Business Insights

Insights and Advice on Running Your Own Business

By Trish • May 11th, 2011

I recently gained illicit possession of something that’s never before been seen outside the kitchen of the Original Emeril’s Restaurant in New Orleans, and I just can’t keep it secret. It’s too good to be true! It’s better than knowing what’s in Emeril’s Essence, or cracking Emeril’s confidential Cajun or Creole creations. It’s Emeril’s 15 Commandments for Excellent Customer Service. Oh, it’s hot. Spicy hot. For all us foodies out there who know first-hand how bad service can spoil the best ..read more

www.flickr.com/photos/boston_aids_africa/sets/72157623224331526/show/ Two months ago today, I was in Port-au-Prince, our last day of a 7-day humanitarian trip with World Vision. We had spent the majority of the week in the Central Plateau town of Hinche, to see how World Vision was helping the poorest of Haitians with basic healthcare, schooling for children, community agriculture, emergency relief and food distribution (in partnership with USAID). While in Port-au-Prince, we stayed at La Villa Creole in Port-au-Prince, toured the city, got our ..read more

The Recession and Social Responsibility   Yesterday on NPR‘s “All Things Considered,” Martin Kaste reported on “Selling Americans on the Virtuous Recession.” It’s a fascinating story on how Madison Avenue is helping companies capitalize on “Recession Marketing” in order to appeal to buyers during a downturn in consumer spending. In other words, according to Mary Beth West of Kraft Foods, as reported by Kaste, “How do you think about redefining what your brand stands for in a world of ..read more

2009 is looking soft for many small business owners. Just a weeks before Christmas, I had a chat with Bruce, the owner of Great Brook Farms, a garden center and coffee shop in Bolton MA, as I stopped in to buy a poinsettia, wreath and my morning homemade blueberry muffin. (Now where else can you make one stop for all that?) While the muffins were coming out of the oven, (no kidding) we talked about business. Bruce told me he’s ..read more

“What you can do, or dream you can, begin it; boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe You know what you want to accomplish in 2009. You have goals set, ideas ready for action, stories to be written, rooms to be redecorated, a new fitness plan. So what’s stopping you? If you’re like me, you know that the hardest part about accomplishing  anything  in life is simply getting started. It’s true in the little things, like refusing to hit ..read more