9 Reasons You Were Denied a Small Business Loan

If you’ve just been denied a small business loan and find yourself asking why, the answer might lie in one of the nine reasons below. We can’t supply a cure-all for fixing your loan application so that it has an approval guarantee, but we can help you identify weaknesses in your application and help prepare…

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5 Ways You Could Be Damaging Your Company’s Credit Score

Almost every small company needs to borrow at one point or another, and ideally sooner than later. And when you do, your credit score will dictate who does business with you and at what interest rate. So it’s in your interest to keep your score as high as possible. Here are a few common pitfalls…

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Avoid These 3 Frustrating Marketing Errors

I collect marketing boo-boos like some people collect stamps or rare coins. Yes, I save marketing emails and other marketing communications from vendors that are either frustrating, demonstrate poor customer experience, or make no sense. I thought I’d share some recent examples, so you can see what to avoid! Example #1 As a Starwood Preferred and…

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7 Reasons Why Investors Won’t Back Your Startup

No, no, no! Toddlers expect to hear that, but when you’re a grown adult with an idea for “the next big thing” and investor after investor tells you no, it’s not only painful, it can ruin your life plans. With my background in investing and knowing many in the field, let me give you a…

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6 Management Mistakes That Will Kill Employee Motivation

I was talking to an elementary school teacher the other day who works for a major school district. While there are many things she likes about her job, her list of complaints was pretty long. It made me wonder how many small business owners are making these same type of management mistakes. She told me…

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5 Small Business Pitfalls and How to Easily Avoid Them

If you are starting a business, you are likely to fail. While the exact percentage of businesses which fail within a few years can be disputed, there is no doubt that more businesses fail than succeed. Fledgling businesses face a thousand pitfalls, but some traps are much more dangerous than others. New business owners have…

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Social Media Mistakes That Can Hold Your Business Back

Social media can be a fun method of interacting with friends, family and old school mates, but once you start using social media platforms to market your business, you need to understand that the smallest mistake can cost you your money and reputation. Whether you do social media in-house or you outsource the job to…

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7 Cultural Myths That Can Destroy Your Moral Compass

New entrepreneurs tend to focus only on getting the product right, and assume that the right culture and ethics will come later simply by hiring good people. In fact, they need an early focus on developing their moral compass, as well as setting the right ethical tone. Building an ethical business is more than just…

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