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The Industry Word
Today I sit in day one of the Ohio SBD;s Statewide Conference and what do you think the word of the day is? Well, the word of the day is actually-cluster- but the true word of the day is the same as always when the question of what our clients need most is presented''fundin'. We receive about 10 to 12 calls a day for new requests for advising services and 90% of those requests are for help with obtaining funding. The conversation with our potential clients always displays their passion and their excitement in how they believe that...
In theory, buying the hottest franchise around makes a lot of sense; ther;s probably some serious buzz about the franchise, which means that lots of potential customers know about it. Can you imagine opening up a franchise in a market that already has customers waiting patiently for your arrival? That would be fantastic! Once in awhile, things happen like that. More often than not, they do-t. Of course, it depends on the type of franchise yo-re buying; if yo're buying a home-based consulting type of franchise, i's not like yo'll be having...
Finding the best opportunities in government; particularly for small businesses- can be a challenge. Some small businesses find there are so many opportunities that i-s difficult to choose the ones that will provide the most lucrative results. Other small businesses have a hard time finding the opportunities that are most relevant to them amid the noise and the contracts that seem much more appropriate for larger contractors. That's what this blog post is all about. There is a lot of government money waiting to be spent on small...
A lot of hopes are pinned on the holiday season this year. Of course, the holidays are always a key time for retailers, but after two years of economic doldrums, this holiday seaso;s sales are even more crucial for small business owners than ever. While official projections for holiday sales have ranged from flat to slight growth, the overall consensus is that sales will rise this year. The National Retail Federatio-typically considered the most reliable monitor of retail sales--predicts that retail sales will increase by 2.3 percent. If you...
There have been a number of major pieces of federal legislation this yea;the HIRE Act, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and the Small Business Jobs Act--creating tax opportunities specifically for small businesses. However, you must act fast to benefit from many of these breaks. Here are some key provisions you may want to act upon by the end of this year before these breaks expire. Start-up costs If yo-re thinking of starting a business but have-t made a move yet, now is a good time to act. The tax law lets you deduct in your...
As I write this post ;m putting on my angel investor persona, as 2010 investor chair of the Willamette Angel Conference (WAC), a group of local-to-me angel investors that makes one six-figure investment per year. -m new to investing, -m a small player, and I do it in a group. Furthermore, my opinions here are my own, not those of the group. Here are some things that I want to see in a business plan submitted to our group for consideration for investment. And this is more-or less in order of importance, but that order is not as rigorous as a...
Distractions in the workplace are common, and I think most of us would agree they are annoying. But did you know workplace distractions can also be costly. According to new research by Workplace Options, businesses lose $650 billion annually in productivity because of workplace distractions. For small businesses with limited resources, time is money, so it is critically important to minimize lost productivity. In the survey sponsored by Workplace Options, a company that specializes in helping employees balance their personal and...
Distractions in the workplace are common, and I think most of us would agree they are annoying. But did you know workplace distractions can also be costly. According to new research by Workplace Options, businesses lose $650 billion annually in productivity because of workplace distractions. For small businesses with limited resources, time is money, so it is critically important to minimize lost productivity. In the survey sponsored by Workplace Options, a company that specializes in helping employees balance their personal and...
Last week I was asked to wrap up the third and last day of training of a Marketing Success* session for 20 small businesses by presenting on Social Media for business. My presentation title?... Social Media for Business 101: The Big Three. Social media & social networking are everywhere. So much so that we are seeing it in the mainstream with television segments dedicated to it on CNN and even your local news stations. News outlets are using it to not only connect to their viewers but to gage the relevancy of their programming and even...
It sure does;t-fee- like our economy is improving too much. Lots of folks are still taking the wait and see approach. Small business owners still seem to be pretty hesitant when it comes to expanding their businesses. Of course that translates into continued high unemployment. If yo're out of work, currently, you know just how tight the job market is. This may be pushing you to'consider other options' In the franchise industry, when the job market is solid, the amount of new franchise owners entering the franchise world tends to...
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by TonyaWilson, Former Guest Blogger on Thursday, November 4, 2010 - 06:32