small business
Maintain flexibility in your organization
Any small business owner knows how important it is to stay flexible, yet many are plagued with a surprising lack of elasticity. Inflexibility can contribute to forced flexibility measures in the form of layoffs, pay cuts, rolling back of company perks, etc. Once this happens, it’s hard to get employees to perform at a high level. There are, however, several things business owners can do to help keep a company flexible, including looking for ways to be innovative and listening to all the ideas that circulate within a company. Full Article. Similar Article.
Eight tips to prevent employee theft and fraud
One of the most serious threats to the success of a small business is employee theft. A U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey reported that one-third of business bankruptcies are due to employee theft. There are, however, some things small business owners can do to help protect their businesses from employee theft and fraud. Full Article. Similar Article.
Strategy Means Knowing Your Bandwidth
One key element of strategy that is critical for all businesses—but particularly for smaller or early-stage companies—is the issue of choice, i.e. deciding on an area of focus: What you do and don’t, what products or services you offer and what you don’t, and to which customer segments. It is important that you do not try to be all things to all people, as that just doesn’t work. There are, however, several questions you can ask yourself to be sure you are making appropriate choices. Full Article.
What We Don't Know About Small Business Lending
Small business lending remains down, and the latest remedy to surface is President Barack Obama's $30 billion plan to offer capital to small banks with incentives to loan it to small companies. It's not clear, however, if it will manage better than previous efforts to increase the supply of credit by pumping money into banks. Full Article.
The Value of a Good Lawyer
Legal issues are some of the most complicated areas an entrepreneur will deal with, simply because there are so many pitfalls, rules, and regulations to worry about. Legal problems can paralyze a company; a good attorney can save you precious time and money, which allows you to focus on what you do best—running your businesses. Full Article.
Health-Care Bill provision could become 1099 nightmare for small biz
Page 737 of the massive health-care bill contains a three-paragraph section requires companies to report to the IRS payments of more than $600 a year to any vendor. While the provision affects all companies, small businesses will be slammed the hardest because they often lack the compliance departments and legions of accountants that corporations retain on staff. Full Article.
You Actually Can Get a Small Business Loan
For years, we’ve heard that banks won’t lend to you unless you have two years of track record in your business, which made getting a small business loan almost a non-starter for startups. However, Rohit Arora, CEO of Biz2Credit, thinks otherwise. He works with over 75 lenders through his lender-small business-matching website, a service we promote here at StartupNation. Rohit is one of the nation’s leading experts on lending for small businesses. Article and video.
Small Business Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Essentials
SEO is a broad discipline that involves “On Page” and “Off Page” methods, with the goal of driving targeted traffic to a website. Business owners should welcome this new media with arms wide open and use it to their full benefits. Having your business website placed high on the Search Engine Results Page is critical to staying competitive, and there are several components to an effective Small Business SEO. Full Article. Similar Article.
Small business lobby joins challenge to health law
The nation's most influential small business lobby is joining a court challenge to President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, arguing that Americans cannot be required under the Constitution to obtain insurance coverage. A groundswell of opposition to the law from small business owners prompted NFIB's decision to join the court challenge. Full Article.
Mobile Apps to Make Running a Business Easier on the Go
For most small businesses, conducting business on the go is the norm. There is now a variety of mobile applications that can make life a little easier, from processing credit card charges to capturing receipts for expensing. Full Article.
