Good salespeople often have the gift of gab. It’s important for them to be able to engage with customers and speak eloquently about what their selling. But to be truly great, knowing when not to talk is just as important. In this post we’ll go over some ways to help you become a better listener, and how doing so will improve your closing rate with clients.

Thank you for reading our first blog in our newest series: A Day in the Life! In this series, we’ll explore a day in the life of a number of different healthcare positions. Let's begin by taking a look at a day in the life of a phlebotomist, one of the programs offered by PCC Institute for Health Professionals.

Choosing a career in healthcare is not only rewarding, but needed! According to a recent survey, there is a healthcare professional shortage in America due to baby boomers leaving the field and healthcare professionals moving up to higher paying teaching jobs. This shortage of healthcare professionals is creating a real need for emerging healthcare workers. If you have ever considered entering the healthcare industry, there is no better time than now. The following eight tips for choosing a career in healthcare will help get you started today.

You've got the first two things you need to create a new business — an idea, and the will to make it happen. Shepherding that idea into a full blown reality manages to both seem easy and be incredibly intimidating. It's not as simple as throwing money at the venture, but the process isn't as nebulous as you might think it is. This article will give you the first five steps regarding how to bring your business to life.

Are you interested in a career in healthcare? It can be confusing to find your way into healthcare careers, especially if you didn't dive into a medically geared education after high school. Don't let that stop you though! There are plenty of rewarding, well paying jobs that will allow you to help people, including becoming a phlebotomy technician (or simply a phlebotomist). The following article will tell you everything you need to know about what a phlebotomist does, why phlebotomy is a great first step, and how you can start your career in phlebotomy today. 

How would you feel if you could experience a different culture through something as personal as your own taste buds? River Wave Foods strives to provide that intimate experience to their consumers through a wide array of cooking sauces and tapenades. After leaving the stable world of flight attending in 2006, Rebecca Kawanami jumped right into the world of business by incorporating River Wave Foods into an LLC and putting all of her efforts into her sauce and tapenade product lines. She enrolled in the SBDC’s Getting Your Recipe to Market in 2007 with just one product in her repertoire (the Thai sauce) and has expanded since to include two more sauces, one tapenade, and two vinaigrettes.

Tired of sitting in an office cubicle at a dead end job? You’re not alone. As you read this there are hundreds of professionals in the workforce with similar sentiments. So if you’re looking to make some moves — perhaps land your dream job, or move up the corporate ladder, then this is the right read for you!

The income associated with medical careers is attractive, but not everyone has the personal time or finances to put towards four years of undergraduate school, then medical school, and beyond. You may be wondering, "Do I need a four-year degree to work in healthcare?" Technically, the answer is no, and this article will outline the opportunities available without a four-year degree as well as why planning for a four-year degree as well will increase your opportunities and income.

Owning your own retail business can present many unique challenges. When it comes to learning how to be the best retail manager, many store owners find that actually managing a staff is one of the most difficult balancing acts they have to perform. As Leslie Hidula, PCC SBDC business advisor says, “I have found that retail owners struggle with being ‘the boss.’ They act like a friend, a mom, or a control freak. These approaches can really hurt a business, especially as they grow.” Overcoming this barrier by learning how to tow the line between employer and friend can help improve, not only your retail store’s growth, but also your skills as a retail store boss.

Growing your new business to a state of profitability and sustainability is a grueling task. But with hard work, and the right approach, it is far from impossible to achieve. In this post, we’re going to look at some techniques for “following the money” in business: focusing on the bottom line so that your business can achieve the growth it needs to succeed.