Small Business

Things to Consider Before Starting Your Own Business

December 3, 2019 by Tim McMahon

Starting a business is a popular dream among those who wish to break from the day to day drudgery their current job. If you’ve reached a point in life where you’re interested in taking a chance on your entrepreneurial dreams, there are many factors to consider. Here are some things to think about before you quit your day job.

Ideas are “a Dime a Dozen”

Only 1-in-60 people who dream of starting their own business actually follow through. Many of the other 59 ideas are good but good ideas aren’t the only key to starting a successful business. More important than a good idea is dedication and “follow-through-ability” i.e. persistence. Starting a business is hard work. Do you have the persistence and dedication necessary to get it done… no matter what? Your “million-dollar idea” isn’t worth anything until it actually makes a million dollars. A good idea with mediocre execution won’t get anywhere… BUT a mediocre idea with great execution will still yield a viable business. Execution is everything.

Start Slow

No matter how profitable your business may eventually be, it pays to start slow. Trying to get big too quickly can result in problems. Start small and use that time to work out processes and systems that are scalable. Although early months or years with little cash flow can make things tough, they are a time for learning when the consequences of mistakes are small as well.

A safe route is to start slowly in your spare time. This way you can learn the ropes, build clientele, and you still have your income to fall back on. Once you are earning as much part-time as you are full-time you can easily tell your old boss good-bye.

Be Honest with Yourself

Many people attempt to start a business without carefully considering their strengths and weaknesses. Their friends encourage them but don’t honestly believe in the idea. They tell you “Yeah, I’d buy that but then when the time comes they have nothing but excuses. Like ideas, opinions are worthless unless they are willing to put their money where their mouth is. Get advice from unbiased parties before committing money to the project. That is why programs like Kickstarter and GoFundMe are so valuable. They show how many people are really willing to buy your product because they have committed real money.

Is There a Market?

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How Businesses Can Support the Career Goals of their Veteran Employees

November 19, 2019 by Guest Contributor

Veterans are disciplined, dedicated, loyal, are fast learners, have integrity and a strong work ethic. So you would think employers would be tripping over themselves to hire them. But often they have difficulty adapting to the differences between corporate and military life. According to Spencer Milo, a former sergeant in the US Army, “If you hire someone from the military, you are never going to be concerned if they are going to show up on time… they are going to give you everything that they’ve got.” But the transition can be difficult as veterans of our Armed Forces adapt to civilian life.

Educate Your Management to Educate Others

But adaptation is not a one-way street. Incoming veterans are absolutely not the only ones who should be prepared to adjust to a new cultural influence. Managers and corporate leaders who are comfortably versed in the military’s uniquely disciplined structure can actively see communication and language gaps ahead and navigate them creatively in search of more comfortable common ground. If your organization is already home to experienced veterans, those members of your workplace family may be the ones best equipped to recognize the ingrained strengths and expertise that will provide the greatest value in your environment. Military experience cultivates significant competencies and skills corporate life simply doesn’t develop as effectively. The right veteran could become some of the most agile decision-makers and collaborators to a company prepared to recognize and talk about how cultural differences can actually strengthen a team’s knowledge, world view and capacity for cooperation.

Help Veterans Find Opportunities

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Why Credit Risk Management Matters in a Post-Recession World

October 2, 2019 by Tim McMahon

The financial crisis of 2008 is considered by many to be the worst since the Great Depression. A number of large firms that had been in existence for decades went under with little warning that they were going to fail. Therefore, it is important for companies to be aware of credit risk (aka. default risk) management possibilities in the aftermath of such a calamity.

It’s Important to Be Proactive

There are never any guarantees that a client will pay his or her bills on time. In fact, there is no guarantee that a client will pay any portion of an outstanding balance. However, using credit risk management tools can help you predict which customers are likely to live up to their obligations and which ones are less likely to. This can help your company minimize its losses and create objective criteria as to what a quality client or customer looks like.

You Can Prepare to Make Claims in Bankruptcy Court

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Taking Your Real Estate Business to the Next Level

August 27, 2019 by Guest Contributor

Owning a real estate business is one of the best ways to make a living in today’s world. It can be interesting, exciting, and lucrative, but you always need to try harder to maximize your potential. Taking your business to the next level might seem easy at first, but it’s just as hard as starting it. However, if you get properly organized and make a real plan, you can do whatever you want. If you too are trying to improve your real estate business as well, here’s what you need to do.

Invest in Marketing

Most real estate professionals generally don’t really like investing in marketing, but you need to spend money to make it. That’s why marketing is vital, and you should always be looking for new strategies. Instead of being complacent and happy with what you’ve already got, you need to start thinking outside the box. There are lots of marketing strategies you can explore, so you too can find something that will work for you. From using online resources to tailoring your web content, these will help you boost your business and start earning more.

Widen Your Scope

Real estate agents are always accentuating the importance of location, but is that really enough? Being the best realtor in your area is amazing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do something more than that. Simply widen your scope and start covering a larger area. Take other properties into consideration and do something new. Don’t be afraid to take chances and risks because some of them will surely pay off in the future. This is the way to make your business grow and develop in the decades to come as well. [Read more…] about Taking Your Real Estate Business to the Next Level

Best Side Hustles of 2019

July 2, 2019 by Tim McMahon

Changing careers is a risky business. But with unemployment rates at the lowest levels since 1969 finding a new job should be easier. However, if you’d like a little bit of insurance against the unexpected you might want to pick up a little “side hustle” cash to tide you through the transition. Or perhaps you are a stay at home mom and would like to pick up some extra cash. Here are some tips so you can make money from home.

