Loading

Grow Smart Business


teaserInfographic
Close

Search Articles

Most liked posts



Recent Articles

Popular Tags

accounting and taxes blogging blogs Branding Business Development business travel Capital Access Compliance Customer Service ecommerce Email marketing entrepreneur entrepreneurship Facebook Generational Marketing GrowSmartBiz Conference Grow Smart Business lead generation LinkedIn Marketing michael dougherty mobile marketing networking online marketing Raising Capital Resources retail sales sales process SBSI Search Marketing seo small business small business accounting small business hiring small business loans small business marketing small business resources small business technology Small Business Trends social media Technology Twitter Web Design Workforce

Categories

Compliance Articles

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

9 Employment Trends You Need to Know About for 2013

January 18th, 2013 ::

By Rieva Lesonsky

What does 2013 hold in store for your employees and your business? According to the 2013 Workforce/Workplace Forecast from The Herman Group, 2013 will look much like 2012, with most employers adopting a “wait-and-see” approach to hiring and U.S. unemployment remaining above 7 percent for the year.

Here are 9 other trends you need to know about:

  1. Recruiting will intensify in many industries. Both big and small companies, especially in the IT sector, will feel pressure to hire due to burned-out, overworked staff. The bad news for small employers is that with big companies (with bigger benefits) hiring too, competition will be fierce.
  2. Trained, experienced workers will be in short supply in many fields. Consider promoting from within and providing your entry-level employees with the training they need to move into higher positions. Also develop relationships with local schools, colleges and universities to give you a pipeline to educated workers.
  3. Communities will become more aware of the lack of skilled employees, and smart local leadership will invest money and effort into developing the local workforce for the careers of tomorrow.
  4. Gamification will be used in training, performance evaluations and as a bonding tool to make work more fun and build relationships. It’s an especially important tool for companies seeking to engage their Millennial employees.
  5. Companies will use social networking to recruit new employees and to train and develop those they have. Don’t forget the internal social networks that even small companies have: If you’re looking to hire, try looking for referrals from your existing team.
  6. Companies will keep trying to do more with less—cutting staff and hiring independent contractors to squeeze still more productivity and profit out of their teams. There’s a right way and wrong way to re-engineer, Herman Group notes. Try to do it without cutting staff.
  7. “Job churn” will grow as too many employers continue to ignore what’s needed to create a happy, engaged work force. “There is a tremendous pent-up energy for job-hopping, which many employees have been putting off for years,” Herman Group warns. Ignore it at your peril.
  8. A second Obama Administration will likely mean greater regulation. You’d be smart to have access to an attorney with HR expertise, just in case. Herman Group believes that the Affordable Care Act may spur small and midsized employers to move from providing health insurance to taking part in “insurance exchanges” and funding their employees’ purchase of coverage there.
  9. Last, but not least, your small business might see more competition in 2013: Herman Group believes more unemployed people will take advantage of the growth in independent contracting by starting their own businesses (or at least becoming freelancers) to supply the services that businesses need.

Image by Flickr user brian Dhawkins (Creative Commons)

 

 

Tags: , ,
Posted in Business Law, Compliance, Small Business, small business, Workforce | No Comments »

6 Legal Tips to Start Your New Year Out Right

January 14th, 2013 ::

By Rieva Lesonsky

Want to make 2013 a year of unprecedented growth for your business? I asked the experts at online legal service RocketLawyer for their best tips.

1      Properly incorporate. The No. 1 legal mistake made by small businesses is the failure to incorporate. When you incorporate your business, you create a legal entity separate from yourself that conducts business, generates income, and assumes tax and legal liabilities. By creating a “corporate veil,” incorporation legally shields your personal assets in the event that your business faces a lawsuit. Online legal services offer free incorporations (you pay only the state fees!) and cost-effective monthly legal plans for small businesses. Plus, you can get legal advice from real attorneys and documents ranging from hiring agreements to contracts.

2      Start the New Year on the “write” foot. According to a recent Rocket Lawyer survey, one in four businesses have had trouble collecting payments from their customers; and of those businesses, 60 percent have written off bad debt. To ensure payment, always create a contract that clarifies what work will be done, for what pay, and the billing procedure before beginning the work. Creating a contract is essential to ensure on-time payment and puts you and your client on the same page.

3      Let it grow, let it grow, let it grow. Expand your presence online by monitoring information on business-focused websites such as Google +, Yelp and Manta.  If your online presence on such sites is not maintained internally, your company may be buzzing in places whether you’ve created a profile or not. Claim your company profile and help it attract more traffic by adding your logo, product and service offerings, social feeds and more.

4      Cultivate peace of mind.  Create a Buy-Sell Agreement, commonly referred to as a “Business Will.”  This document details what happens should one party leave the business, either through active means (alive) or circumstance (death).

