Articles
The #1 Way to Up Productivity for Your Small Business that You’re Probably Not Doing
It’s a proven fact: employees who are engaged at work (meaning that they are motivated, committed, and satisfied) are more productive and better at their jobs. And more productive employees mean a stronger, healthier business. One study found that “companies with high employee engagement had a 19% increase in operating income and a 28% increase…
Personal Credit Reporting Changes: What They Mean to You
It’s no secret that monitoring and protecting your personal credit score is important for small business owners. Your personal credit score is a metric every lender considers when evaluating your credit worthiness; and recent changes made by the big three personal credit reporting bureaus will make it a little easier. “The three big credit reporting…
How to Spend Your Time on What Matters Most for Your Business
A well-planned day will make or break a small business. It may sound like hyperbole, but this statement isn’t far off. One of the biggest challenges facing small business owners is keeping up with the day-to-day tasks, and balancing it all. In order to be successful, you have to know where your time should go,…
What Color Is This Windfall? A Dress Thrusts a Family Business Into Fame
How does a smart business handle a massive, worldwide rush of attention and increase in sales, especially when it comes out of nowhere? If you’ve been anywhere near the Internet in the last few days, you’ve certainly heard about “the dress.” A random post became an international sensation, with Buzzfeed measuring over 38 million hits…
Customer Success Story: Online Amiga
About Online Amiga After a successful career working with computer interfaces for the Marine Corps and building online experiences with large ecommerce companies, Irasema Jeffers decided to take that experience in another direction. Her new focus, OnlineAmiga, helps companies create a compelling online presence by offering website management, social media strategy, product management and testing,…
Small Business Lending: Are You Ready for a Loan?
I have a consultant friend who helps struggling Main Street businesses get back on their feet. Yesterday he and I were talking about the current state of small business in general and all the changes that have impacted how small business owners find the capital they need to keep their business thriving. As you might…
How Do You Pay Your Salespeople?
How do you properly compensate a sales team? Your sales employees can make or break your business. But knowing how to manage, and properly incentivize them to do a great job day in and day out can be tricky. Here is a breakdown of what you need to know. The Options Some companies pay their…
How to Get Extra Time to Pay Your Suppliers
If you’ve been in business for awhile, you know that getting the funds to ignite your killer idea is just the beginning. Once the dust settles, the day-to-day challenges of running a business take center stage. Dealing with cash flow issues usually tops the list. At some point, you’ll probably find yourself in a situation…
The 6 Questions You Absolutely Must Ask Your Accountant this Year
Regular meetings with your accountant can help you keep on top of your financials and taxes. You can ensure you make the most of your meetings, and stay prepared for the year ahead, by asking these six questions. 1. How can I help you do a better job for me? No matter how skilled and…
4 Tips to Improve Your Business Credit Profile
While everyone understands the value of maintaining a good personal credit score, for small business owners is just as important to make sure your business credit profile is the best it can be. Both scores impact a business owner’s ability to secure a small business loan; and a good business credit profile can help secure…
ObamaCare Changes: What You Need to Know Now
The Affordable Care Act has given business owners plenty of deadlines and changes to track, on top of the daily work of managing their business. Here’s a quick look at the pertinent changes and deadlines you need to know right now. The Employer Mandate for 2015-16 The Employer Mandate, originally scheduled to begin in 2014,…
The Amazing Fate of the ‘Oscars Pizza Guy’
Ask almost any person on the street what they remember about the 2014 Oscars, and chances are they’ll answer, “the pizza.” In one of the more hilarious and touching moments in Oscars history, host Ellen DeGeneres ordered pizza during the broadcast and brought a delighted delivery man into the theater, to deliver slices to Angelina…
5 Business (Types) That Are Perfect For Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is one of the more empowering developments of the Internet age. Through the connected power of the masses, aspiring entrepreneurs can get their great ideas seen, supported, and funded. A wide variety of ideas have found enormous success with crowdfunding. A few of the biggest successes include a redesigned “Coolest Cooler” that raised over…
5 Common Startup Financing Mistakes
Financing a startup is a challenge. In fact, unless you have exceptional credit and some cash in the bank it can be almost impossible. Writing for SmallBusinessTrends.com, Tom Gazaway identifies five common mistakes that make it even a harder—yet are pretty easy to overcome with a little bit of planning and forethought. Gazaway suggests you…
5 Questions with David Bobbitt, President of the SCORE Foundation
1. Tell us about SCORE, and what the organization’s mission is. SCORE builds vibrant small business communities through mentoring and education. Our backbone is 11,000+ volunteers—successful executives and entrepreneurs across the USA—who give back through no-charge mentoring. We have amazing SCORE volunteer groups in Manhattan and in Cedar Rapids in Eastern Iowa, in South Dakota…