Big Business Is Not America’s Enemy

The small-biz owner couldn’t make it without the big companies.

When I worked in the Philadelphia office of KPMG, the big international accounting and consulting firm, there was one senior manager who made me report to his office every morning so he could “inspect” me. That’s because, having just graduated from college, I could barely remember to wear matching socks, let alone properly knot my tie. I would frequently forget my belt. Or not comb my (long-forgotten) hair. KPMG was, and still is, a giant firm. And our clients were among the biggest companies in the world. There, I not only learned how to analyze financial statements and question transactions, but I also learned how to dress and how to behave in a corporate environment. I learned about office politics and how big businesses were run. Those lessons have helped me throughout my professional life. Particularly in running my small business.

10 Classes Every Business School Should Be Teaching

Preparing America’s future entrepreneurs for the real world.

Our country is in an education crisis! Students are graduating without jobs and owing punishing amounts of debt. Tuition continues to spiral out of control. Colleges are finding it more difficult to attract good students in light of the rising cost of education. Many experts believe we are heading towards a catastrophic bubble. Relax people. The problem isn't as disastrous as some claim. It all has to do with the curriculum. If our students emerged from universities better prepared for life in the business world, there would be more opportunities awaiting them and graduates would be fully prepared for, well, work.

You Think Philly’s Corrupt? Try Doing Business in China

Plus: Tips for entrepreneurs who want to take the risk.

A powerful government official becomes involved in a murder scandal that threatens the Chinese hierarchy. A blind activist shines light on the country’s harsh human rights policies. These are two of the big stories about China in the headlines. And they’re important. But not as important as this little story, particularly if you’re a business looking to do business in China. Last week, the New York Times revealed a few of the challenges that American movie studios were facing with the Chinese after reports surfaced that “officials in the United States” were “examining whether American film companies have violated domestic law by making illegal payments to officials in China.”

What to Do if You Become Internet Famous

9 things you should know about handling your 15 minutes (or less).

Back in December I wrote this blog post and it went viral. To date, there have been close to 700,000 views and countless other reproductions on other sites. Thousands and thousands of people have commented and tweeted about it. Al Sharpton criticized me on MSNBC, and NPR covered the post on multiple shows. CNN and the BBC covered the controversy.

What Ever Happened to [Insert Failed Philadelphia Business]?

Five Philly classics that could—and should—rise from the dead.

Fox and Sameric Movie Theaters I saw the first Superman, with Christopher Reeve, at the Fox on Market Street, and went to a ton of other films at the many Samerics around Center City. Now if I want to see a blockbuster downtown, I’m forced to risk my life in West Philly or on Delaware Avenue. Really? With all those boomers migrating into the city, there’s not room for a couple of good first-run movie theaters near Rittenhouse Square?

Gordon Ramsay Will School You

Six TV shows that can help you succeed in business.

Last weekend, my wife and I caught up on the last four episodes of Mad Men. Yes, things started out slow, but as usual we’re loving the series. There are plenty of TV shows I love that do nothing more than make me laugh. The Daily Show, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Modern Family are three that immediately come to mind. But Mad Men is different. It’s pretty much the only drama I watch.

Don’t Be Fooled by These 10 Misleading Economic Indicators

What reports like "consumer confidence" and "housing starts" really mean.

We all hear plenty of economic data every week. And recently, the news reports have been generally positive. Increased retail sales. Decreasing unemployment. A higher stock market. But it’s all relative. Sure, we’ve been seeing better numbers lately. But compared to what? The recession? A lot of the economic news is more than a little misleading. Let me give just a few examples, using data and charts from the very excellent Calculated Risk blog written by Bill McBride.

10 Ways to Profit From the Phillies

How business owners can capitalize on the team’s popularity.

Duffy’s Irish Pub in Washington D.C. announced a new promotion last week. Every time former Phillie Jayson Werth homers for the Washington Nationals, anyone in the bar at that time watching the game (and wearing Nats gear) will get a free shot. I love this. I love this not because I’m a Nationals fan (I’m not). I love this as a business owner who appreciates other business owners who come up with innovative ways to market their businesses. Why not leverage off the Phillies? They have a huge fan base, and even if they don’t make the post-season (which is looking more and more likely every time I watch them play), you can still get a lot of promotional mileage by tying your business’s fortunes to that of the team’s. Why not take a sliver of the team’s publicity and turn it into some more business for your business? Consider these 10 brilliant ideas.

Want a Job? Give Me Access to Your Facebook Page

New employment era, new rules.

We call her Aunt Dolores but she’s really not our Aunt. She is … now see if you can follow me … the 70-year-old sister of my sister’s father-in-law. We see her a lot at family functions. A year ago, Aunt Dolores got on Facebook. So she could live up to her reputation as the “fun” Aunt Dolores, she friended my teenage kids. They accepted. What happened next is no surprise. She saw pages that shocked her. Trash talking. Lewd and racy photos. Profane and filthy comments. Inappropriate postings on each others’ walls. And that was just in her bridge club group. The activity on my kids’ pages was even worse!