5      Protect what’s earned and what’s given. Intellectual property is a legal fortress that protects your valuable assets and defends against your competitors.  Do yourself a favor and know the advantages of, and the differences between, trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights and patents.

  • Trade secrets are the most common form of intellectual property, offer a perpetual monopoly, will not expire like a patent and can be protected through simple non-compete and non-disclosure contracts with your employees.
  • Trademarks protect your logo, brand and business name from unfair use.
  • Copyrights protect other original content.
  • Patents, give you the rights to your invention: a useful and actual process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter.

Since you’ve already done all the hard work, make it count!

6       Always keep good counsel. Good legal advice is a competitive advantage and can be the difference between success and failure, so it’s really important to have an attorney to keep you on the right path. There are a lot of things you can do yourself, but an attorney can help you strategize, plan for growth and answer the questions you didn’t even know to ask. In the event of an unfortunate or unforeseen incident, your attorney will be there to help protect you and your business.  Remember, it’s better to pay a little up front than a lot down the road.

Image by Flickr user Steve Snodgrass (Creative Commons)

Tags: , ,
Posted in Business Law, Compliance, Small Business, small business | No Comments »

Web.com Small Business Toolkit: Lettuce (Order Management Tool)

January 10th, 2013 ::

Lettuce

Keeping track of orders is a necessary evil of small business management that becomes even harder if you don’t have a good system in place. Finding a good order management system for a small business, however, can also prove to be a challenge. The creators of Lettuce also had that issue, so they developed an app to track your order and automate the entire process. Since the app is mobile you can capture orders anywhere and focus less on paperwork and more on the sale. Then use the analytics tools Lettuce provides to gain valuable insight into your business’s bestselling (and worst-selling) products.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Accounting and Taxes, Business Development, Compliance, Resources, Sales Process, sales process, Small Business, small business, Technology | No Comments »

10 Ways to Stay Competitive in 2013

January 9th, 2013 ::

By Rieva Lesonsky

Is your small business doing all it can be to stay competitive in 2013 and beyond? The latest Citibank Small Business Pulse survey spotlighted 10 actions the most successful small business owners take to keep their companies competitive. Are you doing them?

1: Do your research and get educated. Some 88 percent of small businesses surveyed say they regularly work to stay up to date and knowledgeable about their industry and changes in the market.

2: Work hard and do what needs to get done. Successful small business owners are dedicated—so much so that more than half (53 percent) say they didn’t take a vacation last summer.

3: Update or upgrade technology. Nearly 70 percent of respondents say they recently updated or upgraded their computer systems, and 51 percent have made a major change to their business technology.

4: Know your clients. More than two-thirds (67 percent) say they are spending more “face time” with customers to keep their businesses ahead of the pack. Such client relationships also help entrepreneurs stay on top of industry and market trends.

5: Keep a close eye on cash and budgets. Many small businesses say they are keeping cash in reserves and spending cautiously. No wonder: Some 58 percent admit that cash flow issues have been a major challenge in the past few years. However, 73 percent feel they are doing a good job of managing their cash effectively.

6: Be involved. Small business owners are taking part in their business and local communities: 51 percent have built a network of suppliers and partner companies, and 47 percent say they have become more active in the community and local organizations.

7. Be prepared. If another economic downturn occurred, 80 percent of survey respondents say they could handle it. They’ve learned from the recent recession, in which many of them took steps such as running leaner, cutting operating costs and renegotiating contracts.

8: Plan ahead. Some 27 percent of small business owners say they can predict their cash situation four to six months ahead, which enables them to plan for the future.

9: Stick with your aspirations. Despite the challenges of entrepreneurship, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of business owners polled say they are living their dream; three-fourths say they would do it all over again.

10: Market, market, market. More than half (53 percent) of small business owners say they’ve upped social media and online advertising in the last year, while 54 percent improved their websites and search engine presence.

Image by Flickr user Generationbass (Creative Commons)

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Accounting and Taxes, Business Development, Compliance, Entrepreneurs, Marketing, Networking, sales process, Search Marketing, Small Business, small business, Social Media, social media, Technology, Web Design | No Comments »

How to Be a Good Interviewer

January 3rd, 2013 ::

By Karen Axelton

Do your New Year’s plans for your business including hiring new employees? Then you’ll want to make sure you get the perfect person for the job. One of the most important parts of choosing a new employee is conducting a good job interview that gives you all the information you need to make a decision. But many small business owners aren’t sure how to do a thorough interview. Here are some tips to help you.

Be prepared. Before the interview, review the candidate’s resume and job application. Also create a list of questions that you ask all candidates. This not only helps ensure you don’t forget anything important, but also means you’re judging employees from a level playing field by asking everyone the same things.

