Small Business Ideas, Advice and Resources

3 Simple Ways to Finance a Start-Up Business
Looking for money to fund a new business? It's not easy to get a traditional bank loan for a startup, but there are still options out there. Here are three simple places you can look for startup capital.

Ditch Your Sales Pitch to Grow Your Business
How can you build your B2B sales? The answer isn't to work harder on your pitch. It’s to become a trusted adviser. Here’s how to do it.

7 Reasons People Aren’t Engaging With Your Business on Facebook
Not getting much response to your Facebook posts? Here are 7 reasons your Facebook followers might not want to interact with you, and what you can do about it.

How to Make Money on the Web
Can you make money on the web? The answer is "Maybe." Here's the truth about making money on the Internet.

5 Rules for Sales Letter Success
Writing a sales letter? These five proven rules from the professionals and a sample sales letter makeover will help you craft sales letters that generate more sales.

Customer Experience for B2Bs
Customer experience is just as important for business to business (B2B) companies as it is for business to consumer (B2C) companies. Here's why.

How to Make Money as a Writer
Making money writing isn't as easy as it once was, but it's not impossible. Here's a realistic view of what it takes to make a living as a writer.

6 Ways to Start a Business with Bad Credit
It's not easy to find money to start a business if your personal credit history isn't pristine. But it can be done. Here are some ways you may be able to get the money you need to get the business off the ground.

How to Design the Perfect Business Card
Business cards are still a valuable marketing tool for your business. These seven tips can help you design a professional business card that will help customers remember you.

5 Steps to Get the Most from Business Networking Events
Networking events can be a great source of ideas for growing your business. In fact, they can offer you so many new ideas that you can't keep up with them all. Here are five steps to help you make the most of business networking events.
 

Customers Are Lost Most Often Due to Neglect
Good customer service doesn't end when the product is delivered. If you don't want to risk losing your customers to the competition, you have to be proactive about regularly following up and addressing their needs.

How to Get Paid What You're Worth
Are you getting paid what you're worth? Many consultants and freelancers make less than they should because they undervalue their own worth. Here's how to correct the problem.

What You Need to Know about the Affordable Care Act
Whether you are a fan of the Affordable Care Act or not, it has passed into law. Here's what you need to know about how it will affect your small business.

Great Customer Service is Not Grumpy, Grouchy or Gross
It's common wisdom that it costs less to keep existing customers than to find new ones, but how much effort do you really put into making sure your current customers are happy? Here are seven things you can do to build customer loyalty.

What is Due Diligence and How do You Perform it?
What does due diligence mean? It's a term that most people use in relation to buying a business. But that's not the only time it's important. Here's what you need to know about doing due diligence.

39 Cost-Cutting Tips for Your Small Business
Think you've exhausted all the ways you can save money in your business? Don't be sure until you've taken a look at these 39 cost-cutting tips for small business.

How to Stop Employees from Stealing from You
Are you going through office supplies faster than usual? Noticing inventory discrepancies? Here's the best way to stop employees from stealing from your business.

Ten Survival Strategies for Entrepreneurs
Going to work for yourself is a huge step, and a sometimes scary one at that. Here are ten strategies that can help you survive and succeed in starting a business.

Is Your Welcome Email Sending the Right Impression to Subscribers?
The welcome message you send to subscribers after they sign up for your mailing list is the first email they receive from you. Is it making the right first impression?

5 Common Mistakes to Avoid In Choosing a Trademark
You've picked your new trademark or business name and have already paid to have marketing materials made up. But wait - is that name you picked protectable? Here are five common mistakes you should avoid when choosing a trademark.

How to Conduct Market Research the Right Way
Starting a new business? Before you open your doors, you need to know who your customers are, what they want to buy, and what part of town they like to shop in. Use this advice to be sure you conduct good market research in advance.

Win More Sales with Less Effort
Not following up with your prospects and customers is the same as filling up your bathtub without first putting the stopper in the drain! Here's how to create a follow-up system for your business so you get more sales with less effort.

How to Use Click-Through Rates to Create More Successful Emails
Trying to figure out what works and what doesn't in your email marketing campaigns isn't always easy. Learn about how you can analyze your email's click-through rate to determine how well your message is getting through.

6 Business Start-Up Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
When you start a business, especially your first business, there's an inevitable learning curve. You'll make mistakes and some of them might cost you money. Here are six common mistakes new small business owners make and tips for avoiding them. 

Get More Business From Your Website
Just putting up a website doesn't mean anyone will find it or do business with you. And worse, the website could drive business away if it isn't designed well. Here's what you need to know to fix or avoid common website mistakes and help make your website an effective marketing tool.

How to Create a Winning Company Culture
Your company culture has a direct impact on how happy your employees are, and that affects how they handle your customers. Here are four things you can do to create a winning company culture in your small business.

7 Cash Flow Secrets Your Accountant Never Told You
Need a cash flow boost? Here are seven secrets to improving cash flow that your accountant never told you.

12 Steps to a Strong Direct Mail Campaign
Don't make the mistake of thinking direct mail has been replaced by email marketing. Your marketing plan should include a strong direct mail campaign or you could miss your target demographic.

Website profits: Dreams vs. Reality
Is your website doing everything for your business it could? While you probably aren't going to get rich overnight from it, these tips can help you make the most of your website's potential.

Maintain Your Growing Email List with a Little TLC
Growing your list is important, but subscribers who no longer open your emails don't do you any good. Here's how a little regular maintenance can keep your a style="font-size: 10pt;" href="http://www.businessknowhow.com/internet/listmaintenance.htm">email list useful and relevant.

Four Ways to Keep Your Small Business Growing
Like it or not, your business's expenses go up a bit each year. To stay profitable, your business needs to grow so it can absorb those increases. Here are four things you can do to keep your small business growing.

300+ Ideas for Starting a Business 
Do you want to start your own business but don't know what kind of business to start? Here's a mega list of over 300 business ideas plus suggestions for what it takes to succeed.

Eight Steps to Attracting Clients
To keep your doors open, you need to keep a steady flow of customers coming through those doors. Follow these eight steps to attract more new customers to your business.

The Lean In Alternative: Why Leaning Back Also Works for Women in Business
Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In has received both high praise and disapproval from women. Whether you agree with everything she writes or not, the core lesson that women should lean in and become leaders in the workplace is solid advice. But, in their rise to the top, women should also make an effort to lean back to help other women.

Why You Need a Virtual Assistant
Do you find it hard to work on the money making parts of your business - like finding customers and meeting with clients - because you're so busy with the "little things" like sending invoices, answering the phones, and responding to email inquries? Find out how a virtual assistant can help.

10 Money Saving Tax Tips
Are you paying more taxes than you have to? Author and CPA John Vento provides some advice to help you maximize your post-tax return savings.

Small Business Growth with a New Idea
Launching a new product or a new marketing initiative can raise the awareness of your company. Here are steps to take to help ensure the success of the launch.

How to Use the Media to Get Free Advertising
Looking for an inexpensive way to get the word out about your business? The media - bloggers, newspapers, radio, and television - are always looking for unique stories to share with their audiences. Here's how you can get their attention.

Are Your Running a Hobby or a Business?
The answer will determine how much of your expenses are deductible. Here's need-to-know information.
  

Use Email Marketing So Customers Don't Forget About You
You earn your customers' trust through regular contact, and the easiest way to do that is with email marketing. Learn more about why it's so important for small businesses to build, grow and use their customer contact list.

How to Escape the Home Based Worker Stigma
Working from home definitely has its perks, but one of the drawbacks is that people sometimes think you aren't really working that hard and therefore don't take you seriously. Here are a few tips for counteracting the negative assumptions your customers might have about home based businesses.

6 Ways to Get Feedback from Customers
The more information you have from your customers, the better. Here are six ways to get feedback so you know what customers think of your business.

Can Small Businesses Afford to Advertise on Google?
Is advertising on Google and other PPC networks too expensive for your small business? The answer depends on a number of factors. Here are facts to consider before making up your mind about the feasibility of using pay-per-click ads online.

5 Ways to Find the Perfect Business Idea
Not sure what kind of business you should start? Here are five things you should keep in mind while considering different business ideas.

10 Tips for Successful Business Networking
Networking is one of the best ways to market your business, but not everyone is a natural. Use these ten tips to make your business networking more effective.

Small Business 401(k) Plan Options and Basic Rules
Thinking about starting a 401(k) retirement plan for your small business employees and for yourself? There are several types of plans to choose from. Here's an overview of 401(k) options for businesses with employees and for one-person businesses.

How to Pick the Perfect Password
Creating a good password that's hard to hack but easy to remember is no simple task, yet it's vitally important for protecting your personal and financial information. Here are a few ideas for creating secure passwords.

17 Ways to Get More Email Subscribers
The more people who choose to sign up for your email list, the more sales you'll land. Here are 17 strategies you can use to build an opt-in email list.

Top Ten Reasons People Quit Their Jobs
There are many reasons why good employees quit, but most are preventable. Here are the top ten reasons why people leave jobs.

24 Marketing Strategies That Work
What marketing strategies work for small businesses today? What are the best ways to get customers to know about your business contact you or make a purchase? Here are 24 marketing strategies that work for small businesses.

Niche Marketing Secret for Retailers: Cachet Sells 
How can you get customers to return to your business? How can you stand out from competitors in a crowded retail environment? One secret is to focus on a niche and build up a cachet. Here's how.

Ways to Calculate the Value of a Small Business
It's a good idea to have a general idea of your business's worth, even if you don't have immediate plans to sell. Here are three ways you can calculate the value of your small business.

When Every Day is Bring Your Kids to Work Day
Working at home with young children under foot presents a unique set of challenges. Here are three things you can do keep your kids happy and your business running smoothly.

How to Make Your Business Cards Unforgettable
A business card is an entrepreneur’s best friend, his most valuable marketing tool. Unfortunately, too many people have business cards that simply blend into the multitude of cookie cutter cards already out there. Follow these four steps to make your business card unforgettable.

10 Tips to Stop Procrastinating
Procrastination robs you of your productivity and hurts your credibility. Stop putting off the inevitable and get it out of the way with these 10 tips for pushing past procrastination.

3 Simple Strategies to Build Your Business Faster and Easier
New business owners struggle with the same common challenges regardless of the business they're in. Practice these three simple strategies and shave hours and dollars from your start-up curve.

7 Steps for Thinking on Your Feet
To get ahead, you need to be able to speak confidently when you're put on the spot. Here are seven steps to follow so you keep your composure and respond well when you're under pressure.

Understand Your Business's Competitive Advantage
Do you know what sets your business apart from your competition - what one thing that would make customers want to buy from you rather than the other guy? Here's why you need to define your business's competitive advantage.

How to Save Your Business When It's Failing
Is your business struggling? Are you losing customers or money and don't know how to plug the hole? Here are three things to look at when your business is failing.

15 Ways to Overcome Sales Objections
Sales objections are a fact of life when you're in business, and how you handle them can determine whether your business struggles or thrives. Here are 15 tips to help you overcome sales objections more easily.

Can You Turn Your Great Idea into a Successful Business?
Think your brilliant idea will make you a million bucks if you could just turn it into a business? Before you sink your life's savings into launching that business, consider these points.

Home Office Tax Deduction Gets Simplified
The IRS is making it easier for home businesses to take the home office deduction. An optional new method for computing the deduction will save taxpayers time and effort.

Use Social Media for Better Customer Service
If you think social media is just for sales, you'd better think again. Your customer service department needs to be active in social media, too. Here's why.

9 Things Highly Successful Business Owners Do Differently
Many business owners are just barely keeping their heads above water right now. Yet, in the midst of this struggling economy, there are some entrepreneurs who are actually thriving. Find out what it is that they are doing differently to help them succeed.

