The Harvard Business Review Blog has a fantastic article that everyone thinking about starting their own business should read. It offers a great checklist to gauge if your business idea meets the criteria to be a hit. Below is an excerpt with a few of the questions to ask yourself:

• Does your business idea sooth someone’s pain, discomfort, frustration, or dissatisfaction?
• Are there lots of those people out there?
• Do these people (or companies, or governments) have money to pay for it?
• Will they be able to decide quickly to buy your product or service?
• Does your idea exploit something about you that is outstanding or unique?
• Are there important assets you have that no one else has? (money, access to customers, technology, leadership skills, execution, location, salesmanship, etc.)
• Can you think of at least two people who might join you?
• Do their skills complement yours?
• Do they have the same values as you do?
• Do the majority of people whose opinion you highly respect think your idea is a good one?

Read the full article HERE.

Today is the official first anniversary of The HBS Blog! We can not believe that is was just one year ago that we launched this empowering educational resource for our clients and  entrepreneurs around the world. As part of our dedication to providing superior customer service we have truly enjoyed connecting with you via the blog. Your participation and interest have been a key component of the success of The HBS Blog.

Since day one we have been amazed at the growth and interest in the blog. Here are a few stats we wanted to share with you:

We’ve had 33,439 visits from 140 countries; the top ten countries with the most visits are:

• United States
• Canada
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom
• India
• Poland
• Italy
• Australia
• Germany
• Israel

We have 54,700 Pageviews!

21,420 people visited The HBS Blog!

Our Most Popular Articles From March 2009-March 2010 are:

• Making Changes: C-Corp to LLC and LLC to S-Corp
• 101 on Series LLC
• 101 on an LLC Agreement
• 101 on Delaware Statutory Trusts
• Secret Agent Fees
• Opening a Bank Account for Your New Delaware Company
• YouTube is an LLC and Google is a General Corporation. Do You Know Why?
• 101: Preferred Stock
• Are You in Good Standing?
• Authorizing Shares for Your Delaware Corporation

Thank you for your continued support and interest! We are excited for another great year on The HBS Blog.

Here’s a great article from smallbusinesstrends.com with Five Green Business Trends for 2010, check it out. Below is an excerpt:

Small businesses are no longer cutting edge by calling themselves “green.” Big corporations like Wal-Mart and Nike down to the corner café are cultivating a greener image as consumer demand for environmentally responsible products and operations quickly goes mainstream.

What this means:  Businesses genuinely trying to limit their environmental toll must now work harder to authenticate their green practices and convince consumers they’re for real – not just throwing around green lingo.

The next phase of green business evolution will focus on businesses being more earnest an all-encompassing about their environmental sustainability practices and marketing. Here, then, are some green trends to pay attention to in 2010.

1. Transparency. Consumers want to know where products are sourced, what they’re made of and why they’re better than the status quo. Businesses are responding by giving them more information than ever before. Some restaurants, for instance, include the name and location of the local farm it buys chickens from and the conditions they were raised under. A “green” dry cleaner might describe its cleaning process on its Web site, so customers understand why the process is less environmentally harmful than traditional dry cleaning.

2. Measuring footprints. To be transparent, businesses must themselves know how much carbon they generate, how much water they use and other factors contributing to their environmental toll. What’s more businesses are paying more attention to environmental friendliness of their supply chain. Many big companies have take steps to measure their carbon footprints. But small businesses increasingly are, too.  Some online tools are making it easier for businesses to calculate their footprints.

3. Engaging customers. Savvy green businesses aren’t just trumpeting their own environmental good deeds. They’re engaging customers in the conversation. Some are starting their own green initiatives, such as handing out reusable bags or encouraging customers to recycle products they buy. One green cleaning service I know hands out customer tip sheets on how to clean green, using household basics like baking soda, vinegar and lemons.

Read the full post HERE.