Author: mccbloom@gmail.com
Start the Year Off Right: Six Things You Should Do This January
This time of year it’s natural to think about resolutions and how we want to make progress within our business and personal lives. These six things aren’t resolutions, but they’re things we can do right now to start the year off right and prepare your business for a healthy and prosperous year. Review your business…
Your New Year’s Resolution Should Be To Plan Strategically
At the beginning of the new year, business owners are often as eager to make resolutions for their companies as for their personal lives. There’s no better time to turn over a new leaf, to embark on previously neglected projects, or to commit to a change you may have been considering than the start of the New…
Are You a Savvy Borrower?
A love of accounting is probably not the primary reason most entrepreneurs decide to start a business, but I think most of us would agree that at least a basic understanding of good accounting and bookkeeping practices are an important part of running a business. Likewise, mastering the ins and outs of financing is important…
What You Need to Know About Personal Guarantees
If you’ve ever applied for a small business loan, you might have been asked to provide a personal guarantee. A personal guarantee reduces a lender’s risk associated with a small business loan because it gives lenders the right to pursue your personal assets if your business defaults on its business loan. It’s important you understand…
Borrowing Through the Small Business Lifecycle
There’s no question there’s a difference in the financing options available to a startup, a growing company with two or three years under its belt, and an established business that has been around for ten or more years. Considering the small business lifecycle as we talk about small business financing will help point you in…
How to Nail These Four Business Public Speaking Occasions
There’s one thing that consistently tops the lists of people’s fears. It beats spiders, heights or plane crashes—even drowning. It’s public speaking. People would literally rather die than speak publically, according to this 2014 Washington Post poll. But as a business owner, you may be called upon to deliver a speech, with expectations that you’ll…
Building a Team to Defeat the Evil Empire
I was a junior in High School in 1977, when I waited in line for several hours to purchase two tickets to the premier of this new science fiction movie everyone was talking about. “The spaceships actually fly,” one of my friends had said. I wasn’t disappointed. Like most of my friends, I think I…
5 Clues to Help You Know if You May Qualify for an SBA Loan
Fiscal year 2015 was a good year for SBA lenders. While the SBA is not a direct lender, they guaranteed 63,000 loans totaling $23.6 billion—that’s 22 percent more loans and 23 percent more loan dollars than the previous year. The current SBA Administrator, Maria Contreras-Sweet is working hard to help as many small business owners…
Turn off the Lights and Print Less: 25 Ideas for Cutting Your Overhead
The old saying is true: you do have to spend money to make money. But overhead—the cost of running your business—doesn’t have to be through the roof. There are tons of ways to cut down on spending and increase your cash flow. None of these solutions will make or break your bottom line, but little…
5 Financing Tips for Women Business Owners
Women-owned businesses are the fastest growing segment of entrepreneurs in the United States and account for roughly 40 percent of the small businesses in our country. Unfortunately, “In 2014 the [House] Subcommittee on Small Business and Entrepreneurism published a report that said only 4% of the total dollar amount of business loans go to women-owned…
Financing Options for a Startup
With no history, no track record, and no revenue, borrowing capital for a startup can sometimes feel like searching for the Holy Grail. Nevertheless, there are options, but they might not be where you expect—here are three of the most popular: Friends and Family Borrowing from friends or family continues to be a very successful…
What Small Businesses Can Do To Enhance Their Cybersecurity
Doing business in the digital age means that cybersecurity isn’t something you can ignore. Small businesses are just as vulnerable as large businesses to hackers, data loss, and security breaches. Here are three important ways you can protect your business from an all-too-common hack. Educate Your Employees Informed employees are your most powerful weapon in…
How to Use Financing for Your Medical Business
Like any small company, clinics and other medically oriented small businesses will encounter various times when funding is needed, to solve cash flow gaps or invest in equipment. Have you encountered any of the following scenarios in your business? Cash Flow Woes Keeping a positive cash flow is a challenge for most small business owners;…
Win $10,000 and a Meeting with Barbara Corcoran
Three lucky winners will each receive $10,000 and a one-on-one meeting with Shark Tank investor and real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran. Have you ever thought about what your small business would do with an extra $10,000—or a what it would be like to personally ask advice of one of the Sharks? To enter, tell us how you…
Want to Start a Franchise? Here’s What You Should Know.
Franchises are a tempting way to get into business ownership. Is this the right path for you? And if it is, how are you supposed to pick one out of the thousands of options? For those completely unfamiliar with the idea, franchises are businesses that trade their name and operating methods to people in exchange…