Focus. Don’t check your email, answer your phone or look at your computer during the interview. Not only is it rude, but you’ll also get distracted. You only have a short time to talk to this person before deciding you want to make them part of your business; shouldn’t you be paying attention?

Ask open-ended questions. Instead of questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no,” ask questions that require an explanation or call on the candidate to elaborate. You’ll get a better sense of the person’s personality that way, as well as fuller descriptions of his or her experience.

Know what you can and can’t ask. To avoid getting in trouble for discriminatory hiring, in general, you should stay away from questions regarding an interviewee’s age, marital or parental status, religion, race, disability or legal immigrant status. (This Nolo.com article provides more information and resources on hiring questions.)

Make it a team effort. If you get nervous during interviews, to the point where you find it hard to focus, consider having a partner or key employee conduct the interview with you. You can take notes and observe the candidate, while your partner can do most of the talking. This tactic has the added benefit of giving you someone else’s perspective on the candidate.

Write it down. Take notes on the candidate’s answers to help you remember what was said, especially if you’re interviewing several people in a row. After each interview, spend 5 minutes or so jotting down the relevant information, including your first impression of the person.

Follow up. Let the candidate know when he or she can expect to hear from you regarding the job—and be sure to follow up when you say you will. There’s nothing worse for a candidate than waiting in limbo to hear about a job offer. What’s more, if you’re not professional about how you handle this, it could affect your business’s reputation on social media.

Image by Flickr user Marco Bellucci (Creative Commons)

 

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Business Law, Compliance, Small Business, small business, Workforce | 2 Comments »

Web.com Small Business Toolkit: Wave (Cloud-Based Business Finance Tools)

December 31st, 2012 ::

Wave

Microbusinesses (those with fewer than 10 employees) have specific accounting needs, and Wave Accounting wants to be the solution. Recently, Wave released a completely new product suite, a new website and new personal finance tools. Wave’s cloud-based products help small businesses with their customer transactions, invoicing, receipts management and personal finance. Plus, new mobile apps will be launched in January for payroll management and receipt scanning–everything the small business owner needs in one convenient online location. The tools are perfect for freelancers, consultants and contractors that need invoice customization, choice of currency and the ability to seamlessly convert estimates and quotes into invoices.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Accounting and Taxes, Compliance, Resources, Small Business, small business | No Comments »

Year-End Tax Planning for Your Small Business

December 18th, 2012 ::

By Karen Axelton

The end of the year is coming, and that doesn’t just mean holiday celebrations—it also means you only have a matter of weeks to take advantage of some last-minute tax strategies that can save you money.

Contribute to your retirement plan. If you haven’t already contributed the maximum this year and you want to lessen your tax bite, make an extra contribution to your plan before December 31. (Don’t have a retirement plan? There are many options available even for solo business owners, so start investigating and set up a plan for the New Year.)

Make charitable contributions. This is another way to reduce your taxes owed. Consider donating outdated equipment, vehicles or other business assets to a school or nonprofit organization that can use them, and your business can get a deduction.

Make major purchases now. For the past few years, small businesses have enjoyed an expanded Section 179 expensing deduction. For 2012 the annual limit is $139,000, meaning you can expense up to $139,000 in furniture and equipment your bought for your business in 2012. Currently, this limit is scheduled to shrink to just $25,000 for 2013, so if you’re considering a major purchase or buying new equipment, now might be the time to take the plunge.

Accelerate expenses and defer income. If your business operates on a cash basis, you can apply this strategy. Pay expenses before the end of the year (charging expenses on credit cards is considered payment) and give your clients a little extra time to pay you so you don’t have the payments in hand and don’t have to declare the income on your taxes.

Take advantage of the health care tax credit. If you have fewer than 25 employees and provide health insurance for them, you may be eligible for a tax credit going back to 2010. Eligibility depends on factors including your employees’ average wages and how much of the insurance premium you contribute. Visit the IRS website for details on the tax credit and how to claim it.

Get organized. You don’t want to be dumping a shoebox full of receipts on your accountant’s desk at tax time. Start now to pull together the records and paperwork you’ll need for your business’s tax return. This way, you can get any missing documents together in plenty of time. Getting better organized will help ensure you don’t miss out on any deductions that are rightfully yours—and that saves you money.

Consult your accountant. The right year-end tax moves for you will vary depending on your business, so check with your accountant now to determine what last-minute strategies you can use to cut your tax bill and maximize your income.

