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10 Ways to Get Money for Your Business

January 29, 2018
By Eric Rosenberg –

DollarsBusiness ideas come easy to some, but what happens when you have a good idea but no money to get started? Countless entrepreneurs have run into funding challenges when looking to found and build a new business. Here are ten ideas to get you started when looking to get money for your business.

1. Personal Savings

The first place to look for capital when starting a new business is your own bank account. If you are smart with your personal finances and keep good habits, you should have an emergency fund and retirement savings, but you should avoid tapping into those whenever possible. (more…)

How to Consolidate Your Business Loans

January 22, 2018
By Constance Brinkley-Badgett

Consolidating Business LoansIf you’re like many small business owners, you’ve taken on some debt in order to cover the costs of starting or growing your business. According to the Federal Reserve’s latest figures in the 2016 Small Business Credit Survey, 64% of loan applicants sought funds for a new business opportunity or to expand an existing one.

Whether you applied for a small business loan, used business credit cards or even sought out investors, you needed that initial cash infusion to get your business off the ground or to the next level. But what happens with that debt should your business hit a slow period? (more…)

Teaching Tool Turns Into Business Venture, Parlor Game

January 16, 2018
Success Story, Vermont –

StorymaticAsk Brian Mooney what he does for a living and he says, with a very big smile on his face, “I make boxes of Yes!” It always stops people in their tracks and then he gets to explain what he does. “At least that’s how I like to think of it, anyway. The Storymatic is a family of card-based creative writing prompts and games. There are ten thousand stories in every box,” Mooney says.

Brian came up with the idea when he was teaching creative writing to high school and college students, and they told him the writing prompts he created for them were a whole lot of fun to use as a game to play with friends outside of class. From there the Classic Storymatic Game was born.

Now, Brian’s unstoppable, creative mind has created several more games, including Storymatic Kids, The Storymatic Colonial History Edition and Rememory. They are sold worldwide via The Storymatic website, bookstores, toy stores and museum shops. A perfect gift for a family game night, an aspiring writer, or a writer in need of some inspiration, The Daily Beast calls them “super, super fun!,” and the Chicago Tribune says the games are “perfect for just about anybody who loves a good story at a party.”  (more…)

7 New Year Resolutions You Can Make for Your Business

January 8, 2018

2018 New Year's Resolutions

A new year is upon us, and for many of us that means taking inventory of our lives, deciding where we can improve and making resolutions to guide us through our journey to improvement.

While we typically think of resolutions as personal promises, the sentiment can and should extend to professional organizations. By making company-wide resolutions, small business owners, managers or individuals in other leadership roles can promote growth, increase the bottom line and improve company morale.

Not sure what types of resolutions you should make? Here are seven that will be important for a strong 2018.  (more…)

Planning Makes Perfect For Brothers’ Auto Shop Dreams

December 17, 2017
Success Story: Idaho

Casiano's Auto RepairCollege of Southern Idaho alums Ivan and Jose Casiano graduated with certifications in automotive repair. When they inquired about starting their own business, instructors directed them to the Idaho SBDC.

They attended the center’s business planning course and developed a draft business plan with a target market of the Hispanic population in the Mini-Cassia Area. One of the most valuable pieces of advice from the SDBC was to develop key relationships with the banker, accountant, and attorney.

In 2014, when financing was secured, Casiano’s Auto Repair began operations in a leased facility. In 2016, they decided to purchase the building and land as well as the adjacent lot for future development. By 2017, they had added the sale and support of tires and rims. (more…)