Small Business Information


Financial Fundamentals - What Every Small Business Owner Should Know!


Business owners rarely go into business to deal with the financial aspects of running a business. It's easy to understand why! You are passionate about the products or services you provide and want to focus your time there.

7 Tips To Improve Your Cash Flow


Cash is King?That is what everyone tells us and it is true! You cannot function successfully in any business without proper cash flow. So if this Cash Principle is so well known, then why is it that so many businesses struggle? Sometimes the obvious is not always so obvious when you are entrenched in running the day-to-day aspects of your business.

Genius Time? It Matters


I frequently give presentations at small business gatherings, providing me the opportunity to have engaging conversations with owners about the challenges they face. Based on their input, the economy continues to plug along, heading in the right direction, and distancing itself from the difficult journey of the past few years.

Tips and Tricks for Legal Debt Collections


If a customer owes your local business money, it's hard not to feel angry, like you want to do anything possible to get your money back. But the days of going all out to collect on a debt over.

Small Business Checks - Money Saving Options


When you go into business for yourself, there are many things to consider. What you don't want to worry about is spending too much money on unnecessary items.

Justice In Action


During the 1980 presidential campaign, candidate Ronald Reagan vowed, if elected, to appoint the first woman to the United States Supreme Court. Six months after his inauguration, President Reagan kept his promise - nominating a member of the Arizona Court of Appeals.

Dont Let Your Small Business Fall in the FDCPA Trap


When someone owes your small business money, you certainly feel like a victim. But did you know that if you aren't careful, you could break the law by trying to get the money back?How to Break a Federal Debt Collection LawYou have a small business, and your bills are coming due soon.

Do Home Businesses Complicate Small Business Debt Collection Laws?


The home-based business market, sometimes called the SOHO (small-office/home-office) market, is booming. As more and more B2B businesses expand into these markets, they may find themselves walking a fine line between B2B and B2C.

Small Business Debt Collection Laws


In your small business debt collection laws will eventually become important, as your debt grows and some clients do not pay. To collect small business debts legally, you must send a written notice that collections have begun, within five days of first contacting the debtor for collections.

1 Overlooked Key to Small Business Success


Is this you?You dreamed of owning your own business, doing what you love and enjoying unlimited earning potential. You researched.

Do You Microbifer in Your Cleaning Business?


Microfiber cleaning towels have been around for about ten years now. When I first heard about them they were being sold through distributors in an MLM business.

The SBAs Savviest Program


Forget everything you've ever heard about the U.S.

How to Prepare for Your Start-Up Venture!


When you awoke this morning, you found yourself buzzing with a fantastic idea for starting a new business and you hadn't a doubt in your mind that you could turn it into a huge success. But now what? All those great ideas floating around in your head and you're excited about making them happen, but at the moment you don't know where to begin.

Increase Your Profits with a Point of Sale (POS) System


Whether you operate a chain of restaurants, a mom-and-pop convenience store, or a medium-sized retail shop, you are in business to make money. And, one of the most critical aspects to your profit and loss is your ability to track information? you need to know which products are making you money, what items need to be re-ordered, who your customers are, and so on.

Build Credibility with Expertise


As an Investment Representative you've worked hard to build trust with your pension clients. Now, you can solidify that long term relationship with your expertise on one of the greatest fears of small business retirement plan sponsors.

How to become a Career Coach for Profit


A career coach could be simply defined your job seeking partner. A career coach could be a career management coach, who helps you in managing your career or a career marketing coach, who helps you build contacts, posts your resumes, tries to find the best jobs for you and helps you secure the best jobs.

The Step Zero Effect


The key to organizational focus and helping those who need what you do is knowing, precisely, what you do well -- and what you don't do well.Once there was a semiconductor company in financial trouble.

The 5 Habits of Highly Successful Small-Business Owners


Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a business that consistently grows and another that struggles just to make ends meet? Or why a business that was started in a basement of a home can outperform some of the best-run "big" companies in sales and profits?Two businesses, operating in the same marketing arena and selling the same products or services, can have extraordinarily different results. How can one business continually grow and prosper, while the other struggles? How can one business owner run a highly successful business while still spending a good portion of his or her time away from the business on trips and vacations with the family, and another owner work day and night only to see his business fail?Such questions have always intrigued me.

Why are Reverse Mergers Often the Victims of Short Sellers?


There is a great deal of abuse going on in the OTC Bulletin Board Market and a lot of money is being made as result of it. Regulators are trying to deal with the problem but are unable to put a halt to it, unless they take drastic steps which will be detrimental to the small and micro-cap market.

Loose Lips Sink Ships - The Fastest Way to Put Yourself Out of Business


I agree that knowledge should be free, but the next person I see revealing their hard attained business practices in a public forum, I am going to feel the need to approach them, make them choose their own switch from an outside tree, then whip them with it.This is the mistake I see most small businesses make: running their mouths too much.

