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Small Business Matters
Whether you are on a trade show floor, making a sales pitch, or seeking investment, perfecting your elevator pitch can be one of the most important things your business can do. From the moment you start-up (when no one has ever heard of you), having a well rehearsed and compelling elevator pitch can help buyers, clients and potential investors get to know you quickly. More than simply explaining your product, industry, or 'big idea' a business elevator pitch is essentially how you speak about your business to others in a way that engages...
'I need help starting my business!' - is a common cry from many budding small business owners. And it's no wonder. Starting a business is a huge step for any entrepreneur to undertake, and requires careful planning as well as business smarts and the right advice. While there are many useful online resources for businesses to help with start-up planning, preparation and management - including this one from Business.gov, '10 Steps to Starting a Business' - there is nothing quite as valuable as in-person assistance. This can...
Note: The ARRA (Recovery Act) initiatives and/or programs referenced in this article will expire on September 30, 2010. Any statements about qualifying time periods, or extensions of these dates, as they pertain to the availability of ARRA programs are over-ridden by the expiration of the Act on September 30, 2010. No doubt about it, the current economic recession has hurt small businesses as well as the people they employ. But despite the reduction in consumer spending, dried up credit, ongoing debt and continued uncertainty about the...
Starting your own business may be one of the biggest risks you will take in your life - and the statistics confirm it. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), two-thirds of new businesses survive for a minimum of two years, with only 44 percent surviving at least four years. Yet, in good and bad times, the dream of being your own boss and pursuing a for-profit or non-profit business venture can be an enticing one. In fact, when the economy struggles, the number of non-employer small businesses tends to increase at a higher rate...
'Main Street' has now become a generic term synonymous with U.S. small business in general. But for many entrepreneurs, the prospect of joining Main Street in its more literal meaning - i.e. the primary retail street of a village or town - still holds an enormous amount of appeal as a business venture. Given the right amount of market research, business planning, and financial support, starting a retail business (and joining the more than 24 million people who earn a living this way) can offer many rewards to the right kind of entrepreneur....
Whatever your product or service, and whatever the market - whether it be federal, state or local government - winning a share of government business can be a complex and time-consuming process. And no matter how lucrative government contracting can be, for many small business owners the prospect of contracting directly (called 'prime contracting') with a government agency is simply not within their capacity or scope. This is where government subcontracting comes into play. As a small business, your best bet for winning a government...
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There is no doubt about it - women are a rising force in American entrepreneurship. Take these statistics from the *Center for Women's Business Research for example: The Overall Picture: 2008-2009 10.1 million firms are owned by women (75% or more), employing more than 13 million people, and generating $1.9 trillion in sales as of 2008. Three quarters of all women-owned businesses are majority owned by women (51% or more), for a total of 7.2 million firms, employing 7.3 million people, and generating $1.1 trillion in sales. Women-...
Take a walk down any supermarket aisle and you'll notice that more and more organic food products have found their rightful place alongside 'conventionally' produced foods - testament to the fact that organic food production is now the fastest growing and most profitable segment of American agriculture. In fact, approximately 2% of the U.S. food supply is grown using organic methods. Over the past decade, sales of organic products have shown an annual increase of at least 20%, the fastest growing sector of agriculture (Source: *Organic...
Whether you've reached the end of the road as a business owner and are looking to move on, or have reached the point where you can 'cash-out' and reap significant rewards from a business sale, the process of selling a business can be almost as tricky to navigate as starting your dream business was in the first place. In addition to knowing when to sell, there are many decisions to be made and obligations to be met - from structuring your sale, to finding a buyer, managing regulatory ties and commitments, inventorying assets, transferring...
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by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Thursday, October 29, 2009 - 07:57