Tim Knox

Starting Your Business By The Book

I've gotten several questions recently about the legalities of starting a business. So, this week I thought I would address a few of the more common legal issues most new businesses face. But first, let's get the mandatory legal disclaimer out of the way:... Read >

When It Comes To eBay, Don't Follow The Herd

Q: I want to start an online business. Since I don't know anything about ecommerce and building websites and such, I'm thinking about starting out selling products on eBay, then pay someone to build a website for me once the money starts coming in. The bi... Read >

Online Payments Make It Easy For Your Customers To Buy

In the last column we discussed the process of credit card enabling your brick-and-mortar business. I pointed out that research has shown that accepting credit cards can help increase revenue and speed up cash flow. This week we will look at setting up an... Read >

Perceived Value Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

Q: My partner and I are having a hard time coming up with what we feel is the perfect price for our new product. We know what competing products sell for, but we don't know if it's better to price our product cheaper than theirs or charge more based on wh... Read >

Investing In Son's Business Could Cause A Real Family Feud

Q: My youngest son wants to borrow $5,000 to start his own business. My wife is afraid to tell him no. She thinks we should just give him the money and not expect anything in return. I disagree. He doesn't have a very good track record with money, so I'm ... Read >

The Other New Year's Resolution

Since this is my first column of 2004, I thought we'd spend a few minutes talking about those well-intentioned, though seldom kept promises we call New Year's Resolutions. In addition to "This year I will lose weight!" and "This year I will stop smoki... Read >

Franchising Pros and Cons

Last week's question from Anthony R. on how to choose the franchise that would best fulfill his life-long dream of owning his own business sparked a number of emails from other readers wanting to offer their two cents on the subject. Some folks offered... Read >

Taxing Your eBay Profits

As a small business person-slash-advice columnist I dread the first quarter of the new year. Not because in my mind my own business fortunes start at zero again every January or because I have already dismissed every New Year's resolution I made when the ... Read >

Do You Have What It Taks To Be An Entrepreneur

Q: I am interested in starting my own business. I have a business degree and lots of experience in my chosen field, but I don't know if I have the necessary skills to really make it on my own. Any advice? Marie C. A: You've hit the nail on the head, M... Read >

How To Handle Customer Billing Snafus

Q: I just discovered that for the past six months I have been billing a client half of what I should have been. Should I just include the total of the past due balance on his next bill or contact him first to let him know that it's coming? This client has... Read >

Entrepreneurs Just Get Better With Age

Q: I'm thinking about starting a business after I retire next month. I'll be 65. Am I too old to start a business? -- Milton A. A: Milton, congratulations on your pending retirement. I find it admirable that after many years of hard work you are th... Read >

The Business Autopsy: A Fact Of Life

Last week we discussed the importance of performing an autopsy on a dead business. No, I haven't been watching too many of those wonderfully graphic, TV forensic investigation shows. The reason I recommend you do a business autopsy is to uncover the exact... Read >

The Thick Line Between Buddy and Boss

Q: One of my key employees is giving me trouble. He has started showing up late for work and has developed a bad attitude in general. The rest of my employees are complaining since they are having to take up his slack. I've tried talking to him, but he do... Read >

What's The Customer Service Buzz About Your Business?

If you're a regular reader of this column you know that my number one pet peeve is bad customer service. Nothing chaps my backside more than paying hard-earned money for a product or service only to have the provider of said product or service become apat... Read >