Leonard Shostak's blog

Lots of small businesses come into operations each year but not all of them remain afloat. Even for those that manage to stay in business, not all are equally successful--not only from a financial standpoint but also from an operational efficiency, leadership and team effectiveness standpoint. One of the key factors that determines the long-term success of a small business is its leadership. Here are 5 habits that successful small business leaders demonstrate.

In my recent blog post on the 3 Key Changes You Should Know About Small Business Loans I reviewed key improvements made by the government to the loan application and approval process, which streamline some of the requirements banks use to grant SBA-backed loans.

I will be giving a presentation on "Business for Developers" at the Perl::Dancer Conference in Hancock, New York on Wednesday, October 8. Based on my 20 years of experience as a technology consultant and then business development consultant, as well as my entrepreneurial background, the presentation will provide developers with practical tips and techniques for managing the business side more effectively in order to be able to focus on development and still have a great quality of life.

With the changing global economy and the rising interest in independent employment, the number of people interested in starting a business has increased significantly. It has become more popular to follow trends in entrepreneurship and best practices in creating businesses. If you have been thinking of starting your own business but have uncertainties about what business to start, here are 5 questions to ask before taking the next step.

If you are a huge fan of standup comedy and improv classes, shows at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in NYC are an excellent way to spend an evening or weekend of entertainment filled with laughter. In a digital era in which we are inundated with TV shows and online options to make us laugh, more often than not we forget the power of live standup comedy or the less conventional choice of picking up a book written by the same TV comedians we watch.