14.2 Disaster Assistance LEARNING OBJECTIVE Learn about the sources of disaster assistance for the physical and/or economic losses of small business. Do not assume that all small businesses will qualify for disaster loan assistance or that insurance will cover the costs of all losses. A small business owner may have to depend on other forms of financial assistance—for example, savings, friends, and family.Darrell Zahorsky, “Disaster Recovery Decision Making for Small Business,” About.com,… Read More »Disaster Assistance

14.1 Icebergs LEARNING OBJECTIVES Understand the kinds of disasters that can face a small business. Understand why disaster planning is important to a small business. Describe the process of disaster planning. Describe the sources of disaster assistance for small businesses. A natural or a man-made disaster is but the tip of the iceberg. Planning for the complexity of what lies below the tip is important for every small business. Small- to… Read More »Icebergs

Chapter 14-Icebergs and Escapes SoBe Source: Used with permission from John Bello. John Bello and Tom Schwalm founded SoBe Beverages in Norwalk, Connecticut, in 1996. The name is an abbreviation of South Beach, the well-known upscale area in Miami, Florida. John describes SoBe as playfully irreverent, having brand equity with meaning, a cult brand that resonates in the marketplace. He attributes the company’s success to some luck, missteps by the… Read More »Icebergs and Escapes

13.5 Personnel Efficiency LEARNING OBJECTIVES Understand the importance of meetings. Understand why meetings fail. Understand the importance of an agenda. Learn about behavioral issues in meetings. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be “meetings.”“Wanderings: Dave Barry Learned All This in 50 Years,” Brent Zupp, accessed February 6, 2012, www.wanderings.net/notebook/Main/ThingsLearn50YearsDaveBarry. Dave Barry Meetings… Read More » Personnel Efficiency

13.4 Going Lean LEARNING OBJECTIVES Understand the basic logic of lean thinking. Understand the sources of waste for a manufactured product. Understand the sources of waste for a service. Learn about the five Ss of lean. Waste is worse than loss. The time is coming when every person who lays claim to ability will keep the question of waste before him constantly. The scope of thrift is limitless.Thomas Edison, “Thomas A… Read More »Going Lean

13.3 Organizational Efficiency LEARNING OBJECTIVES Understand the eight dimensions of product quality. Understand the five dimensions of service quality. Learn about the Deming philosophy of quality management. Learn about the fundamentals of Six Sigma quality management. When considering effectiveness or efficiency improvements on an organizational level, one generally thinks in terms of programs: projects with some battery of tools and techniques. Quite often, the businessperson is confronted with choosing from a… Read More »Organizational Efficiency

13.2 Creativity LEARNING OBJECTIVES Understand the three fundamental innovation strategies. Understand what supports creativity in individuals and businesses. Learn what may repress creativity in individuals. Learn about some tools that may help individuals and organizations become more creative. Money never starts an idea; it is the idea that starts the money.“Owen Laughlin Quotes,” Searchquotes, accessed February 4, 2012, www.searchquotes.com/quotation/Money_never_starts_an_idea._It_is_always_the _idea_that_starts_the_money/17400. Owen Laughlin Thomas Friedman—the author of That Used to Be Us,Thomas Friedman and Michael… Read More »Creativity

13.1 Personal Efficiency and Effectiveness LEARNING OBJECTIVES Recognize the difference between effectiveness and efficiency. Understand the differences among first-, second-, third-, and fourth-generation time-management systems. Learn how using an activity log to see how time is spent. Learn the dos and don’ts of time management. Open any basic management textbook, and there will always be a discussion of the importance for an organization to be both effective and efficient. These are fundamental concepts. An… Read More »Personal Efficiency and Effectiveness

Chapter 13 The Search for Efficiency and Effectiveness Carrot Creative Source: Used with permission from Carrot Creative. The small in small business refers only to the number of employees or the volume of sales. It seldom refers to the level of enthusiasm, the amount of creativity, or the ability to innovate. A great example of this is Carrot Creative, a new social media agency headquartered in the Dumbo section of Brooklyn, New… Read More »The Search for Efficiency and Effectiveness

12.4 People LEARNING OBJECTIVES Understand the complexities of hiring, retaining, and terminating employees. Be aware of the laws that apply to businesses of all sizes and specifically to small businesses of certain sizes. Understand outsourcing: what it is; when it is a good idea; and when it is a bad idea. Describe ways to improve office productivity. The term human resources has been deliberately avoided in this section. This term is more appropriate… Read More »People