Lubbock TX Good Market for a Service Business


We very much like what we see in Lubbock, TX as a good place for a service business. The city is a very well designed and laid out town with growth in the 4-5% per year range, growth in the Northwest quadrant of the city is steady and good.

Retail Customer Opportunities for Pressure Washing Companies


Pressure washing companies must look for customers in the retail industry to make sure they stay busy. Large Box Stores and Grocery Stores are often you best customers in that regard.

Pressure Washing at Golf Courses


There are many potential niches for pressure washing companies that often go unchecked. Some are quite lucrative and are worth investigation if you own a pressure washing business.

Mobile Car Wash and Cleaning Post Office Jeeps


If you own a mobile truck washing, pressure washing or mobile car wash business you may wish to consider washing postal vehicles. They have one of the largest fleets in the world and they are relatively easy to wash.

Pressure Washing Aircraft Hangers at the Airport


If you are looking for a way to own your own business using a pressure washer or expand your current pressure washing business you might consider cleaning Aircraft Hangers out at the airport. Why Wash Aircraft hangers? For one it can lead to much more work cleaning all sorts of things at airports which is an encapsulated market.

Why Clean Mobile Homes for a Business?


Manufactured and Mobile Home owners know that the weather this year will be quite harsh. It's imperative these owners to clean out rain gutters and debris from on top of their homes.

Cleaning Service Stations with a Pressure Washer


Fuel prices these days are quite high and they take their toll on a service business. It is time to strike back.

How to Wash Mobile Homes as a Business


Washing manufactured homes, mobile homes, can be a lucrative and steady business. Generally Mobile Home owners desire to have their mobile homes washed twice per year.

Pressure Washing Market Niche


Those who are in the pressure washer business should not neglect the Hotel exterior cleaning niche. Many five-star hotels spend significant dollars in making sure that their grounds are meticulously cleaned.

Technology Community Helps SMBs Focus on Their Core Business


If you're starting your own business or currently work for a start-up, you wear a lot of hats. Any disruption in your business can eat up hours of your time and kill your productivity.

Financial Strategies for a Mobile Car Wash Business Plan


Writing a business plan for a mobile car wash is fairly easy, yet often operators fall down in understanding the financial strategies and costs. Bankers and Investors alike will want to see that you have a well thought out business plan to insure your start-up goes successfully.

How Disabled Veterans Can Win Government Contracts


The Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) is a program that allows small businesses to self-certify as service-disabled veteran-owned businesses providing them increased opportunities to win government contracts. Significantly and permanently impaired veterans may be assisted in the daily business operations by a spouse or permanent caregiver.

Money Series 1: Who Takes Your Money


Your business is making profits, but where is the cash? It seems that someone has taken away your money. Your bank account is still the same, and your personal wealth is still the same.

Job Costing - Do You Know How?


What's your job profitability? I meet with business owners every day that are unsure of their profitability at a company or job level. They "think" they are making money because they have a few dollars in their checking account.

Effective Customer Interviews Make Life Much Easier!


One of the critical success factors for service-related businesses is our ability to understand a client's needs and requirements. Misunderstandings can lead to loss of repeat business, economic loss, and damage to reputation.

10 Ways to Start a Business on a Budget


If you've been thinking about starting a business, but are held back due to cash-flow issues, there are plenty of ways you can get your plans off the ground. Though your vision may be to own a big store, restaurant, warehouse, or office, consider starting on a smaller scale.

Collection Agency Selection


Frankly, given the legal and regulatory requirements involved in attempting to collect a debt, it makes as much sense to do it yourself as it does to try to remove your own appendix. A collection agency is, on the whole, much cheaper than a doctors - and lawyers.

Tips For Successful Home Show Businesses


Opportunities for home show businesses have never been more abundant. If you're thinking about joining the ranks of those in the many show businesses at home available, use these quick tips to get going.

Franchises: How to Find the Best Franchise Opportunity for You


If you are looking for a franchise opportunity, the choice is mind boggling. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of different types of franchise available for you to invest in, with the same variety in cost.

Designing a Franchise Training Program


If you intend to franchise your company you will need to design a bullet proof training company for your new franchisees. This is above and beyond the training program you will design for them to administer to their new employees.


