Smart Small Business Risk Management Can Help You Sidestep ‘Big Traps’

As a small business owner, you know that running a small business is, well, risky business. But Bob Gellman, managing director at the business consulting firm CBIZ Inc. who’s been giving business owners advice since the 1980s, says there are ways to minimize risks by taking a “long-term view.” As a small business owner, you have a long list of potential risks to think about. You...

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Protein for Pets Partners With CircleUp to Fund Hypergrowth

Protein for Pets co-founders Marco and Berenice Giannini are changing the way people shop for pet food. Their strategy is simple: Offer high-quality products at a good price, and provide an easier way for consumers to shop by organizing pet food according to protein and product type, instead of by brand. So far, the strategy is working. Protein for Pets opened its first location...

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8(a) Small Business Program May Be a Hassle, but the Payoff? Huge

Sometimes, certain entrepreneurs deserve an edge over the competition. That’s the theory behind a government leg-up program for disadvantaged small-business owners. Those who may have been subject to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias can get help to compete in the marketplace with the SBA’s 8(a) business development program. If accepted in the program, an entrepreneur...

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Google Allows Restaurant Orders Directly From Search Results

Google a restaurant, place a delivery order. It’s that easy now. Google announced Friday that users now will be able to place orders directly from search results when they look up a local restaurant. “When you search for a nearby restaurant on your phone, you’ll see an option to ‘Place an order’ in the search results,” the company wrote in a Google+ post. “Just tap that,...

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Small Business Success Story: Raven + Lily Changes Lives With Able Lending

Kirsten Dickerson knew her company could change lives. Marginalized women around the world — war and slavery refugees, the formerly homeless, the HIV positive — struggle to find stable income and avoid poverty. In 2011, Dickerson launched Raven + Lily, an ethical fashion and lifestyle brand, to produce beautiful goods and give secure jobs to these at-risk women. It worked:...

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Young Small Business Travelers Spend More Than Older Counterparts, Study Finds

In the Hollywood movie “Up in the Air,” actor George Clooney is a jet-setting businessman who sees his fast-paced, itinerant lifestyle threatened by the rise of videoconferencing. Well, no need to worry about any such threat, even if you work for a small business with a less impressive travel budget than the corporation featured in the critically acclaimed 2009 film. For small...

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Small Business Success Story: Art Gallery Startup Revamps Site With Bond Street Loan

Tze Chun found success as a small-business owner after launching an online art gallery that made buying and collecting high-quality, original art easier and affordable for young professionals. But then she ran into a problem: The website for her gallery, called Uprise Art, just wasn’t as sophisticated as the paintings she was selling, and she needed quick access to funds for...

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Xero Executive Talks Cloud Accounting for Entrepreneurs

As a small business owner, you’re an expert in your chosen field.  But if you’re like many other entrepreneurs, you may not have a lot of time and money to master complicated, expensive accounting software.   A better alternative for many small business owners is to sign up for cloud-based accounting, says Dennis Najjar, a CPA and co-founder of AccountingDepartment.com. “Online...

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Limited Time Offer: United MileagePlus® Explorer Card by Chase Offers Signup Bonus of 50K Miles

Travel credit cards are a favorite for so many reasons. They typically have higher-than-average rewards, awesome redemption options and lucrative signup bonuses worth hundreds of dollars. The United MileagePlus® Explorer Card by Chase just upped the ante by offering — for a limited time — an additional 20,000 bonus miles. Instead of earning 30,000 bonus miles...

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Business Owners, Take Note of These Tax Deadlines

Whether your company is a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation, one of the most important things to do as a small-business owner is to meet all your tax deadlines. We’re now past the April 15 due date for individual tax returns, but businesses have many more tax dates they should mark on their calendars, says Johanna Fox Turner, CPA and owner of Milestones Financial...

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Freeze Your Discover Card: No Ice Required

If you’ve had the unpleasant experience of canceling a lost credit card and then finding it between your couch cushions the next day, the Nerds feel for you. And so does Discover: The issuer recently released a new card perk that allows you to freeze your lost credit card temporarily, instead of canceling it. What it means to ‘freeze’ your credit card Some cardholders used...

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3 Tips for Selling Your Small Business the Right Way

As a small-business owner, you may reach the point when you say, “Time to sell.” Maybe your small business isn’t doing too well — or maybe it is, and you want to cash out, or you’ve decided that being an entrepreneur just isn’t for you and it’s best to quit while you’re ahead. If you’re thinking of getting out, though, Chris Wagner has some advice: Watch your step. You can...

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Recent Graduates Are Not Negotiating Salary — Losing Out on Crucial Income

College students and recent graduates are missing out on valuable income early in their careers by not negotiating first job offers, according to a new study by NerdWallet and Looksharp. We surveyed almost 8,000 new grads who entered the job market between 2012 and 2015, as well as 700 employers. All are members of Looksharp, a leading platform that helps students and grads...

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What Costs to Expect When Selling Your Home

Just as with buying a home, selling also comes with its share of dues. You need to prepare your home for prospective buyers as well as pay part of the closing costs, which average around 3% of the home price. Here’s a breakdown of the types of costs you can expect. Home repairs and inspections: Before the sale, you’ll probably want to fix up carpet stains, window cracks...

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Five Free Budgeting Apps for Your Smartphone

Whether you’ve had your eye on a sharp pair of shades at the mall or are in desperate need of a coffee on your way to work, sticking to your budget can be a challenge. That’s why it’s important to  take advantage of all the help you can get. The following free mobile apps, all of which are available for both iOS and Android, can go a long way in preventing unnecessary...

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The Benefits of Being a B Corporation

If one of the goals for your small business is to create better jobs and improve the quality of life in your community, then you may want to join the growing number of companies worldwide that have sought B-corporation status.  Becoming certified as a B corporation is a way to let investors, customers and members of your community know that your company uses best practices...

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How to Get Entry-Level Tech Jobs in San Francisco

San Francisco is one of the hottest cities for new grads who want to work in tech, and for good reason. The number of employees in San Francisco who work in computer and mathematical occupations is more than twice the national average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — plus, they earn an average salary of $103,780 a year. There are plenty of jobs in San Francisco...

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