http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/ Norm Brodsky, who co-authors Inc. magazine's Street Smarts column, is the founder of six businesses, including a three-time Inc. 500 company. He began writing Street Smarts after being featured on Inc.'s cover in July 1995.Read full bio. en-us asknorm@inc.com 2008-01-04T10:59:03-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/2008/01/not_all_fabulous_ideas_make_money.html Here's an idea I recently got from a reader named Pat, who lives in New York City. Pat's tired of having his car get nicked and dented whenever he leaves it in a parking garage. He has an idea for... 2483@http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/ 2008-01-04T10:59:03-05:00 http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/2007/12/how_do_i_meet_a_nice_lawyer_1.html I recently got a question from a reader named Aaron, who's been in the records storage business, just like me, since 2002: "The challenge I am facing now," he wrote, "is getting the accounts that are not so obvious to... 2443@http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/ 2007-12-21T15:46:57-05:00 http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/2007/12/how_do_i_get_my_first_customer.html I recently got this question from a reader named Doug: Hi Norm, I'm a typical start-up and can't seem to get my "first customer." I've started a thermography company (infrared inspection), and I provide preventive maintenance inspections. This is the... 2410@http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/ 2007-12-14T14:16:55-05:00 http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/2007/12/what_goes_around.html Remember Nova? You may recall that that's the outfit that tried to buy my company. We spent much of last year negotiating and for a while there I really thought we had a deal - until one of Nova's board... 2393@http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/ 2007-12-07T21:53:35-05:00 http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/2007/11/creeping_expenses_1.html What a great response to my recent blog post, "I Will Lose Everything." And what great ideas from the people who posted comments. Yes, factoring, or any other type of receivable financing, was one of the things I was trying... 2260@http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/ 2007-11-18T22:07:48-05:00 http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/2007/11/tivo_alert_1.html Try to check out MSNBC's "Your Business" this Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET when you'll find me serving as one of the judges in the Elevator Pitch contest. I'm usually a pretty tough sell, but I liked this idea so... 2255@http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/ 2007-11-16T15:21:53-05:00 http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/2007/11/why_business_people_should_be_scared_1.html Politics is not my favorite subject, and it’s not my favorite activity. I get a little involved in local politics. I support a few local politicians. But on the national level I think the best scenario is real simple: a... 2237@http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/ 2007-11-12T11:22:59-05:00 http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/2007/11/have_i_changed_my_mind_about_multilevel_marketing.html I recently received an impassioned, well-written letter from a business owner named Jerry. Here it is: Hey Norm, I happened to find an article you published in June 1998 ["Multilevel Mischief"]. I will certainly be relieved if you reply and... 2128@http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/ 2007-11-01T10:25:19-05:00 http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/2007/10/stan_oneal_failed_the_first_rule_of_leadership.html I’ve been following the recent troubles of Merrill Lynch CEO Stan O’Neal with interest, though not much sympathy. After reading an excellent article in the New York Post yesterday about “O’Neal’s Hubris,” chronicling how he systematically purged everyone who challenged... 2120@http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/ 2007-10-29T09:44:36-05:00 http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/2007/10/i_will_lose_everything_1.html I recently received the following question from a reader named Scott: I started a transportation company two years ago in Virginia. It grew so fast that it killed my cash flow, and I have struggled ever since. We grew to... 2053@http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/ 2007-10-05T10:18:48-05:00 http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/2007/10/my_visit_with_ahmadinejad.html I walked out on the roof of my building the other day and was a little surprised to see someone who looked a lot like the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. As you probably know, he recently visited New York... 2033@http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/ 2007-10-02T10:29:14-05:00 http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/2007/09/biz_tip_its_all_about_building_the_relationship_1.html I usually go out on the first sales call with any new sales person we hire. After we leave that first meeting, the new sales person's comment is usually, You didn't tell them what we do. My answer is always,... 2008@http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/ 2007-09-28T08:00:19-05:00 http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/2007/09/looking_for_advice.html Would you like to have me visit your company, analyze your business, and offer suggestions on how you might improve it? I’m looking for volunteers. The deal is that you have to be willing to let me (and my co-author,... 2002@http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/ 2007-09-26T14:07:27-05:00 http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/2007/09/dont_be_afraid_to_share_your_idea.html People are always asking me for advice -- and I encourage you to send any questions you may have to asknorm@inc.com -- but something funny often happens when the question involves a new idea for a business. A lot of... 1957@http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/ 2007-09-20T16:22:48-05:00 http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/2007/09/biz_tip_watch_how_others_do_it_1.html Here's this week's business tip: It’s important to learn from what other people do -– both the things they do well and the things they don’t. Here’s a great example: I was going to a movie with my wife, and... 1919@http://blog.inc.com/the-morning-norm/ 2007-09-10T07:00:00-05:00