Even though the economy is still sluggish, things are much better than a year ago, when it looked like the global financial system was about to fall apart. In fact, it may be a good idea to expand your business.

Keep in mind that during times of big change, there are also big opportunities. However, to take advantage of these, you really need to go beyond your own abilities. In other words, you need to think about hiring.

Unfortunately, the hiring process is scary and complicated -- with many rules and risks. But an excellent new book can help out: Hire Your First Employee (get your free copy). Actually, I had a chance to talk to the author, Rhonda Abrams.

Some of my all-time favorite movies are from James Cameron, such as the Terminator series and Aliens.

And this week, Cameron's latest creation, Avatar, has become the top-grossing movie worldwide (going beyond his 1997 blockbuster, Titanic). So far, it has taken in $1.6 billion.

In a way, Cameron is a New Age entrepreneur -- that is, combining creativity, unconventional wisdom, over-the-top optimism and good business sense (this is also the case with others in the entertainment industry, like George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and even Steve Jobs).

Maxine Clark has had a stellar career in retail. She spent 19 years at May Department Store and eventually became the president of Payless Shoe Source. Then in 1997, she started an innovative retail concept, Build-A-Bear Workshop (BBW). The store allows kids to build their own dolls.

While the business has suffered recently because of the recession, Build-A-Bear Workshop is nonetheless a major success story. There are now more than 400 locations across the world. There is even a virtual world, called buildabearville.com.

Glen Bell Jr. is one of the pioneers who made a fortune from the growth in the American middle class after World War II. You see, in 1962 he started Taco Bell (in a California town called Downey).

Bell died this week at the age of 86.

Bell grew up in San Berardino, Calif., but times were tough. In fact, he started working when he turned 16 and eventually enlisted in the Marines in 1943.

It's usually expensive to get a customer. So why not find ways to get more business from your existing base? It's certainly an effective way of building revenues. Hey, just look at the millions of customers that keep returning to businesses like Starbucks (SBUX) and McDondalds (MCD).

So how can you encourage repeat business? It takes hard work and patience. But here are some tips:

Trusted Source: I talked to someone recently who said that she has used the same travel agent for over 30 years. I said, "What about using Expedia or some other online site for your travel?"

A political issue that's there for the taking; i.e. one that either political party, the Democratic or Republican parties, could win votes on? The need to charter and capitalize new, small/mid-sized banks. (It's an issue that the Tea Party movement could make some hay on, also.)

The financial crisis is over, but the credit squeeze continues, and small and medium-sized businesses have borne a great deal of it, with many still unable to secure the credit they need to expand their operations, despite rising demand.

From his apartment in 1999, Marc Benioff started a new-fangled software company, Salesforce.com (CRM). While there have been some missteps along the way, the company is a model of success. Today, Salesforce.com generates more than $1 billion in sales, is profitable and has a market cap of $9 billion.

How did Marc do it? Well, now we have a chance to find out. That is, he has written an excellent book about his experiences and strategies, called Behind the Cloud: The Untold Story of How Salesforce.com Went from Idea to Billion-Dollar Company -- and Revolutionized an Industry.

According to the latest American Express (AXP) OPEN Small Business Monitor report, there are signs of improvement. Yet, the fact remains that cash flow continues to be a problem for many business owners. In fact, they have had to take some tough measures, such as cut costs, renegotiate contracts, sell personal assets and even get a second job.

But there is another way to help deal with cash flow problems -- that is, get better at invoicing and collections. While this can be uncomfortable, it is a necessity for any successful business.

You are probably wondering: "Is the economy really picking up?" That question is difficult to answer. Yes, we've had 2.2% growth in the third quarter. The Federal Reserve upgraded the economy by saying, "economic activity had continued to pick up."

U.S. Treasury Secretary Geithner sounded a reserved tone by saying that he did not expect positive job growth until next spring.

Let's face it, payroll is one of the drudgeries of running your own business. It's a big expense and complicated. Actually, some companies have imploded because of payroll problems.

So what to do? Here are things to consider.

Online Services: Just like with anything nowadays, there are online services to manage your payroll. One of the best I've seen is PayCycle.com, which is now owned by Intuit (INTU).

Tapulous, which develops Apple (AAPL) iPhone game apps, got its start in 2008, with the help of high-profile angel investors like Salesforce.com's Marc Benioff and Sun's cofounder, Andy Bechtolsheim. Since then, the company's growth has been stunning. There are now 17 million users. Is it any wonder that Tapulous' website says: "We love the iPhone"?

In fact, the company is clearing about $1 million a month from the iPhone. Much of this is due to the popularity of the Tap Tap Revenge game, which is quite addictive. Kind of like Guitar Hero, you can punch out tunes by tapping your iPhone.

In an episode of The Office, Michael Scott wasn't impressed with his company's move towards technology. He thought the old-school approaches still worked, such as giving gift baskets away to former customers. Of course, it was a disaster. These customers left because of a lack of technology, as well as high prices.

As with any comedy, there was truth to both sides. Actually, we can get sucked into too much technology. And yes, customer gifts can be a good idea. After all, it costs much more money to acquire customers than than to keep them.

A visionary in the hyper-competitive retail industry, Sol Price saw a huge opportunity -- in the mid 1970s -- to create a bulk discount chain with a membership fee model. It was the Price Club. By the early 1990s, the company merged with Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST), becoming a powerhouse in the discount market.

Unfortunately, Price died this week. He was 93.

Interestingly enough, Price started his career as a lawyer (he graduated from the University of Southern California). It was a great way to learn about the intricacies of different businesses. For example, one of his clients was Seven Seas Locker Club, which had a bulk-retail model for sailors during World War II.

It's usually tough finding the right gift for an entrepreneur. Hey, the best thing would probably be a loan or some customers, right?

OK, being realistic, there are some gifts to consider. Let's take a look:

The Cloud: It's all the rage right now -- that is, on-demand software services. The good news is that much of it is affordable. Take a look at Salesforce.com (CRM). The company has a small business edition of its customer relationship management (CRM) offering that comes to only $50 per year.

US Treasury Geithner wants to protect his turf. He sent a letter to Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Harry Reid extending the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) until October 3, 2010, keeping $550 billion in bailout funds.

His letter states that: "The extension is necessary to assist American families and stabilize financial markets because it will, among other things, enable us to continue to implement programs that address housing markets and the needs of small businesses and to maintain the capacity to respond to unseen needs."