"I always thought it was odd that there were lots of reviews about new cars, but no one ever bothered to provide information about whether it would be a great vehicle after 3 years and 25,000 miles. I try to accommodate that need as well as provide a wide range of auto-related information."

"Until I started blogging about problems between insurers and collision repairers over fixing vehicles, most people weren't aware that we don't have used motor vehicle safety standards. In other words, if your brand new car is involved in an accident two days after you buy it, it may not meet any of the crashworthiness or safety standards it had to meet upon leaving the factory after it's repaired and returned to you."

• 81% of all entrepreneurs plan to increase tech spending by 20% in the next two to three years



• 68% say they'll adopt new tech products in the coming year



• 36% plan to buy laptops in the next year



• 10% include blogs in their marketing plans



• 51% of all U.S. small firms lack a website



• 60% of all companies on the Internet use their site primarily to provide information about their business



• 10% of small firms with websites use the site primarily to sell goods and services over the Internet



• 26% of small firms use the company website both to provide information and to sell goods and services



• One-third of all small firms have been affected adversely by a computer virus. Some 83% currently use antivirus software

"The room where Crawford trims beards, shaves necklines and offers hair replacement has a babbling rock fountain and a view of a lush courtyard. Clients in the waiting room relax in overstuffed chairs to the tunes of Kenny G.

Upscale barbering is beginning to spread outside trendsetting areas such as New York and Los Angeles as more barbers try to win back customers lost over the last decade to the more stylish, male-friendly salons.

* * *

Since 2001, barbers have been making a slow resurgence, and the U.S. Department of Labor expects the number of barbers to grow 6 percent by 2012. That's lower than the average 28 percent expected for all personal care services, but it represents a turnaround in a trade that had been on a decades-long decline."

This is an admirable story about how to reinvigorate an aging industry when consumer tastes change. I wonder how many other small business industries could benefit from such forward-looking innovation.


Tags: Business; small business; retail; trends.

"Designers don't have time to market, and this is our way to help them market themselves. We announce each interview in advance and get the word out as widely as possible. Including these interviews has resulted in some clients for the designers. It's been a very effective way for us to demonstrate to designers that it makes sense for them to work with us, not only because of the quality furniture we have to offer, but the marketing support we give them."

"Mention this blog when you visit our store, and we'll have a token of appreciation for you."

"With the old-line manufacturing economy almost a thing of the past and service and information economies taking its place, the enticements that make a city attractive for entrepreneurs also are changing. The traditional menu of tax incentives, low office rents, and favorabl