August 20, 2009

Business Tools

Thinking for buying a business? Why not start your own? If you think it will be too expensive to "hit the ground running", thing again. Emily Schmitt from BusinessWeek "discusses his favorites for those looking to start a business on the cheap." From preparing business plans to invoicing Emily has you covered!

August 17, 2009

Industrial Development Bonds

BusinessWeek says, "Few entrepreneurs consider bonds when they need major long-term financing. But by using a little-known set-aside in the public finance world called an industrial development bond, or IDB, small companies with strong track records can gain access to as much as $10 million with rates as low as 3%—similar to what large corporations get in the commercial paper market. (Up-front fees range from $70,000 to $200,000, but total costs are still about 20% to 30% less than conventional bank loans.) And while IDBs were designed to be used specifically by small manufacturers, the definition of "manufacturer" may surprise you, as the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act expanded it to include technology companies that manufacture software or other intellectual assets."

Since now is the time to start a business, why not consider IDBs instead of a loan?

August 13, 2009

Customer Service

Customer Service is one of the most important aspects of a businesses, yet it receives the least amount of attention. According to Jay Goltz, owner of a small business in Chicago, we need to S.A.V.E. customer service. Sympathies, Act, Vindicate, and Eat. Follow Jay's advice you are sure to send your customers away happy.

August 5, 2009

The Small Business Web

For years, small businesses competing with big corporations have encountered many problems while trying to penetrate into the target market. The Small Business Web is helping small businesses better compete with Google's of the world. "The Small Business Web is a movement to bring together like-minded, customer-obsessed software companies to integrate our respective products and make life easier for small businesses. While there are many products available for small business owners on the Web, the approach we're taking is to use each others APIs to provide a high-level of integration between these applications and create a more seamless experience for our customers."

Business Week states, "The Small Business Web represents a fundamentally different way of doing business, where potential competitors open themselves to collaboration." Maybe collaboration is the key to your success!