Lean Franchise: How to Grow Your Franchise Business

Evolving your current business into a thriving franchise is a more comprehensive process than most business owners realize. At its core, you are transitioning from selling your current products, such as bagels, to selling and training individuals on the dream of running your current business model. That’s a dramatic shift from your current role. Additionally,…

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The 3 Words That Matter Most to Entrepreneurs

There is a growing and costly language gap between big businesses and startups, and the stakes have never been higher. News flash #1: Startups could really use the help of large businesses. Established companies have the systems, brand awareness, distribution and expertise to turn the seeds of ideas into flourishing gardens of possibility. #JustwhatIneed News flash #2: Established businesses…

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The Stages of Your Business Ownership Journey

When considering business ownership, it is easy to think about the short-term effects it will have on your life. There are a great deal of changes that occur in the first year, but what about ten years down the road? Part of the research and planning process involves realistically imagining your life with the business you…

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Validating the Business Model

When your business reaches a certain size, it’s only natural to explore options for extensive growth and scale. With PLAYLive, we chose the franchising model. The ability to scale without fronting the capital for each unit and the ease of spreading to different regions combined with the other benefits of franchising made it the best…

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How to Grow Your Small Operation into a Full-Blown Business

My partner Jeff and I started our business in 2007, operating essentially as two freelancers under one umbrella company. Jeff was a freelance website developer while I was a freelance writer for media publications and businesses. While the first year was a struggle, we hit a good routine after that—we both had a steady stream of work,…

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4 Times a Short-Term Business Loan is Right for You

Every business owner has run into cash flow challenges, whether you need more money to grow your business or to meet the operational day-to-day expenses that pop up. If your customer income isn’t covering your business’s financial needs for a period of time, a short-term business loan may be one option to consider. Here’s a…

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Strategies for Successful Global Expansion

The ability to penetrate foreign markets can validate a small business. It can provide a sense of accomplishment and achievement, suggesting that the business has “arrived” as a player on the global scene. After all, it takes a company with truly special products or services to pique the interest of overseas customers. Although companies that…

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Advice from Experts: How Outsourcing Encourages Business Growth

Outsourcing in business has seen a significant rise over recent years and with the increasing number of startups worldwide, this is only estimated to rise. Outsourcing, or distributing specific projects to a third party, frees up essential time and resources within your company, which can then be implemented into other key areas. During these stages…

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5 Ways to Ensure Success in a Growing Business

Business success is at the heart of every entrepreneur’s intentions for starting a business. Because failure is not an option, business owners actively seek for ways to improve upon the things they do to keep their business alive. Tweaking things here and there is a strategy of ever-increasing improvements until their business is running like…

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The Lifecycle of Your Business

When considering business ownership, it is easy to think about the short-term effects it will have on your life. There are a great deal of changes that occur in the first year, but what about ten years down the road? Part of the research and planning process involves realistically imagining your life with the business you choose…

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