Women business owners are growing at an incredible pace, enter fields that until recently have traditionally been dominated by their male counterparts. Small businesses account for more than 99% of employers in the U.S., and female ownership in small business increased more than 20% from 2002 to 2007.

You’ve redesigned your marketing strategy. You’ve changed your sales pitch. You’ve launched a product promotion campaign that should wildly entice even the most ambivalent customers. Yet, sales are still stagnating at 1994 levels. What else can you do? Extending credit to your customers may not be on your agenda, but it should be. Risky? Yes. But, it has proven to [...]

When you first begin your business, everything is fine and dandy. It’s like bringing home the new baby from the hospital. Everyone visits to see the new baby. Everyone thinks the baby is cute and wants to hold it. Everyone “oohs” and “awes.” After a few months though, the newness wears off. Now it’s time to get down to raising [...]

You may have a great idea for a new product or service, but a great idea is not enough. You need to know how to develop and market it commercially. You could try to sell your idea or invention to a manufacturer who would market it and pay you royalties. But finding such a company could be an overwhelming task. [...]

Question: How do I know which scanner is right for me? Answer: I understand your dilemma. With something new coming out every six months, it makes it difficult to commit to buying something, which in a few months might do more for less. The prices for scanners, like most hardware in the industry, are dropping faster than they can be [...]

When choosing a location for your business, having a method for evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each potential site is crucial. Below is a basic checklist to help you in this process.

Starting a business is risky at best; but your chances of succeeding will be improved if you understand the problems you’re likely to en- counter, and have them worked out before you start. The first question you need to answer is about yourself: do you have what it takes? The following questions will help you evaluate your qualifications.

The following reminders may help to lower your taxes as well as make the preparation of your next return a less taxing experience: If you have a separate business account, deposit all money from the business into that account. Money can then be transferred, as needed, to your personal account. This helps maintain an accurate record of business income all in [...]

The most pervasive search tool on the Internet is the directory. Under standing the differences be tween search engines and directories is essential to your online marketing strategy. The most obvious way that directories distinguish themselves is through the amount of information that they accept during the submission process. In fact, submission forms are considerably longer for directories, allowing your [...]

Your telephone can be one of your most valuable business tools. Or it can become a time management handicap — incessantly de manding your attention and be coming more of an intrusive interruption than an asset. And it can cost you hours of precious time. Here are some ways to tame your telephone: