How To: Be “The Boss”

While many small business start out as one-person operations, it is not uncommon for employers to hire on additional help as they grow.  Whether your employees are part time, full time, family or someone you hired from an add,  being a good boss and knowing how to effectively manage people is a skill that is invaluable if you want to keep your business running successfully. Once you have found these incredible people, it is just as important to put time and effort into being a leader that your team can both respect and trust.  This will go a long way toward keeping these incredible people on your staff because, let’s face it, it’s hard to find good people and everyone is looking. You don’t want to miss out on an incredible staff member because of ineffective management. 1.)    Stop thinking of yourself as the owner and start thinking of yourself as the leader. When you start thinking of yourself in terms of someone that leads others, the choices you make begin to change.  True leaders are able to get the job done with a force of will and a strength of character that makes those on their team believe in them [...]

Read More January 31st, 2013 zero comments Business Management, Business Valuation , , , ,

How to Set Successful Business Resolutions

January is a fresh start.  It’s the beginning of a new year and a time for reflection for many people.   As you are evaluating your personal life (maybe you resolve to spend some extra time with your family, or get in shape), why not evaluate your business.  Building such a New Year’s tradition with your business is a bit more complicated than setting those goals for yourself.  With a company it can be a bit daunting.  The scope and depth of creating change is not easy with so many moving parts.  This does not mean that it is not worthwhile to take on.  Here are some tips to make the process more attainable. Review Where You’ve Been The best place to start when thinking about goals for your new year is by looking at the performance of the last year.  Take inventory of what worked and what didn’t work throughout the year.  What goals did you meet? More importantly, what goals did you miss?  What are the areas you would like to see become more developed?  Topics to make sure that you review are: Staff (Number and workload) Time you personally invest Size of your client base Revenue Your product and/or service offerings [...]

Read More January 24th, 2013 zero comments Blog, Business Management ,

New Year’s Resolutions for Your Small Business – Part II

New Year’s resolutions are known for being those promises we make to ourselves that we usually don’t keep.  In fact, many people tend to forget them before the year is out.  Even more common are those who make the same resolutions year after year because they can’t manage to keep them by the end of the year in which they make them.  When making resolutions for your small business, you are creating a contract with yourself to make sure that you set yourself up in the best possible light for the coming year. Here are some more resolutions (continued from the last blog article: New Year’s Resolutions for Your Small Business – Part I) to help you have a successful new year. Take Inventory. Taking inventory means more than just having a count of your merchandise or product.  It means that you also make a list of all of the accomplishments you have made in the last year.  As a small business owner it is so easy to get bogged down with all of the things that need to be done, particularly if you’re still relatively new to the game.  It’s important to take some time and remember all that you [...]

Read More January 10th, 2013 zero comments Blog, Business Loans, Business Management, Business Valuation, Exit Planning , , , , , ,

New Year’s Resolutions for Your Small Business – Part I

The holidays have ended and so has the winter gift giving.  For many this is a time to wind down from time off with the family, reflect on the past year and get in the rhythm of starting a new year.  2013 is here and with so many new changes on the horizon for small businesses it’s important to make sure that your goals and business resolutions are in line to ensure that you have the most successful New Year possible. Talk to a professional. When dealing with your business, especially your finances, it is never a bad idea to consult a professional.  You will want to see a layout of how much you have already paid in taxes so you have a solid estimate as to what you will be paying in the new year.   A good CPA will also be able to help you create financial plan for next year that may help you save money for next year.  Your conversation shouldn’t just center around short term fixes or ideas, but also on long-term strategies that will help you build your business for the future. Re-evaluate Your Small Business Most small business start out with a staff of one, [...]

Read More January 10th, 2013 zero comments Blog, Business Loans, Business Management, Business Valuation, Exit Planning , , , , ,

How To: Keep the Grinch from Stealing Your Small Business Christmas

If you work in retail or in an industry that offers gift items, the holiday season can be one of your most important seasons.  Now is the time when you can be making enough revenue to get you through the thinner months ahead.  However, the holiday season is also the time when shoplifters come out of the woodwork. Just as the holidays can inspire a generosity of spirit in some, they can also bring out the inner Grinch in others. In order to keep your holidays protected from the HumBugs, here are a few tips on boosting security this holiday season. 1.)    Out of Sight, Out of Mind If a potential shop lifter believes that they aren’t being watched or that they will not be caught, your merchandise will walk out the door right under your nose.  One of the most effective loss prevention methods is to have a visible security presence.  Simply seeing your security measures in place can be enough to deter any would-be shoplifters. 2.)    Cameras Don’t Lie If you carry a lot of merchandise that is prone to theft, it may be worth it to invest the money in a Closed Circuit Television security system.  These cameras [...]

Read More December 18th, 2012 zero comments Blog, Business Management, Business Valuation , , , ,

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