More Resources


Collect that Debt - Your Business Depends on it
The efficiency of debt collection is the difference between a business that will succeed and a business that closes up.If you do not have control of your debt collection then you will eventually fail.
Boat Detailers; Add-on Products and Services
As a Boat Detailing Specialist, you may want to offer services such as making sure your clients' boat's batteries are charged and offering to charge them or test the boat before they arrive for their departure. This is an easy service to provide and will keep you on the top of the boat owners list of reputable and reliable service companies.
The 5 Traits of Baby Boomer Business Owners
As a practitioner and student of Small Business Marketing, I was recently contemplating ways to enhance my business. I found it fascinating to realize that over 95% of my customers and hot prospects were Baby Boomer's who own a small business.
Is This The Way Its Always Been Done?
Let's face it, we all tend to get stuck in doing things 'the way they've always been done', and creating products, or services, in a similarly conservative mode.But there is another way.
Be Nice to Your Payroll Department
Ok, so next to the taxman, your company payroll department might well be the most criticised people on the planet. Of course, when your pay is accurate and on time then you love the payroll people with a passion but when things go wrong it is a completely different matter.
Secrets to Washing Fleets of Trucks from a Nationwide Fleet Washing Service
Washing the exterior of a truck. Sounds easy right? Well, it's not really.
Todays Chef, Tomorrows Restaurateur -- Startup Tips by Restaurant Consultants Inc
Researching information for a recent business plan, I came across an interesting number of 54,000. What is the big deal about that? Over 54,000 new restaurant business licenses were applied for in the last twelve months nationally.
Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Joining a Professional Association
I'll be the first to admit that I went a little nuts when I moved I moved recently in terms of going all-out to participate in a variety of professional associations. I had some experience with most of the groups that I visited in other places I had lived, or had clients who had positive experiences with certain groups.
So What? How to Elicit Benefits from Features
"So what?" is a lovely question.It can lead to a punch on the nose if you tactlessly say it to others to challenge their ideas but, when you use it to question your own decisions it has endless uses.
How to Find a Microenterprise Loan for Your Business
If you're looking for start-up capital for your business, but you don't have the credit, collateral or background needed by your bank to get a business loan, then microenterprise might be your best bet.Microenterprise Development programs have been around since the 1970s.
Alliances: Drawing The Line
How far can you go based on your relationship with an alliance partner?The imaginary line you draw in the sand will let you know when an alliance is getting close to failing. I would suggest setting the line a little higher than the disaster point.
Encouraging Your Customers to Pay On Time
Nothing can drive a business down faster than customers who don't pay their bills as agreed. When you sell to customers on credit you are making an agreement with them.
A Small Business Must Have a Solid Foundation
We all know that a building has to have a strong foundation if it is to survive, so, too, a business.There are many planks that support a business but there are four corner-posts that bear the most weight?The four corner-posts are Marketing, Selling, Production and Financial Control.
Knowledge is Power
Why does research and education play an important part of the business relationship?Have you ever attended a business briefing or meeting without reading the materials ahead of time? I know I certainly have, and I also know that I felt like a fool when asked a question. It was up to me to be informed about the meeting and to read the information, and I neglected to do so.
Is Your Small Business Name Important?
You bet a name is important. Many small business owners try to come up with a clever name for their business rather than one that explains what they do.
Discover How You Can Start Making Your Small Business Dream Come True
As a teenager I worked for my father's small business. At18 I worked for a small video rental business owned by twopartners; there were 4 employees.
How to Prevent Home Business Burnout
As a home business proprietor, you may already realize why avoiding "home business burnout" is so important. Even if you have only been working your home business venture for a relatively brief time, you may have already been aware of the need to maintain your energy levels and reduce your stress levels while you were involved in your other employment.
Leveraging Business Relationships for more Profits
When should you leverage the relationship?Leveraging sometimes brings a negative connotation to the mix. It does not have to be that way.
Is Your Business Making Money?
Is your business making money? Would you know?Figuring out whether your business is actually making money is no easy task. Most small business owners have a pretty good idea of what their top line is (their revenues), but unless they're closely tracking and inputting all of their expenses, the bottom line can often come as a complete surprise.
Naming Your Business: 3 Tips To Ensure Success
If you are just starting your business, or if you have just developed a new product or service for an existing business, one of the first questions you need to answer is, "What should I name it?" And while you may feel pressure to make this decision quickly, I caution you to not make it lightly. What kind of things should you take into consideration when choosing a name?(1) Don't Use Your Own NameWell, first of all, use a name other than your own name.

