All Entries in the "Basics" Category
7 Ways to Reinvent your Business for Bigger Profits
For small business owners, there’s a “new normal” out there, and it doesn’t look a whole lot like the old normal. If your business seems to be on a treadmill of too much debt, too many operating expenses and too little growth, it may be time to take “lean and mean” to a new level. [...]
6 Essentials for Negotiating a Good Deal
Success for a small business (and especially those selling business to business) often hinges on striking good agreements and deals – with clients, customers, vendors, employees or others. So just what are the secrets to masterful deal making? Here are six negotiation essentials that apply to any size business or deal, from Arthur Wylie, author [...]
New Help for Small Business Exporting
In 2006, total sales were just $64,000 at Loudmouth Golf, a small golf clothing company based, well, nowhere in particular. (The company has no official headquarters; Founder Scott Woodworth still works out of his house in Sonoma, CA.) Now sales have topped $10 million at the 32-employee firm thanks to an approach of sourcing materials [...]
A Financial Statement Cheat Sheet for Business Owners
Most small business owners and startup entrepreneurs never had a formal course in business finance, and earned their “MBA” at the School of Hard Knocks. If that’s you, here’s a “cheat sheet” to help understand the three basic financial statement flavors: Balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements. I agree – it’s not a sexy [...]
New Business to Business Deal Sites offer Big Discounts
Small and local business owners of all types will have new opportunities to grab deep discounts on business-related products and services thanks to a battle heating up in the daily or weekly deals marketplace. Several B2B daily and weekly deal sites have sprung up recently, offering big discounts on everything from printing, food services and [...]
How to Get a Small Business Line of Credit
If you’ve had trouble getting a small business loan or other types of bank credit or financing for your business or startup, here’s something that might work: Apply for an unsecured small business line of credit. Start small – basically with whatever size line a lender is willing to provide. The important thing is to [...]
Guide to Sample Business Plans and Business Plan Templates
Starting or expanding a business? Looking for small business loans, venture capital, angel investors or other financial backing? Then you need a business plan, plain and simple. Every successful startup begins with a sound business plan But why start from scratch if you don’t have to. By using a sample business plan, business plan template [...]
Essential Guide to Hiring Teens for Summer Jobs
About four million teenagers will hold summer jobs in the U.S. this year. If you plan to be among the millions of small business owners who provide those jobs it’s important to know the special rules that govern teenage workers. Government statistics show that young workers suffer a disproportionate share of on-the-job injuries. According to [...]
8 Ways to Build your Baseline Business Reputation
Reputation management is one of today’s hottest small business topics. It’s the process of monitoring, managing and influencing what’s being said about your business online (especially in social media) in places like Facebook, Yelp, Twitter and blogs. But your online reputation is an extension of your reputation in the real world – what I call [...]
Rules and Benefits of Employee Credit Cards
Sooner or later, growing businesses face this decision: Should certain employees have their own company credit cards? While many biz owners are psychologically opposed to issuing plastic to employees, business credit cards can actually be big time and money savers. They greatly reduce the number of checks you have to write, provide detailed and itemized [...]
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- Easy Ways to Go Green With Your Home Business and Save Money February 22, 2012
- How Many Social Media Crises Will It Take Before You Prepare For Yours? February 22, 2012
