Heritage Tractor's new approach to parts delivery is helping drive recent growth, including a push in online marketing of products and the acquisition of 3 new locations.

This article is based on Failure to Communicate: How Conversations Go Wrong and What You Can Do to Right Them by Holly Weeks.

Kubota Tractor Corp. introduced more than 92 new models and enhancements at its recent dealer meeting in Nashville, including the introduction of its new M7 series of tractors (130-170 horsepower range), new skid steers and an expanded lineup of hay tools.

On the reality show Shark Tank, there's a four-word red flag that warns a contestant the Sharks have begun to circle and the success of the pitch is in serious danger:

Floyd Jerkins, president and project director of Jerkins Creative Consulting, shares strategies to cultivate sales -- and what to do when you lose the sale.

What do small business owners need to pay attention to this fall? Health care, Internet security and new technology make the list. Here are five things that small businesses need to be on top of over the next several months:

With increasingly efficient technology and demand driving introductions, major manufacturers like STIHL, Kohler and CORE Outdoor Power have begun manufacturing innovative environmentally friendly or "green" outdoor power equipment. Some manufacturers are making gasoline engines more fuel-efficient and offering propane-fueled versions, while others are creating battery-powered outdoor power equipment with comparable performance to gasoline models.

Whether you're aware of it or not, you're negotiating all the time. When you ask your boss for more resources, agree with a vendor on a price, deliver a performance evaluation, convince a business partner to join forces with your company, or even when you decide with your spouse where to go on your next vacation, you're taking a potentially conflict-filled conversation and working toward a joint solution.

Steve Brown, owner of Browns Tractor & Turf, Everson, Wash., talks about reinventing his dealership and focusing on the rural lifestyle market.