Business Tools and Insurance
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]
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]
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]
What's in Your Toolbox?
Think tools are just for carpenters and plumbers? Think again! Everyone has a toolbox--or should have. [Full Story]
Reduce Office Clutter
According to the National Association of Professional Organizations, paper clutter is the number one problem for most businesses. Studies show the average person waste 4.3 hours per week searching for papers … [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]
Top 10 Survival Tactics in a Tough Economy
As a small business owner, you must know how your cash flows. This isn’t fancy accounting: it’s simply tracking how cash comes in versus how it goes out. [Full Story]
Staying in Tune with the Postal Service
In the realm of small and home-based businesses, much of the marketing is still done through print advertisements and direct mail pieces. If you’re planning to send out flyers, brochures, coupons, or other direct mail pieces, it pays to stay abreast of changing postal rates, classifications, and… [Full Story]
Want to Sell More and Work Less?
Running your own business often means working long hours. Wouldn't you like to cut back, ease up a little, maybe take Friday afternoons off or get away on an extended vacation - and keep your profits rolling in? [Full Story]
Is It Time For Your Business To Hire Employees?
A small or home business owners’ success depends solely on themselves when beginning their business. But now it’s time to expand and either outsource or take on a few employees. [Full Story]
A Zone Defense for Your Home Business
Every business is required by law to maintain workers’ compensation insurance for its employees. This is a legal obligation and an expense you want to bear. [Full Story]
Remember to Remodel Your Home Insurance Before Remodeling Your Home
Homeowner spending on remodeling projects is projected to increase by 44 percent between 2005 and 2015, according to a recent Harvard University study. [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]
The Pareto Rule
Only a few simple principles of management have the potential to make an enormous contribution through intelligent use. Among these, the Pareto rule deserves special attention and is one of the most important principles of management. [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]
Are Introverts more Successful with Home-based Businesses?
I recently took one of those online personality quizzes – the one that tests you to see if you are an introvert or an extrovert. [Full Story]
Don’t Think of It as a Liability
Having an assistant is one of the best investments you’ll make as a business owner. Like all parts of your home business, they require an investment of your money (in order to hire, train, and compensate for their services). [Full Story]
Business Travel Made Easy
If your home business requires you to travel, take the approach that everything will go wrong. That way, you’re prepared to handle whatever comes your way and no challenge will derail your business plans. [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]
Going Away? Secure your home with a Neighborhood Watch
When you’re away, home security depends on a helping hand (and extra eyes) [Full Story]
A Brain in Training
Multi-tasking is a part of our business world. If you truly want to succeed, then you need to learn how to multi-task so it doesn’t overwhelm you and cause unnecessary stress. [Full Story]
Fire Action Plan
8 simple steps to help protect your “home” business [Full Story]
Simple TRUTH about SUV’s
You may be driving an SUV as a delivery vehicle or for other purposes when operating your home business. But, no matter what you’re driving, these popular vehicles call for special safety measures. [Full Story]
Don’t Bug Me!
You go to your mailbox to pick up the day’s mail and it’s filled with unsolicited advertising. Your e-mail inbox is full of unsolicited items also.
You sit down to dinner, the phone rings and it’s a telemarketer soliciting something you don’t want. What to do? [Full Story]
Filling Customer’s White Space
Consider for a moment, how the empty spaces in your company’s customer experience can affect that experience? The so called white space as defined by ww.BuzzWhack.com is “the unmet needs of a customer – the space that is filled by no other product or service. [Full Story]
How PivotTables Work
PivotTables enable you to extract meaning from large amounts of data. This description is deceptively simple because in fact PivotTables are powerful and sophisticated tools that enable you to do things that would be impossible or difficult to do any other way. [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]
Double Your Business in 12 Months With Two Numbers
Everyone wants to see growth in sales and net revenue. It’s important for small business and home business owners to set income goals and to watch sales results, but too much emphasis on these numbers can prevent you from reaching your goals. [Full Story]
When to Do Trade-Outs?
