General

You want to make more money. Good for you. And it’s good business. Here’s the problem. A customer balks at your prices....

The new water heater efficiency standards become effective April 16, 2015. Issued in April of 2010, the new regulations require higher Energy...

It’s that time of year again! The holidays, when small-business owners face myriad challenges – a slowdown and a bit of quiet,...

Service-based businesses thrive on delivering top-notch results to customers. Delivering bad news requires quite a different skill set.“Often, news is bad only...

One of the most difficult challenges that small-business owners face today is finding, recruiting and retaining new talent, yet few have a...

When John Baethke visited the doctor recently, he was greeted by a male nurse with a bunch of visible tattoos. And, Baethke...

It’s one of the biggest paradoxes of entrepreneurship: The thing that should be so easy and so enticing — taking a little...

Drain and pipeline cleaners and plumbers all have a story to tell, whether it’s about that peculiar object you found lodged in...

The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC) of New Jersey, with help from the Association of New Jersey Apprenticeship Coordinators (ANJAC) and the U.S....

When John Baethke’s grandfather started a business 65 years ago that would later become John Baethke & Son Plumbing in Chicago, he...

If your business isn’t using cellphones, it’s probably time to rethink that. Whether you view them as a technological blessing or a...

During the fast-paced summer months there often isn’t time to catch your breath. But what about the slow winter months when snow...

As business owners, we love to discuss ways to improve our employees’ attitudes. Throw a party. Tell inspiring stories at the company...

People can say some pretty crazy things to get off work. Admit it, you may even have been tempted yourself. And with...

As the owner of a 25-year-old sewer rehabilitation and drain cleaning business, I’ve learned the ins and outs of growing a company...

It may show up as white crumbling concrete around an outlet or as rusty streaks on the side of a tank, but...

In the hectic day-to-day operations of a business it’s not always top-of-mind to step back and really check in with customers as...