3 Loan Alternatives for Small Businesses

Financial capital is an essential but often elusive aspect of running a business. Capital is beneficial on several levels. The obvious is to meet overhead, such as lease payments, utilities and payroll expenses.

However, cash is also leverage to grow your company in ways not otherwise possible. This may be in direct ways that increase revenues, or indirect means that cut costs or taxes.

Alternative business loans

Examples include:

  • Supplier discounts for bulk purchases
  • Seize growth opportunities
  • Increase productivity with upgrades to personnel and equipment
  • Reduce or eliminate interest expense

The challenges to obtaining a business loan can equal the benefits. In particular, startups and new companies often don’t meet the rigid criteria of banks.…

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5 Predictions for the Future of Small Business Taxation

The financial ramifications of taxation are at the forefront of any small business owners mind, with the issue seemingly never far from the headlines throughout the commercial world.

Indeed, tax policies are certain to have a huge impact on the decisions SMEs make in the future, as expansion on a global scale and rising regulatory control become increasingly obvious.

Small business taxation

From the government’s perspective, tax will continue to grab its attention as they look to fill the coffers and get a grip on the levels of tax for which they’re liable.

As a small firm, there are several factors you should be aware of in the coming weeks and months that will have a marked effect on how you do business.…

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7 Reasons to Outsource Employee Management

Running a business is complex, a situation only complicated by globalization. Since World War II international competition has been steadily increasing in nearly every sector. Digitization has simultaneously simplified and further complicated the situation. Even small and medium-sized business can have employees on multiple continents, interconnected by conference calls and serving customers in several languages.

Outsourcing employee management

This presents its own challenges; following employment regulations in only one of the fifty states can often be exhausting. The peace of mind provided by consulting a trained individual in the complexity of employee resource management far outweighs the costs. Here’s a list of subjects that can be handled by a professional to outsource the stress.…

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Scams (Old and New) That Target Small Business Owners

Just because your a small business owner doesn’t make you safe from money-hungry scammers looking to separate you from your hard-earned cash. As technology improves, scams become more elaborate.

Following, you’ll find some of the most popular scams – those which seem simple on the surface, yet still dupe thousands of unsuspecting businesses each year.

scammer

Directory Scams

Criminals know how badly you want to increase/maintain your marketing reach, so they use the good ol directory scam.

They might call, fax, email or otherwise solicit you indicating that it’s time to get your business listed in the back of the local phone book, or an applicable business directory of some sort.…

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15 Twitter Tools Your Business Should be Using

Twitter has become an increasingly powerful device for small businesses, allowing them to engage with clients, reach a wider audience and spread brand awareness. Although Twitter is useful on its own, there are a number of tools available to help small businesses get the most from the social networking site. These tools range from those allowing you to schedule and track tweets, analyse competitor profiles, increase your followers and manage several accounts.

Twitter tools for business

Here we look at 15 of the best Twitter tools your business should be using:

  1. Hootsuite: Ideal for those using multiple Twitter accounts, it allows you to manage a number of accounts, schedule tweets and track brand mentions.
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Grow Your Business by Sticking to Your Guns

Every small business owner wants to make money. In fact, revenue is the very definition of being in business. But is there such a thing as an overreliance on revenue to drive your business?

Definitely – and it could be damaging your company.

Focus on profits

Successful entrepreneurs need a deeper meaning attached to the growth of their business. Are you trying to save the world? Are you trying to provide the best service or product in your industry? If you’ve already found this deeper mission, then you can afford to focus on revenue. But if your goal is simply to make as much money as possible, you may be out of business sooner than you think.…

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These 5 Amazing Tips Will Kill the Boredom of Running a Business

Starting a business is exciting! The thought of establishing new systems, achieving your short term goals, and seeing the baby steps that your business is taking towards growth is such a priceless experience!

But what happens when your business is all set-up? What happens when your business is already established to the point where you’re starting to feel that there’s not much left for you to do?

That’s right. You get BORED!

Bored business owner

The thing is, getting bored (although it’s normal) isn’t something that you should allow to happen. The moment you get bored, you lose the enthusiasm and the urge to improve.…

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6 Ways to Build Your Company’s Online Credibility

Businesses are paying more attention to their social media presence. According to Fast Company, 93 percent of marketers say they’re using social media as part of an overall marketing strategy. Good relationships on social media take an almost geological timeframe to develop, but when things go wrong online, the message spreads like wildfire.

Business credibility

Enrolling in a graduate program that teaches strategic communications from a modern perspective can help you survive and thrive on social networks; click here to review some FAQs and learn how good schools equip tomorrow’s PR professionals. Social media success is about more than putting the right content on the right channels.…

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Everything You Need to Know About Business Partnerships (Especially With a Friend or Relative)

As if entrepreneurship wasn’t scary enough, we have this incomparably unknown and yet timeless institution of corporate America, from the smallest endeavor of the lemonade stand to a superior launch of a law firm — the business partnership. Of course, one would think that such a thing would be a lot easier to deal with than simply being a sole proprietorship as many entrepreneurs are. That’s not the case.

business partnership

You’re cooperating with another human being, basically. It’s a type of unincorporated business, subject to everything like taxes, certain regulations and even government inspections depending on the industry you’re in. There will always be conflicts of interest, disagreements and legal repercussions.…

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How to Build a Business That Can Flourish Without You

“We don’t need you anymore.”

These five words can be a stinging rebuke if they come from a loved one, but if they come from those in the business you’ve founded, they can be golden!

Whether to spend time on other endeavors, for an exit strategy, or simply to maximize growth, building a company that can flourish without you is a fundamental business practice.

You have to delegate some authority!

Creating ‘walk away’ wealth

Creating real “walk away” wealth is a prime reason to build a business that can thrive without you. It also prevents succession problems.

Many successful family businesses go bankrupt as soon as they are passed from one generation to the next or internecine strife tears the family apart when it’s time to make difficult succession decisions.…

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