If sales are hemorrhaging or customers are flocking to dealmaking competitors, discounting might be necessary. But chopping prices is not without risks, including a cheapened brand image and customers who will never pay full price again. And if there’s no demand, even signs that scream “Lowest Price Ever!” won’t draw customers. “The primary factor that determines the price you’re going to get is what the demand is,” says Roland Rust. “In a situation where people want things less, the price has to be right.”

As the economy began to deteriorate in early 2008, a few things became clear to Gary Gottenbusch, owner of Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli Inc. in Cincinnati: Customers were purchasing smaller items in an effort to be frugal, and soaring prices for flour and other commodities were threatening to eat into his profits. A trained baker whose family has been in the bakery business for decades, Mr. Gottenbusch knew the danger the situation posed to his small business…

“What distinguishes a good nonprofit from a great nonprofit? At the end of the day, the great, charismatic nonprofits are not necessarily those that have charismatic leaders, but those that can create strong social capital,” said Deborah Jospin at a Center for American Progress event about the book she co-authored with Shirley Sagawa, “The Charismatic Organization: Eight Ways to Grow a Nonprofit that Builds Buzz, Delights Donors, and Energizes Employees.” Nina Easton, Washington Bureau Chief of Fortune Magazine, moderated the discussion with Sagawa and Jospin.

According to an SBA report, “Expected Costs of Start-up Ventures,” published in November 2003, the average business with one owner costs about $6,000 to start, and the average business with two or more owners costs about $20,000. Where does this money come from? Thirty-one percent (31%) of all start-ups are funded through the entrepreneur’s personal credit cards. Other sources mentioned are loans from friends or family, mortgages on property, savings, cashing out retirement accounts, an inheritance, a full or part-time job…

Okay, so say you’re a small business looking for search on a dime. You have your domain, your hosting is squared away, you have a few pages of content up and you’re finally ready to attract the world (or at least your city) to your Web site. Being small means you need to be smarter. It’s about doing all the little things that will pack the big rewards. Where do you start?

Pricing… you can’t be a professional photographer for very long without becoming embroiled in the subject of how to price your work (well, you could, I suppose, but you would never make any money). Then there is the question of, not only what prices to charge, but also how to make your clients aware of your price list without them either running away or thinking you are trying to pressure-sell them. Just about every photographer I know has been through this painful process. But, there is an answer…

In August 2005, Jonathan Coulton quit his job as a software developer, with the goal of conducting an experiment: over the next year, could he figure out a way to earn a living as a full-time musician, leveraging the Web and his small-but-passionate fan base?

On the far edge of a bustling new city center, a neighborhood boutique sells intimate apparel to a dwindling, but dedicated customer base. As part of its efforts to keep customers aware of their signature advantages over the chain stores, the shop works closely with each client to ensure a custom fit, a service for which they charge a nominal fee. One day, two new potential customers arrive: young friends, one of whom is bringing the other to the shop to select undergarments for her wedding day. The …

Inventor Michael Boehm’s instincts told him the concept he had been shopping to various manufacturers—-a portable contact grill that cooks food items faster and more healthfully-—had great promise. So why couldn’t he find a corporate partner to help take the product to market? It was 1993, and Boehm had spent a year fruitlessly searching for someone to buy into his idea. Rather than back-burner the grill, he decided what the concept needed–not only to land corporate backing but to resonate with consumers–was some star power. The rest, as they say, is history.

In this video segment, Ken Yancey, the CEO of SCORE, and investment advisor Phil Town answer questions from MSNBC viewers on funding for their small businesses. The two debunk the myth of federal grants, caution viewers on accepting investment dollars from friends, and clarify the full credit risks of bank loans.