Trade-outs are not illegal or even sinister in any way if tax laws are obeyed. But some trades may not be subject to taxes. As the disclaimer always goes, check with your qualified tax preparer or attorney. [Full Story]
A Quick Course on Business Contracts
To do business in today’s marketplace (this includes home businesses), it is essential you understand some basic aspects of a business relationship. Unless you are a practitioner of the law, it is unlikely that you will understand the entire spectrum of legal language. [Full Story]
Coping with No-pay, Late-pay Clients
This is a tricky subject to handle. You want their (clients) business, but it is so difficult to get your money. Usually, new home business owners are advised to make sure they are on friendly terms with an accountant and an attorney before they launch their business. [Full Story]
A Meeting of the Minds… Written Down
Partnerships offer opportunities often not available to the one-person home business. It gives you more capital, more skills and ideas and the extra energy generated when two or more people are working together. [Full Story]
Simple Ways to Save Money or Use it Wisely
About everyone, it seems, is looking for ways to save money in their business today. There are some ways to cut costs without hurting the quality of your small or home business. [Full Story]
Spend Less at the Pump and Improve Safety on the Road
Inflate Tires - Under inflated tires waste nearly 4 million gallons of gasoline annually, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. They're also a leading cause of tire failure, which can cause accidents. [Full Story]
Something for the Wannabes
Many people “wannabe” able to work from their own home office and run their own home business. But they draw a blank on how to run a successful home business. Success depends on the type of business you choose and the energy, vision, skills and capital you can bring to the task. [Full Story]
You Should Write a Business Plan
Here are the two reasons for writing a business plan and why they important enough to make you decide to write one: [Full Story]
The Walls Have Ears
We sales-types love to talk. Or so it often seems. Well, we’d better watch where we do it. [Full Story]
Do I Need to Be Insured?
Most of us are familiar with Errors and Omissions Insurance and General Liability Insurance, but … do we need anything else when operating a home based business? Here are some . . . [Full Story]
Find Focus And Achieve Success
You’ve heard the saying, “There are three kinds of people – those who make things happen, those who watch them happen and those who wonder what happened.” Successful sales . . . [Full Story]
The Rule of Three
People don’t want to know everything you know. More than anyone in modern history, Abraham Lincoln understood this value of brevity. At 272 words, his Gettysburg . . . [Full Story]
A Spring Tune-up for Your Business
Spring is the perfect time to take a look at your business and see how you’ve done over the winter months. It’s time to clean out the cobwebs and take a fresh look at your . . . [Full Story]
Check Up on Your Insurance
As a small business owner, it is vital that you check up on your insurance. Much has happened since September 11, 2001, and you may find upon close inspection you do not have the coverage you think that you do. Large corporations have . . . [Full Story]
Once Upon an Idea . . .
Having an idea of what you want to do in your home business only goes so far. You must hone your idea and transform it into what you hope will be a viable business. Details are . . . [Full Story]
How to Avoid an Accident
For many, running a home business may mean running your business out of your car. Whether you’re making sales calls or deliveries, you may find yourself in this situation. [Full Story]
Backing Up Your Website Data
Since it is pretty self-evident that preventing the loss of all of a business’ orders and customer information is an important task, why is it that backup solutions are among the lowest priorities of most businesses shopping for Web
hosting? [Full Story]
Feedback Quiz
How are your communication skills when it comes to giving information back? Answering these simple True / False questions may help you gain a better understanding of how to improve and comprehend your feedback behavior. [Full Story]
Surviving Christmas
Yup, the holiday season can be full of stress, money worries and perhaps a bit of depression. If you own your own business (home business or otherwise), the holiday pressures are often even greater. [Full Story]
Off-Beat Gift Ideas?
