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.

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If You Want Business - Be Consistent
Why does consistency in the message have an effect on how the business relationship is formed?Your message to others needs to be consistent. You need to define your expertise and develop your elevator pitch.

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How To Plant Seeds of Success With Small Business Ideas
Think of all of your business ideas as tiny seeds that have the potential to germinate and grow into huge fruit bearing orchards! However, the proper steps must be taken; you can't scatter the seeds haphazardly on pavement and expect they will germinate. Growing a business is no different; it needs a fertile environment conducive to growth in order to germinate and thrive.

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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.

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Five Simple Software Tips for Small Business Owners
The start of a new year is a time for a clean start. Resolutions are made, you clear your files of last year's paperwork, and you swear you are going to start the year off keeping your financial house in order.

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7 Habits of Highly Successful Small Business Owners
Do you spend every waking minute in your business? Do you find it difficult to take time out for you? Are you constantly working in a mess?Unfortunately there are far too many business owners working too long and too hard. They tend to be involved in every aspect of their business from being the bookkeeper, marketer, human resources manager, mediator, customer liaison officer and cleaner.

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Window Cleaning Business Start Up
Should you buy a business opportunity or Franchise if you want to get into the window cleaning business? Or just start your own and work hard; grow the business into a full-time profession and expand from there? Let us talk briefly about window cleaning franchises is in general.One could argue without too much difficulty that buying a window cleaning franchise is simply a waste of money, after all you could simply go down to be 99 cents store and by a bucket 3 towels and a squeegee and hey, you are in business right? Well one could argue that, since to really be in business, you probably need to get a business license, insurance, buy some business cards and make a few flyers.

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Dealing With a Crooked on the Take Government Worker
Many government department heads are on the take. Oh they'll jump up and down and swear legitimacy, but it just is not so.

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Starting a New Business in a Small Town
Q. I am a former pastor who left the ministry after sixteen years to spend more time with my family.

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Competition Relations in Auto Detailing
There is significant competition in auto detailing and car washing. Even more between types of cleaning businesses, as each company attempts to expand into other services which are the mainstay of similar business models.

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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.

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Understanding Franchise Releationships in a Franchised Business
Now that you have invested your time, energy and money in buying a franchise, how do you work within the system? How do you take advantage of all your franchisor has to offer? How do you deal with your counterparts, other franchisees?In this chapter, I will give you tips that will help you thrive and prosper in your new business.CommunicationIn any franchise organization, it's important to maintain open communications lines.

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Business Valuation is Critical
What is Business Valuation?The term business valuation is the method by which the business worth is determined. This usually happens when the business is for sale, when the business is looking for extra funding from the banks, when the business is considering taking on extra investors, or where the business is looking at merging with another organisation.

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5 Small Business Management Questions to Help Choose Marketing Programs
As small business managers, we juggle limited resources in a quest for success. To an extent, when we focus on success in one area we forego attention elsewhere.

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How To Start a Small Business
Not sure how to start a small business? This guide will offer you some useful tips on the basic requirements of starting a small business.Initially, there are two types of businesses available to you, Sole Trader or Partnership.

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Due Dilegence 101 Or What You Do Not Know Can Kill You! - Part 1
Introduction:This article is written as a general discussion on the subject of "Due Diligence". It is for informational purposes and not intended to be a definitive guideline for your exact situation.

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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.

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What Your Small Business Can Learn From The Doctor
Most doctors never distinguish the difference between customers and patients. That's why they have waiting rooms instead of reception areas.

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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.

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Proper Care and Feeding of the Business Owner
That sizzling sound you're hearing may be a symptom of a major hidden cause of businesses closing their doors. It's called burnout.

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Drivng Home the Point - An Outsourcing Story in China
A few years ago, I visited Beijing for the first time. At Beijing airport, I got into a taxi and paid 450 yuan (about US$54) to get to the city.

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