Protect The Financial Health of Your Small Business with These Vital Documents
As an entrepreneur, you have a wide range of responsibilities and tasks to look after on a daily basis, from product or service development and staffing, through to sales, marketing, customer service, and more. One of the most vital areas of any organization that really shouldn’t be overlooked is finance. While it’s important to understand…
Read MoreOne Bad Apple Can Really Stink Up Your Business
Small businesses typically morph into family-like environments. The small team gets to know each other well and often they become social friends as well as co-workers. That’s fine as long as things are going smoothly. But when one employee isn’t performing or doesn’t get along with the rest of the team, the effect can be…
Read MoreYour Customer’s Tennis Ball
My friend, branding authority, and Certified Go-Giver Speaker, Bill Ellis emailed me a great poster that showed a photo of some dogs—apparently at a museum for those of the canine persuasion—staring intently at a painting of a tennis ball. Now, personally, I can’t imagine the fascination held by a tennis ball. Though, obviously the dogs feel differently.…
Read More2016 Tax Law Changes You Need to Know About
After the giant ball drops in Times Square to signify a new year, the IRS is notorious for making some adjustments to the federal tax code. Some years have brought significant change, while other years remain very similar to previous years. For tax year 2016, there are some expected changes, but not much is dramatically…
Read MoreLeadership Development: 5 Special Qualities Shared by Courageous Leaders
There are many different aspects that make up the complex psyche of a true leader who passionately strives for success for both themselves and others. A leader has so many special qualities that it’s inspirational when you work with them. They possess an invisible aura that radiates confidence and challenges everyone around them to achieve…
Read More1099 Filing Date Just Around the Corner
If you operate a business and engage the services of an individual (independent contractor) other than one who meets the definition of an employee and you pay him or her $600 or more for the calendar year, you are required to issue him or her a Form 1099 at the end of the year to…
Read MoreAre You Using Reviews as Part of Your SEO Strategy?
We all know the impact of a bad review, but as local search continues to grow, what about their importance in SEO? Do reviews make a difference to your search ranking? Since Google introduced their Pigeon Algorithm, reviews have become increasingly important in SEO. Take a look at the first page of a local search, those…
Read MoreAre You an Old School Customer Marketer?
“Broadcast the message and they will come!” “Segment my broadcast and I will have better response.” Both of these time-honored methods of reaching our customers have worked for as long as there was print and radio/TV to get the message out. And both have become increasingly obsolete as new channels of reach have evolved, allowing…
Read MoreDear Young Entrepreneurs: They’re Lying to You
All over the web, on Q&A sites, blog posts, and so on, in panels and conferences, and in the occasional book, know-it-all alleged experts are lying to young entrepreneurs about the value of education. They sprout clichés that are unrealistic, impractical, and that when taken to an extreme, are even tragic. Lie: A startup is better than…
Read More7 Indicators of Business Traction You Should Celebrate
Every entrepreneur is quick to tell friends and potential investors about his or her vision of changing the world, about all the customers who have expressed an interest, and about all the other investors who are lining up to get a piece of the action. As an angel investor, I really prefer to hear evidence…
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