Helping Businesses Grow & Succeed
Nearly six months ago, I interviewed Pilar Guzman Zavala, owner of Half Moon Empanadas, after she had to shut all but one of her company’s 13 locations for Argentinian style-empanadas, including the lucrative Miami International Airport sites. She and her husband and co-founder, Juan Zavala, were looking at zero sales […]
Scenario 1: Many small businesses, particularly in the hard-hit restaurant, travel, event planning and retail sectors, had to lay off or furlough most of their workforces when the economy was largely shut down. Now they may need to hire a number of employees again – and the competition is tough […]
What a difference a year makes. Going into Labor Day weekend 2019, many small businesses in South Florida were looking to close out the year strong and budget for a growth year ahead. They were hiring in a tight labor market, with the unemployment rate hovering below 4%, and they […]
Running a family business can be the same roller coaster ride as any small business. Yet there are different challenges too, much more personal ones. “With a family owned business, it’s not just the accounts payable, receivables and the bottom line. There’s also emotional capital, family, and that equation is […]
As small businesses get ready for the final quarter of the year, it’s a good time to reflect on some best practices for growth. We are beginning to see signs that the economy may slow down, which makes having a handle on all your growth levers all the more important. […]
Sometimes there is nothing better than learning from the stories of entrepreneurs in the trenches. Suneera Madhani did not set out to build a fast-growing financial technology company. She was working at a merchant payment processor and was surprised by all the complaints in the industry. After doing a lot […]
Think your business is too small for “HR” processes? Think again. It’s understandable that your growing small business is sharply focused on accelerating sales, managing cash flow and, of course, serving your customers. But with growth comes the need to hire, and with that comes the burden of complying with […]
Growth progressively slows down at family-owned businesses after the founder steps down. If you are the 2nd or 3rd generation of a family business, how can you reverse that reality? In a 2018 study, PwC found that in the first generation of a family business, 42% of family businesses have […]
Born in an era of e-commerce infancy, Zappos turned 20 this year. “People thought we could never sell shoes online. We proved them wrong. And people said it’s crazy to think customer service could be a brand. We proved them wrong on that aspect as well,” says Ryo Hanalei Zsun, […]
Setting up a new business to soar starts with the right team on the ground. Never underestimate the value of industry expertise and complementary strengths. When Maria Esther Martinez, an engineer, set out to develop Aerosens, a Miami-based technology startup serving the aviation industry, she had corporate and startup experience. […]