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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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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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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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3 Foolproof Methods to Find the Perfect Employee

Leaf through a newspaper on any given day and the misery of the unemployed will leap off the page.

Hundreds hit by factory closures here or thousands of healthcare jobs slashed there, whether you’re affected by it or not, the figures hardly make attractive reading at the breakfast table.

But what of the business owners who, amidst this despair, are attempting to sort the wheat from the chaff in their efforts to get folk back into work and fill positions with the perfect employee?

The perfect employees

Admittedly, it’s an altogether different struggle, but likely a familiar scenario for organisations the length and breadth of the country.…

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What Dangers and Risks do SMEs Face?

Any small business runs the risk of failing through any number of reasons. Whether it is mismanagement or changing market conditions, lack of capital or poor business decisions, the corporate world is a minefield for those just stepping out.

Yet it’s not only small operations which can run into trouble out on the business battlefield. Even the most well run company operating in favourable economic times will face dangers and risks that can prove costly and sometimes have catastrophic consequences on their success.

Taking business risks

The general idea of ‘risk’ is something that everybody who runs their own business is familiar with but depending on the specific area of operations these threats can differ greatly.…

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These 5 Internet Marketing Mistakes Will Ruin Your Small Business in NO TIME!

The internet marketing can do you wonders as far as boosting your business. Not only does it give your business it’s much needed publicity, it downright helps you with sales and establishing your brand. But did you know that implementing the wrong internet marketing strategies can do the EXACT OPPOSITE?

Internet marketing mistakes

Depending on which internet marketing mistakes you make, instead of helping you skyrocket your small business, you’ll end up in dire straits or worse… you might end up closing it.

What internet marketing mistakes am I talking about? Read on…

1. Running a paid ads campaign without carefully setting a cap

It’s very easy to make a mistake when running a paid ads campaign.…

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