Philippe Matthews Show Guru Advice, Author Reviews, Tech Reviews, Entertainment News

Companies that provide most of their value through independent contractors are always at risk. Heres how to create a model that's win-win for the business, contractor and customer

There's a weird tendency among business owners: to hire clones of themselves.

Forget flash mobs. This new kind of group supports local shops

A recent survey found more than half of small business owners are ill-prepared for retirement. Learn what the most common misconceptions are. For many small business owners , focusing on immediate goals such securing lending or growing their business can leave little room to adequately consider the future and retirement plans–a situation reflected in a survey from Fidelity Investments that found 53 percent of the nation’s six million small businesses may not have the retirement plan best suited for their needs

By definition, “craft” is an art or occupation requiring special skill and, if my taste buds have any say in the matter, the craft beer industry exemplifies the word. The Boston Beer Company founder and chairman Jim Koch was a key pioneer of the craft beer movement; in April 1985, he debuted his Samuel Adams Boston Lager in about 25 bars and restaurants in Boston. While it didn't have the trappings of a company that was about to change the industry, Samuel Adams had two key qualities in its favor: a full-flavored quality beer, and an incredible passion.

Three of every four "small business" contracts awarded by the U.S. government go to the likes of Apple, Chevron and GE. In the last fiscal year, 72 of the federal government’s top 100 small business contractors were some of the world’s largest companies

Young entrepreneurs often pursue funding first, product second. That's a dangerous path--and it won't do your company much good.

When it comes to capital spending, hiring, and obtaining credit, small business owners are looking on the bright side. Despite an economy that’s far from recovered, soaring gas prices, and the import-price index creeping upward, small businesses are showing a surprising amount of confidence as it pertains to capital spending, hiring, and obtaining credit. In the recent Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, small business owners said they plan to increase capital spending by 28 percent, a notable four-year high

Google and Microsoft were once start-ups.

President Obama and the Treasury Department proposed a major overhaul to the corporate tax rate. Here's what it means for small business

Greg Brooks, founder of Sub Sea Research, a small business in Maine, is setting off on a journey to salvage a $3 billion underwater wreck. One Maine entrepreneur is hoping to turn a $5 million investment into a $3 billion payday. Greg Brooks, founder and owner of Sub Sea Research, a Portland, Maine-based business that hunts for treasure, recently came across the biggest find of his career: 1.7 million ounces—62,500 pounds—of platinum aboard a scuttled cargo ship that sank in 1942

Here's tips on how to keep groups focused and not waste time from Scott Gerber, founder of the Young Entrepreneur Council, and Adam Toren, co-founder of Small Business BIG Vision.

The recession is ending. Will you be ready?

If you dont know which products create the most value for your business, youre probably missing out on key growth opportunities. Using product profitability or bottom line value creation to help determine the appropriate marketing mix is one of the more difficult metrics for management teams to accurately measure.

A new survey shows that business owners, as usual, are more optimistic than everyone else. Here's why that's no longer a sign that they're crazy. Small businesses owners – as a group – may be the most irrationally exuberant people in the nation right now