Do Surveys

You may be wondering, why would you want to do something so completely boring and low-paying? However, not all surveys pay ridiculously low rates. Some can pay as much as $75. Look up good survey platforms and keep an eye out for surveys that match your experience and interests.

Play or Create Games

Believe it or not, this is a good way to make money. You can work with user Testing, which pays people to test out games and record their thoughts. That is a pretty exciting new way to make some money. You can make money and have fun while still feeling like a hardworking person.

Money Sources to Fund Your New Business Venture

June 21, 2019 by Guest Contributor

You’ve probably been told that you need to spend money to make money. That’s especially true when starting a business. Unless you have cash sitting around in your savings account, you’ll probably need to look for some other sources. Here are some options.

Sell Your Car

Even if your car is not in great condition, you can still get some money for your junk car. Companies exist that will buy cars in any condition. It doesn’t even need to be capable of moving under its own power.

Lean on Family and Friends

It might not feel good to ask your friends and family for money, but you shouldn’t rule it out. Someone might even surprise you by having more money and generosity than you expected.

Boost Your Productivity While Working from Home

June 20, 2019 by Guest Contributor

According to inc.com the average commute time in the U.S. in 50 minutes round trip. The same article said, “In England, the average daily commute time has risen from 48 minutes to 60 minutes in the past 20 years and one in seven commuters spends at least two hours on their daily round-trip commute.” Fifty minutes a day five days a week 50 weeks a year is over 200 hours a year or over 8 2/3^rds DAYS wasted a year. If you multiply that by 20 or 30 years you can easily waste a full 24 hour a day 365 day year of your life just commuting! If you count just waking hours it is more like two years wasted!

Instead of wasting time stuck in traffic breathing exhaust, most people would gladly choose the option of working from home. They can set up their own home office, start being their own bosses, or simply work out an agreement with their employer which allows them to work from home (at least part of the time). These are the people who get the best of both worlds – the comfort of being at home all day long and the paycheck that keeps arriving month after month – but only if they can remain productive and make everything work. Employers appreciate the less crowded facilities as long as productivity is maintained.

If you too are thinking about making this transition, here’s how you can boost your productivity and keep it at the highest level.

Create the Best Home Office to Suit Your Needs

Depending on the type of work you do and how big your home is, your new office could take up an entire spare bedroom, or you might be limited to a tiny corner in the kitchen. Both of these ideas have been used and you could make them work if you put your mind to it. It goes without saying that you’ll need to dedicate a certain part of your home to your work-related duties, so get right on it.

This could sometimes be rather hard, but you can make it work if you remember that size does matter when it comes to home offices. This means you need to give yourself as much space as you possibly can. Unless you do that, your motivation will plummet, and you won’t be able to get any work done whatsoever. [Read more…] about Boost Your Productivity While Working from Home

Starting Your Own Business and Keeping It Successful

May 13, 2019 by Guest Contributor

No matter what you do, where you work, and how much experience you have, you’ve probably thought about starting your own business at one point or another. Even though this idea is scary and challenging, it’s still one of the best moves you could be making, and all it takes is some self-confidence and a lot of hard work. The thing that might frighten young entrepreneurs the most is the fact that the majority of new businesses and startups fail after just a year or two, so starting your own business isn’t enough – you need to keep it successful as well. Therefore, here are a few things you need to take into consideration if you want to be successful in the future too.

Come up with a Lucrative Idea

This is probably the first issue you need to deal with. Yes, coming up with a unique business idea is hard, but if you approach this process carefully and give it some thought, you’ll surely be able to find an idea that might work for you. Often copying a proven idea and adding a new spin or targeting it to a new niche is all that is necessary. Look into new niches, think outside the box, search for other fields of interest, and figure out what the customers are looking for, and you’ll have a whole list of ideas you could put into practice.

Find a Great Name and Visual Identity

If you watch “Shark Tank” you know that business people start new companies every single day, and if you want to be successful, you need to find a way to stand out and be better than your competition. The way to do this is offering great services and products, but also having an amazing business name and visual identity as well. Although picking a business name doesn’t seem like the hardest thing in the world, finding one that’s going to be special and catchy could turn into quite a tiring process, so don’t be afraid to dedicate some time and energy to this decision. Once you do that, you can continue working on your logo, slogans, business cards, and other elements of your visual identity, thus completing your branding process. [Read more…] about Starting Your Own Business and Keeping It Successful

4 Ways to Spot Early Financial Problems in Your Business Practices

April 3, 2019 by Tim McMahon

Most businesses fail because of financial troubles. The key to running a successful company is catching these problems before they get out of hand. Here are four ways to spot early financial problems in your business practices.

Keep Track of Every Dollar in and out of the Company

There are a variety of different forms of financial problems. There are cash flow issues i.e. you aren’t collecting on receivables quickly enough. Another issue is too much debt without enough income to cover both interest and principle. Instead of falling deeper into debt, often a business will make the wise choice to cut their losses. Cash flow management is the best way to spot this potential problem before it is too late. Every business has cash coming in and out every single day. Money comes in as customers make purchases, some of the money goes to pay employees, some goes to cover material costs and utilities etc and some of the money is reinvested into the business. Tracking and managing this flow of cash is critical to keeping a new business afloat. This information can help business owners make more accurate and key decisions in a moment of crises.