Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/MomPreneurs-Resources-Available-for-WomenOwned-Businesses.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/MomPreneurs-Resources-Available-for-WomenOwned-Businesses.html The National Women's Business Council, which advises the Small Business Administration, estimates that in 2008 there were 7.2 million majority-owned, privately-held, women-owned businesses in the United States, employing 7.3 million people and generating $1.1 trillion in sales. Here are some organizations and resources that help women-owned businesses succeed. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/Family-Businesses-Face-Unique-Challenges-What-Makes-Them-Different.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/Family-Businesses-Face-Unique-Challenges-What-Makes-Them-Different.html In matters of cash flow and marketing, a family-owned or closely-held business is the same as any other small business. But family-owned and closely held businesses also they have significant differences, especially when it comes time to talk about retirement, resale, or transitioning the business to the next generation. Here were some key points noted by the Family Business Institute on what makes family-owned businesses different: http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/10-Tips-On-How-to-Assess-a-Market-Opportunity.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/10-Tips-On-How-to-Assess-a-Market-Opportunity.html The saving grace of small businesses in tough times may be their ability to be nimble but that doesn't mean you can act on a whim. There's due-diligence necessary before you change product lines, expand into new markets, or launch new offers to improve your business. Here are 10 questions to ask before deciding on a new direction: http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/What-is-a-Coverdell-Education-Savings-Account.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/What-is-a-Coverdell-Education-Savings-Account.html Everyone wants to be able to save money for their child’s education. A Coverdell Education Savings Account is a tax advantaged savings account that empowers your efforts, making more of your hard earned savings for your child’s education. Read on to learn more about a Coverdell Education Savings Account. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/Deciding-Bewteen-a-Roth-IRA-Versus-a-Traditional-IRA.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/Deciding-Bewteen-a-Roth-IRA-Versus-a-Traditional-IRA.html Are you starting to plan for you retirement and wondering what the difference is between a Roth IRA versus a Traditional IRA? Read on to find out… http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/What-is-a-SelfDirected-IRA.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/What-is-a-SelfDirected-IRA.html What is a Self-Directed IRA? If you’ve got a certain market knowledge and savvy that you’ve gained over the years, then a Self-Directed IRA might be the best option to help fund your retirement account. Read on to find out how… http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/What-is-a-Traditional-IRA.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/What-is-a-Traditional-IRA.html If you are starting to research ways to start planning for your retirement, you may have run across the option of opening a traditional IRA, or individual retirement account, and wondered what a traditional IRA is, and is it the best option for you and your retirement? Read on to find out more… http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/Create-marketing-messages-for-customers--not-lawyers.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/Create-marketing-messages-for-customers--not-lawyers.html Cisco Innovators Forum guest blogger Susan Fantle finds that endless news stories about the threat of lawsuits have made companies become very cautious. Being aware of the legal boundaries of marketing is important, but for strong, compelling messages, marketers should push their message to the limit and object when the company lawyers weaken it too much. Here’s how and why. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/How-to-Raise-Prices.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/How-to-Raise-Prices.html Bob Goedjen, guest blogger at Cisco Innovators Forum says that if 90% of entrepreneurs have under-priced themselves, plus many businesses have cut prices during the recession, how do you raise prices now that the economy is picking up again? I asked Bob Goedjen of Silicon Valley SCORE to give us his insights. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/Delegating-in-a-Distributed-World-New-Demands-on-the-CEO.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/5192/Delegating-in-a-Distributed-World-New-Demands-on-the-CEO.html In a distributed world, a CEO is called upon to adopt new methods of delegation. There's a higher level of writing, documentation and communication skills demanded of the CEO. I recently interviewed Mark Levi and Mark Henricks for a Cisco BizWiseTv interview: "Keys to Delegating in a Distributed World".