More Small Business Information:

Related Articles


Money Series 1: Who Takes Your Money
Your business is making profits, but where is the cash? It seems that someone has taken away your money. Your bank account is still the same, and your personal wealth is still the same.
Business Relationships Defined
What makes a business relationship?What really makes a business relationship? This may be very hard to define as it goes beyond just meeting the person and chatting about something you have in common. A relationship is developed over a period of time and usually does not happen instantly.
Janitorial Cleaning Service: Getting Started
A janitorial cleaning service is one of the best businesses for a hardworking, blue collar person to start from scratch. Every business and every building needs to be cleaned once in a while - in some cases, many times each day.
Administration Of Your Small Business
You've been meaning to tend to the administration part of your business, that is, the growing list of things to do that relates to your small business. You've shoved all other appointments aside and starts getting down to working on the nitty gritty details, you're ready to go all out and tick everything on the list off! But where in the world is the list?The Administration part of the small business may seem simple but unless one gets down to doing it and doing it right, nothing else will get done.
Measuring Your Way to Success
Are you a motivational speaker who consistently gets rave reviews yet your ratio of speaking to return rate is not where you would like it to be? Perhaps you are a trainer whose delivery is complimented time and again, and yet you are only being asked by 10 to 20% of the clients you see for a repeat performance?Are you starting to think that there is something wrong with your message or delivery despite the rave reviews? Maybe you were wondering if your fee is too steep. That may be a valid concern when organizations are faced with discretionary spending, but the rule of thumb is that you are only charging too much if more than 1 in 5 people complain about it.
The Business Failed, But Did You?
Q: After years of dreaming about starting my own business, I finally took the plunge a little over a year ago. To say the least, my dream quickly became a nightmare.
Corporate Shells
A corporate shell could be liken to a house that had been occupied by a family, prior to the family moving out it was a home. But now it is just shell, a skeleton a plain house with nobody in it, but if a family was to purchase the house and moves in, it becomes a home.
Pressure Washing Heavy Equipment
One of the best ways to make money in the pressure washer business is to power wash heavy equipment. It is not necessarily easy work and you will get quite greasy but it is steady work and there is lots of it.
Mission Statements: More Important Than You Thought
If an organization lacks a mission statement, it is worthwhile to at least try to draft one. Even if it does not yield an acceptable final draft, the exercise will be rewarding for the hard work which must go into figuring out the company's direction and putative purpose.
How the Humble Ice Cube Made Business History
Gather round while I tell you the story of Kennebec Ice. It's a story full of valuable business lessons even though it happened long ago.
Direct Mail - For Small Businesses
We hear a lot of talk about junk mail nowadays. Many peoplewill tell you that they dump it straight in the trash.
Promote Yourself More Successfully
One of the great challenges for independent professionals and small businesses, especially when starting out, is generating visibility to ultimately lead to generating sales.One of the specific challenges, I have found, is knowing what to say about yourself and your operations and services when asked "so what do you do?"? Have you ever stumbled over your words when asked what you do?? Have you ever received the response, "Oh, I see", followed by silence?? Do you ever feel as though you do not know what to say about yourself?I am reminded of the 'elevator speech theory' (I do not know to whom to attribute its invention), which simply poses "if you were in a lift that opens on the tenth floor and in walks Bill Gates who asks what you do - what would you say, and you have only until the elevator gets to the bottom?"I have personally struggled with this at times, and equally have found that when I get it right, results flow - which initially could be as simple yet important of getting more time to converse with the person asking the question of you.
Get In Touch With Your Competition!
We all know that competition is an ugly word but competitors are a fact of life in business. If your business can't compete with other businesses, don't start it.
How to Handle Rejection When You Start an Office Cleaning Business
"If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you."Thank goodness starting an office cleaning business isn't anything like skydiving! If you fall flat on your face, there's no chance that it's going to hurt that bad.
Small Business Success: Thriving During Change (And Landing On Your Feet!)
If I had $1.00 every time I heard someone say " I don't like change or, change makes me uncomfortable" I'd be a millionaire.
Small Business Marketing Secrets: Look Like Sizzle, Be The Steak
You've heard marketing and advertising gurus quip, "Sell the sizzle, not the steak." Advertising initiatives best reach their target audience with benefits and the "wow" effect, not the value or features of their product or service.
How to Raise Your Fees and Thrill Your Customers
Think the best way to get more customers is to have the lowest prices in town? Think again. Think the best way to create a successful business is to try to appeal to everyone? Wrong again.
Business Debt Collection Letter Writing Secrets
Debt collection letters--an overview"Debt collection letter" in the singular may be an oxymoron, since unfortunately, one is rarely enough. You should have a series of letters to send to deadbeat clients, each one becoming a little more insistent.
The Number of Pages in the UFOC in Franchising is Still Growing Today
Today required franchise disclosure documents are over 200 pages generally. How many pages do you think the Uniform Franchise Offering Circular; UFOCs were 35 years ago for these ten-foot tall pillars of the franchising community like Kroc, Monhan and Rosenberg founded their companies? They were of course the founders of McDonalds, Domino's Pizza and Duncan Donuts.
Small Business - Big Business...Whats the Diff?
Small Business, Big Business - What's the Diff?Well a lot actually!I become frustrated and angry at the government's paying lip service to assisting small business. It appears as though all governments, bureaucrats and many accounting advisers do not know what a real small business is.