A solid business plan is your roadmap to success, guiding your decisions and helping you stay on course.
Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs skip this step when establishing their business, thinking it’s just paperwork; however, a business plan is an essential tool that can make a significant difference in your company’s growth, funding opportunities, and overall success.
Read MoreSaving, finding investors, or taking a loan—how you choose to fund your small business depends on what’s right for you. With a solid financial plan in place, you can allocate your resources wisely, avoid unnecessary debt, and set your business on a sustainable path from the very beginning.
Read MoreMany people try Profit First on their own and hit some major roadblocks. And when it doesn’t work as expected, they’re left scratching their heads, wondering if it’s the system’s fault or theirs.
Here are the top six reasons people fail at the Profit First model on their own—and suggestions for how to dodge these pitfalls like a pro.
Read MoreEmployees are the backbone of any business—they’re the driving force behind a business’ operations and long-term success. They’re trusted individuals who are skilled, creative, and dedicated, enabling a business to forge ahead, innovate, and grow.
As a small business owner, you know that the hiring process—knowing how, when, and who to hire—is a critical part of your business. Building the right workforce, at the right time, can strengthen the productivity and performance of your business, and ultimately help you to achieve your vision and goals.
Just like life, businesses also go through phases that are influenced by various internal and external factors. Understanding these phases can be key to the sustained success and longevity of your business. Whether your business is in a coasting phase, growth phase, or pause phase, each phase serves a purpose in moving your business forward.
By recognizing and managing these phases, and moving intentionally through them, you can make the most of each phase and help to grow and evolve a successful, thriving business.
Read MoreA personal emergency fund can act as a savings buffer and help you face the unexpected without taking a significant financial hit. “Saving for a rainy day” and having emergency savings can give you peace of mind and offer financial security through uncertain times.
Just as unforeseen events can disrupt your personal finances, your business can also face unpredictable challenges that threaten its financial stability. It’s crucial to have an emergency fund for your business to help provide a layer of financial security — expecting the unexpected and being financially prepared can help your business survive any challenges that come your way.
Read MoreIf you find yourself frantically slashing expenses, racking up debt on lines of credit, or worse, dipping into your personal funds just to stay afloat during the off-season, it's time for an intervention. Your finances shouldn't be at the mercy of fleeting trends. You need to take control and implement smarter planning.
Read MoreOne of the most important (but often overlooked) aspects of running your company is addressing the question, “How much should I pay myself?” It’s crucial to pay yourself regularly to maintain financial stability. The whole point of starting a business is typically to create financial freedom and security for yourself and your family. But it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day operations and forget to take care of your own paycheck.
Read MoreJotting down your goals and visualizing their realization is exciting, but it's merely the starting point. Genuine progress happens when we dig deeper and adopt a mindset and lifestyle that aligns with our goals.
This is where establishing financial intentions comes into play. Our intentions propel us forward, even if we temporarily veer off course from an ambitious goal we've set.
Hiring your first employee is like adding a new character to the story of your business. You want to ensure they're a perfect fit, someone who can help you achieve your goals and take your company to the next level. So, let's jump into the exciting world of small business hiring and the employee onboarding process.
Read MoreSmall business scaling is not just about growing your operations, expanding your team, and increasing your offerings, but doing it sustainably and effectively. If you try to grow your business too quickly or too haphazardly, you could find yourself stuck down the road facing burnout, a lack of vision, or even cash flow problems. Learning effective strategies for scaling your small business can help you anticipate common challenges and discover actionable solutions.
Hiring your first employee is like adding a new character to the story of your business. You want to ensure they're a perfect fit, someone who can help you achieve your goals and take your company to the next level. So, let's jump into the exciting world of small business hiring and the employee onboarding process.
Read MoreYou've reached a point where your small business is thriving, and you can no longer be a one-person show. Congratulations! It's time to take that next big step — hiring your first employee. This is a significant leap, and while it might feel a bit overwhelming, we’re here to give you some tips to help make the process more smooth and straightforward.
Hiring your first employee is like adding a new character to the story of your business. You want to ensure they're a perfect fit, someone who can help you achieve your goals and take your company to the next level. So, let's jump into the exciting world of small business hiring and the employee onboarding process.
Read MoreEnsuring that all of your resources are being maximized to their full potential is an essential part of managing your business well. Time management also helps you adapt to the ever-changing business environment, allowing you to keep up with new challenges and embrace new opportunities.
We want to share some of our favorite time management hacks that help keep our business (and personal lives) running smoothly and efficiently.
Read MoreAs a small business owner, you are (by no official definition) a unicorn! Your business origin story is unique, your leadership style is unlike others, and you solve problems and handle challenges in your own way.
So while we don’t want to discredit your uniqueness, we do want to point your attention to a common small business life cycle that most entrepreneurs experience. Knowing these stages can help you prepare for upcoming challenges, face current struggles, and be equipped with knowledge and skills for the future.
Read MoreYour small business is up and running, but do you need a jump start when it comes to digital marketing? In today's technology-driven era, having a killer digital marketing strategy is essential for small businesses looking to carve out their slice of the online pie.
Read MoreAnyone who runs their own business knows how thrilling and empowering it can be. Selling a product or service, working when and where you want, and having unlimited earning potential are just a few of the perks. But with all of this freedom comes a good deal of responsibility.
Read MoreDo you ever wonder why some businesses stay afloat in tough times, and other businesses fold even when things seem to be going well? A company could be revolutionary, have raving fans, and appear to be making a profit….and still not stay in business!
Usually, it’s not because a business is better, more popular, or successful on the surface. More likely, it comes down to effective cash flow management. According to research, 38% of startups fail because they run out of money.
When you receive a refund, it can be tempting to blow that money on anything that strikes your fancy. But what if you were able to use that refund to further your financial goals? In that case, you may want to think about the best ways to use your refund wisely, for your personal goals.
Read MoreYou’ve nailed your business plan and you’re ready to launch your own business. Woohoo! Go you! Or maybe you’re a freelancer and you're beginning to realize you need to get a bit more organized to manage expenses and taxes.
Whatever your path of small business growth, choosing the right legal structure from the start will make it easier for your business to grow and change over time. It will help you to streamline your finances and your taxes, and provide you with a blueprint for handling the changes your business will experience as it expands.
Read MoreBucket lists allow us to turn our ambitions into an action plan. By writing down our wildest dreams, we take them from our imagination and lay them out in plain English. Our dreams become that much more real and, by default, that much more likely to happen. It’s easier to see the actions we need to take to achieve the goals after we’ve written them down.
But what about a financial bucket list?
Read MoreAt some point, you may feel that your hobby is becoming more like a successful side hustle—or part-time business—than something you only do to relax or exercise your creativity. It’s important to properly distinguish between a hobby and a business because the difference can significantly impact your financial future, especially when it comes to filing taxes.
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