Build Your Business Right

Very often “mom and pop” businesses employ the founders’ siblings, children, nephews, and perhaps even a cousin or two. Maybe it’s a teenager’s summer job, or a way to pass time between college classes, or maybe it’s always been someone’s dream to join the family business. No matter what the reason is, creating a family-run […]

Billy Joel once wrote that mistakes are “the only things that you can truly call your own.” Every business owner makes mistakes; on their first day, and likely even today. Some mistakes are good learning experiences, often costing little, or perhaps not much more than a bit of embarrassment. Others can doom your business to […]

Keeping track of your company’s finances might not be the sexiest job you have as a small business owner, but it’s certainly one of the most important. Unless you are a math super-genius, you’re going to need some software that will help you with the complex and laborious job of making sense of the mountains […]

Becoming a business tycoon is the dream of many small business owners. Coming up with the Next Best Thing and selling it to millions of people online sounds like a great way to make it big. But coming up with the idea may seem easy when compared to the job of having to market that […]

Having a great idea for a new business happens all the time. The real question is, can you turn the idea into a profitable business? That’s what separates the dreamers from the real entrepreneurs. Business ideas are relatively easy to come by. Money, on the other hand, is not so much. That is, unless you […]

When it comes to starting a business, there’s no clear path to success. If there was, everyone would be doing it, right? And though it’s painful to admit, failure is often the stepping stone to success. How many times do babies fall before they learn to walk? How many belly flops do Olympic divers endure […]

One of the first things any financial consultant will explain to a small business is that managing payroll is very different from managing the company books. Tax laws in every state are constantly changing, and you need someone in charge of your payroll who can adjust your company’s payroll and reporting requirements accordingly. In order […]

Search Engine Optimization, more commonly known as SEO, should be part of any online business’ strategy for drawing visitors to their website. By using SEO, businesses can get their website found on search engines and attract people who are looking for the services that the company offers. Google, Bing, and other major search engine services […]

Getting money to fund your business idea is one of the most daunting tasks of starting your own business. Some entrepreneurs max out their credit cards trying to launch a business. Others work with investors, banks or other lending institutions to raise capital to start their business. For entrepreneurs with a great idea for a […]

Doing business in the United States is quite different than doing business in other countries. Each of the fifty states has different laws for businesses, and work with businesses in different ways to help them succeed. Typically, this means that states will offer different incentives to help businesses move to their states. Different states pass […]

There is an old axiom that more is better. But is that really true? It seems logical that the more you work at something, the better it will be. It’s not as simple as that, though. At some point, you can actually be working too much, and the result might not be what you expect. […]

Startup businesses all have one thing in common: they never have enough of anything. Whether it’s finances, resources, or workers, there never seems to be the right amount at the right time. It can be frustrating to realize that once you’ve tackled one problem, another one crops right up. One of the first things a […]

A merchant cash advance is a form of financing that business owners can use to quickly and easily inject additional capital into their business. However, just like any other type of funding, it is suitable for some businesses but not for others. Read on to find out if this kind of financing is what your […]

It’s never been easier for small business owners to open an online store. Over the last couple of decades, dozens, if not hundreds, of platforms have been created to make building an online shop quick, easy, and as painless as possible. If you have always dreamed of creating an online shopping experience for your customers, […]

New business owners tend to jump into their new venture with guns blazing and high expectations. Or, on the other extreme, some new business owners proceed with such caution and concern that instead of making decisions with confidence, they make most decisions with consternation. While you might hope for smooth sailing, there’s little doubt that […]

Opening a restaurant is an exciting new business venture. But before you start counting your Michelin stars, you’ll need to go through the same steps that every aspiring entrepreneur needs to do in order to make your restaurant a success. It used to be taken as a foregone conclusion that 99% of restaurants failed in […]

Small businesses can’t always afford to hire a separate project manager, so the responsibilities of project management often fall to employees with little or no experience. Project managers are responsible for ensuring that the projects of the company are finished on time and on budget. Fortunately, there are many online resources that can help small […]

If you have a job, and really, it can be any job – blue collar, white collar, manager, owner, volunteer even – have you found that the day in and day out of it, the relentless sameness, the emotional or physical toll, is wearing you down? Burnout is a real thing, even for those who […]

We’ve all been there, at least once. You know what I mean; you frequent an establishment so often – we’re talking several times a week (day?) – that the staff asks in jest if you’re planning on buying the joint. Maybe you go in for the ambiance, or the great coffee, the fresh donuts, or […]

If you or your business doesn’t have at least a mediocre credit score (read: higher than 580), you may have a hard time getting a loan for yourself or your business. Either lenders won’t want to lend to you, or they may be willing to cover their risk by offering high interest rates or shorter […]

