The title of the article is somewhat of a loaded question because it implies that there is a controlled choice in the matter. If an employee and manager are friends prior to hiring, that situation has to be reviewed in advance of the hiring decision to avoid a potential conflict of interest within the department.

Facebook is the central marketing tool for many companies, and even if it isn’t exactly central at yours, it should be incredibly important as a customer relation tool. The platform has added a couple of new features that could help businesses connect with new customers in the future.

It’s true; you’ve probably heard the word “transparent” used more as a buzzword than an actual concept behind running a business. This can make it difficult to figure out just exactly what it means and how important it is. We tend to use the word transparent when we are referring to politicians and the campaigns that they run.

While working hard will bring results over time, it’s a misconception that the more successful someone is, the more they work. If you work like a draft horse, you’ll wear out just as fast as one (10 to 12 years, by the way). Instead, you need to work hard—and smart.

If you are a large business, you can afford 30 and 60 day net in most cases. It doesn’t affect your everyday overall picture. However, most small businesses are on a much tighter timeline, and even a single invoice unpaid can mean that payroll is late.

It’s true that social media and mobile marketing campaigns are, in fact, gaining tons of traction. However, email marketing is not only still relevant—it’s still effective and a popular channel to get the word out. In fact, it may still be the most effective way to acquire new customers—when you rethink the emails you’re sending.

We’ve all been there. We fire off a text to someone before we realize we have either mistyped a word, or the built-in autocorrect features have decided we meant to say something entirely different without regard for how potentially embarrassing its changes may be.

Hundreds of companies have rebranded successfully, and thousands more have not. However, a proper rebranding can make all the difference for a company. In some cases, it can mean more profit, or even company survival. However, it’s essential to know when it’s time to rebrand and when it may be a bad idea.

How well do you actually listen to your customers?  It’s not enough in this day and age to make a decent product, pay for some advertising to attract eyeballs and ship the product out the door.  If that’s where you are as a businessperson, then odds are you’ll be acquired by a competitor before long.

Though many of us take the employee handbook for granted, a well-written and up-to-date handbook is a great tool for both a company and its employees and should be properly maintained and referred to on a regular basis to ensure that all company policies are being followed.