It would be nice to do business in a perfect world where everything is done on a pre-paid basis. But you don’t operate in a perfect world. Extending credit is part of doing business. This is tough for home business owners, who are taken advantage of in credit situations far more often than other types of businesses. Today’s business climate [...]

For any business to carry out everyday transactions and operations, a bank account is a necessity. It is important to open a business bank account in contrast to using an existing personal account. Mixing business transactions with other endeavors can result in misappropriation of funds, not to mention cause financial confusion. Additionally, in some states this is considered illegal. It [...]

Business communications create the perception of the company in the public eye. Signage, printed materials and advertising campaigns work together to trigger company recognition for current and potential customers. Avenues of communication separate from personal methods will ensure that the business is viewed as professional and trustworthy.

You don’t have to be a lawyer to reap the benefits of writing your own contracts. A little common sense goes a long way and a good contract does more that just cover your rear should you end up in court. Written correctly, a contract can demonstrate business professionalism, weed out insincere clients, organize your duties, speed up your pay, [...]

Every online marketer who has a web site is always looking for ways to increase traffic to their web site. There are many ways to do this, however, one of the most powerful ways is to offer a Free Contest! Why? Because it’s human nature to want something for free. Web site contests have been around as long as the [...]

A dear friend of mine sent her ad to be typeset and run to hundreds of thousands of eager prospects as promised by this really big and famous ad broker. The only problem was… my friend was also in the ad brokerage business. Well, weeks later, the big and famous brokerage firm returned my friend’s order, explaining that since she [...]

Looking to increase your everyday performance? Here are some tips and tricks from a professional organizer for increasing your output as an entrepreneur. My goal as a professional organizer is not only to help you organize your current pile of papers but to help you manage the papers you deal with on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

Bartering is not negotiating! Bartering is “trading” for a service, or for the goods you want. In essence, bartering is simply buying or paying for goods or services using something other than money (coins or government printer paper dollars). Thus defined, bartering has been around much longer than money as we know it today. Recent estimates indicate that at least [...]

When getting your business started and settled, one of the first things you want to order are business cards. Business cards are a form of free advertising. While they are not free, the cost of giving one away is very little compared to the cost of creating online ads or even flyers. Decide what you want to appear on your [...]

If you are the owner-manager of a small business you may have been wondering about the advisability of incorporating your business, particularly if you are seeking equity capital. This Management Aid does not discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the corporate form; its purpose is to acquaint you with some of the basic steps involved once you have decided to [...]