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Setting the Course for Happily Ever After
A merger or acquisition can expedite the growth of your small business. However, a minefield of variables can determine success or failure, so it's imperative to be cautious with each step in the process. Whenever you consider expanding into a complementary horizontal or vertical service, you should view it as a "build versus buy" decision, says John Long, managing director of Table Rock Ventures.
Managing a Remote Workforce
In the age of Web 2.0, the definition of "workplace" is quickly changing. Given the right tools, an employee can crank out a day's work, and even participate in meetings, yet never set foot in the office.
Experts Reveal the Secrets to Setting Salaries
When setting salaries at your small business, there are really only two questions: "What is the employee worth in my market?" and "What can I afford to pay?"
Even Small Businesses Can Reap the Benefits of Market Research
Interested in doing some market research to learn what your customers - or potential customers - think of your product or service? Congratulations -- you're ahead of the competition!
Ask and You Shall Receive: Experts Share Pointers on Effective Interviewing
As a small business owner, you're likely to spend more money on a frontline employee in one year than you would on any other capital expense. Yet, many owners fall short on due diligence when it comes to hiring help.
Small employers can boost employee morale without breaking the bank
Small businesses are often big on ideas, yet short on cash. With limited funds for payroll and office amenities, it can be difficult to keep staff motivated and happy. But it's not impossible. Experts say that with a little creativity, employers can keep their teams inspired without breaking the bank.
The most effective performance reviews are forward-thinking. Are yours?
Most small business owners are entrepreneurs; their strength is in the doing. For people like these, managing others is often an afterthought. But to run a sustainable business, you have to develop a strong workforce. Employee performance reviews are an important step in achieving this.
Six simple steps to preventing fraud in your small business
What comes in small packages is not always a good thing. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), small businesses experience more internal fraud - and disproportionately larger losses due to fraud - than in larger organizations.
Five questions to ask yourself before hunting for office space
Many small business owners have launched companies out of their homes. But if you're going to be the leader of a world-class organization, you can't operate out of a guest bedroom forever.
Companies get points for focusing on valued customers
Why are customers loyal to certain brands or products? To answer that question, it's worth looking at why some customers stop coming back for more.
PR experts explain how to leverage the media to grow your business
Every business has a story to tell. By using the media as a communications tool, small businesses can tap new customers and revenue, as well as potential business partners.
What to Do When You Are the Firing Squad
No matter how rosy the expectations when you hire an employee, sometimes things don't work out and you have to say those infamous words: "You're fired." Unless you sport a comb-over and have your own TV show, you probably don't relish these moments. In fact, it's likely the worst part of owning a business.
Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained?
From bank loans to bootstrapping, there are numerous ways to muster up funds for a growing business. In some instances, companies have experienced great success working with venture capitalists (read: Apple, Compaq, FedEx). But is venture capital a viable route for you?
Three Sure-Fire Steps to a More Focused Workday
This year Staples Inc. released a survey that revealed small business owners are the world's savviest multitaskers. About one in five respondents admitted to reading work-related materials in the bathroom, while nearly half said they work while driving. Moreover, 21 percent said they work while eating dinner four to five times a week.
Making Small Businesses Attractive to Talented Workers
If money talks, then small business owners may often find themselves speechless when it comes to their company payroll. Fortunately, a competitive salary isn't the only thing that attracts quality talent to a company. These days, it's more about offering a unique employment proposition.
Reading Between the Lines
Most business consultants say that a company is ultimately defined by its people. In small business, where each person's contribution is magnified, it can be financial suicide to bring a bad seed into the fold.
Cost Cutting Ideas for Small Businesses
If you're like most small business owners, no job within the day-to-day operations is beneath you. Whether it's creating a budget or selecting a table lamp for the lobby, you often find yourself involved at every level. After all, this is your baby. And you want your baby to grow up healthy and strong.
Making Small Businesses Attractive to Talented Workers
In the everyday grind of running a small business, it can be difficult to gauge whether your company is performing at its best. Sure, a profit-and-loss statement will reveal the bottom line, but it's prudent to know exactly what to look for -- on your P&L statement and far beyond.
Happy Mother's Day! A List of Small Businesses That Cater to Moms
For a long, long time, one of my favorite things about watching It's a Wonderful Life every Christmas was that Donna Reed was in it. Beautiful, strong, and one of the all-time best smiles anywhere, I was smitten with her from a very young age. It wasn't until I was a bit older that I fell in love with the story; Jimmy Stewart shaking and stammering and raising his fist at Mr. Potter, the wonderful oddity of Clarence, or the beauty of people coming together and helping those in need.
Green Businesses Are Blooming
Summer is coming and the next month or so in Austin is always a beautiful, vibrant time of year. People begin to shake off the cold (for those of us in Austin, mid-50's is freezing) and start coming up with elaborate reasons why we simply have to leave work at noon that day. Should you find yourself be-bopping down Congress Avenue in April enjoying the sun and the breeze, there are a couple of things you might want to keep an eye out for.
Raise A Glass And Say A St. Patrick's Day Toast - Here's A List Of Small Businesses That Can Help You Celebrate
As an experience, being an Extra in a feature film really doesn't have much going for it.
I've done it three times now and I can honestly say the most interesting thing that ever happened to me was making Joan Cusack laugh on the set of Where the Heart is.
Small Businesses That Will Make Your Sweetheart Swoon
True story: I have good friend named Aaron who makes women swoon. I'm not kidding - absolutely swoon. Picture a guy that knows his way around the gym, Irish-Firefighter kind of handsome, and the easy, smooth manner of Fred Astaire that comes as naturally to him as breathing in and out all day.
Resolution Roadblocks? Small Businesses That Can Help Keep You On Track
And so it goes. Another year in the rearview, slowly or quickly moving out of sight, depending on just how much boogie you've got under the hood. At this point your engine is just warming up, but you've got the window down, a little Van Morrison pouring out of the speakers, and miles of possibility ahead.
Top 10 Tips for Writing Your Business Plan
As you develop your business plan, it's easy to make mistakes or leave out important elements. Here are a few of the most common business planning pitfalls and some tips on how to avoid them.
Five Small Business Grant Resources
Sometimes even the best business concepts don't come to fruition due to lack of funding. Lending sources may refuse funding for multiple reasons. For example, you could have a strong business plan but can't qualify for traditional bank financing because you lack sufficient collateral.
How to Structure the Sale of Your Business
Prior to selling your business, you need to determine what is most important to you as a seller. Is it strictly price, or is it also the terms of the deal? Terms drive deals, and by negotiating the terms carefully, you can walk away with a deal that is comfortable as well as profitable.