Why You Should Never Be Without a Website Let’s say you’re a small business owner, you’ve been around for a few years and you’re reasonably content with how things have turned out, just the way they are. People know you and your business primarily by word of mouth, or by reputation, and you’re okay with […]

There are many different reasons that a business could need an immediate influx of cash. Hopefully, in your case it will be one of the good ones, like a fantastic opportunity for expansion, a large order that you need a new machine in order to fill, or something like that. Unfortunately, sometimes the need for […]

In years past, if one wanted to market their business, regardless of size, there were only a few ways that it could be done with any degree of success. If you had a big, profitable business and had the money, you’d probably hire a marketing firm. If you were a small business, or “worse,” a […]

Starting your own business – whether it’s your first time or you’re a serial entrepreneur – is both exciting and frightening. You can see the potential for growth, your mind is racing with ideas, and you can’t wait to get started. What you soon realize is that it’s going to take more than last year’s […]

Let’s face it; running a business successfully takes money. But sometimes your cash flow isn’t working in your favor. Cash flow problems may not be a sign of failure; it may just be that money you’ve earned isn’t available yet. For businesses that rely on having cash available so the business can run without interruption, […]

Do you dream of being rich and successful? Who doesn’t? Every day thousands of people come up with new ideas and ways to make it big. Not all of these ideas are destined to succeed, however. The most common reason is lack of sufficient funding. You’re heard the old saying that “failing to plan is […]

All You Need to Know About Invoicing Cash, bread, scratch, greenbacks, dough, gelt… whatever you call it, making money is one reason you run your business. Some businesses, such as restaurants and retail stores, have a simple method of transacting business – the customer pays for their purchases at the time they’re received. Other businesses, […]

Every great adventure story starts with the hero on a quest for hidden treasure. Through trials and triumphs, danger and disappointment, we read about the obstacles they must overcome, enemies they must battle, and feats they must perform. Eventually, they reach the spot where the treasure lays as the reward for their perseverance. And what […]

It’s been said that, in life, there are only two things that cannot be avoided: the first, of course, is death, and the other is taxes. The US federal government requires that all employees have a Social Security number which is a necessity if you hope to collect Social Security retirement benefits someday in your […]

Experts in cybersecurity always say that it’s a matter of “when,” not a questions of “if.” Unfortunately, in today’s day and age, protecting your online assets – whether it’s your website, your cloud account, or your email – is a top priority for your businesses. While it’s true that no system is 100% hackproof, the […]

When you first started your business, you probably had no idea how to apply for a small business loan. Maybe you didn’t need one then. Perhaps, through a combination of mostly luck and sheer determination, you managed to launch your dream, either with or without financial assistance. Now that you are wiser and more experienced, […]

Your business name is the most immediate and enduring advertisement for your business. It will become, in time, the marker of your business’s success, as satisfied customers recognize it and speak about it to others. In this way, it is gold standard currency, priceless if it is passed around and spoken of in positive terms. […]

We read about the successes of superstar entrepreneurs in the news every day. In industries ranging from microbiology to space travel, successful entrepreneurs continue to capture our imagination and fuel our dreams and desires for becoming wildly successful – and maybe even rich – one day. Business researchers, sociologists and armchair pundits have all studied […]

There are several good reasons why you would want to consolidate your credit card debt. You may have recently seen your credit report and feel like your credit spending is out of control. Perhaps you attended a seminar on fiscal responsibility and you’re making the effort to get organized. Or maybe you just want to […]

Since your credit rating will be one of the main criteria that determines whether your application for a small business startup or expansion loan is approved, it is vital you know exactly what it is before applying for a loan. Your credit rating is determined by your track record in paying debts on time and […]

The credit card industry is constantly coming up with new and innovative credit card products that can help your business save money, offset travel costs, and provide other incentives. Make no mistake – aggressive credit card marketing and attractive promotions make signing up for new cards very tempting. If you look in your wallet or […]

Everyone knows the old catch-22, “You can’t get a job without experience, but you can’t get experience without a job.” Well, the same is true, and possibly even worse, for building business credit. But don’t let that stop you from pursuing your dreams. There are some easy and low-risk ways to start establishing your business […]

Female owners of small businesses have a wide variety of choices when it comes to securing small business loans. Though it may sound feministic, it’s true – women are typically perceived as less of a risk because of their general successes in their professional roles. According to Forbes magazine there are several key traits that […]

Having a good credit score can mean the difference between success and failure when it comes to your business. The good news is that it’s pretty simple to get a good credit score. The bad news is that if it goes down, you’re going to have to work (maybe even work hard) to repair it. […]

Business credit scores have a major impact on companies. Aside from having an effect in gaining new business and partnerships, they play a big role when you’re applying for business financing, as lenders look at a company’s business credit file when making their decisions. A report that shows a positive payment history with several vendors […]