Blog
How long can your small business operate in the red?
Even small business owners who think they have a thorough financial plan in place that will help their companies remain solvent can fall victim to unfortunate circumstances.
Become a standout entrepreneur
Small business owners are notorious for being the first through the door in the morning and the last to leave at night.
Keeping your cash flow consistent and your company afloat
Effective cash flow management – the term for adequately facilitating the stream of money coming in and going out of your company – is crucial to keeping your small business afloat.
Organizing your small business’ to-do’s and not-right-now’s
Small business owners are historically busy people.
As Easter approaches, don’t put all your financial eggs in one basket
Easter Sunday typically falls in April, which also happens to be Financial Literacy Month.
How to be a strategic entrepreneur
For small business owners like you, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks associated with running your own company.
Strategies for business cash flow management
As the Business Finance Store recently noted, effective cash flow management is an important part of operations for small businesses across industries.
Preparing for retirement – do you have a financial plan?
According to a recent study by the Society of Actuaries, few retirees have a financial plan despite becoming increasingly concerned about their retirement risk.
In order of priority: Auto loans, credit cards, mortgages
A predominance of consumers regard making car loan payments as more important than paying off credit cards and mortgages, according to a recent TransUnion study.
Deducting Points
You just bought a house and paid one “point” on your home loan. A point, which is the interest lenders charge up front, is 1% of the mortgage loan amount. If you itemize your income-tax deductions, points are deductible. First Time Around Points paid for a...
So, you’re facing a shortfall
You crunched revenue and expenditure numbers, put together a realistic financial plan, and yet, you’re facing a shortfall.
Improving receivables and managing payables
Cash flow management is all about striking a balance between expenditures and revenue, then basing your company’s financial plan off these projections.
How organization can help streamline cash flow management
It’s virtually impossible to facilitate an effective cash flow management effort without a comprehensive financial plan in place.
Tips for better managing your cash flow
Cash flow management involves balancing small business expenditures with revenue collection to ensure your company has the funds it needs to pay bills, cover unexpected expenses and generally stay afloat.
Cultivating the next generation of entrepreneurs
As a community-oriented business owner (COBO), running your own enterprise is about more than just making money – although that’s nice too, of course.
Study identifies successful entrepreneurial practices
A recent report from the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute examined the practices of small business owners (SBOs) who saw revenue increases in 2011.
Unpacking the recent Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity
According to the most recent Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, the rate of small business creation fell last year.
Boosting productivity and achieving momentum
When it comes to getting things done, people tend to get caught up in what they’re doing, rather than taking a step back to look at what they’ve already accomplished and where they plan to go next.
Prioritizing your priorities: Small business 101
For small business owners like you, every aspect of running your company can seem like a priority.
Discussing your financial plan with your spouse
As a community-oriented small business owner, you have to juggle the responsibilities of financial management both at work and at home.
Small Businesses, Big Tax Mistakes
In the face of business pressures, keeping up with IRS rules and regulations can be difficult. But the consequences of noncompliance can put a small enterprise out of business just as easily as poor economic conditions can. While you can’t control the economy,...
How useful can a financial adviser be for your SBO demographic?
According to a recent report, many small business owners (SBOs) are eager to get financial tips from a qualified adviser, although some demographics may benefit more from enlisting an adviser than others.
Today’s Market Action
U.S. stocks opened mildly higher, extending gains into a sixth day on follow-on strength from yesterday’s surprise Fed stress test results which allowed a dividend-increase melee among banks. The actions reiterate the Fed’s view that strains in...
Don’t make these common small business tax filing mistakes
With approximately a month to go, it’s time to get in gear if you haven’t yet filed taxes for your small business.
Correcting small business tax misconceptions
The Internal Revenue Service’s 2012 tax filing deadline is Tuesday, April 17. Tax Day is typically April 15, but it’s a little later this year.
What haven’t you factored into your financial plan?
Even the best-laid plans have the potential to go awry, and the financial plan you have for your company is no exception.
How to forecast revenue
The idea of predicting revenue can be a daunting one. After all, nothing is certain, and even conditions you’re fairly confident about can change unexpectedly.
Putting together sales projections – and what to do when these aren’t met
The financial plan you have in place for your small business should include a segment for projected revenues and sales.
Study: Small business borrowing is looking up
Small business borrowing in the United States rose again in January, according to the Thomson Reuters/PayNet Small Business Lending Index.
Securing funding for expansion as small business employment plateaus
According to the latest iteration of the Intuit Small Business Employment Index, employment at small enterprises with fewer than 20 employees rose by 0.2 percent between January 24 and February 23.
Crowdfunding vs. community bank loans
Despite tentative positive trends suggesting traditional small business financing will be easier to come by this year, many experts predict that 2012 will see the continued rise of alternative sources of funding.
Optimizing how you manage your small business finances
According to recent research sponsored by AdviCoach, a business coaching and advisory service for small and medium-sized companies, managing finances is a key challenge for many entrepreneurs.
Improving your chances of securing a small business loan
If you’re looking to secure commercial loans for your small business, there are several courses of action you can take to improve your chances.
College and Retirement
Two Goals, One Pot of Money There’s no doubt that college costs are high — and getting higher. So, if you expect your child to go to college, it probably makes sense to start saving as early as possible. There’s also no doubt that if you plan to...
All in the family – how much should entrepreneurs share with their spouses?
Community business owners like you dedicate an enormous amount of time to getting companies off the ground, and the commitment doesn’t end there.
The sunny side of owning your own business
During a turbulent economy, the negative side of owning a small business is often the aspect that’s publicized.
U.S. 4Q GDP Expands to 3% Growth
Broad market gains yesterday sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average to close above the 13,000 mark for the first time since May 2008 and the S&P 500 ended the day at its best level in nearly four years. Investors overlooked falling home prices and a 4% drop...
Study reveals worryingly few entrepreneurs have retirement plans
A recent study by The American College revealed that three-quarters of small business owners (SBOs) have no written plan for retirement.
Community banks, credit unions prove to be small business go-tos
Community financial institutions (FIs) and credit unions (CUs) are triumphing over big banks at a time when the country’s small businesses are making tentative steps toward economic recovery.
Engage with your community bank via Twitter
Banks can use Twitter to provide financial tips, encourage community involvement and promote their own financial services.
Are you ready to expand your small business?
As the owner of a local small business, you know the hardships involved with getting a company off the ground.
Putting together a personal financial statement
According to Inc. magazine, entrepreneurs tend to create a personal financial statement for one of two reasons.
Half of small business owners don’t have an appropriate retirement plan, study finds
According to a recent study by Fidelity Investments, more than half (53 percent) of the nearly six million small businesses in the nation don’t have an optimal retirement plan.
Bernanke speaks about the current state of community banking
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke recently said smaller institutions are beginning to pull ahead of big banks, focusing more on financial investment advice as more money for loans becomes available.
Making your small business dream a reality
A Civic Ventures study released in November of last year found that one-quarter of American citizens between the ages of 44 and 70 were interested in starting their own companies.
So, you’re thinking of starting a small business
If you’re considering founding your own company, the first thing to know is that you’re not alone.
Work with a community bank to maximize your small business’ success
Recent government reports revealed that 40 percent of all small business lending is made by financial institutions $1 billion or less in size, according to the Times of Northwest Indiana.
Cash flow management, financial services and you
Cash flow management can seem intimidating for small business owners.
Help from a community bank could catalyze small business success
According to a recent CNBC article by Louis Hernandez, Jr., community-based financial institutions are best equipped to help small enterprises begin to recover from the recession.
Consumers trust financial institutions’ mobile banking offerings, study finds
A recent study by research consultancy Market Strategies International found that although many consumers continue to have concerns about the safety of mobile payment technology, they feel relatively secure about mobile banking options from financial services companies.