Articles
4 Ideas to Tackle a Slow Summer Slump
Summer sales slump? No problem. This slow time can be valuable for your small businesses. Now’s your chance to do what you normally don’t have time to do: instead of working in your business, you can work on your business. These projects could benefit any small business; pick one or two and make the most…
7 Useful Ways to Train Small Business Employees
Even if they come with years of experience, every new employee you hire needs training. But all too often, small business owners are so overwhelmed with running the business to come up with anything better than a “follow me around for two weeks and learn the ropes” system. Unfortunately, that’s both inefficient and frustrating: owners…
5 Tips to Help You Qualify for a Business Credit Card
The temptation to use personal credit to pay for business expenses can be tempting for many small business owners—particularly when other small business financing is so hard to come by. Nevertheless, you should avoid the temptation. Using your personal credit cards, for example, to pay for business expenses can actually damage your personal credit score,…
Small Business Owners are Living the American Dream
We released our latest Main Street Pulse Report today and are pleased to report the American Dream is alive and well. What does that mean? 81 percent of survey respondents traded the security of a corporate “9 to 5” job to build their own businesses, have more flexibility, and follow their true passion. While owning…
What Is a Good Personal Credit Score and Why Does it Matter to My Business?
Any time you apply for a loan—regardless of whether it’s a personal loan or a small business loan—the loan officer will likely ask you about your personal credit score. The need to maintain a good personal credit score will likely never go away for most business owners, so knowing your score and what it means…
Leasing vs. Buying: What Makes Sense for Your Business?
You don’t need to be a construction company that uses heavy equipment or a manufacturer who needs machine tools to take advantage of equipment leasing or an equipment loan. Almost any equipment required to do business can qualify—including computers or even a pizza oven. Think of equipment with a high dollar value that is considered…
Understanding Common Small Business Loan Terms
There’s a lot that goes into choosing the right small business loan. In a previous blog post we talked about some of the common qualifying criteria associated with a small business loan, today we’re going to talk about some of the common loan terms, typical loan amounts, and how long it takes to get funds…
Dynamic Duos in Business – 7 of the Most Successful Father/Child Teams
These seven titans of industry are household names, but they’ve worked hard to bring along the next generation of leaders – their children. In each company, father CEOs have worked closely with sons or daughters, and in turn, the children have often eclipsed their fathers’ success. 1. Edward “Ned” Johnson III/Abigail Johnson: Fidelity Investments Fidelity Investments was…
How to Find the Right Business Loan
There are more business loan options available today than ever before. Nevertheless, knowing where to look and what to look for among traditional lenders, online lenders, non-profit lenders, and crowdfunders can be confusing. Today we’re going to talk about some of the basic qualification criteria to help you focus your search in those places where…
How to Get a Top-Notch Marketing Strategy on a #SmallBiz Budget
A marketing strategy takes time, expertise, and research. Every business and market is unique, and so every strategy must be as well. Most small business owners have a lot on their plates, and little time to dedicate to creating a comprehensive marketing plan. As such, getting help is the key. It will help ensure that…
Small Business Loans: Convenience and Capital
I’m not convinced there’s a one-size-fits-all business loan that meets the financing needs of every business. I do believe there are some pretty compelling reasons why online financing options are a good fit in certain circumstances: 1. Convenience: It’s no secret to any small business owner who has ever sat across the desk from their…
Motivate Your Sales Team With These 3 Steps
Day in and day out, sales pros face rejection in their work. The highs can be euphoric when you land a major sale, and the lows can be brutal when you don’t. Keeping your sales team excited about their jobs, and focused on achievement, can be challenging for this reason. But it’s worth doing —…
Video: Tips for Running Your Small Business Better (Part 1 of 4)
When we asked business owners like you how they viewed small business financing, we overwhelmingly heard two things: Most business owners are not aware of their financing options Banks don’t do a great job of explaining what financing options are out there Well, we heard you loud and clear. We’re taking steps to demystify the mystery…
4 Team-Building Techniques That Work for Small Business
Having a cohesive team is crucial for any small business, but building one isn’t easy. Simply putting together a group of people is not “team building” — it takes specific actions and experiences to allow employees to come together into a unit. And as the person running the show, it’s up to you to know…
Why You Need a Marketing Strategy, and 3 Steps to Build One
Marketing your business is no easy task, especially with the countless number of marketing activities that exist today. So, how do you know which are the right ones for your business? It depends on your marketing strategy. What exactly is a marketing strategy? Simply put, it’s a marketing plan of action. A well thought-out marketing…