Think of it as the Fort Knox for small-business loans. Many businesses do.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in some ways serves as the cash cow for fledgling businesses through the agency's myriad loan guarantees and direct grants, resulting in an overall portfolio of more than $45 billion.
The idea of partnering with customers is often confused with providing good customer service. But they're hardly the same thing.
Working to build partnerships with customers is a considerably more consultative process than delivering satisfactory point-of-sale transactions.
Even as interest rates remain at attractive levels, many people looking to start or expand a business venture are having trouble getting a loan.
Banks may be pushing great deals on home-equity credit lines and other loan offerings, but they also are being extremely selective about who they lend to.
Your growing business is ready for new PCs or software. How do you buy it?
It's a common challenge for small businesses. New technology purchases top the list of capital expenditures in a 2005 American Express survey of small businesses, with 43% of respondents saying they planned to make a buy in the next six months.
You can describe what the business is that you want to build, but you must also understand what makes it the right business for you. Determine the skills and experience it takes to make the business successful.
Which of those critical factors are among your greatest talents? Which of those factors are also the tasks you love to do, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week? The business that is right for you fits your individual expertise and your personal motivators.
Any individual may form a company. Generally, the minimum age is 18.
In most states, you are not required to be a resident of the state to form a company, and some states even allow one company to form another company.
Getting paid and money management can be tricky business because, in addition to customers, cash flow and managing your accounts properly is what keeps your business humming along. Consequently, getting paid in full and on time, as well as understanding money management, has to become a priority, even if you elect to hire an accountant or bookkeeper to manage the books.
If you operate your business from home, it may seem as if you are doing so for free. However, this is not necessarily the case.
Below are 3 important aspects of owning your own business:
Many moms dream of the day they can work from home or run their own small business. Running a small business from your home when you have children can be a difficult task.
However, it also gives you the freedom and flexibility to be home with your children and care for your family. To be successful at both simultaneously requires skill and planning.
What if you could get advice from someone who had successfully run a business of their own, get online lessons about marketing, increasing sales and mentoring?
Better yet, what if you could get these services at no cost?
Well you can.
There is a wide variety of free resources available to small business owners.
Loss prevention is not only for big businesses.
In fact, it may be even more crucial to your small business since every dime counts during the start up phase of your business.
When it comes to helping entrepreneurs compete, I try to eat my own cooking. All the tips and strategies I share in this column I aim to apply at my 10-person technology consultancy. But I have to come clean: I'm woefully negligent in one crucial area--and it's costing me.
I'm talking about online banking. Embarrassing as it sounds, I don't do it. Nor, as it turns out, do roughly 95% of my 500 clients. Why? Sheer laziness, I suppose.
Executive Summary: This will be done last, it is just a one or two page synopsis of your business plan, specifically tailored to be read by investors or key stakeholders in your business.
Company Description: Give a background of the history of this business if existing, or if it is a start-up, a background of why you see the need for this in the marketplace. Answer the basic questions:
A post from the Marketing Blog on how to stretch your marketing budget. This is good information even if we were not stretching our dollars.
Enjoy!
With marketing budgets under scrutiny, doing more with less is essential for creating a positive return on your investment. The fact is that marketing budgets are shrinking in today's difficult economic climate. This is the precise opposite of what should actually happen. When times are tough, its time to start marketing.
