L
    Laura Sherman

    Laura Sherman

  • What a Small Business Owner Can Do to Keep Employees

    As a small business owner, you may find yourself in a position where you need to hire an employee or two. Finding and retaining the right team to help you accomplish your company’s goals is an important skill. If you set things up correctly from the start, your staff should stick around long term.

  • How Networking Organizations Can Help a Small Business Owner

    If you’re a small business owner, running a shop or online company, there are days when you might feel that you’re all alone in the world, the only one experiencing the kind of problems you encounter. It’s important to know that there are plenty of options you can turn to for support.

  • How to Get Online Reviews for Your Small Business

    Although nothing beats getting referrals from your loyal customers’ circles of friends and family, if you want to expand quickly, you’ll need online reviews as well. They go a long way toward spreading the word about your business to customers who might not otherwise find you.

  • Small Business Basics: How to Reach Your Local Market Effectively

    If you have a business that could possibly cater to local clientele, it is essential that you learn to promote your product or service to consumers in your surrounding region effectively. And if your business appeals to customers far and wide, you’ll need to create a flexible marketing campaign that reaches everyone. Believe it or not, it’s possible to do so on a shoe-string budget.

  • How to create an effective business message, pitch, and marketing plan

    Some entrepreneurs are top-notch experts in their industry, brilliantly skilled in their craft, but they’re missing one key element. They don’t know how to market. Remember, if you have an excellent product or service, but no one knows about it, you can’t succeed.

  • Setting up Your Company to Obtain a Small Business Loan

    If you’re looking to expand your business, you may be considering getting a loan. In order to achieve that goal, you’ll need to examine the financial health of your business, predict the financial forecast, make sure your business credit is acceptable, and consider funding options.

  • How to Use Market Research to Launch a Successful Business

    Successful business owners plan ahead. Prior to starting a business and plunging into the entrepreneurial world, they do market research. This research can take different forms. You can talk to others in the industry, work for someone else in the field, look online or in books for supporting information, and talk to potential customers to get a feel for what is needed.

  • Start on the Sidelines: Test Your Business Idea Before Committing

    It takes a lot of courage to take the plunge into the entrepreneurial waters away from the regular nine-to-five. Many people dream of owning their own business, setting their own schedules and rules. However, the ones who do, and who are successful, often test the market with their idea, before fully committing.

  • What It Takes to Start a Consulting Business

    Do you have experience and knowledge in an area where others need help? If so, and you like the idea of helping others with your expertise or even teaching them, you might consider becoming a consultant. It’s not a job for everyone, as it requires patience and a keen sense of responsibility, but there’s a true sense of satisfaction when you can help another person.

  • Accounting Basics for the Small Business Owner

    Being the creative head honcho of a small business, you must make sure that your financial ducks are in a row. For some entrepreneurs, this task can create a host of unpleasant physiological responses. However, if you don’t tackle it now, you are doomed to face failure later on.

  • Is It Time To Start Up That Startup Business?

    The decision to start a business is only the first step of a valid business plan

  • How to Distribute Your Products Effortlessly

    When you start a new business, you must plan the best distribution strategy right from the start. Your goal is to get your product into the hands of your customers effortlessly. The last thing you want is poor word-of-mouth on Amazon, Yelp, or any of the plethora of online reviewing sites that can make or break your business. Being sluggish on your delivery, charging too much for shipping, or making too many errors can be the kiss of death for your small business.

  • How To Set Up Your Small Business For Production

    Now that you’ve created your business and have many of the preliminary plans in place, it’s time to prepare for production on the scale that is right for you. Every company will have different needs.

  • The Pros and Cons of Hiring: Employee vs. Independent Contractor

    As a small business owner you will need to determine whether to hire full time employees or use independent contractors. Don’t make the mistake of thinking they are basically the same thing. They aren’t.

  • How To Brand Your Business On A Budget

    If you’re a mom and pop organization and would like to learn how to brand your business on a low budget, read on…

  • How to structure your business correctly: From sole proprietorship to C-Corp

    Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork… There are very few people who relish this side of creating a business, but it can be dangerous to ignore. Consider your options for getting all the licenses in order, and putting in place any other legal details before you open your doors.

  • Getting A Good Fix On Your Costs: Smart and Simple Guide to Starting a Business Part 8

    For any business, it’s important to accurately estimate supply and production costs. If cost estimates are inaccurate, you can’t price your product correctly, which will lead to a faulty prediction of your potential profit. Don’t let this chain reaction be the kiss of death for your new company.

  • Find Profit in Pricing Your Product Or Service For Your Target Market

    If you fail to pinpoint your target customer properly, you are likely to throw away money on the wrong advertising campaign. It’s important to confirm that the clients you will appeal to are the folks you have in mind.

  • Keep Your Friends Close And Your Competitors Closer

    If you’re starting a new business, you want to make sure your service or product isn’t too unique for the public. It helps to align yourself with your competition. Once you have identified your competitors, you can carve out your niche, finding the gaping hole in the industry.

  • Funding, Fraternity and Family: Turning three potential F’s for your business into A’s

    There’s no getting around it, running a business costs money. Sometimes it costs a lot of money. However, if you do everything in your power to avoid incurring debt early on, it will increase your odds for survival.