Lots of small town business have turned to Facebook for a big part of their online presence. It’s easy to create a page, easy to post photos and updates, and easy to attract locals as fans. The problem is that Facebook is changing the rules so that almost no one sees what you share,…
Small towns are by definition a limited market. If you are depending on just your locals for all of your customers, you are limiting the growth of your business. You may need to reach beyond the geographic limits to find enough customers to be sustainable. So think of ways you can get beyond the borders….
Backing up your accounting data used to mean printing off reams of paper reports stuffed into boxes, and then you had to find a place to keep all that. Today, backing up your accounting data means generating a few PDFs and keeping extra copies electronically. 1. Save PDF versions of year-end accounting reports Accounting systems…
IRS Tax Calendar for Small Businesses and Self-Employed, has been discontinued after 2013. This was the printed wall calendar that used to list the due dates on the pages of each month. However, the IRS said that an IRS Tax Calendar and most of the information previously contained on it can be found at www.irs.gov/taxcalendar. The calendar dates…
A friend who is buying a business is needing a number of spreadsheets, contracts and legal forms. That got me looking for reputable and reasonable places to find sample business forms online today. For US-based businesses, I found these three: 1. BizFilings.com Business Owner’s Toolkit Lots of checklists useful for going into business, a nondisclosure agreement…
Will you make plans and set goals for your business in 2014? Or not? If you are typical of most people, you start the new year by making some resolutions or set some goals that you want to achieve in the next 12 months. And typically those resolutions are forgotten in a very short time….
Joel Bennett Joel Bennett Interview Joel Bennett of Pella, Iowa, helped pioneer a co-working space in his town, called Veel Hoeden (“Many Hats”). It has grown from just 4 offices to 9 offices plus space for more people who just drop in with a laptop. It has supported existing entrepreneurs, and it’s helped create new entrepreneurial ventures….
When I read the introduction to 9 Clouds’ new book, I immediately asked Scott Meyer for permission to reprint it here. Scott obliged, did a bit of customization, and threw in the infographic (because everything needs an infographic). Yes, I am mentioned in the book, but trust me, this is an excellent guide for small…
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