Business Generation

A reader asks:

I’d like to start an Internet dating site. Where can I get hold of the software to be able to start one?  How much is web dating software likely to cost me?

A quick Google suggests there’s quite a bit of free dating site software available, although how good it is, or how well it will fit your needs I can’t say.

If you’re prepared to pay for such software then pretty much any web developer should be able to put together a basic dating site. In their most basic form they are not particularly complex. My brother and I once built one in a little under six hours from concept to workable system. That sai

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No small business owner wants to cut employees. Providing a means to earn a living to your workers can be one of the biggest satisfactions from being a business owner. However, when the economy tightens up and cash flow slows to a trickle, layoffs always come up as an option just to stay in business.

Thankfully, there are ways to hold off layoffs that can help a small business survive until happy days are here again and still retain all the great workers you have. Here are a few tips.

1. Be Straight With Your Employees

   At the first consideration of cutting back expenses, hold a company meeting and let everyone know the situation.

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When you think about retirement plans, you don’t tend to think IRS. But if your business operates a retirement plan for its employees then the IRS, and of course your employees, expect that you keep it in good shape and optimized for the best financial return.

Giving your business retirement plan a check-up, whether it’s a 401(k), IRA, SEP, or 403(k) can also help you save time, money and paperwork – as well as increase tax return accuracy. Some

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Social media and more specifically blogging have become increasingly important to marketing a small business in today’s evolving business world. But probably no part of running a small business has evoked more debate or created more stress for entrepreneurs unsure just what their blogging and social media campaigns should look like. And how can small business owners grapple with a specialization often so distant from their core competency? Still, social media and blogging give small businesses a great reach, a literally global reach. We hope this small business news roundup answers some questions and perhaps raises some for discussion too. Read on.

Tools and Trends

Managing your social media. O

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While it may be a bit of an exaggeration to say that most new businesses don’t survive past the first two years, government data does show that seven out of 10 new employer firms last at least two years, with only half surviving for five years (source).

Statistics aside, there is no doubt that steering a fledgling business venture through the startup phase and the immediate years that follow is likely to be a huge test of entrepreneurial character.

Here are some strategies and tactics to consider as you struggle and stride through the first few years of entrepreneurialism.

Year 1

One of the first things start-ups learn is that very few things in business go quite to plan.

While there are many things you can do to take care of setting up your business (take for example these 10 Steps to Starting a Business) – you will always encounter the unexpected.

From un-forecasted demand that you can’t yet cope with; new tax laws that you had no idea applied to you; unreliable suppliers; unruly business partners; or clients that don’t pay on time – the unpredictable lurks around every corner.

And while you may not be able to predict the pendulum swings of running a business, you can prepare for them and this means having a plan and plenty of cash reserves.

A business plan is one of the most important tools in your business arsenal . Yet,

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Here’s an updated list of contests, competitions and awards for small businesses, brought to you every other week as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.

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Intuit Green Grants for Small Businesses
Enter by July 18, 2010

Enter at Love a Local Business. Follow the instructions to complete the Local Hero Challenge registration form and 10-question survey.  Limit one nomination per business.  One person may nominate multiple businesses using seperate Local Hero Challenge registrations with a unique email address for each business.  Winner will receive a $500  grant, plus sustainability training.

Bonus Nomination: Earn a bonus nomination for your business by adding a post to Intuit’s Facebook Wall including your business name, city, state, and the name of the badge that your business earned after completing the Local Hero Challenge sustainability survey. (Note: You m

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