10 quick growth tips for your small business

Small businesses can grow in boom times as well as periods of difficulty by working smarter and taking advantage of opportunities. Put these following effective tips into practise to help grow your business. 1. Utilise new technology Modern technology can save you time, improve productivity and reduce your operational costs. Make use of Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other social media tools to market your business. Dropbox is a cloud-based service…  Read more

How to create good habits in business

If you’re like most small business owners, there are never enough hours in the day to complete every task on your list. Often you’re faced with prioritizing what you need to do right now – deal with a customer, meet a deadline, attend an event – and the things you know you should do for the ongoing growth of your business. Scheduling time to attend to these business activities on…  Read more

3 easy and inexpensive ways to look more professional when you’re starting out

For bootstrapping young businesses, making a professional first impression as you build your brand is key. Although hiring a branding expert may be too large an expense in the early days, you can still help your business stand out in the best possible way without breaking the bank. Just follow these simple marketing moves that will help people to know, like, and trust you. 1. Build credibility with your own…  Read more

3 Reasons Recurring Revenue is a Good Idea

What is recurring revenue? It’s the revenue you can depend on generating, year after year, with a high degree of certainty. It’s the repeat business or long-term contracts you’ve established with clients who know and trust your business. For example, you might bundle offers into a monthly subscription, or launch a points system that incentivizes loyalty with free gifts or special discounts. Recurring revenue comes in many forms and is…  Read more

So you’ve launched your business – now what?

Good news for small business owners: according to the US Small Business Administration, nearly 80% of small businesses survive their first year. However, that number begins to drop as time rolls on. Only half of small businesses pass the five year mark, and a mere third celebrate their tenth anniversary. Taking steps to create a good foundation in the early days of your business is essential for a sustainable and…  Read more

12 Essential Tips for Delivering Effective Training Courses

Effective training of staff is essential to ensure they develop in their roles and are able to be as productive as possible. The business will need training to be cost effective and meet learning objectives, so as a facilitator of training it’s important to get it right first time. These 12 tips cover all the critical areas you must consider to ensure your training delivery is top notch and fully…  Read more

Five Best Selling Books on Business and Money

Bookstores and libraries around the world supply excellent instructional materials. Riding in the car or commuting on the train, you can learn from experts. The bestseller lists at Amazon are fantastic resources. The lists are updated regularly with current insight about the best books on the market. Have a look at some of the best books on business and money currently on the Amazon list. The Millionaire Next Door Thomas…  Read more

10 Money-Saving Tips for Freelancers

While working at home as a freelancer sounds like the ultimate dream for anyone who tires of the rat race, freelancers still have more than their fair share of financial matters to worry about. In fact, perhaps the most important trait that any freelancer should have is the ability to be fully responsible and accountable to themselves, and saving money is something that you will be wholly responsible for. 1.…  Read more

Polite ways to sack a client

Ask anyone who’s been self-employed for a few years. By and large, the vast majority of clients are great. The less than ideal ones, however, can become a serious liability. Problem clients come in all shapes and sizes. There are the late payers and scheduled “no shows”. The ones who are demanding and don’t respect your time. Remember, just because you need to earn a profit doesn’t mean it’s in…  Read more

Spotting Problem Employees Ahead of Time

Your employees are the blood of your entrepreneurial life. No start-up will survive without a good set of people making sure that things run perfectly. The problem for you and any other entrepreneur is making sure that the people on your team are trustworthy and reliable. Some people have a sixth sense when it comes to reading people, but if you’re not that lucky you can simply keep an eye…  Read more

Tactics for paying down debt faster

Very few business owners have the means to operate without borrowing at start up, or later on when it’s time to invest in growth. Borrowing, however, is only a temporary solution to a lack of funds. Without a repayment plan debt can grow into an unmanageable problem that costs much more than the initial loan. These strategies will help you re-pay your debt faster, so you can invest the cash…  Read more

Tips for managing contractors

For small businesses, working with independent contractors can be a life saver. You can hand over tasks you don’t have time for – at a fraction of the cost of an employee. Unlike staff, you won’t owe a contractor payroll taxes, unemployment insurance, health insurance, or other employee benefits. Because contractors aren’t employees, however, they do need to be managed differently. They’re accustomed to being their own bosses, for one…  Read more

How your small business can attract top talent

Often small business owners worry unnecessarily when it’s time to hire employees. They fear because they can’t offer the same high salaries and impressive benefits of a large company, they won’t be able to attract skilled workers. Fortunately, for many young workers these days, the ideal job doesn’t necessarily come with a big salary. Often it’s the opportunities and experiences a smaller company can offer that will pique their interest…  Read more

5 Apps for Tracking Small Business Expenses

Did you know that 50% of small business expenses are generated on the go? It’s no wonder the majority of expense receipts end up shoved in coat pockets or an old shoebox. In spite of all of the high-tech options out there, 47% of small businesses are still using spreadsheets for expense management, leaving room for errors that could really hurt their bottom line come tax time. Why not take…  Read more

What to do if you fall out with your business partners

It’s been said that a business partnership is a lot like a marriage, and the comparison holds true when things go awry: the end of a partnership is a lot like divorce. Lawyers will be involved and assets will need to be divided. However, a separation need not be overly dramatic or unnecessarily painful. These tips can help make separation easier – and more amicable – should your business partnership…  Read more

Lessons from three pricing stories

Times were tough, so John decided he had to drop his prices below his competitors. The results seemed gratifying. Business picked up quickly and when John looked round his shop he could see his sales staff were always busy with customers. Then came the call from his accountant. “Aren’t the sales figures great?” said John, getting his bit in first. ‘Yes”, said the accountant, “impressive sales indeed. That’s the good…  Read more

Why Your Business Might Not Look Like a Winning Bet to Investors

Have you had a potential investor turn away from your business for seemingly no reason? Investors don’t usually turn away from good opportunities so was there something that made your company or business plan unappealing? Here are six reason businesses makes themselves unattractive to investors. 1. There’s No Proof of Concept You can find good ideas everywhere but only a few of those ideas will actually end up profitable for everyone…  Read more

8 Common Problems New Freelancers Face

Freelancers in all industries deal with the same problems due to the nature of their work.  Typically, freelancers are solo work-from-home contractors that manage every aspect of their business.  If you’re thinking of dropping your career as an employee to begin freelancing, consider the following obstacles you will need to navigate.  Unfortunately, problems beget more problems, and a shaky foundation quickly leads to a crumbly business, and many regrets about…  Read more

Why your business needs you to say no

Being open to new possibilities is a positive trait shared by most entrepreneurs—but saying yes to all the people you meet and opportunities that come your way can get you into trouble. When we overcommit—especially when we take on projects that don’t actually benefit our business—our stress can hit the roof. It’s much hard to be productive when we’re feeling burned out and resentful. One of the most impactful changes…  Read more

Tips for Managing Remote Teams

So many business employees are now telecommuting, that companies around the world are restructuring their management practices to meet the challenges of remote collaboration. Because they tend to be more agile and open to change, small businesses are particularly well positioned to adapt to telecommuting. Increased productivity and happier employees who appreciate the added flexibility are just a few benefits winning over small business owners. But telecommuting also presents some…  Read more

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