Dennis Romero | Page 2

MasterCard’s post-Christmas SpendingPulse report confirms what many entrepreneurs already know: Spending was down among holiday shoppers. How much? MasterCard says 5.5 to 8 percent compared to last year. Not too bad, especially considering that the Commerce Department reported recently that consumer spending was actually up 0.6 percent in November when inflation is taken into account. […]

As 2008 draws to a close, it’s natural to want to look back at the biggest business stories of the year. Usually, we can look back at the biggest public offerings or the best this and that. This year, however, calls for a more somber assessment. Things didn’t go well–for many industries, sectors, companies and […]

Meet a franchisor with a willingness to get his hands dirty.

The No. 1 franchise on our 30th Annual Franchise 500® marks some milestones of its own.

“Sixty percent off is the new black.” –the New Yorker magazine’s Patricia Marx, writing about the deep discounts at New York fashion retailers; echoed today in the New York Times.

Urban economist Joel Kotkin argues that immigrant businesses are often recession proof and seem to be faring well in this otherwise gloomy economy. The Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University in Orange, Calif., writes that Asian immigrants tend to save cash and thus have it for shopping, while Latino immigrants are often paid […]

An O’Neil Associates/ASBA Arizona Economic Indicators Monitor poll of small-business owners in Arizona found that 44 percent of those entrepreneurs oppose spending public funds on hosting an NFL Super Bowl in their communities. The results, reported in the Phoenix Business Journal, indicate that 66 percent of the business owners polled would support a Super Bowl […]

Many advertisers are changing their tunes to accompany the trying economic times. Where aiming at “aspirational” customers with visions of luxury was once the norm, marketing campaigns are toning things down and emphasizing value. The New York Times today notes that advertisements that once used mansions as backgrounds are now going downscale with more frugal […]

Smarting from the success of Google and other easy-to-use advertising platforms, the Orange County Register newspaper group in Santa Ana, Calif., recently announced a new self-service online ad tool that lets small-business owners log in and create their own targeted ad campaigns in its hardcopy publications for as little as $55 for a single-color display. […]

The Federal Communications Commission today opened up a new frontier of airwaves for use as a successor to wi-fi and for other communications needs, giving hope to a new generation of hi-tech entrepreneurs. The opening of so-called “white space” airwaves–frequencies that exist between broadcast television channels–could unleash a wave of “new, sophisticated wireless devices to […]

Some experts argue there’s no such thing as a recession-proof franchise, but many restaurants have been hanging on to their economy-wary customers by lowering their menu prices and offering meals for around $5 dollars. Chicago-based research firm Mintel notes a growing number of franchises with $5 promotions, including Subway’s “$5 foot-longs,” Quizno’s Large Deli Favorites […]

In his half-hour infomercial, which aired last night on three major television networks, presidential hopeful Barack Obama proposed “a rescue plan for the middle class” that would include credit lines for entrepreneurs blindsided by the economic crisis. “Just like after 9/11, we’ll provide low-cost loans to help small businesses pay their workers and keep their […]

The vice presidential candidate sparks fashion trends.

Advertisers ride a brain wave called neuromarketing. But is it for real?

Several reports this week warn that car dealerships are closing from coast to coast as a result of the financial crisis. Retailers of American makes in particular have been hit by a triple whammy: Shrinking loan and lease programs, decreased demand for SUVs and a decline in consumer spending. Earlier this month, National Automobile Dealers […]

National Venture Capital Association good news report $7.1 billion pumped into 907 deals during the third quarter of 2008 clean-tech sector could become the top investment sector for the venture capital industry by 2012

The American entrepreneur took center stage at the presidential debate last night at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., when “Joe the Plumber,” a.k.a. Joseph Wurzelbacher, was mentioned 26 times by candidates Barack Obama and John McCain. Wikipedia page The New York Times Los Angeles Times DailyKos sentenced to prison probably not the case

The Bush Administration today said it would begin a direct infusion of $250 billion into the American banking system in order to get credit lines flowing again. As part of the plan, “unlimited insurance coverage for non-interest-bearing deposit transaction accounts” will be instituted by the federal government, according to a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation statement.The […]

Some Los Angeles-area dining establishments usually bustling with moguls, agents and stars are starting to see a downturn in patronage as a result of the slumping economy, according to a report in today’s Los Angeles Times. At Melisse, one of three Michelin Guide two-star restaurants in Southern California, the flow of diners slowed down almost […]

The U.S. Federal Reserve on Tuesday vowed to buy short-term debt in orderto unlock the credit flow that business owners rely on for quick loans,but today it’s still not clear exactly when the relief will come orwhether the move will indeed trickle down to the everyday entrepreneurswho need help the most. The buying spree was […]

A47-year-old man who spent nearly 20 years in prison for a crime hedidn’t commit, and who went on to establish a profitable ATM business,died in Hawaii early this morning, according to reports. The Los Angeles Times states that DeWayne McKinney,convicted of a 1980 robbery-murder in Orange, Calif., then released twodecades later because prosecutors realized he […]

The Le family of San Jose, Calif., parlayed a catering business into one ofthe most successful Asian food franchises in the Southwest. There are35 Lee’s locations, mostly in California, with a few scattered inTexas, Arizona and Oklahoma. The staple of Lee’s sandwiches is “banh mi” — Vietnamese sandwicheswith French flair. The first thing you’ll notice […]

Product price sensitivity and financial creativity can help you thrive in any economy.

During last night’s vice presidential debate, nominees Joseph Biden and SarahPalin discussed small business in America, with each mentioning theterm twice. Republican hopeful Palin drew first blood on the matterwhen she accused Biden’s presidential running mate, Barack Obama, ofproposing to increase taxes on “millions of small businesses … thusresulting in fewer jobs being created and […]

Citing a run on dogs after the 1996 movie 101 Dalmations became a hit,officials in Orange County, Calif., are warning consumers to wait a fewweeks before buying a Chihuahua after they see the comedy Beverly HillsChihuahua, which opened in theaters nationwide today. Police in SantaAna, Calif., and an official from the San Clemente/Dana Point AnimalShelter […]

When Paul Newman died over the weekend, he left behind not only a canon of postwar films unparalleled in Hollywood–Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidyand the Sundance Kid, The Color of Money–but he alsobequeathed the legacy of one of the most successful marriages of starpower and consumer-product branding ever to hit supermarket shelves. The ace actor […]