Are you stuck trying to find a gift for a business associate, a supplier, an employee? If you’re tired of giving the same king of traditional gifts, here are some ideas to add a little pizzazz to your gift giving. [Full Story]
Keeping Your Eyes on the Computer
You’ve had a full day in your home office. You got a lot accomplished, but your head is aching and your eyeballs feel like they’ve been buried in the desert. If you’re among the 175 million Americans who work on computers regularly, this is probably a realistic scenario. [Full Story]
Check It Out … Quotes, Notes and Facts
Benjamin Franklin may have discovered electricity, but it was the man who invented the meter who made the money – Earl Wilson [Full Story]
Licensing a Home-Based Business
If you have elected to have a home-based business, restrictions may sometimes not permit you to get a business license to operate in your city. You may be forced to move your business outside the home or operate outside of the law. [Full Story]
Are You Protected in case of an Audit?
Increased federal and state scrutiny of tax records and budget deficits signal changes ahead for the record keeping practices of American’s small businesses, according to Fiducial, an international provider of professional business and financial services. [Full Story]
Too Busy to Make Money?
Many small business owners want to be involved in everything every day. After all, they set up most of the procedures and ways things are done. [Full Story]
In Order… Starting with Your Office
Sick of fumbling for files and wasting precious time looking for lost items in your disorganized office? Don’t waste another minute. Here are some useful tips to help you get a grip on your work. [Full Story]
The Fraud Squad
Much has been written about protecting yourself from identity theft. In fact, we’ve covered it several times on this Web site. But it’s time to take a look at a much bigger crime against you and your small business. [Full Story]
10 Reasons Why New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Last,
and… How To Make Them Work!
Let’s face it. You set new resolutions every year, with all good intentions, but they rarely last out the month. So why don’t they last? Recognize that a resolution is only another word for a goal [Full Story]
Web Benefits for Your Business
The Web has been around for a while. But it’s true that for many people and small/home business owners, they are just now beginning to realize the growth opportunities available to them. [Full Story]
Do What Works and Stop Doing What Doesn’t
Success is simple. Just be clear about what you want and go after it. That and a few million details and you’ve got it made. [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. The cost savings of using independent workers can be very attractive, as contractors are considered a taxable professional service business expense. [Full Story]
Dragons at Your Gate
Keeping your computer safe from attack by virus means investing in software such as anti-virus programs and firewalls (and making sure the firewall that was included with your computer is turned on). [Full Story]
Things I Should’ve Done This Summer
Many small businesses and home businesses find that things slow down during the summer months. Although business is slow, many small/home business owners find plenty to do to keep busy through these slow months. [Full Story]
Warning … Is Your Business About to Fail?
Nobody goes into a home business, small business – e-commerce or brick and mortar – to fail. But about half of all small businesses fail within the first four years. All of these businesses have something in common. They are failing to plan for the long term. [Full Story]
Picking a Collction Agency ithout Spending a Fortune
As a small business or home based business owner, nothing is more irritating than having customers who never pay on time. There you are, working your fingers to the bone in order to stay afloat, only to have cash flow constantly hampered by a handful of deadb [Full Story]
Home Businesses are Working for Many
Much has been written in recent years about the success of “home businesses.” The concept, of course is not brand new. Over the decades, bakeries, computer companies and other businesses got their start at home. [Full Story]
Finding New Suppliers
When starting a home business to sell products you may know whom you want to buy them from wholesale. But are they the best source at the best price? Can they supply all the products you want to market and do they continually come out with new related items? [Full Story]
Going Postal
A lot has been written about protecting your e-mail address and messages from prying eyes. But what about our snail-mail service? You need to protect that, too. [Full Story]
Burglar-Proof Your Home … and Office
It’s a horrible experience to arrive home from an evening out and discover that your personal possessions have been riffled or stolen. And with your office in your home, there may be all sorts of things that can be disrupted if a burglar comes to pay a visit. [Full Story]
Gone, But Not Forgotten
Here’s a scenario for you. You buy a new PC and donate your old one to charity, knowing you’ve protected your privacy by deleting all your old files – or better yet, reformatting the hard drive and wiping it clean. Later, you discover you’re a victim of identity theft. How did this happen? [Full Story]
Cash Flow Check Up Time
Nothing annoys cash-flow problems faster than those delinquent accounts that keep stretching their payments. The old “ship-and-bill” mentality may seem easy, but may be costing you plenty [Full Story]
Know Your Ratios!