How Email Marketing Helps Small Businesses Compete
There are many ways to market your small business, but email marketing is perhaps the easiest, least expensive, and most effective marketing strategy available today.

12 Ways to Attract Clients with Your Business Card
What will make your business card stand out from all the others? Here are twelve ways to assure that prospects will read your business card, and be more likely to do business with you.

How to Develop a Strategic Sales Plan
Want to see your small business sales skyrocket? A strategic sales plan is your map to more sales and profits. 

5 Internet Marketing Mistakes That Cripple Profits
If you're not getting results from your online marketing, maybe one of these five common internet marketing mistakes is to blame. 

Top 10 Workplace Distractions (and What to Do About Them)
Telephone calls, emails, interruptions... all of them distract you from your work. But there are more things that interfere with you getting the most important tasks done. Find out what they are and what you can do about them.

7 Tax Deductions for the Self-Employed 
What tax deductions can the self-employed take? Here are 7 important types of tax deductions for home businesses and sole proprietors.

8 Strategies to Manage Workplace Conflict
Conflict in the workplace is inevitable, but it doesn't have to bring down morale or effect productivity. Here are eight things you can do to handle conflict and restore the peace among your small business employees.

6 Tablet Apps for Small Business
If you've got a tablet, there are plenty of apps you can use to make running your business easier whether you're on the go or at your desk. Here are six great apps that will turn your tablet into an indispensible tool for your business.

10 Strategies to Survive a Bad Economy
Has your small business fallen on tough times? Has the still-sluggish economy reduced your sales, leaving your business struggling to make a profit? Here are strategies you can use to put your business back on track to succeed.

Why Should Customers Buy from You?
People make buying decisions on both logical and emotional levels. Uncovering their emotional requirements and selling to those needs will give your customers a clear reason to choose you over the competition.

Google for Entrepreneurs: Useful Tools for Small Business
You're probably already using at least a couple of tools from Google to help run your business, but Google's offerings for small business is greater than you might realize. Google has made it easier than ever to find the resources you need by gathering all of their business tools under the umbrella of Google for Entrepreneurs.

Is Google+ Right for Your Small Business?
Google+ is a relative newcomer to the social media game, but with your Google+ profile's influence on search rankings and Google+'s rapid growth, it's a social media outlet you shouldn't ignore.

Proactive Networking Strategies
Networking works for professionals in all fields, but there's a lot more to it than putting your company's name in an industry directory. Here are 11 tips to help you succeed at networking.

10 Business Card Mistakes
You don’t have to spend a fortune to have a business card that gets your phone ringing. Just avoid these 10 simple business card mistakes and turn those lost calls into valuable leads and referral sources.

How Much do Small Businesses Really Earn?
Do many business owners make more than $250,000 a year? Are there a lot of small business millionaires? While some small business owners do become quite wealthy, the majority don't. Here's what our surveys and the Census Bureau have found.

Four Reasons Why Small Businesses Succeed
What do successful businesses have that troubled businesses don't? The answer is in these four key management techniques.

12 Ideas for Starting a Business
Are you thinking about starting your own business but don't want to be the victim of a get-rich scam? Discover real opportunities right under your nose with these 12 ways to find the right business idea.

7 Strategies That Boost Negotiation Success
Want to improve your negotiation skills and learn how to start from a winning position? Here are seven things you can do to give yourself a head start in any negotiation.

20 Marketing Ideas to Grow Your Small Business
How can you compete with big companies when marketing your business? Here are twenty different marketing ideas to get you started.

9 Tips to Deal with Negative People
Do you have someone in your workplace who seems to be able to find the downside to every situation? Here's how you can deal with negative people in a positive and constructive way.  

How to Choose a Credit Card Processing Company
There are dozens of credit card processing companies that offer merchant accounts to small business owners. How do you know which one to choose?  Here's what you need to know to evaluate and choose the best credit card processing company for your business.

10 Low-Cost Business Ideas
Do you want to start a business but don't have much money to spend? Starting a service business is often the answer. Here are ten inexpensive business ideas that can be launched for $500 or less in startup funds.