Meetings. Does anybody enjoy them? Nothing is more telling than when you announce the end of meeting and everyone at the table suddenly lurches back into consciousness. Were they all asleep? Was anything really accomplished?

According to some pretty shocking statistics, the answers to those questions might sadly be “yes” and “no,” respectively. In Entrepreneur.com, Carol Tice quotes the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as having estimated that unnecessary meetings cost the U.S. economy $37 billion a year. Thirty-seven billion dollars.

Behind every great company is a workforce of superior employees. Hiring the best talent allows you to build your business and creates a positive work environment. But how you hire is important. Zappos hires for culture fit, Google is known for its crazy interview questions and even Chick-fil-A makes sure the people they hire already say please and thank you.

An effective hiring strategy takes a variety of factors into consideration and it’s up to you to create that strategy. Consider these seven tips for finding top-notch employees.

The holidays are a crazy time for everyone, with travel, kids home from school, vacations and more it can be hard to get things done.  A break is nice and all, but unfortunately you just can’t put your business on hold during the holidays.

Since things still have to get done, we put together a few tools we think are great for running your business when you’re on the go.

The recent economic meltdown has created an influx of entrepreneurs and those launching small businesses — many of whom are working out of their basement, spare bedroom, or the corner of their dining room.

But being a small business owner — especially a work at home small business owner — has its challenges. Among these are distractions, isolation, burnout, inability to unplug, guilt over lack of family time, and of course, the call of the kitchen, Oprah, or FarmVille.

Emails are an effective and easy way to communicate. Maybe they are too easy. As an entrepreneur or salesperson, you need to know when the best time is to make a call instead of sending an email.

Next time you’re considering the best way to communicate, consider these advantages of placing a call: