If you are going to use the standard mileage deduction, you need to keep track of the business miles driven. There are two ways to prove to the IRS how many miles you have driven your car for business. Under either method it is very advisable to record the odometer reading on the 1st day…
Your library is hiding some surprising business intelligence, or at least, I was surprised. At the Michigan Small Town Conference, I sat in on the session on economic gardening. The librarians presenting the session talked about all the cool databases of information they have access to, that the general public does not. And how useful…
Here’s another illustration of the consultants’ ongoing issue of where to draw the line between free and paid. A company approached me about doing a consulting job in social media. I was one of several they were talking to, they told me. We talked by phone. They told me how they needed help to get…
Every week, I open a Brag Basket, but it’s not really about bragging. It’s about sharing. It’s here so you can introduce yourself or share some good news. Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit….
We’re 15 days from 2010. It’s time to give your small business a jump start. That means planning, record keeping, and goal setting. I have four suggestions for you. 1. Draw up a Simplified Business Plan. I know you don’t want to do a big, five pound business plan, like you would do to apply…
Facebook ads may be one of the most underutilized forms of local advertising. No matter how small your town, I’ll bet you have locals present on Facebook. My home town of Alva, Oklahoma, has hundreds of Facebook users. And when you start thinking about how many people in your target area are online, you’ll realize…
“Business intelligence” means gathering the right information that can help you improve your business, or move up to a new level. If you have internet access today, you can gather a ton of amazing research, if you know the right sources to tap. So we’re starting a series on great sources for business intelligence for…
As more rural people join social networks, small town business people are looking to build in person networks with their fellow social media users. Chris Cornell shared his story in the Brag Basket: I own and operate a small business (custom picture framing) in the Village of Pleasantville, NY. I’ve been attempting to build…
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