by Leeia Ladipoh on February 26th, 2008
We can’t all be math wizards. From understanding capital and cash flow to evaluating loan and debt options then sorting out taxes and payroll deductions, there are a lot of numbers that have to be moved around – and understood – to run a small business.
Luckily, there are a lot of great business financial calculators out there that will help you sort out all the numbers relating to your business – and what they mean to your bottom line and your business’ future.
Accounting and Taxes
When it comes to the health of any company, the day-to-day monies coming... 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 Rebecca Button on January 9th, 2008
So you want to start your own business? This article looks at some of the research and advice you need to read before drafting a business plan. The discussion includes determining if entrepreneurship is for you, finding a business idea, startup tips from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and researching the market for your business concept.
The first thing is to determine if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur. In "Is Entrepreneurship for You?" the SBA presents some interesting food for thought. First, the SBA states that you have a slim chance of being successful in this... Read more »
by Carrie Hinkel on December 20th, 2007
For an online retailer, having tight control on inventory is absolutely crucial to running a good business. Out of stock merchandise means lost business. Having your inventory managed automatically means you’ll never be surprised that you’re “all of a sudden” out of stock of a particular item.
However, a good inventory program will do more for you than just keep track of stock. Today’s inventory tracking software has the capability of analyzing sales data so you can watch for any ordering patterns. This comes in handy if you are testing marketing or advertising campaigns. You’ll be able to easily compare... Read more »
by Larry Slusser on December 14th, 2007
For most people, Quicken is more than adequate software to run the books for their small business, but Quicken can’t do everything. If you find your business outgrowing your accounting software, or you just want to see what else is out there, do a comparison.
What’s Out There
Intuit’s QuickBooks is considered the market leader in small-business accounting software with Sage’s Peachtree generally regarded as the runner up. Microsoft Office Small Business Accounting, which has been renamed Microsoft Office Accounting 2007, is a newcomer with a small but very loyal market share. Sage Business Vision is a long-established product and... Read more »