Articles
Actionable Tips to Managing Your Resources Wisely
Managing Your Business Resources Managing resources is a challenge for many small business owners, but if you’re at all like I was, I believed I had a better handle on things that I did in reality. That’s not to say I was a disaster, but rather, hindsight being what it is, I can see lots…
8 Inventory Management Mistakes Your Startup Should Avoid
Inventory management is one of the greatest challenges facing many small businesses. Here are 8 great ways to improve this crucial part of your business.
Delegation: Your Key to Working Smarter
What Can Small Business Owners Do to Work Smarter, Not Harder? Delegate. As a small business advocate, I always try to find interesting topics or issues to write about that appeal to as many business owners as possible. One area I consistently see small business owners struggle with is delegation. Learning to delegate is possibly the…
Why Business Owners Should Take a Break & How to Do It
Give Yourself a Break! It’s Just Good Business. According to this OnDeck study, only 57% of small business owners take a vacation during the year. If there is one thing in this world that I am certain of it is that business owners never truly turn off. You may look like you’re “taking a break” or…
How to Manage a Better Work-Life Balance this Summer
Rev Up Your Work-Life Balance! Get Yourself & Your Business Ready for Summer. For small businesses, the summer months can be the busiest and most profitable. As demand during the peak summer season increases, you probably find yourself struggling to find a good balance between managing your business and making time to enjoy summer nights with…
Managing Your Busy Season
Managing Your Busy Season Well Can Set Up Your Slow Season for Success Summer is the time when people get up, go outside, travel, and walk along main street. So it’s not too surprising that many small businesses see a surge in traffic during the summer months. Many small businesses experience seasonality and it makes sense to…
Tips to Make Better Decisions for Your Business
How can you better calculate your business risk and make smarter decisions? A conversation with Nick Brown, Chief Risk Officer at OnDeck How do you know if you’re making the right decisions for your business? Are you using the right tools and information to come to a decision? How are you evaluating your business risk through a short-term…
How A Breast Cancer Survivor Built her Business to Fill a Gap in the Market
Building a Business: Helping Breast Cancer Survivors One Bra at a Time An interview with OnDeck customer Dana Donofree, owner of Ana Ono Intimates Ana Ono, a lingerie line designed specifically for breast cancer survivors, is the brainchild of Dana Donofree of Philadelphia, PA. “As a breast cancer survivor and a fashion designer, my purpose…
How Hiring From Inside Your Friend Circle Can Help or Hinder Your Business
Want to Hire a Friend or Thinking of Hiring Relatives? Here are the Pros and Cons to consider. If you find yourself apprehensive about hiring a friend or family member, you’re not alone. It’s common to worry about mixing your personal and professional lives because boundaries can easily become muddled. Before you enter into a…
Actionable Tips for Restaurant Social Media Marketing
Is Your Restaurant Social Media Marketing Ready? When done correctly, the power of social media marketing can help take your restaurant business to the next level and expand your customer base. By understanding critical areas of social media marketing, a restaurant can maximize their efforts in increasing its online presence and business revenue. In addition to…
Have an Online Business? Don’t Forget Your Brick and Mortar Customers
3 Ways to Build Your Online Business with Your Local Community Being engaged with others within your local community can fuel your small businesses. As a small business owner, your local community might even be the first rung on your customer base ladder. While it may only represent a part of your actual clientele, especially if your…
3 Ways to Motivate Employees and Earn Their Loyalty
The backbone of any great business is its employees. Employees that are motivated are often more productive, happier, and can be one of your business’s greatest assets, while unmotivated employees can sometimes work against your business. One of the easiest ways to motivate your employees is to create an environment that they want to come…
Small Business Success: Vortic Watch Company
Tips for Making Smart Inventory & Equipment Purchases: An Interview with RT Custer, Co-Founder of Vortic Watch Company Let me introduce you to the owner and co-founder of Vortic Watch Company, RT Custer. Vortic Watch Company is a high-end wristwatch engineering and manufacturing company based in Fort Collins, Colorado. RT and his partner, Tyler Wolfe, started…
How to Hire the Right Employees to Grow Your Small Business
Hiring an employee is exciting. But it’s also one of the biggest risks a small business owner will take as they grow their business. You must put your faith in someone who has no emotional ties to your business. This person will need to take your vision and execute it in areas you no longer have the…
How to Become Your Own Profit Expert
Putting Your Best Foot Forward: Finding (or Rather, Becoming) Your Profit Expert As a business owner, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I knew my business, I knew how to get things done, and I knew how to sell my services, but I wasn’t an accountant and, at the time, didn’t recognize the incredible…