Any person who is running their own enterprise and is accountable for it can be called an entrepreneur. But not all entrepreneurs can be called financially literate. Financial literacy goes beyond just knowing what goes on in the financial world, it is about understanding finance so that effective decisions about the business can be reached.
With the current economy, there is undoubtedly a need to improve financial literacy especially among those in the business sector. You may have the best business idea or the most innovative products in the market but if you do not have the essential financial knowledge in managing the money your business makes, you are in for a rough ride.…
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The Small Business Administration (SBA) should be commended for their help in sustaining the small business sector with their microloans. However, a recent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) shows that the funds which should be distributed to businesses that need it, actually go to ineligible ones. The HUBZone certification which businesses need to qualify for a loan is a program which spans 13 years and is meant to help small business owners build companies in economically distressed areas. When investigators submitted applications which should be denied or disapproved because of obvious reasons; those applications got the federal contracts instead.…
Bank of America (BOA), one of the world’s largest financial institutions, has announced it will provide $10 million in grants to nonprofit lenders, such as Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), to leverage funds from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for lending to small and rural businesses.
Expenses can be a burden for any particular company. This is something that a business owner cannot avoid. Of course, the prerequisite for a business to operate is start up capital. You can’t manage and operate a business from an empty pocket. You need to shell out money in order to start your business operation.
As the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day approaches, consumers and businesses everywhere are thinking about ways to reduce energy consumption and lower their energy bills. Affordable alternative energy sources are years away and utility-driven conservation measures like the Smart Grid won’t help SMBs in the short term, if at all.
Businesses today need to look beyond geographical borders in order to expand. There is a whole world of consumers, customers and clients out there waiting to buy your service or product. Opportunities aplenty await the astute businessman willing to take the risk and go global.
There is no escaping the wrath of the IRS when it comes to unpaid taxes. There are several differences between running a small business versus a large corporation, but at the end of the day, payroll taxes are something that all business owners must pay close attention to in order to avoid problems with the IRS.
As the recession continues to extend into 2010, we continue to be inundated by news about the challenges that face the small business community.
There aren’t many good news stories about banks these days so if you’re looking for a new bank you may be facing the quagmire of what to look for and who to turn to when searching for a new bank. The answer may rest upon what your personal and or business banking needs are.
For many smaller and mid-size companies, the hiring CFO-level talent can be too costly and completely unfeasible. In addition to searching for the right candidate, you have to offer a highly competitive package – even in today’s economy – to attract the top-level finance talent you need for business success.
