Small Business Start Up
Cents and Sensibility
Cash flow is a problem that plagues every small/home office from time to time. It’s one of the biggest challenges you’ll face during the first two years of operation. [Full Story]
Ask Yourself First
These are questions you need to ask yourself before taking the plunge opening a new business. [Full Story]
The Role of Trademarks
Trademarks are words or symbols that help the public associate your goods with your company, and distinguish them from the goods of others. [Full Story]
What is a Patent?
A patent is like a fence around your invention. For a limited time, it allows you to prevent others from trespassing on your invention by making, using, selling or importing the invention claimed in the patent. [Full Story]
SCORE WILL HELP
You have probably heard of SCORE but maybe never went any further because you didn’t know what it was all about. Well, it’s
probably the best deal for business advice that you’ll ever find. [Full Story]
Send & Store Documents Digitally
There are plenty of good reasons to digitize your documents. Conventional filing systems take up valuable – and expensive – physical space. Digital files are also easier to work with. [Full Story]
Starting a Home-Based Business
Here are a few helpful tips to follow when starting a home business: [Full Story]
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES
With these guidelines in mind, consider the general dos and don’ts of the loan submission package: [Full Story]
Entrepreneurs will Succeed
According to Josephine Nicholas, Chief Operating Office of Published Daily, the upside to the massive amounts of layoffs we are seeing is that men and women who felt stuck in certain positions are afraid to go out of the box to pursue their dreams are now free. [Full Story]
Saving the Green - Means Going Green
Environmentally conscious small and home businesses are seeing the rewards of going green. Check out these 10 tips on how to save money and energy in YOUR business. [Full Story]
Beyond the Cover
One of the top new car salesmen in the country, now in his fifties, who dresses more like a banker (on purpose) than a car salesman, is a virtuoso of automobile sales. He is quiet, thoughtfully attentive, and has a courtly charm. And he is a keen listener. [Full Story]
Become a Recognized Authority in Your Field
Become a Recognized Authority in Your Field: 14 Ways to Grow Your Business by Publishing a Book [Full Story]
10 Steps to Survival and Growth
Think big. The old saying, think big or don’t think at all applies to risk takers and entrepreneurs. It’s important
to think within your budget but reaching higher is never painful. [Full Story]
Economic Woes Not Spoken Here
How to Prosper During a Slow Economy
As the recession sets in and consumers continue to tighten their belts, retailers and restaurants are left wondering how to pull more customers through their doors. [Full Story]
Differentiate Yourself
Competition is a fact of life in business. It's good for the economy. It's good for customers and it's good for us as business owners and managers. [Full Story]
Time for a Change … of Ownership
How are your assets owned? The way you hold title to property can make it less vulnerable to creditors’ claims. Consider these changes… [Full Story]
Office Advice
Early 2008, the IRS released an updated tax tip to help taxpayers better understand existing law as it relates to the home office deduction. [Full Story]
What Franchise to Choose
You first need to decide the industry or type of franchise you will select to make all your dreams come true. [Full Story]
Cash Flow The Lifejacket of Your Business
The key to treading rough financial waters is knowing how to manage cash flow. Small/home business owners who want to make a success of their ventures have to focus on the commercial end of their enterprises. [Full Story]
The Advantages of Using Independent Contractors
For many businesses, there will come a time when you must consider whether to add new employees or hire independent contractors. [Full Story]
Real Estate: The Original “Home-Based” Business
Many home-based entrepreneurs have overlooked investing in real estate as a business opportunity because of their lack of capital and the perceived risk. [Full Story]
Trademarks
Trademarks (including service marks, trade names and trade dress), patents, and copyrights are known as “intangible property” or “intellectual property”. [Full Story]
Be Prepared When Asking for Money
Before a lending institution will give you a loan, the lender will ask you a series of qualifying questions that must in turn satisfy him before granting your request. [Full Story]
Be Prepared When Asking for Money
Before a lending institution will give you a loan, the lender will ask you a series of qualifying questions that must in turn satisfy him before granting your request. [Full Story]
No-Brainer Precautions
Many years ago when I was starting out in business, it was a luxury to have a computer. It was not the first thing on your list when planning a new enterprise. [Full Story]
How Legal is Your Partnership?
Business partnerships offer opportunities often not available to the one-person operation: more capital, more skills and ideas, the extra energy generated when two or more people are working together. [Full Story]
Six Tips to Starting Your Home Business
Here are six steps to research and take under consideration prior to starting up your home business. [Full Story]
Lesson #100: Being Scrappy
Recently, I was introduced to a book which I found to be very helpful to those wanting to start a home business…The Street Smart Entrepreneur: 133 Tough Lessons I learned the Hard Way by Jay Goltz. [Full Story]
Why Bother?
You want to quit your job and open a small or home business, are you crazy? All those years at your company building tenure and loyalty goes down the drain. [Full Story]
Get Yourself a Mentor
What is mentoring? You hear the word bantered about often, but do you really know what it means? [Full Story]
No Office?
If you have a home business and occasionally need to meet with a client, what are your choices? Your first thought might be their office or place of business and that’s great if it’s available. [Full Story]
“What’s in a Name?”
Even if you have a small business run out of your home, your company still needs a name. That’s s where a DBA comes in. [Full Story]
Sound the ALARM
Attention Home Business Owners: If you haven’t installed carbon monoxide alarms in your home, now is the time. [Full Story]
A Zone Defense for Your Home Business
“Location, location, location” is as big a mantra for the home business crowd as it is for other retailers. While your neighborhood might be the perfect residential community, if you decide to work at home, antiquated zoning laws could complicate your business venture. [Full Story]
6 Easy Steps to Get You Where You Want To Go Without The Stress
The comment I hear most frequently from home business people as well as corporate people is that they feel overwhelmed with work, and are often playing the game of "catch up." [Full Story]
Seven Ways to Beat the Demo Demons
When companies bet the farm on new products, their standard operating procedure is to throw an elaborate launch party for industry influencers and the press. [Full Story]
Tips for an Effective Direct Mail Program
Incorporating these tips in your direct mail program will aid in building and strengthening your home business. [Full Story]
8 Tips in Moving your New Franchise Forward
Your decision to open a home business had turned gone the route of a
franchise. There are a few things you should be cognizant of since you have selected a
franchise as your next business. [Full Story]
A Fitting Tribute
The United States flag has been an American symbol for over 200 years. The flying of the flag this July 4th stands as a tribute to the thousands of men and women who have fought and died for our country. Here are some tips for flying the flag and giving it the allegiance it so richly deserves: [Full Story]
Taking Your Idea to the Next Level
Every person who has ever started a home business thought he or she had a good idea. It’s the smart person who tries to find out the most important thing: do other people think it’s a good idea? [Full Story]
The Profit Factor
Profit” and “wages” is not the same thing though many who work at home tend to forget this fact. After all, expenses (including owner’s salary) have been deducted; the idea is that there still should be something left over as profit for the owner or company. [Full Story]
Give Your Business a Big Lift
Here are seven ideas of how mail order catalogs can give your business a big lift: [Full Story]
Business Failure Warning Signs
Nobody goes into a small or home business – e-commerce or brick and mortar – to fail. But about half of all small businesses fail within the first four years. [Full Story]