Small Business Information


Congress's Latest Patent Legislation a Big Win for Entrepreneurs, Small Business


"Mr. Watson. Come here," Alexander Graham Bell said to his aide, "I want you." Those were the first words transmitted through Bell's breakthrough technology, the telephone. The history books document that moment, but a pivotal event took place three days earlier. On March 7, 1876, the U.S. Patent Office granted Bell patent number 174,465, cementing his legacy as the inventor of the telephone.

Why Many Business Owners Don’t Want Their Kids to Inherit the Company


Being a business owner is considered an “American Dream” by many, yet when it comes to succession planning, a recent survey reveals that not everyone feels the same way about passing the torch onto their children.

How Small Businesses Can Manage Cashflow to Thrive in 2023


Intelligent cashflow management is the essential fuel of startups and digital businesses, particularly in a challenging economy. According to experts, it can mean the difference between surviving, thriving and failure.

How to Attract the Best Candidates for Your Business


As most business owners know, one of the most valuable assets your enterprise needs to thrive is top-notch talent.

Small Business Tips to Launch and Thrive


May, which is National Small Business Month, is the ideal opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of small business owners, take a closer look at the challenges they face, and connect them with valuable resources.

Optimism Prevails Among Minority Business Owners, Survey Shows


Even as minority business owners face new economic challenges, including supply chain disruptions and inflation, results from PNC's recent Economic Outlook survey show an impressive resiliency and positive mindset among these business leaders, according to Marshalyn Odneal, national sales executive for Minority Business at PNC Bank.

7 Things to Consider Before Buying Small Business Accounting Software


The world of small business accounting software can be a minefield for any business owner. However choosing the right package is one of the most critical business decisions you will make.

3 Essential Tools for Starting and Maintaining a Small Business


We believe that there are 3 factors that drive the success of small businesses.

The Power of Why: Your Psychological Ally To Marketing Success!


Here's why 'WHY' is such a profit-making marketing trigger."Stop taking two and three plates of food," my mother said to me angrily.

Small Business Strategies - Four Critical Success Factors


Scenario OneDuring a recent presentation, a business owner was given the following challenge. If 10 of his 100 employees were asked to name the top 3 organizational goals for the current year as they perceived them to be, would he receive the same 3 goals from everyone or would he receive 5, 10 or even 25 different goals? The business owner shook his head and thoughtfully responded, "No, I am sure that I would receive more than 3 goals.

Starting Your Small Business


Where do you find more customers?How do you compete with bigger businesses?Answer. Build loyalty and rewards.

Attributes Of Companies You Don't Want To Buy!


There are no "rules of thumb" in the pursuit of companies tobuy. Each purchase opportunity has to stand on its own merits.

How to Achieve Real Success in Business: Five Breezy Tips


Achieving real success should be the goal of any good businessman. But what is real success? I believe that it is no just money, or instant growth.

Professional House Cleaning - The Dirty Little Secret


Are you tired yet of all the books out there telling you how easy it is to start a house cleaning business? I'm not inferring that all their information is bad, but let's be honest about how "easy" it really is.There's a dirty little secret hanging over the cleaning trade that nobody talks about, but every professional cleaner runs into.

Accounting Methods - Cash and Accrual


When starting a business, you have to determine the method you are going to use for accounting and paying taxes. The two choices are the cash method and the accrual method.

How to Start a Pet Transportation Business


Pet Transportation Services are needed as the number of pets in the U.S.

Is Your Business Profitable?


What's your job profitability? Do you know?Many business owners 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.

Finding the Right Virtual Assistant for Your Small Business


Articles abound advising the business community how to properly screen when looking for a Virtual Assistant (VA). Unfortunately, some of the advice may lead you astray, as it often ignores the fact that VAs are not employees but independent contractors providing professional business to business (B2B) services.

Change May Be Your Ace in the Hole


Whether it has been thrust upon you by external market forces or it has simply bubbled up from the internal dynamics of your enterprise, change itself always presents opportunity for improvement. And in a knowledge based economy, change may be the only thing we can count on as small business people.

7 Tips to Improving Your Cash Flow


Cash is King..

Five Facts and One Motivating Factor Behind a Successful Home Business


All legitimate home business entrepreneurs insist and announce loud and clear that a successful home business is not about an overnight thing. And that you cannot get rich overnight and so on.

Breaking The Chains!


