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Small Business Financing 101: Small Business Grants
Too many people tell small business owners that they can't attain grants. But the truth is that there are quite …
Finding Buyers: Who’s Looking for a Business Like Yours?
Every day, groups of people search for businesses to buy. Many do this to achieve their goals of entrepreneurship, expand …
How to Interview Vendors and Suppliers for Your Business
If the success of your business depends on inventory, parts, inputs, or other entities’ products, you'll vendors and suppliers who …
Solution Finder: Restaurant Loyalty Programs
You can wow your guests with a great meal, great setting, and a great experience, but getting them to come …
Solution Finder: Restaurant Shift Scheduling Systems
One of the biggest headaches of running a restaurant is employee scheduling—and reconfiguring shifts as changes occur. Fortunately, app and …
Small Business Financing 101: Term Loans
Loans are one of the most common sources of capital for small business startups. For your venture, you might consider …
How to Hire the People Who Will Make Your Small Business a Success
Will your idea succeed? The answer can depend on the people you bring on board. That's why it's vitally important …
Tips for Forming a Partnership to Start a Business
It can be expensive to start a new business. Partnering with another person can be a great way to cover …
Small Business Financing 101: Asset-Backed Loan
There are many ways to finance a business. One that few business owners consider is an asset-backed loan, an option …
Your Go-to Guide to Raising Capital for a Startup
Real estate, equipment, inventory, technologies, wages, and insurance are some of the many costs you’ll need to cover when starting …
Small Business Financing 101: Angel Investors
Angel investors are individuals or networks of people who want to find and invest in new, small, or growing businesses …
Small Business Basics: Permits and Licenses
Do you need a permit or license to run your small business? You might, depending on your line of work, …
Small Business Basics: Sign Up For a Business Credit Card
Obtaining a small business bank account is important, but you should also get a business credit card to track your …
Why You Might Need a Registered Agent
Most businesses are required to register in the states or territories where they'll conduct “business activities.” These activities might include …
Solution Finder: Online Ordering for Restaurants
A great way to grow your restaurant's sales is to offer online ordering. You can certainly set up your own …
How to Design a Website for Your Restaurant
Your customers will want to know who you are—and what you serve—before they'll be willing to give your restaurant a …
Improve Your Customer Service Processes
Great customer service is one of the best, most important ways to differentiate your business, and fortunately, there are lots …
Write a Business Plan for Your New Restaurant
When you apply for financing for your new restaurant, your lender may ask you to submit a business plan along …
How to Evaluate the Price of a Business
Looking for a business to buy? Once you find one and pour through its documents, financials, and records, you'll need …
Why Seller Financing Can Be a Great Source of Capital for an Acquisition
Seller financing is often a great option for covering the costs of a business that's for sale. Sometimes called a …
Why You Should Spend Time Writing a Great Job Posting
When you post a job, you’re presenting your business to a wide pool of candidates for the very first time. …
Can I Be a Franchise Owner Without Working Onsite?
Most franchises ask owners to work a minimum number of hours onsite each week. Many want their owners to commit …
How to Design Your Website to Amplify Your Brand
Your business’s website is one of the most important tools in your arsenal. Once a tool to list the products …
Solution Finder: Online Point-of-Sale Systems
Virtually every business needs a system to collect payment and track sales. New point-of-sale (POS) systems are robust tools and …
Schedule Smarter: How to Staff Your Business to Save Costs and Minimize Stress
Employee scheduling can be a manager’s nightmare, but it’s a must-do task. Here's why. It can help you take on …
Finance Your New Franchise with an SBA Loan
If you plan to buy into a franchise, you may be wondering about the SBA loan program you can use …
Why You Need an Employee Handbook for Your Small Business
Your small business employee handbook outlines the rules and expectations you, the employer, have for your team members. Your handbook …
How to Use Loans and Lines of Credit to Help Your Business Grow
After covering startup costs, many owners struggle to find the working capital they need to go after new opportunities or …
Brand Differentiation 101: How to Set Your Business Apart
It can be tough for customers to distinguish between your brand and another, especially when the price points, products, and …
Small Business Benefits: Your Guide to Getting Started
One of the best ways for your small business to attract and retain an employee is by offering them benefits. …
Too Much Risk: The Parts of Your Business That Will Scare Off Potential Buyers
Many prospective business buyers are risk-averse. They’re quick to spot the threats, red flags, and uncertainties that could impact a …
Smart Play: Seller Financing
Lots of sellers exiting a business are doing so in a smart way. They're selling their business to qualified buyers, …
Six Must-Haves to Secure Offers from Business Buyers
More investors than ever before are eager to buy reputable, high-performing businesses with proven records of success. But what’s attracting …
Avoid These Mistakes When Selling Your Small Business
Wondering how to get your business ready to sell? It's our go-to move to recommend this free checklist. But before …
Maximize Your Sales Price: The Practices and Negotiation Strategies You Need to Master When Selling Your Business
Virtually every small business seller has the same goal: to sell their business quickly to a competent, capable buyer and …
How to Negotiate to Buy a Business
Once you’ve found a business that meets your criteria and you’ve vetted it with your accountant and attorney, you'll start …
Lease-to-Buy: Could It Work for Your Acquisition?
