I’ve encountered a lot of couples where one person has left his or her job to support the career of the other.  Typically, one spouse is an accomplished entrepreneur, so the other pitches in to help grow the business – often in a subordinate role. I’m wondering how many of you would do this if you had the chance.  It would ...

So Bill Gates is preparing to retire as CEO of Microsoft. Gates and his childhood friend Paul Allen founded Microsoft on April 4, 1975, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to make and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800, an early computer that was sold to hobbyists. Gates dropped out of Harvard University in his third year to focus on ...

 Have you ever wondered how super-successful business owners with millions of customers get started?  Surprisingly, many don’t spend years toiling in Fortune 500 brand powerhouses, some had no money or no connections going in, and some weren’t even trained in marketing. NYU marketing professor David Vinjamuri, in his new book ...

As many of you know, I am writing a new book on drastic career change to be published by Random House/Ballantine Books in 2009. I've been scouting out potential interviewees  for a few months now, and I've noticed a very interesting phenomenon.There is an astounding number of women out there who have taken their careers into their own hands ...

It’s finally here.  My new book, How’d You Score That Gig?: A Guide to the Coolest Careers and How to Get Them, has just been released!  The book starts with a quiz that tells you your job personality – be it an adventurer, creator, data-head, entrepreneur, investigator, networker, or nurturer – and then suggests several unusual and ...

Over at Employee Evolution, Natalie discusses common mistakes people make when starting a business.  According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, over 50 percent of small businesses fail in their first year and 95 percent fail within the first five years.  Among the mistakes, and Natalie’s tips: 1. Business owners don’t create ...

Leaving the business world to start one’s own gig is a hot topic these days.  I read blog posts about it every day, and my friend Pam Slim just sold a new book about it.  Over lunch a few weeks ago, I asked my good friend Keith Alperin if he’d be willing to tell WCW readers how he launched his new business, Helium Foot Software, and what ...

Back when I was in college, I met Andy Sernovitz while working at an internship at the Association of Interactive Media in Washington DC.  Since then, I’ve been tracking his movements, most recently as President of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association.  Now, over at Escape from Cubicle Nation, Pam Slim discusses Andy’s recent remarks ...

This week on Adventures in Capitalism, Chris Yeh talks about how he recently worked with a team of entrepreneurs who had done a phenomenal job of building a product that their customers loved, but couldn’t figure how to sell it to big companies for the life of them.  In no time at all, Chris rattled off the marketing and promotional plan that ...

Today, I’m continuing my interview with Andy Ajello, the 27-year-old founder of Advanced E-Waste Solutions, which helps businesses legally dispose of electronics in an environmentally-safe manner.   Alex: What challenges have you faced in your experience as an entrepreneur? Andy: Having your own business is like being in a band and ...