Franchises can be safer business investments in tough times
What is the current state of franchising, given the tough economic environment?
Small Business
Articles
IT veteran to teach entrepreneurship class
Indiana University will offer a new course on entrepreneurship in the information technology sector at the IU School of Informatics
at IUPUI next semester.
Local stores promote service and uniqueness, not discounts, during holidays
Indianapolis merchants are banking on customer loyalty to achieve sales they hope will surpass the gloomy expectations forecast
for the holiday shopping season.
Name change, consolidation streamlines company mission
The corporate name change to ‘That’s Good HR’ strengthens the identity of staffing firm.
Faerber endures despite changes in its industry
Founded in 1983, Faerber’s Bee Window’s main product — windows — has changed dramatically, as has almost every aspect
of
its business, from manufacturing to marketing.
Little Rox revisits ’70s Pet Rocks fad
Little Rox offers 20 varieties of rocks, each tied to a character trait such as humility, honesty and tolerance, and sell
online for $15 each.
Sashay Modeling and Finishing School successful in first year
After a 25-year real estate career, Claudia Lynch opened a modeling/acting school after she couldn’t find a quality school
where her own grandchildren could have fun, learn poise and gain confidence.
Despite recession, small businesses support charity
In the Indianapolis area, small-business owners told IBJ that they give in whatever
way they can, and would like to continue as long as their finances allow. But a Chronicle
of Philanthropy survey indicates that giving is already on the decline.
Teens not as eager to go it alone in biz
In its seventh annual "Teens and Entrepreneurship" poll, Junior Achievement has found that 13- to 18-year-olds are
less interested
in starting their own businesses than they were a year ago.
After a dozen years, Natural Stone Specialist growing seeks more commercial biz
Twelve years after opening Natural Stone Specialists, Laura Christy is still just as passionate about the Carmel-based business,
which
sells high-end stone, metal and glass tiles.
Lean companies have best chance to survive
Make your business look as attractive as possible to your banker because you are competing for financing with other small
businesses.
To survive lean times ahead, small businesses must plan now
Small businesses should plan for the worst while being attuned to what is happening in their industries, and to their customers.
Here are tips for small biz survival during recession
For small businesses to survive, they must be prepared to withstand economic difficulties for some time…
Turbulent times spell opportunity for small businesses
Healthy banks have adopted stronger risk prevention measures for good reasons, but it’s important to know that well-performing
banks are still writing loans for small business and servicing their needs every day.
Winter farmers market to open
A new market called Indy Winter Farmers Market is scheduled to open Nov. 15 at 2442 N. Central Ave. It will be open all winter
on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Benefits to buying or leasing in a troubled economy
As real estate professionals well know, a troubled economy is making it harder to negotiate and close deals. However, buying or leasing real estate in a troubled economy also provides great opportunities for buyers and tenants. Real estate brokers often talk about it being a buyer’s and renter’s market and focus on selection and price; however, there are several other benefits when buying or leasing commercial real estate in a troubled economy. These additional benefits include tax abatements or credits…
Was HIP program enough?: Candidates spar over impact of Daniels’ health reforms
Just how big of a deal was the Healthy Indiana Plan? That seems to be the key question dividing Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels and his Democratic challenger, Jill Long Thompson, in their competing plans over health care reform. Daniels’ campaign for re-election points to his administration’s ongoing rollout of the Healthy Indiana Plan as his entire plan for health care reform in his second term. The plan, which uses cigarette tax revenue to offer health insurance and health savings accounts…
No perfect fit for Main Street: Small-business owners fall on both sides of political line
Joe the Plumber has been getting plenty of attention in recent weeks, but what about Kimberly the Merchant or John the Manufacturer? For all the talk about whether this year’s presidential candidates favor Wall Street or Main Street, there’s little discussion of the fact that neither Democrat Barack Obama nor Republican John McCain may be perfect for all small-business owners. Indianapolis manufacturing firm owner John Raine is backing McCain because of his stance on taxes and labor unions. Local shop…
NOTIONS: Lessons learned from the candidates’ communications
Have I told you about my e-mail from Sarah Palin? Did you know that Obama campaign manager David Plouffe briefs me on campaign strategy? I’ve let slip, haven’t I, that Bill Clinton invited me to his place to munch on potato chips and watch Hillary’s televised debate? I receive streaming video from Gov. Mitch Daniels letting me look in on campaign stops statewide. His opponent, Jill Long Thompson, connects via Facebook. And at 3 a.m. one Saturday, Barack Obama texted…
Entrepreneurs say businesses must act quickly to survive recession
Indiana’s most seasoned entrepreneurs aren’t standing idly by as the nation slides into what many economists believe will
be the deepest recession since the early 1980s.