There are lots of ways to finance a business acquisition. Few prospective business owners consider lease-to-buy, an option that can …
Motivate Your Employees with These Simple Practices
You’ve likely heard the statistics on employee engagement in the workplace. Or, you may have had your own struggles rallying …
Consider Changing Your Business Structure
When you formed your business, you may have pictured what your business could become and chose a business structure that …
Manage Your Business: How to Collect Your Business Receivables
Looking for better strategies to take on your small business debt collection needs and collect overdue business receivables? In this …
When You Can Sell Your Business Without a Broker—and When You Really Shouldn’t
Selling your business alone is no easy feat, but with the right amount of research and an eager commitment to …
Exit Interviews Matter
When one of your employees leaves by choice or force, it’s important to conduct an exit interview to examine why …
Your Go-to Guide to Equip Your Restaurant Kitchen
When you're starting a restaurant, you'll need to set up your kitchen with tools and equipment so your team can …
Buy a Business That Is Not for Sale
If you're an aspiring entrepreneur who wants to buy a business instead of starting one from scratch, you likely know …
How to Find a Manufacturer for Your Products
If you decide to outsource production, you’ll need to find a manufacturer that can meet your timelines, standards for quality, …
Grand Reopening: Create the Hype You Need to Make Your First Day a Success
Closing on your new business is a major achievement. Celebrate it by planning a grand reopening event that reintroduces your …
Lease or Buy a Site: How to Make the Right Call for Your Small Business
Location is a factor you can’t afford to get wrong. As a new owner, it's important to spend time assessing …
Your Go-to Guide to Financing a Franchise
Franchise fees, real estate, equipment, and inventory are some of the many costs you’ll need to cover when starting a …
Your Go-to Guide to Commercial Leases
If you choose to rent a storefront or commercial property for your business, you may need to sign and abide …
Why Seller Financing Can Be a Great Source of Capital
Seller financing is often a great option for buying a business. Let's dive into what it is and why it …
Solution Finder: Fleet Management Systems
It isn’t easy to oversee a fleet of vehicles—or the drivers who operate them. Your carefully planned schedules can change …
Thinking of Hiring an Accountant? Start Here.
Every business has accounting needs. There are financial standards, valuations, and tax concerns to keep up with and work through. …
What You Need to Know About Debt Consolidation Loans for Your Business
Business debts can build up. With high costs of startup, ballooning operating inputs, economic fallouts, and other expenses, it can …
Your Go-to Guide to Creating a Business Strategy
No matter where you are in your ownership journey, you must know how to create a business strategy—and actually put …
Build Your Business Credit Score with These Simple Steps
Lenders, creditors, suppliers, and insurance companies may be looking at your business credit score. Why? Often, it's to check on …
Setting Up Terms and Conditions That Will Protect Your Small Business
Does you need terms and conditions for product use, services, your websites, or other parts of your small business operations? …
How to Review Vendor and Supplier Contracts
Your business may depend on numerous vendors, suppliers, and distributors who have unique policies, procedures, and practices. Before signing agreements …
Safeguard Your Business from Modern Security Threats
Security threats to businesses have evolved. Five years ago, network security was mostly a function to keep hardware assets operating …
Solution Finder: Internet Security
Every day, businesses—big and small—are hit by viruses, hacking attempts, and phishing attempts. The costs to undo the damages they …
Pro Tip: Have Your Business Preapproved for Financing Before Marketing Your Sale
It can be a tedious process to sell your business. One way to speed it up is to get your …
Every Small Business Needs an Attorney. Here's Why.
An startup lawyer can be an invaluable member of your team, especially as you work through the complex parts of …
Why You Should Consider Aligning Your Business with Initiatives
More than ever before, customers are putting their dollars behind business entities that engage in fair, ethical practices, take stands …
Should I Buy a Distressed Business?
