Save time and get more done - all with just a smartphone. Here are ten tools you'll need.

The allure of a cozy fire crackling in the fireplace on a cold, wintery night is part of the rural lifestyle dream. And, for some, the satisfaction of felling the tree and splitting the wood for those fires is part of that vision. For others, burning wood for heat just makes good economic sense, with wood roughly one-third the cost of natural gas, electricity or oil.

Everyone makes mistakes. No one likes admitting to them. As businesspeople we worry that customers will be intolerant of our missteps and foul-ups. The truth is, though, denying them only magnifies an already awkward situation and ends up hurting your reputation. Handling them right, on the other hand, can actually shore up relationship, spark improvements and benefit your brand.

The potential costs of unethical behavior are extremely high. It can badly hurt a company's reputation and sometimes can end in a lawsuit.

Use a technique called sales tie-downs to get your customers to agree with you in small steps along the way and increase your chances for sales success.

Keeping your employees happy and motivated is a key ingredient to running your small business. After all, 13% of employee separations are voluntary—and it’s usually the best and brightest ones who move on the fastest.

Marketing through mobile technology takes shape in a mobile website or mobile applications. A mobile website is a version of a company's website that has been optimized for easier reading and viewing on smartphones.

As a business owner, you want your employees to succeed and hope that will reflect on the business and boost the bottom line.

With the passing of my dear friend Stephen R. Covey, I have been taking some time to consider many of the greatest business leaders who are wielding strong influence on the business world we live in today.

What does this shift in technology mean for you and your dealership? Bob Dieterle, senior vice president and general manager of SmartOnline, a mobile technology company, weighs in on how consumers use mobile technology to interact with companies and how companies can leverage the tools.