that we offer in Business Plan Pro.   From car wash to pharmacy and most everything in between, there are plans that entrepreneurs will find to help them start their particular type of businesses.   But below are 5 actual “ventures” that,...

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Why waste time planning when ignorance is instantaneous

The title here is a slight paraphrase from one of my favorite Calvin and Hobbes strips by Bill Watterson. Calvin has to write a report for class.  He knows nothing about his topic, yet complains about what a busy guy he is, with all the important stuff he, a six-year old, has on his schedule,...

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Does It Make You Happy?

This week I went to University of Oregon to talk at the Computer Science department about working in the the industry, and how I managed to have a career in technology, but still have a life. As I put together slides to keep me on point during the hour presentation I thought about the message...

By Sabrina Parsons

Flight 7677 is Now Boarding

Traveling for business can sometimes seem glamorous and fun – you generally get to travel to fun cities and hopefully have some free time to explore and experience something new – all on someone else’s dime. While this certainly can be the case, it can also be hectic, exhausting and lonely. While I would have...

By Kristen Langham