Image by Flickr user Images of Money (Creative Commons)

Tags: , ,
Posted in Accounting and Taxes, Compliance, Small Business, small business | 1 Comment »

Small Business Optimism Takes a Nosedive Post-Election

December 13th, 2012 ::

By Maria Valdez Haubrich

The recent presidential election seems to have put small business owners into a tailspin—at least, it has if the latest Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index is any indication. In November (post-election), the Index dropped to -11, down from 17 in July. Entrepreneurs have not been this pessimistic about their businesses since July 2010.

The Index measures small business owners’ current feelings about their businesses, including financial status, ease of getting capital and credit, sales, cash flow, number of jobs. In the first two quarters of the year, small business owners were becoming increasingly optimistic, and the Index hit a high of 23 in May. (For comparison, before the Great Recession hit in 2008, the Index was almost always above 100.)

In November, small business owners’ future expectations for their financial situation, cash flow, capital spending and hiring during the next 12 months all worsened significantly, Gallup says. Specifically:

  • One in five small business owners (21 percent) believe the number of jobs at their company will decrease over the next 12 months. That’s the highest percentage Gallup has measured since the Index began in 2003.
  • One in three (34%) predict their company’s capital spending will decrease over the next 12 months — the highest percentage since July 2010.
  • Some 30 percent of small business owners expect “poor” cash flow during the next 12 months — the highest Gallup has measured to date.
  • Some 28 percent expect to be in a “poor” financial position 12 months from now — the highest Gallup has measured to date.

While future expectations were primarily responsible for the overall drop in the Index, the small business owners’ assessments of their current operating conditions also declined in November, falling 9 points to -10.

The results suggest small business owners, who were previously fairly neutral about current operating conditions, have become pessimistic not only about the future but the present as well.

“As entrepreneurs, small-business owners tend to be optimistic by nature, and relatively more optimistic about the future than the present,” Gallup’s results note. Will the small business owners’ outlook lead to a weakened economy going forward? If small business owners live up to their plans to cut capital spending and reduce the number of jobs at their companies, it could do so.

How do you feel about the results? Do they jibe with your outlook?

Image by Flickr user M Hildingh (Creative Commons)

Tags: , ,
Posted in Accounting and Taxes, Capital Access, Compliance, Raising Capital, Small Business, small business | No Comments »

Time Is Running Out to Claim This Small Business Tax Credit

December 11th, 2012 ::

By Karen Axelton

It’s hard to believe, but many returning military veterans have a hard time finding civilian employment once they return from active duty or deployment. Your small business can help a veteran and enjoy tax credits at the same time thanks to recently expanded tax credits created by the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011.

There’s one catch–your small business needs to act soon. Under the newly expanded Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), employers can receive thousands of dollars in tax credits, but only if the veteran hired started work on or after November 11, 2011, but before January 1, 2013.

The VOW to Hire Heroes Act added two new categories to the existing qualified veteran targeted group and expanded the WOTC to include certain tax-exempt employers. The credit may be as high as $9,600 per qualified veteran for for-profit employers or up to $6,240 for qualified tax-exempt employers.

In order to be considered a qualified veteran, the individual must:

  • Have served on active duty (not including training) in the U.S. Armed Forces for more than 180 days or have been discharged or released from active duty for a service-connected disability, and
  • Not have a period of active duty (not including training) of more than 90 days that ended during the 60-day period ending on the hiring date.

There are certain other qualifications that may apply, which you can find at the IRS’s FAQ page about the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.

The amount of the tax credit your small business or nonprofit organization is able to claim will depend on several factors, including how long the veteran was unemployed before being hired, the number of hours the veteran works and the salary or wages the veteran receives during the first year in your employment. If you hire a veteran with service-related disabilities, your business may be eligible for the maximum tax credit.

In order to claim the tax credit, employers will need to file Form 8850, Pre-Screening Notice and Certification Request for the Work Opportunity Credit, with their state workforce agency within 28 days after the qualified veteran starts working at the business. To find your state workforce agency, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s WOTC website. Visit the IRS website for additional details about qualification and paperwork required.

Image by Flickr user Sam0hSong (Creative Commons)

 

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Accounting and Taxes, Compliance, Small Business, small business, Workforce | No Comments »

Web.com Small Business Toolkit: Texthog (Expense Tool)

December 7th, 2012 ::

Texthog

If you’re trying to get your year-end expenses in order and seeing another tax season nightmare approaching, make it your New Year’s resolution to get better organized in 2013. Keeping track of personal and business expenses is much easier with an app like Texthog, which can easily store and organize your receipts, expense reports and mileage tracking via text message, Web, email, iPhone and Twitter. Simply take a picture of the receipt on your phone or tablet, quickly tag it for the right expense category and forget about it. It will all be ready for reference whenever you need it. You can even use Texthog as a bill reminder to avoid late payments.

 

Tags: , ,
Posted in Accounting and Taxes, Compliance, Resources, Small Business, small business, Technology | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »