Author: Mark Zweig

The year ahead

It’s hard to believe 2021 is almost over. With as long as 2020 was, this year just flew by. There is so much happening here in Northwest Arkansas that it…

Putting fuel on the fire that makes your business grow

Entrepreneurship is about value creation, and growth equates to value. Most everyone who owns a business will tell you they want their business to grow. Unfortunately, for many, it’s just…

COVID is not going away

Let’s face it. Despite a wide range of efforts, COVID-19 and all of its current and future variants aren’t going to go away for a long, long time, if ever….

Why small businesses don’t always have the best people

It gets tiresome hearing small-business owners complain about how difficult it is to get good employees, incredibly tiresome hearing them talk about how bad their current employees are. They need…

Technology reduces barriers for small businesses

It’s easy for an older guy like me — 63 now — to complain about not being able to keep up with technology. Younger people expect us old folks to…

9 things I’d do today if I were an NWA restaurant owner

After you read the headline and my name, you may be thinking, “What does he know about the restaurant business?” That is a reasonable question in light of my more…

We have many entrepreneurs in Northwest Arkansas. Of course, the best-known entrepreneurs from our recent past are Sam Walton, Don Tyson and J.B. Hunt. Others are lesser-known, but entrepreneurs nevertheless….

Make people like you

If you are in business and want to do well, it sure helps if people like you. You are much more likely to be successful if you are likable. It…

Business lessons learned over the past 50 years

At 62, I have been at it a long time. It feels like just yesterday I was 12 years old and selling bicycles I had fixed up on my mom…

Insurance for your business — better get smart about it

When you buy insurance, you are betting against the odds. That’s why insurance companies are in business. They pay out less than they take in. Some do well at that….

Numbers are the language of business

Numbers are the language of business. If you own or work in a business and don’t understand the numbers of that business, you will not be able to do your…

Are Walmart, Amazon killing retail? Or is retail killing itself?

Here in Northwest Arkansas, the heart of the retail industry, where Walmart is an all-dominating force in the market and Dillard’s is still viable as a “real” department store, we…

Burned-out business owners

I was talking the other day with a friend of mine who owns a business in Northwest Arkansas. He has been luckier than most through this thing and has managed…

Transportation in NWA: The laws of physics rule

On the subject of transportation in Northwest Arkansas, those who are adults with a job will probably have to own a car here. Without one, it will be nearly impossible…

An honest assessment

Editor’s note: The following commentary appeared in the March 16 edition of the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal. Recent reporting would lead most people to believe the Washington County housing market…

What you can expect when selling your business

Building value in your business — and cashing in when you exit — is one of the primary distinctions between someone who is an entrepreneur and someone who is just…

State of the A/E industry

I may be known locally for the houses and other buildings we built or rebuilt through our design-build-development company Mark Zweig Inc. But the truth is, the other business I…

Business planning for existing businesses

Everyone wants to talk about business planning for newly-created businesses or startups. But the truth is, existing businesses need business plans, too. They are critical for rallying the troops, crucial…

The people who accomplish a great deal

Over the past 40 years, I have been fortunate enough to work with many successful people. Creative people. Artists, architects and engineers. Academics, entrepreneurs and politicians. Even a few billionaires….

Buying a business vs. starting one from scratch

Buying a business — one of the doorways to entrepreneurship — is too often not considered for those seeking self-employment. As a participant and observer of the entrepreneurship scene, it…