Category: Uncategorized

6 Fall Productivity ‘Hacks’ for Small Businesses

With Halloween, and Thanksgiving right around the corner, its an easy time to get distracted. To keep you focused, we found these six different “productivity hacks” to help both you and your employees get more done during the holiday lead-up. 1. Inspire your workers to get a “full night’s rest” each evening – and get…

Dear Mr. President: Small Business Owners Have Something to Say

Small business owners are often referred to as community leaders – and it’s not just because their businesses serve as important pillars in their town or city. As one recent study from the National Small Business Association illustrates, entrepreneurs are an incredibly politically involved group. In fact, the stats seem to suggest that small business…

Are Millennials More Optimistic Business Owners?

Normally, you hear about “millennial” entrepreneurs creating startup tech companies like Facebook and Twitter. However, new data shows there are more “millennial” Main Street business owners than ever before, and younger small business owners may be even more optimistic – and more likely to hire – than their older counterparts. According to the Spark Business…

Why It’s Absolutely Okay to Start Planning for Retirement

With small business owners busier than ever before, planning for retirement can often get placed on the backburner. According to a recent article from the Wall Street Journal, many business owners think the eventual sale of their business can entirely fund their retirement. But, it can be especially difficult to place a future value on…

Confidence among Small Business Owners Continues to Climb

No one would deny that it’s been tough for small business owners in recent years. However, if one recent report is any indication, times are getting easier – or, at least, small business owners are becoming more confident about their ability to weather the storm. The National Federation of Independent Business recently reported that its…

Running a Small Business Is No Vacation, OnDeck Study Finds

Today, OnDeck released the findings of its summer Main Street Pulse Report, a quarterly study of small business trends. The report examined vacation habits of small business owners nationwide, revealing that most are increasingly time-strapped and unable to take vacation. Based on responses from over 200 small business owners, we found out the following: Approximately…

The Only Gadgets Your Small Business Needs

We’ve put together a brand-agnostic selection of tools that can make life easier at any office. Better yet, all the tools listed below can be obtained for a low price (or in some cases, for free.) A USB Hub Think about all the things you have plugged into USB drives across the office: phones, tablets,…

5 Habits of Outrageously Successful Small Business Owners

Successful small businesses succeed on their own terms. The true legends stake out their own place – they don’t follow a well-worn path. However, that doesn’t mean that successful businesses don’t share a number of common traits. 1. Have a well-defined business plan and vision No business succeeds by copying others. And, your business can’t…

What the SBA’s New Guidelines Mean For Your Small Business

The U.S. Small Business Administration has changed the guidelines it uses to determine what a “small business” actually is. The new criteria now now allow an estimated 8,500 additional businesses to be eligible for the “small business” title, which comes along with certain federal assistances. According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, the criteria…

Preparing for Taxes, Year Round

Every year in April, small business owners scramble to pay all the taxes that their business owes. This can sometimes be a stressful process: you’re scrambling in search of documents, digging through drawers in search of receipts, hiring accounting firms and much more to make sure you get every deduction owed to you. What if…

The Friendliest States for Small Businesses

According to a recent study, some U.S. states are far more friendly and accommodating to small business owners than are others. The third annual Small Business Friendliness Survey, conducted by Thumbtack, aimed to determine the states and cities that offer regulatory standards and conditions that best accommodate small business owners. According to the small business…