Small Business Articles

Article / Updated 07-19-2022

No matter whether you’re just starting your own micro-business or you’ve been working for several years, you want everything to run smoothly and cost effectively. As a micro-entrepreneur, your focus is to meet your target market’s needs while staying ahead of your competition. These free resources can help you. Get a free e-mail account for personal or business usage. E-mail is indispensable for communication, marketing, and other pursuits. You can get free e-mail at Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo. Try Open Office Software Suite. This powerful suite of business productivity tools includes word processing, spreadsheet, presentation software, and other software programs. The software is free and regularly upgraded and refined by open source software developers. Network with LinkedIn. On this site, you can network with other businesses and professionals. You can make lots of valuable contacts, find prospects, and get answers to many of your questions from other professionals and specialists. Market through e-mail. Mailchimp is a free e-mail service to do e-mail distribution and marketing. You can send an e-mail blast for up to 2,000 addresses on your list at no cost, which is perfect for businesses just starting out and needing a good way to manage a list of prospects, customers, or e-zine subscribers. Use YouTube. This popular video platform gives you the ability not only to gain information and news (including lots of free how-to videos on a variety of business topics), but you have the ability to create your own videos (ranging from providing content to doing sales and marketing presentations) at no cost.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 05-12-2022

A well-developed business plan is critical for any start-up business. To develop a thorough business plan, research your customers and competition; avoid mistakes that lead to business failure; and know how to implement a business plan and make it work. Your business plan should include a basic financial statement, all major pieces of a business plan, and information from your business-planning checklist.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 05-03-2022

Owning and running a small business calls for a variety of skills, perhaps foremost among them organizational. If you’re going to incorporate your business, you need to explore the differences between becoming a C corporation and an S corporation. And if you want to attract investors or even apply for a loan, you’d better be familiar with the key elements of a business plan.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-08-2022

Skilled entrepreneurs obtain as much knowledge as possible about the marketplace and what will sell there. This cheat sheet helps entrepreneurs test new ideas to weed out the keepers from the also-rans, poses key questions about the expected interactions among your concept, the marketplace, the industry, and your team, shows you how to create a marketing plan, and more!

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-05-2022

Managing the finances of a small business is a multi-layered task. You need to become familiar with standard financial documents, pay attention to profits, and make the most of the business’s assets. And you always have to be thinking and planning ahead. You have some work to do, get to it!

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-23-2022

All customers are not alike. Knowing how they differ — what their individual and group needs and preferences are — is key to successful marketing efforts nowadays. Marketing strategy involves segmenting your customers into groups and researching and studying those groups to tailor your messages specifically to them. Social media is a great way to do that because the various types of social media already have their own quirks and styles associated with them, and that can be an aid when it comes time to hone specific marketing messages. Another important modern-day piece of the marketing puzzle is content marketing, which adds value by providing real content that consumers can use, but which also promotes your business.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-15-2022

A side hustle is usually a sort of business that you’re running in addition to whatever you do for your full-time job or career. Or, you can pull together two or more side hustles and, taken all together, that’s how you earn a living. If you’re not sure whether a side hustle is right for you, getting clear on the reasons you may want to start one is a good place to start. You may also find it helpful to think about different categories of side hustles, in order to find the one that’s best for you. Finally, if you’re trying to juggle a full-time job with a side hustle, you need to know how to keep all those balls in the air. This Cheat Sheet has you covered on all of these fronts.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-09-2022

Getting a business off the ground may not be easy but it can be great fun, especially if it gets off to a flying start. This cheat sheet serves up key ways to make sure that your business gets the initial boost that it deserves.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-25-2022

If you're looking to channel your passion for crafting and artful creation into a business, consider selling your work on Etsy. Countless crafters have ditched their day jobs to start their own Etsy craft business or have supplemented their existing income by selling their own crafts, vintage items, or crafting supplies. If your dream is to "make a living making things," then Etsy is for you!

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-23-2022

Being smart with marketing ensures the success of your business by attracting more customers, and keeping them coming back. Whether you own a bakery or a finance business, you need no-nonsense marketing strategies to secure a greater share of the market. This Cheat Sheet includes essential marketing tools, tips for marketing on a low budget, and much more.