Everyday, customers and business owners are bombarded with billboards, logos, print and electronic ads from huge corporations. With annual ad budgets that are more than our businesses' SALES in an entire year, our small independent businesses are getting squeezed out of consumers minds (and wallets) more and more each year.

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.


More Resources

Computer Related Habits From Small Business Owner - Be Prepared, Avoid Despair
Aside from the fear of losing a spreadsheet or research project prepared for a client, what prompted me to write this article was the realization that it takes nothing short of persistent follow up to stay ahead of computer threats which could ruin my business. I also accepted the fact that keeping my computer free of viruses and spam is paramount to ensuring my computer is not going to harm others.
10 Filler Activities for the Summer Business Slowdown
Summer is a time for the outdoors, for that well-deserved vacation, and with everyone out and about, it's also a time that you may notice a slowdown in demand for your products and services. So what can you do during this summer slowdown? Well, it's a great time to do the work that otherwise never gets done during the busy business year.
Virtual Assistance for Healthcare Professionals
Administrative and clerical tasks are the bane of every industry. No matter how small or large your business is, you will eventually find yourself with stacks of paperwork that need your attention and phone calls that need to be made.
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.
Routine Maintenance of High Pressure Hot Water Motors
If you run a pressure washer business you need complete uptime on your equipment, break downs can be costly if your billing rates are $100 to $150.00 per hour.
7 Tips to Improving Your Cash Flow
Cash is King..
The Responsibility Conundrum - Where art Thou?
Mr/Ms, 'not me' is often on holidays in your business. Yes come rain or shine they attend the workplace and put in the day for you; coffee to drink, gossip to catch up on, spying on management and colleagues, frequent toilet breaks, long lunches, long phone calls and let not forget the email needs to be checked and replied.
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.
Finding the PERFECT Alliance Partner
Where do you look for the appropriate alliance?One of the most asked question is "Where do you find a good alliance partner?" It is actually fairly easy. You can find potential alliances by taking some time to research potential partners.
Looking for a New Office Chair?
Perhaps you are building a new home office or you are redoing the one you have. Or, maybe you are looking for an office chair to replace that broken down model sitting in your office.
Find Your Niche & Follow It - Part 1
In this series of articles I'm going to show you how to find out if there's a hungry crowd for your information product BEFORE you write a single word.Mark Twain once said: "Find out where the people are going and get there first".
Why is My Restaurant Not Full Every Monday Night?
In a quest for customers and to keep those customers, restaurants are now compelled to develop a marketing plan. Marketing plans are a crucial component for anyone who has the desire to make their restaurant a success.
Will Adding a Car Wash to Your Fast Lube Add Additional Crime to Your Facilities?
Car Wash Crime in the Hood. Apparently not everyone is with us and certainly not everyone considers this to be a clean business.
Seven Common Mistakes Made By Small Business Owners
Most new small businesses won't be in business this time next year. That's the cold hard facts.
The Perfect Mission Statement
One way to determine your companies mission statement is based on a general overview of the company. Some important questions are asked like: Why does the company exist and what kind of business is it in? Is there a particular market or niche that it will concentrate upon? How will the company be distinctive in its business methods? Once these questions are answered, the focus moves to the accomplishment of these broadly expressed objectives.
Small Business Server Business Tips
Top 3 Ways to Maximize Your Small Business Server Consulting ProfitsOver the past 7 years, Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) has gained traction as a widely-respected Small Business Server networking suite.As a result, many small business computer consultants, systems integrators, and value-added resellers have jumped on-board the Microsoft Small Business Server bandwagon.
Dispute Resolution; Competing With Other Franchisees
If you are in a franchise and have a territory dispute with another franchisee you need to prevent a lawsuit use dispute resolution techniques to resolve the dispute. Competing with other franchisees is a subject that franchisors would prefer not to need to talk about.
Survival Tips For Small Businesses
You may be in Mail Order, Direct Mail, or you may be a local merchant with 150 employees; whichever, however orwhatever---you've got to know how to keep your business aliveduring economic recessions. Anytime the cash flow in a business,large or small, starts to tighten up, the money management ofthat business has to be run as a "tight ship.
Advertising - For Small Businesses (Part 1)
Is it right for you?If you decide to advertise your productor service then you must ask yourself - "Will potentialcustomers read this publication and will they take actionhaving read my ad?"National newspapers - Read by a huge cross section of thepopulation. If you're inserting a display ad then it wouldneed to be professionally designed and you'd need to be init for the long run.
The Benefits of Using Freelance Consultants / Trainers for Your Project
What are the benefits of using a Freelance Consultant / Trainer for your next project?Companies are often wary of employing freelance trainers when setting up a new project or contemplating a 'roll out' operation or 'change' scenario. There are however distinct advantages to using freelance as against permanent resources, and some of these are outlined as follows.

