Q: A friend told me that as a woman of Native American descent I might be eligible for a special SBA program that will help me start a small business. He said I could compete for government contracts through this program. Can you tell me what SBA program he's referring to? -- Clara P.A: Your friend is probably referring to the Small Business Administration's (SBA) 8(a) Business Development (BD) Program. The 8(a) Program (named after the section...more
Do not feel pity on yourself if you have numerous debts and limited finance in your hands to repay. If you are a property owner and trying to spot a reliable loan plan which can easily deduct the debts in a single amount then bad debt secured personal loans are always at your reach. Like the traditional loan policies, bad debt secured personal loans follow the features of secured form which implies that borrowers have to pledge their property as...more
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard that "relationships are the most important part of business." In other words, people buy from people they know. If you want to make sales and build loyal buyers, building relationships is the way to go. Well, the relationship theory is WRONG.Maybe, like your sales staff, you don't believe us. Okay. Think for a moment about the number of insurance agents you know. Do you do business with ALL of them? How about attorneys and real estate agents?Of course you don't. And why don't you? After all, they are your friends. You have relationships with them.Maybe you believe that only one friend can service you the best. Perhaps you think you don't have that much business to spread around. Or, like many of our global consulting clients, you don't want your friends knowing your personal business.But if you took a closer look, you'd realize that your buying decisions boil down to the same reason that everyone else's does—you buy from those individuals who's companies fill your needs best…period.Your sales staff probably won't be very happy to hear this news. If you spent your time kissing up, running ragged, and shaking hands,...more
When doing business, do not let your anxieties get the best of you in the business world. It is important to know how to handle your anxieties and stresses. As a result, here is a list of techniques and suggestions on what to do in managing your business related stresses and anxieties.When facing a current or upcoming task that overwhelms you with...more
Bad credit does not discriminate persons and victimize even tenants with any tags like CCJs, defaults, arrears, and so on. To tackle such circumstance one might not have the adequate funds with him and seeking an external finance becomes the only way out. In such instances, bad credit unsecured tenant loans indeed provides a great relief to the...more
Cash back credit cards are great for those who pay off their balances every month and don't require a super-low interest rate. For the reward seeker who wants cold hard cash in exchange for his or her credit card loyalty, cash back credit cards pay you cash back or rebate a percentage of the money that you have spent on your credit card. Cash back credit card offers may all appear the same, however, in reality there are many different types of cash back credit cards so it pays to do a little homework before you choose your cash back credit card. Also, if you own or plan on applying for a cash back credit card know what percentage is earned on purchases, what spending categories are rewarded at higher rates and the method by which rewards are delivered to the customer. Cash back credit cards began about 15 years ago and are very popular. The first cash back credit cards were issued by Discover and were rather simple, offering a flat percentage rate (typically 1% of purchases) rebated back to the customer in the form of a check at the end of the year or a statement credit. Now there are many different types of cash back credit card offers out there. Some are simple others are rather...more
Thinking of starting a home based business can be a scary affair. After the thrill of getting that brilliant idea, it's usually in that first battle with the mind that people lose and give up. Our minds are terribly good at looking at the down side...more
Last week we looked at a few of the things you should consider before leasing that first office or storefront for your business. To recap, you should not only consider the old standard "location, location, location," but also consider things like...more
Not too many people know this, but there are over 900 different Chase credit cards for consumers to choose from! Yes, the number you read is correct. With most of these cards being "affinity" cards, meaning having direct tie-ins with a store, or with...more
Summary: The author asserts that most organizations have a great deal of value locked away and thus unused. Through misguided leadership, they neglect to tap the deep reservoirs of their members' motivation, talents and skills. Here is a...more
I've gotten several questions recently about the legalities of starting a business. So, this week I thought I would address a few of the more common legal issues most new businesses face. But first, let's get the mandatory legal disclaimer out of the...more
Q: I'm curious. What is the dumbest business question you've ever been asked? -- Norris W.A: Shame on you, Norris. There is no such thing as a dumb business question. OK, that's not exactly true. There are dumb business questions and I do get quite a...more