Jul 10

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,

Read more…

Jul 9

Over the past few years problems with finances, higher mortgage rates, and the global financial crisis has plunged many people into severe financial difficulties, and as a result of this many homeowners have been unable to keep on top of their mortgage repayments.

The high level of mortgage defaults over recent years has resulted in many people having their homes repossessed, which naturally caused a great deal of concern amongst consumers and officials. The recession also took its toll on the ability of homeowners to make repayments on their mortgages, with many people losing their jobs as a result of the recession.

However, with the recession now over and the financial markets easing up the level of mortgage repayment defaults has been falling recently.

Read more…

Jul 8

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.

-
* * * * *

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

Read more…

Jul 5

Especially during the busy summer travel and vacation season, lots of credit card consumers will be faced with an often-perplexing question or choice. Should they go ahead and pay extra for auto insurance when renting a car, or decline it and hope that they are covered by their credit card membership’s insurance program?

 

Sometimes the cost of a daily rental car insurance premium is a huge additional expense that can escalate the cost of auto rentals into the stratosphere. But without it, if there is an accident, the renter could wind up owing a car rental company the price of a brand new car. So

Read more…

Jul 4

There are millions of sources of business advice. Some are good. Some are less good. It is often relatively straight forward to keep asking people for advice until you find someone who advises you to do what you wanted to do in the first place. This can be good. But it is unlikely to lead you to decide to do what you should do.

“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

10 Step Decision Making Process

If you are unsure, it pays to talk to experts at several points in this process. However, experts can only advise in the stages up to the point where you make a decision. Use

Read more…

Jun 28

As a small business owner, you know the importance of blogging. You also know how important it is to get coverage from other blogs. But getting blog coverage means knowing how to pitch. It’s about making your email to that blogger stand out and make them want to hit the Reply button instead of just directing you to trash. And that’s not always easy.

As a blogger and a SMB business owner, I’m constantly getting and sending out pitches. And there’s an art to it. Here are 5 Dos and Dont’s of pitching bloggers for coverage.

DO:

  1. Know Who To Contact: Businesses quickly get in trouble when they create a rudimentary press list and then mass email everyone on it. This is s

Read more…

Page 3 of 161234510...Last »