Produce TV spot pairing beautiful woman with beer-swilling schmo. Have schmo ditch woman for cold beer. Presto! Instant (and yawningly typical) beer marketing campaign. "In general the beer industry doesn't get too clever," says Harry Schuhmacher, publisher of Beer Business Daily (beernet.com), an online trade journal. Indeed, the U.S. beer industry has been flat, shipping 181 million

Business owners need to be effective leaders. How?

• On a regular basis, have lunch or coffee with randomly chosen employees and really listen to their concerns and suggestions.
• At least two days a week, walk through the office and chat with people.

Get the most from your mailings to potential customers using tips from a direct-marketing pro.

(Fortune Small Business) -- What does it take to get someone to buy a car? A personalized letter promising a $1,000 discount can go a long way. That's what I discovered years ago in Canada when I worked on a direct mail campaign for Ford, promoting Lincoln's Town Car, Continental and Mark VII

Coeur d'Alene, ID
Population: 38,246
15-year population growth: 36.7%
Median home price: $311,700
Home price 2-year forecast: 11.8%

Non-French-speaking types tired of figuring out how to pronounce the name of this nice spot

As you develop your business plan, it's easy to make mistakes or leave out important elements. Here are a few of the most common business planning pitfalls and some tips on how to avoid them:

1. Create a vision.  It's tempting to roll up your sleeves and plunge right into the details of your business: evaluating products, studying market segments, and sizing up yo