Cover Story
Embracing ChatGPT
Heather Manley has three jobs. Her main gig is leading On-Demand Group, a technology consulting service for individuals and projects. Then she has two side projects: Heather’s Dirty Goodness Inc., which she started to create quality seasonings low in salt for her dad, and Crooked Water Spirits, a national spirits company. So, while dedicated to […] Continue reading →
Letter From the Editor
Galley Group calls for aspiring chefs
The folks behind the North Loop Galley food hall in Minneapolis are putting out a call for entrepreneurial chefs to launch their restaurant concepts with “minimal upfront cost, maximum brand exposure and dedicated ongoing support,” as the Pittsburgh-based outfit calls it. I call it a cool idea in the fast-growing food hall space, kind of […] Continue reading →
Focus
Chatting with ChatGPT
The use of artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, can be confusing or even scary to some. But users swear by it. We decided to go to the source itself. Upsize Editor Andy Tellijohn spent a few minutes chatting with ChatGPT about its experiences working with small business owners. Here’s what it had to say. Continue reading →
Business Builders
Five tips for navigating income increases
As you advance through your career, significant changes to responsibility and title may result in meaningful increases in compensation. While a bigger salary will mean more cash flow in your checking account, it is also an opportunity to consider how the increased income affects your long-term plans. Whether you have become a partner or co-owner […] Continue reading →
Finding the right lender
Preparing for an acquisition or another business transition is a pivotal moment for business owners. For owners doing their first acquisition there is a lot of unfamiliar territory to cover — from valuing the business they are acquiring to reviewing their internal controls to understanding how to pay for it. Working with an experienced lender […] Continue reading →
Do I Need a CFO?
People I speak with often have no idea what a chief financial officer (CFO) does, let alone why their business would need one. They typically have a bookkeeper or controller, who handle day-to-day transactions and oversee the general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll and financial reporting. They also have a certified public accountant (CPA) […] Continue reading →
Ten tips for creating strong business agreements and contracts
Agreements are supposed to make things easier by reducing risk and avoiding litigation. Unfortunately, that’s not always how things work out because people often make very simple mistakes when entering agreements. This article highlights some of the most common and expensive mistakes people make that push them into expensive and risky litigation. 1. Put the […] Continue reading →
A business owner’s guide to surviving a bank crisis
Hearing about bank failures, a potential destabilization of certain segments of the banking industry and a possible broader destabilization of the economy can be very unnerving for business owners. Risk mitigation is always important and challenging, but it becomes exponentially more so when entering a volatile and uncertain economic landscape brought on by other unprecedented […] Continue reading →
Catching up
Capitalizing on the Cup
We’re tweaking the standard definition of our “Catching Up” article in this issue. David Goldfeld has not appeared in the pages of Upsize in the past. But he and his colleagues at BKB Floral Foam, where he is the chief technology officer, did win the Minnesota Cup last year and received a lot of publicity in so doing. With that competition coming around again here soon, we decided to catch up with him and see what kind of a difference the exposure and lessons learned have made. Turns out, the experience helped quite a bit. Continue reading →
