9 Examples That Show You Can Trademark Almost Anything

Your audience knows your business through its trademarks — its name and logo, its slogan and the colors it uses in its branding. If your business becomes successful, competitors might want to take advantage of your reputation by mimicking your trademarks, but if you act fast, you can legally prevent them from infringing on your hard work and savvy. Trademark registration allows other businesses to identify what words, symbols and more have been claimed by other companies in operation — and it can also give you a glimpse into all the aspects of your business that are capable of being protected by trademark law.…

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Small Business Management 101: Best Practices for Growth and Sustainability

Running a small business is a challenging but rewarding endeavor. To achieve long-term success, it’s crucial to have a solid management strategy in place.

Managing small business growth

Here are some best practices for small business management that can help your business grow and thrive:

1. Define Your Business Goals

The first step in effective small business management is to define your goals. What do you want to achieve with your business? Your goals should be specific, measurable, and achievable. They should also be aligned with your values and vision for your business.

2. Build a Strong Team

Your team is critical to the success of your small business.…

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Leading by Example: 10 Practical Tips for Small Business Owners

Your actions and habits as a small business owner have a significant impact on your employees and the overall success of your venture. Leading by example is a strong method that may inspire and encourage your staff, promote a healthy work culture, and drive business success.

All-women small business leadership team

Here are some helpful hints for leading by example:

1. Set Clear Expectations

Clearly communicate your expectations to your team members. Outline your vision, goals, and values, and ensure everyone understands what is expected of them. When your team knows what success looks like, they can align their efforts accordingly.

2. Practice Empathy and Respect

Demonstrate empathy and respect towards your team members.…

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Zero Trust Kubernetes and the Service Mesh

If you’re at all involved with technology, chances are good that you’re already working in the cloud, and that you’ve at least heard of zero trust: the topic became top-of-mind for many after the White House issued guidance calling for federal agencies to implement zero trust by 2024. Let’s take a closer look at what it really is.

Zero trust

What is Zero Trust? 

Zero trust is a model for helping us reason about some questions that have been central to security for a very long time: who do we trust with what? and how do we make decisions about trust? The core concepts of zero trust are that trust must be explicit rather than inferred, and that you check every access, every time, from everyone.…

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 Why You Should Hire an ERC Consultant

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the hospitality industry in a significant way, causing many businesses to face challenges such as decreased revenue, increased expenses, and decreased occupancy rates. In response to these challenges, the government has introduced several economic relief programs, including the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) refundable tax credit, which can provide significant benefits to hospitality businesses.

Employee Retention Credit (ERC) tax credit refund

The ERC is a refundable tax credit that was introduced by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March 2020. The credit is designed to provide financial relief to businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic and incentivize them to retain their employees.…

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Best Practices for Implementing a Buy Now Pay Later Solution    

In today’s fast-paced and dynamic retail environment, providing flexible payment options to customers is more important than ever. Buy now pay later (BNPL) solutions have become increasingly popular among consumers, especially those who prefer to spread the cost of their purchases over time. As a result, many retailers have implemented these solutions to improve customer satisfaction and increase sales.

BNPL

However, implementing a program requires careful consideration and planning to ensure its success. This article will discuss the best practices for implementing a BNPL service.

Choose a reputable provider

Choosing a reputable BNPL provider is crucial to the success of your service.…

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Creative Resume Formats to Capture Employers’ Attention

Standing out is crucial in a job market saturated with talent. But doing so without going overboard can be tricky.

Creative resume writing

Including measurable results in your bullet points is another way to show hiring managers your value. They care less about what you did at a job and more about your work’s impact.

1. Use a Header

When it comes to your resume formatting, you only get 6.25 seconds to convince the recruiter that you’re worth a full review. And a well-written header is an effective way to make this happen.

Use a headline that showcases your skills and experience or a summary statement that shows you are the perfect candidate for the position.…

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Tips for Starting Your Own Accounting Firm

Giving thought to starting your own accounting firm? Maybe you have and are already resolved to do so. If that’s the case, there are plenty of next steps that need to be taken to get the goal from idea into working, profitable action.

Accounting firm

Along with choosing what the business structure might look like, marketing for clients, finding an office and getting caught up on all the legality, there is a list of things that need to be in order for an accounting business to run smoothly.

Starting a CPA, just like any other business, can be a lot of work, but having the knowledge of what to attend to and a basic order to prepare things will save a lot of time, money, and energy in the long run.…

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Common Growing Pains of Scaling Independent Nursing Practices

Becoming a nurse practitioner or another type of advanced practice nurse opens up lots of exciting career opportunities and possibilities, including entrepreneurship within the healthcare field. Independent nursing practices are growing in popularity as advanced practice nurses gain more autonomy.

Independent nurse practice

photo credit: Laura James / Pexels

Nurses who open their own practices have the opportunity to be their own boss and build a work environment that suits their personal style and care philosophy. If they are successful and start to build a strong following of patients, scaling the business can become a necessity. However, that can come along with some growing pains.…

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The Ultimate Guide to Building a Small Business Website

In today’s digital age, having a website for your small business is essential. It helps establish a strong online presence and allows you to reach a wider audience and increase your customer base. However, building a website can seem daunting, especially if you have no technical expertise. Luckily, there are website builders specifically designed for small businesses that make the process easy and affordable.

Website builder

In this article, we will provide the ultimate guide to website builder for small businesses.

What is a Website Builder?

A website builder is a tool that allows users to create and publish websites without needing any coding knowledge.…

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