On his first trip to Ghana in September 2006, Mark Henderson traveled through countryside that was lush, but obscured with haze. Some of the haze was carried in by the Harmattan — a dry and dusty West African wind that blows in from the Sahara at that time of year.

Does the world of business — in the past dominated by men — pose any special challenges for women?

Less than a week after Hillary Clinton announced that she was suspending her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, Laura Liswood tossed one of the central issues of Clinton's campaign out to an audience of women business owners: What does it take to make a world leader?

It's important to understand the differences between cultures in order to succeed when doing business across cultural lines, said diversity and inclusion expert Christine French, speaking at the annual meeting of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).

The customer is king, an old service mantra says. But today a few industry leaders argue the employee, not the customer, is most important.

While most companies agree on the importance of a loyal customer base, it remains an elusive goal. Many companies that track customer satisfaction quickly become frustrated and sometimes abandon loyalty efforts, according to Dr.

The inspiring expression, "failure is not an option" reportedly evolved from a statement by Jerry C. Bostick, a flight controller who helped bring the space-stranded astronauts of Apollo 13 safely back to earth.

Small-business owners say they love the freedom, flexibility and earning potential of working for themselves. But Joel Martin, the former owner of a $20 million New York-based advertising agency, said no one should go into business without an exit plan.

Women who become entrepreneurs don't miss the corporate glass ceiling, but while some women business owners say that they do not encounter gender bias in the business world, others complain that they have to demonstrate an extra level of excellence and competence to men and women alike.

"The in-box culture is dead," says Evan Rosen in his new book, The Culture of Collaboration: Maximizing Time, Talent and Tools to Create Value in the Global Economy.