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The Art of Sales (And Tips On How To Manage Your Sales Team)
Selling. Cold calls, introductions, interviews, appointments, proposals, referrals, call cycles, building rapport, listening, asking for the order, overcoming objections, closing the sale, and rejection.
How You Can Raise Your Business Earnings By 50% With An Age-Old Magic Truth
Imagine increasing your business earnings by 30, 40, or 50%.And this just by putting into use a fundamental truth of life.
Moving a Business Relationship from Free to Fee: Turning Strangers to Friends with Power of Freebies
In the last issue I shared with you a technique for getting permission to follow up with people who have seen you speak on stage. This was just one example of a tactic for filling your pipeline.
Sales & Marketing Plan Strategies
Design and Implementation of a new Sales & Marketing campaign must be carefully thought through from the beginning. What message do you want to send about your company, products, and services? What are the anticipated results? What is the execution strategy? What is the cost ratio versus expected return?These are just a few of the questions that run through our minds in the early stages of planning.
Sales Tactics to Beat Your Competition
This month I want to share a success from a friend and customer of mine. You'll find in this story two important sales tactics for beating your competition.
The Hidden Competition: Avoiding the 2 Most Common Competitors
There are really only two types of competitor:1. Obvious2.
Sales Competence Isn't About Quota Performance!
Compounding the problem are two myths regarding measures of competency in sales.Myth#1: Quota performance does not equate to sales competency - A salesperson's quota is usually determined by management.
Increase Retail Sales With Meetups
I recently attended the monthly Italian language Meetup here in Little Rock. Meetups are informal social gatherings of people with similar interests in a particular topic.
Want to Increase the Amount of Business that Your Firm is Getting?
Business development is important for every business and refers to the action of bringing in customers or clients that are likely to make positive contributions to a company's bottom line. Business Development is all about establishing relevant and subsisting relationships in the market place.
Increase Your Sales Accept Credit Cards, Part 2
In part two we will discuss overcoming objections, which credit cards to accept and using the check paying option. If your business is home-based or has been in operation for less than two years, you're likely to face objections from the bank.
Are Your Sales Meetings Boring?
Many sales meetings are boring and a waste of salespeople's time, say the majority of salespeople I interview. A review of what's going on in the market is good to know, but to be effective, sales meetings need to be a lot more than that venues for quick market updates.
Your Extended Shadow And Successful Sales Management
In a small midwestern town, the local high school of 878 students recently produced its first state championship basketball team in over 90 years. The community has had an organized city basketball league for its younger boys for many years.
Sex, Drugs, & Rock-n-Roll: Trade Show Traps and Tips
Sex, Drugs & Rock-n-RollHere's the Scenario..
6 Common Mistakes in the Sales Hiring Process
Is lack of sales results, more sales training costs, months ofunearned salary and damage to your company's image orreputation your company's method of NOT finding goodsalespeople? For most companies it is!The "trial and error" method of hiring salespeople is verycostly to a business. Without a viable way to hire qualitysales people everyone in the same organization is negativelyaffected.
Determining Sales Fit; the Key Growth Process for Your Business
Help your organization grow by assessing the right indicators in individuals slated for revenue-generating positions within your company. "Growth Talent", such as sales, account executive, consultant, sales engineer, or other individuals responsible for top-line revenue growth.
14 Top Lead Generation Tactics
According to former Harvard Business School professor David Maister, typical marketing practices are not only inapplicable for professional service firms, but they may be dangerously wrong.Often professional service firm principals tell me they are frustrated with the quality of their marketing materials, they are concerned with their firm's low profile or they feel pressure because their efforts are not generating enough new client leads.
Profitable Relationships: Is It Amateur Hour or King of the Hill?
"We're in the relationship business?..
Management From Within
Inspiration and Management from Within - Part 2.The more you follow the path of exploration into the mystery of life, the more life becomes revealed to you.
Poor Performance - Fix it by Coaching
Coaching is about finding out the cause of poor performanceor behaviour and discussing with the team member how to putit right.The team member might respond immediately to coaching andimprove the situation.
Generous Donor Refused (how qualified business slipped away)
Generous Donor RefusedPicture this. You are a fund development director for a respectable school at a well-known state university.