Category: Advice
OnDeck Customer Success Story: Grand Slam Market
After purchasing the Grand Slam Market in Fallon, Nevada, new owner Cheryl McCormick saw the need to expand her business and started looking for financing to purchase a new walk-in cooler. After being turned down for an SBA loan at the local bank, they suggested she contact OnDeck. After completing a simple online application, she…
These 6 Steps Will Help You Hire Salespeople Who Deliver
If you’re looking to hire a salesperson, there are many candidates out there. But if your goal is to impact your company’s bottom line through smart and strategic hires, you’ll need to find and hire only top performers—a much harder task. To create a recruiting process that weeds out average performers and gets you to…
Busy Isn’t Always Productive: 5 Steps to Better Time Use
As a small business owner, you’re undoubtedly busy. But just how productive are you? The two aren’t the same thing, and many small business owners need smart strategies and strong time management skills to keep their days from being eaten up by emergencies, and other people’s priorities. Here are five essential steps that will help…
OnDeck Customer Success Story: J.a.m.b.s. Jewelry
Mark Desrochers, owner of J.a.m.b.s Jewelry, wasn’t really looking for financing when he received a letter from OnDeck but the availability of capital to invest in resources for his store appealed to him so he started looking into an online small business loan. He applied with another lender before OnDeck, but they didn’t give him…
How to Give Performance Reviews – 3 Tips from the Experts
Performance reviews can be dreaded by employees and employers alike. But good feedback can be a vital tool for employee productivity, and happiness. Use these three tips from experts to help you make performance reviews appreciated, not dreaded. 1. Cut out an annual review, and switch to regular performance feedback One of the most frustrating…
An Expert Reveals 3 Productivity Hacks You Aren’t Using Right Now
As a business owner, you do a daily dance between handling the latest customer crisis, managing employees, overseeing finances, and doing the stuff of actual production. You’re left with one giant, unavoidable question: how am I supposed to do it all? According to author and productivity expert Patrick Rhone, you’re not. “I believe the three…
Is Your Business Your Passion? 4 Reasons Why It Matters
Are you a small business owner because you have to be, or because you want to be? It’s an important question to answer. Here’s why. 1. Passion Is Better for Business “Business is best when people providing goods and services feel passion and commitment to what they are producing,” says neuroscience business expert Janet Crawford.…
Three Steps to Hiring the Right People
As we’ve discussed, a strong team of motivated employees can be the secret weapon for your business’ success. Unfortunately, hiring is also one of the more difficult tasks that a small business owner, or any employer, faces. Companies like Google are upending the traditional hiring process, and for good reason—the way we’ve set about hiring…
An OnDeck Salute to Women in Business
Women-owned businesses make up one of the fastest growing segments of the the small business population. Here are just a few of the women we’ve been able to work with at OnDeck. You can also visit our page on women owned businesses.
The #1 Way to Up Productivity for Your Small Business that You’re Probably Not Doing
It’s a proven fact: employees who are engaged at work (meaning that they are motivated, committed, and satisfied) are more productive and better at their jobs. And more productive employees mean a stronger, healthier business. One study found that “companies with high employee engagement had a 19% increase in operating income and a 28% increase…
How to Spend Your Time on What Matters Most for Your Business
A well-planned day will make or break a small business. It may sound like hyperbole, but this statement isn’t far off. One of the biggest challenges facing small business owners is keeping up with the day-to-day tasks, and balancing it all. In order to be successful, you have to know where your time should go,…
How Do You Pay Your Salespeople?
How do you properly compensate a sales team? Your sales employees can make or break your business. But knowing how to manage, and properly incentivize them to do a great job day in and day out can be tricky. Here is a breakdown of what you need to know. The Options Some companies pay their…
The 6 Questions You Absolutely Must Ask Your Accountant this Year
Regular meetings with your accountant can help you keep on top of your financials and taxes. You can ensure you make the most of your meetings, and stay prepared for the year ahead, by asking these six questions. 1. How can I help you do a better job for me? No matter how skilled and…
ObamaCare Changes: What You Need to Know Now
The Affordable Care Act has given business owners plenty of deadlines and changes to track, on top of the daily work of managing their business. Here’s a quick look at the pertinent changes and deadlines you need to know right now. The Employer Mandate for 2015-16 The Employer Mandate, originally scheduled to begin in 2014,…
The Amazing Fate of the ‘Oscars Pizza Guy’
Ask almost any person on the street what they remember about the 2014 Oscars, and chances are they’ll answer, “the pizza.” In one of the more hilarious and touching moments in Oscars history, host Ellen DeGeneres ordered pizza during the broadcast and brought a delighted delivery man into the theater, to deliver slices to Angelina…