Posts Tagged ‘Small Business Resources’
by Jonathan Staley on July 22nd, 2009
Do you have a business plan that has been updated in the last three months? If yes, you are already ahead of the curve according to the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Peak Performance assessment. If you answered “no” to that question or any of the subsequent nine yes or no questions then it might be time to look for an organized approach to sloughing off the downward pull of the current economy.
Conveniently, the ten yes or no question evaluation leads you to eleven steps:
Step 1: Reality Check – Candidly answer the assessment questions above and take appropriate action... Read more »
by Steve Strauss on April 22nd, 2008
Q: Hey Steve – Have you ever heard of Seatguru.com ? I do a lot of travel for business and have found this to be an indispensable resource. Just passing along a tip.
Jamie
A: No, I had never heard of that site before but appreciate the tip. Like you, I travel plenty – giving speeches and what not – and have had my share of bad airline seats, so I liked this site a lot. Once you know what sort of plane you will be flying on (easily obtained through the site of your airline), Seatguru.com allows you analyze... Read more »
by Larry Slusser on April 2nd, 2008
Have you heard some terms that you do not know what they mean? Do you appear to have the ‘dear in the headlights’ look when someone mentions a term that you should know, but do not? Below is a list of 20 not-so-common retailing terms. If you are just entering into the retail business, these terms will help to indoctrinate your lingo in the retailing industry.
Ad Impressions: Ad impressions are simply the number of times an ad is made available for consumers to view the product or service. These are also known as banner impressions.
Asset Protection: Assets protection... Read more »
by Leeia Ladipoh on March 13th, 2008
If you have started your own online eBay business, you may have noticed that the constant circle of listing items, selling them, sending out invoices, receiving payments and relisting items for sale can take quite a bit of time out of your schedule.
If you are listing items one at a time, going page by page through the eBay program, this slowdown in your business life is even worse. While you may love the profitability of eBay, you may also wish for an easier, and less time consuming, way to take care of your online inventory.
Thankfully, there are many... Read more »
by Larry Slusser on February 28th, 2008
You’re tired of working for someone else, telling you what to do and when. You’re an entrepreneur by heart and want to work for yourself, rather than padding the pockets of your boss. But how do you avoid the scams that are out there, which will only lead you back to padding the pockets of a boss?
Some of these “too good to be true” money-making ideas are plain and simple-scams. One way to verify if this business idea you are interested in is in fact a legitimate business with quality money-making opportunities, is to visit the Better Business Bureau’s... Read more »
by Rebecca Button on February 28th, 2008
Attention all small businesses (50 employees or less, that is)!!!
Microsoft announced at the beginning of February, they will offer further discounts to small businesses on their software. The original plan, called the Open Value Subscription program offered special services and features to small business owners but the new plan will help cut costs even further with up front discounts and flexible payment systems. The plan will cost about a third of the license-only expense currently available to small businesses.
Along with the new licensing aspect, they are also offering a partner program called "Big Easy " that will give... Read more »
by Veronica Stone on February 20th, 2008
One of the most important factors in any business’s success is the visibility they have to their potential customers, especially online. Whereas local newspaper and trade magazine advertising is a little easier due to the format only allowing a certain amount of advertising space, online advertising is a different story altogether. With thousands of competitors, your business will disappear unless you have a strong presence.
Once of the ways of doing this is by using Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. This is a multi-faceted process where your website is optimized with keywords related to your business, therefore pushing you up... Read more »
by Carrie Hinkel on February 13th, 2008
Whether you are a woman who owns a small business or is thinking about starting one, there is a wealth of resources on the web designed specifically for women entrepreneurs. There are hundreds of websites devoted to helping women: create ideas for a home business, get financing, win government grants, learn about franchising, etc. You’ll find associations, informal networking groups, seminars, conferences, as well as plenty of reading information – all to help your business get started and succeed! Following is a condensed list of some of the most useful websites for both women business owners and budding entrepreneurs:
The... Read more »
by Leeia Ladipoh on February 1st, 2008
If you live in a small town, you may appreciate how quiet it is. But for those contemplating starting their own business, this also is a cause for concern.
Does your small town have enough oomph to keep your business afloat? It can if you know how to use your community’s resources.
Let People Know You’re in Town
All towns have newspapers or circulars. It’s usually not too expensive to put an advertisement in these papers, and this is a great way to introduce yourself – and your business’ products and services – to the community.
Get To Know Your... Read more »
by Rebecca Button on January 29th, 2008
Okay…maybe that’s an exaggeration. But it’s certainly one of the best I’ve come across. It’s called SCORE "Counselors to America’s Small Business." Their About page describes them as follows:
"SCORE "Counselors to America’s Small Business" is America’s premier source of free and confidential small business advice for entrepreneurs."
Sounds pretty good to me! And from navigating a bit through the site myself, there are many great links to advice, articles, suggestions and answers to pretty much anything you can think of if you are just starting out.
Oh yeah, and did I mention, it’s FREE ?!
Here’s the link: SCORE... Read more »