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Associated Press:
After three surgeries, Judy Sherer still had chronic pain in her left shoulder. She’d lost faith in her doctors, and in despair tried a new health benefit offered by her employer.
The service, Health Advocate, is a call-in center that helps customers find the right doctor, haggle over insurance coverage and manage other medical system […]
GigaOM:
Clever founders always eke the most out of every buck. But economic conditions being what they are, even the best bootstrappers could use a little extra help.
1. Phone Service/Wireless Plans
Carriers make it hard to do head-to-head comparisons of their plans. BillShrink.com will help you find the cheapest plan for your immediate needs, and then monitor […]
Starting Monday, May 12, the U.S. Postal Service will increase a First-Class Mail, 1-ounce letter from 42 cents to 43 cents, matching the average inflation rate. Prices for postcards, standard mail and parcels will also change.
Additional changes include Express Mail’s new zone-based pricing system, which means business owners could end up paying less to ship […]
Daily Breeze:
With fuel costs going through the roof, and headed even higher, small-business owners everywhere are feeling the pinch. And for travel-intensive businesses, such as those offering deliveries, it’s more like a punch in the gut. Government estimates say gas prices could hit $4 per gallon this summer.
Employees are also feeling the pinch, and the […]
Forbes:
John Wood, owner of The Green Grocer, a natural foods retailer in Portsmouth, R.I., is feeling the squeeze.
As the U.S. economy flirts with recession, another toothy threat looms: inflation. And there are few places where those rising prices sting more than in the grocer’s aisle.
“[I’ve raised prices] just three to four times per year,” in […]
Los Angeles Times:
Whittier Hearing Center Inc. has endured hard times before.
Eight recessions have come and gone since the hearing care company opened its doors in 1955. Even though the economy is souring again, the company’s owners expect that recent investments in staff education and equipment upgrades could mean higher sales this year.
“We’ve been through these […]
ABCnews:
Pinched by rising gas prices, florist Diane Alonso now spends as much time planning her delivery routes as she does creating her floral designs.
“My driver has a route. We don’t have him here all day long, just on call to make a delivery,” said Alonso, who owns Flowers By Diane in Hoboken, N.J.
The impact of […]
The Wall Street Journal:
Justin Leavens manages a gourmet-marshmallow company out of his house in Sherman Oaks, Calif. But his high-end phone system makes customers think he is toiling in a big office with scores of employees.
Callers to Leavens’s company, Plush Puffs, can dial “9″ for a company directory, hit “8″ to hear the firm’s mailing […]
Forbes:
Entrepreneurs start companies for all sorts of reasons. Maybe they have a passion, like being in control, want more flexibility–or even hate their current jobs.
But no matter the inspiration, one thing’s for sure: They’d better make money. A rising revenue line might make for good cocktail conversation, but if you don’t turn a profit–and keep […]
USA Today:
What are the real costs associated with the franchise? There are several fees that come with a franchise and you have to understand them all to get the whole picture:
• The franchise fee: This is the charge to buy the system and use the logo, etc. Usually not astronomical, it can run between, say, […]
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