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Alternatives to Small Business Loans

February 6, 2012 by Becky McCray with 32 views

Many small businesses can't qualify for a small business loan from a traditional local bank. A bad credit record disqualifies many. Lending standards have tightened. Some small towns are limited by local banks that don't support small business; others don't have locally-owned banks any more. The good news is that alternatives are available. [read more]

Lessons Learned from Christmas Spending

December 29, 2011 by Tushar Mathur with 25 views

Did you go overboard with your Christmas spending this year? I know I did.Every year, I vow to stick to a budget for Christmas. Every year, I fail.My problem is not just spending money on presents, but also all the extra spending that is done throughout the month, such as eating take-out a lot more often than we normally do, hosting get-... [read more]

Small Business Owner’s Holiday Season Cheat Sheet [INFOGRAPHIC]

December 11, 2011 by Small Biz Bee with 76 views

The holiday season is well underway. With all the speculation about this season it can be hard for small businesses to know what to expect. So what does the small business owner really need to know about this holiday? We have your game plan right here. (click image for larger view) Click for Full Size View   Photo Credit: blog.... [read more]

Time for Retirement, Contributions That Is

November 13, 2011 by Kay Bell with 28 views

I love what I do for a living. But I'd love it even more if I could write just because I wanted to and didn't have to depend on it to pay the bills. The hubby shares my wish for quitting work sooner rather than later. And since our win the lottery retirement plan is probably not going to pan out, we contribute regularly to our post-career savings accounts. [read more]

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Got In On Groupon's IPO? Will You Sell?

November 4, 2011 by Carissa Wodehouse with 65 views

After its IPO today Groupon is still up from its initial price of $20, but will it hold? If you bought, are you planning to flip your shares soon? [read more]

Black Friday and Retail (Infograph)

November 4, 2011 by John Lawson with 76 views

If Black Friday 2011 is anything like 2010, retailers are going to be swimming in cash while shoppers bathe in savings. Black Friday deals drew 212 million shoppers to stores in 2010 and collectively spent $39 billion on products and services. The average amount spent by a Black Friday shopper in 2010 was a whopping $365.34! [read more]

Refinancing Mortgages on Commercial Real Estate

October 27, 2011 by Barbara Weltman with 78 views

The Small Business Administration has eased the rules for its 504 loan program to facility refinancing. For the first time, small businesses can use this loan program to generate working capital. Chris Hurn of Mercantile Capital Corporation, an SBA lender in Orlando, Florida, said the new opportunity to refinance will help owners turn their real estate equity into working capital. [read more]

Today is the Final 1040 Deadline, Barring a Hurricane

October 17, 2011 by Joe Kristan with 23 views

Today is the final extended due date for 1040s. There are no second extensions. You need to file today, or face late penalties. [read more]

Revenue vs. Income

October 11, 2011 by Brad Feld with 66 views

Put this in the pet peeve rant category. I’m tired of “Revenue” being referred to as “Income.” [read more]

When Small Businesses Need to Collect on Outstanding Debts

September 29, 2011 by Small Biz Bee with 71 views

When the economy is in the current shape it is, it behooves small businesses to make sure they’re collecting on any outstanding customer debts. That being said, what are the best ways to go about doing that? [read more]

Economic Development Incentives: Why Not 'Disarm'?

August 19, 2011 by Joe Kristan with 45 views

Are incentives like cheating? [read more]

Finance 101: Examining Risk

June 17, 2011 by Tushar Mathur with 124 views

Successful investing is all about weighing risk and setting goals. [read more]

Are You Willing to Double Your Profits?

June 16, 2011 by Drew McLellan with 80 views

Seems like a silly question, doesn’t it? Who wouldn’t want to double profits? Wanting to and being willing to do what it takes are two very different things. But I’ve found a playbook that might give you an edge. [read more]

'Slow-Pay' Payment Terms Raise Ethical Questions

April 30, 2011 by Geri Stengel with 394 views

Is it ethical for cash-rich corporations to change payment terms for small business suppliers? [read more]

CRM Idol 2011: The Open Season

April 25, 2011 by PaulGreenberg with 79 views

Okay, everyone this is the big one. CRM Idol 2011: The Open Season is here and we’re ready to take your companies and find out which one of you in the Americas and which one of you in EMEA is not the next CRM Idol but the FIRST CRM Idol. The Idea Most of what we’re trying to do was outlined in the pre-announcement announcement of CRM... [read more]

What’s Happening to Interchange Fees?

April 7, 2011 by Barbara Weltman with 108 views

Not much, and I’ll tell you why in a moment. For those who don’t know … interchange fees are the fees paid by merchants to banks on debit card charges. The Dodd-Franks Act of 2010 was supposed to scale back these fees to provide relief to merchants. Now, one of the authors of the legislation, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Ma), says that no action... [read more]

When professional C corporations go bad

April 2, 2011 by Joe Kristan with 164 views

You can operate a professional corporation as a C corporation and get tax-free fringe benefits unavailable to partnerships or S corporations. Sure, C corporations are subject to a flat 35% tax on every dollar of taxable income left at year end, but you just suck out all the earnings as salary at the end of the year. Right? For an... [read more]

Jobs Jobs Jobs

April 1, 2011 by Brad Feld with 123 views

A bunch of our portfolio companies are hiring. Just today, I got emails about new job pages at Cheezburger (Seattle and NY), SendGrid (Boulder and LA), and Attachments.me (Bay Area). But the growth is everywhere – Zynga (throughout the US), AdMeld (NY, London, Berlin), Fitbit (Bay Area), Gnip (Boulder), Oblong (LA), Trada (Boulder), and... [read more]

Are You Prepared for an Earthquake, Tsunami, or Nuclear Disaster?

March 17, 2011 by Barbara Weltman with 85 views

Hopefully, no business owner in the U.S. will ever have to face the triple catastrophe experienced recently by many in Japan.  However, a flood, a fire, or even a sustained power outage can devastate your business. Create a disaster plan Think about what you’ll do if a disaster strikes in your area. If you fail to give this problem... [read more]

Novel Idea of the Week, Freemium!

March 3, 2011 by Jeff Nolan with 444 views

Arment’s more traditional take is built largely on the idea that if he puts out a good product, there’s no shame in asking customers to pay for it. And the more they pay, the less he needs to rely on outside investors. Arment said many developers are of the mindset that they need to amass a huge number of eyeballs through free services.... [read more]

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