You can find distressed businesses in every industry. Some can be great opportunities, especially if they can be bought for …
A Primer on Buy-Sell Agreements and Buy-Sell Insurance
Are you a co-owner or a partner in a small business? If so, you might consider buy-sell agreements or a …
Transfer the Ownership of Your Business to a Trust
As a business owner, you know how important it is to have a plan in place for your business. You …
Strategies Every Business Owner Should Consider to Reduce Estate Taxes
As your business grows, it's likely you'll start thinking to the future—to the sale of your business and to the …
Succession Planning for Small Business Owners
Owners who are the lifeline of their companies often have all the knowledge and connections their businesses need to thrive. …
How to Reduce Your Tax Liability When Selling Your Small Business
Taxes are an important factor in the sale of any small business. Here's why: Proceeds owners receive from the sale …
What You Need to Know to File Your Business’s Patent and Trademark Documents
If you’ve developed a unique product or a design, you should take steps to protect it. Filing for a patent …
Starting the Acquisition Process: The Right Ways to Connect with an Owner
Ready to take on the small business acquisition process? Your research, conversations with key industry players, and searches on business …
Preliminary Due Diligence: How to Evaluate a Business Before Buying It
It can be exciting to find a small business that meets your criteria for acquisition. But do you know how …
Your Go-to Guide to Equip Your New Coffee Shop
Thinking of opening a coffee shop? You'll need to set up your space so your team can create delicious drinks …
Best Practices to Optimize Your Production Line
Want to build smarter products, realize cost savings, or remove complexities? In this article, we share some of the best …
Incorporating Manufacturing Standards in Your Production
Manufacturing standards can help your business produce products in the most efficient, safe, and sustainable ways possible. Designed well, your …
Is a Distressed Business a Good Opportunity?
Distressed businesses exist in every industry. Some can be great opportunities, especially when they're purchased for a low price and …
Term Loans for a Business Acquisition
When it comes to funding a small business acquisition, loans are one of the most common sources of capital. Many …
Points to Keep in Mind When Paying Your Business Broker
Brokers play an important role in the sale of your business, and most are compensated when the work is complete. …
Solution Finder: Inventory Management Systems
Looking for real-time inventory visibility? There are lots of inventory management systems that can help you track what you have …
Your Go-to Guide for Financing an Acquisition
Have you thought about taking out a loan to buy a business? Many owners do. There are lots of loan …
Strategies to Collect the Money Your Business Is Owed Before Closing Your Doors
When you’re closing your business, one of the most important steps you should take is claiming your business’s outstanding accounts …
The Role You Might Play in Post-Sale Training and Support
When you transfer your business to a new owner, one of the terms of your sale may be to provide …
Solution Finder: E-commerce Platforms
If you’re considering selling products or services online, you need an online storefront that lets shoppers find your business, compare …
Assist the Buyer of Your Business Through the Due Diligence Process
Before making an offer for your business, most buyers will ask for a period of due diligence. This block of …
Small Business Financing 101: Venture Capital
When you’re looking into financing options for your small business, you may wonder whether venture capital should be part of …
What Kind of Insurance Do I Need for My Business?
Have you thought about the types of insurance your business will need? If you haven't, take time right now to …
Assess Your Skills, Interests, and Goals Before Searching for a Franchise Opportunity
If you're like many aspiring business owners, you know the benefits of opening and operating a franchise unit. But you …
Franchisor Training: What to Expect
After signing your franchise agreement, you can enroll in franchisor training. This is a program your franchisor may offer to …
Location Can Be the Make or Break Factor for Your Franchise's Success
Most franchisors provide their franchise unit owners with a territory in which they can own and operate a business. For …
How to Attain Financing for Franchise Construction or Renovation
There are many costs to starting a franchise unit. After the franchise fee, one of the most significant costs is …
Considering a Franchise? Here's How to Make a Smart Call.
Thinking of owning a business? Franchises make it easy, but it's risky to go after any opportunity without some careful …
It May Be Time to Update Your Business’s Logo
Over time, some logos grow stale. This is especially true for logos that lean heavily into a design element that’s …
Restaurant Loans and Other Ways to Raise Cash
Real estate, equipment, inventory, technologies, wages, and insurance are some of the many costs you’ll need to cover when starting …
Small Business Basics: Insurance
Have you thought about the types of insurance that are needed to protect your small business? If your business is …
Three Quick Tips Before You Accept an Offer for Your Business
If you’ve received an offer to buy your business, you might be eager to sign off, cash out, and move …
Solution Finder: Office Phone Solutions
For many businesses, phone calls are one of the first points of contact with customers. Few spend time thinking of …
Strategies to Increase Your Conversion Rate
Online presence drives sales for nearly every business, but having a site, a social media page, and Yelp reviews isn’t …
Consider Licensing Your Product or Process
Has your company developed a product or process that’s innovative, patentable, and useful to other businesses? Think about licensing it—especially …
Form Your Exit Team
When you’re closing your business, you’ll need to work through some legal, tax, and procedural concerns that can be overwhelming. …
What You Need to Know to Buy a Second Business
Want to buy another business? Many owners are making this smart move to grow and scale their current business, reach …
Small Business Basics: How to Attain a Mailing Address for Your Home-Based Business
Do you need a separate mailing address for your business? Many small business owners say yes. That's because there are …