Ever noticed the attention people in professional baseball and other sports pay to statistics? Wonder why? [Full Story]
There’s No Place Like a New Home . . . for your office, that is.
So you’re thinking of building a custom-made home complete with a brand new home office. Think of all the conveniences you can have – built in bookcases and shelving, static-resistant, scratchproof flooring and all the electrical outlets you’ll ever need. [Full Story]
Check It Out … Quotes, Notes & Updates
Inspirational Quotes: George Eliot “Wear a smile and have friends’ wear a scowl and have wrinkles.” : [Full Story]
DON'T Pass It On!
A Computer virus is a piece of uninvited, unwelcome programming, created by some computer genius (?) with a warped mind. A virus can cause minor or serious problems with your computer that could alter or destroy data. [Full Story]
SPAM The Phantom Menace Strikes Again!
Everyone agrees that SPAM is a growing problem on the Internet. With estimates that we will soon have over one billion people worldwide surfing the net, this problem will only continue to grow worse. [Full Story]
You and Your Ram
Nothing kinky or weird, as most technologically savvy users know, RAM stands for “random access memory”. This is a set of computer chips that provide the workspace on your computer. [Full Story]
Shred It!
Identity theft is fast becoming the number one crime in America. Nearly 2,000 consumers contact the Federal Trade Commission every week to report that they’ve been victims of identity theft. [Full Story]
Things to Do in an Up, Down, Sideways Economy
No one seems to agree whether the economy is on the mend or if it ever was in need of repair. Some say there are definite signs that the economy is stabilizing; others say that time of stabilization is further down the year for recovery. [Full Story]
What’s Your Market Plan? Do You Have a Mission Statement?
Without a plan, how will you get there? Get where? [Full Story]
An E-Problem Nobody Expected
They once cost thousands of dollars and were considered a major investment meant to last. They’re the mainstay of basic home office equipment. [Full Story]
Four Reasons Why We Procrastinate
Have you ever spent time thinking about a task you need to tackle but keep putting off, then spend time telling yourself you just must get started and wondering when you will start it, and then feeling guilty because you are working on other tasks instead. [Full Story]
Organizing Your Computer Files
Now that a New Year has begun, it would be advantageous to start cleaning out your files. And this goes for your computer files as well as your paper files.
You can keep your life simple, by using the same system for your hard drive and floppy disk files as your paper files. [Full Story]
Keeping an Eye on the Competition
As a small or home business owner if you want to one-up your competitors, you should know what they are up to at all times. Here are some sites to check. [Full Story]
What Happened to My E-Mail?
Losing your Internet connection and access to your e-mail account if your provider goes out of business can cause big problems for anyone -- whether you have high-speed or dial-up access from your home or business. Here are some [Full Story]
Increase Your Office Efficiency by Networking Computers
A network is merely two or more computers tied together so that they can share files and other resources, such as printers, modems, etc. If you have more than one computer or printer in your office, they should be networked. [Full Story]
Quick Tips on Protecting Your Privacy - Part 2
Protect your privacy on the Web with a few precautionary steps. SmartBusiness Magazine suggests, first and foremost, un-list yourself from your local phone directory. [Full Story]
Quick Tips on Protecting Your Privacy - Part 1
Web browsing can leave your home business vulnerable and highly exposed. There's no need to become paranoid however. Protect your privacy on the Web with good business sense and taking a few precautionary measures. [Full Story]
INTERNET LIABILITY EXPOSURE
The Internet is a powerful tool that has changed, and will continue to change, how we operate our businesses and live our lives. Many entrepreneurs have developed ways to make significant amounts of money via the Internet. [Full Story]
Online Business Resources
Check out these web sites for informative help and insight to operate your business. [Full Story]