My husband and I have recently found the TV show Shark Tank. This has been on the air for about three years yet we had never heard of it. The idea of the show is, a business owner or someone with an idea they think should be the next great product, comes to the Shark Tank asking for money from one or more of five investors, in hopes of moving their business up to the next level. These investors, known as the Sharks, are experienced, successful entrepreneurs who are using their own money, time and reputation; to not only invest in a new product, but also to mentor the business owners who they feel have the potential to have a large...

I have heard this statement in so many forms that is actually scary. The most common form of the phrase is “You have to have money to make money”. We take risks every day, but the question is: Is the risk worth the probable or even the hoped for outcome? If you are married, you took a risk on your wedding day, if you own a business you took a risk. Starting your own business is a big risk. Not everyone is up to the challenge. Most people just can’t tolerate the ups and downs of running a business. They have to have the consistency of a weekly paycheck, even though that is not without risks in itself. There is never...

I have been watching Star Trek for as long as I can remember. I never really thought of it as a source of business advice until recently. In the Star Trek world money is no longer used, at least not in the United Federation of Planets. There is no hunger or poverty and everyone does their job to further mankind. However, other civilizations on other planets have money and the inhabitants even seek to make a profit. There are worlds that use barter as a way to get items that they need. Freighter ships move cargo from outpost to outpost; they do it for a profit – that profit is not usually in the form of money, but in the form...