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An End-of-Year Checklist for Small Businesses

November 25, 2019
By Andriana Moskovska –

Keeping your business afloat in a highly competitive market is not exactly a walk in the park. Approximately 20% of new ventures don’t even make it past their first year, so it’s important to do all that you can to rise above the competition.

With that being said, finishing up another year without your business closing down is already a major milestone. But don’t start celebrating too soon. Now is the time to reflect on the past few months, and set goals for the upcoming year. Preparing for the year to come will ensure steady growth for your business.

Poor business planning and market research are two of the main culprits of business failure. Simply put, there’s no room for incompetence in the world of business.

It’s important to avoid procrastination. Take care of smaller tasks as they come, so you can focus on the bigger things ahead.

Here are a few things to add to your end-of-year checklist so you can start the new year with a clean slate: (more…)

Protecting Your Personal Assets As a Business Owner

October 8, 2019
HouseBy Brad Wiewel –

Over a million lawsuits are filed in state courts every year. And, according to one source, all of us have a 10% chance of getting sued in any given year and a 33% chance of getting sued during our lifetimes! This is scary information given that being on the losing end of a lawsuit can be financially devastating.

As a business owner, you have special cause for concern. That’s because if your business is sued and ordered to pay a money judgment as a result, the plaintiff in the lawsuit can collect on the judgment not only by going after its assets, but by going after your personal assets too if your business does not have enough resources to pay the full judgment amount.

The good news however, is that appropriate up-front planning can protect your personal assets. For example, you can: (more…)

What Experts Say Most Entrepreneurs Don’t Understand About Becoming a Business Owner

May 14, 2019
By Bob House, President, BizBuySell –

Business MeetingIf you think obtaining funding is your biggest priority, think again.

When it comes to starting a new business venture, most entrepreneurs focus solely on how they can get funding. Yet they often do not have a clear understanding of the funding process. Nor have they considered some of the many challenges of business ownership and how that might affect the amount of money they actually need.

“At least 90 percent of aspiring entrepreneurs ask how they can get financing, grants, or something related to capital,” says Brad Bunt, director of North Central Texas SBDC.

We spoke to some of the leading experts at America’s SBDC, a nationwide network of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), to get their insights on the most common questions asked by entrepreneurs. According to these experts, while obtaining funding was the most common issue, there are many more important things entrepreneurs should be thinking about first. (more…)

The Ultimate Guide to Vetting a Business Partner

April 23, 2018
By Gerri Detweiler –

Business PartnerAfter surviving several tumultuous business partnerships, Susan Nilon has learned to be more skeptical and cautious. In the past, she admits she was so excited about business possibilities that she “didn’t pay attention to red flags.”

She and her current business partner in a legal research firm, De Novo Law Services, not only have a formal partnership agreement, they’ve taken it one step further. She created an addendum to the agreement “writing out 10 steps on how to survive our partnership,” she says. This document spells out the things that are not normally called out in a contract, like how to handle disputes and what to do when the other partner is not pulling their weight. (more…)

6 Things You Should Do As You Start Q4

October 2, 2017
By Jennifer Lobb

Business Meeting

Despite the fact that the fourth quarter rolls around at the exact same time year after year, the realization that it’s just around the corner is always startling. In fact, every year as Labor Day bookends the far end of the summer, I find myself asking “how did we get here already?”

We are, of course, “here,”and if you’re a small business owner, it’s time to pencil in a few important tasks to help you navigate the Q4 craziness.

1. Talk to Your Staff

It’s tempting to label this as “evaluate your employees,” because that’s something you’ll want to do as well, but your efforts should exceed evaluation. Your employees are on the front lines and often offer the most candid and useful feedback when it comes to “everyday” tasks and processes. They also are likely to be the ones who have the most frequent, and therefore most insightful, feedback on client or customer relationships.  (more…)