Many Americans will rely on Social Security benefits in retirement, but the way their benefits are calculated could be set to change. Currently, Social Security uses a cost of living adjustment (COLA) to determine how much retirees and other people in the program get paid from year to year. During most years, the COLA adds [...]
Word-of-mouth and customer referrals are an integral part of most small business marketing strategies, and it’s possible that just a few bad reviews can make or break a business. As an entrepreneur and a yoga practitioner, I’ve discovered that yoga has much to teach us about serving customers well and addressing customer complaints satisfactorily. Like yoga, [...]
If you are in the market for a new car, keep in mind the many costs, including lease or loan payments, insurance, gas, and maintenance, that can quickly eat away at your monthly budget. Make sure you factor these into your financial calculations. Having said that, it is most important to get a good deal [...]
My teenage daughter, like her friends, pretty much lives on her Twitter and Facebook accounts. Me, not quite so much. I’m not a huge fan of sharing little bits of my daily life in short sentences. The way I do use social media, however, allows me to save money. Every few days, I check our [...]
Don’t count on your homeowners insurance policy in the face of an earthquake—neither quakes nor losses resulting from earth movement are covered under standard policies. Supplemental coverage is available, however, and you may want to consider it if you find that you live in an area with potential for quakes. According to the U.S Geological [...]
One of the most basic steps of the payroll process is distinguishing between employees and independent contractors. However, employers are sometimes foggy on what differentiates the two types of workers. Employers should have a solid idea of these concepts because there are significant tax implications. Independent contractors are becoming more and more popular among companies [...]
Small business insurance goes beyond insuring your inventory and office space. All small business owners may, at some point, have a need to protect themselves from lawsuits. These lawsuits don’t just come from employees; they can also come from independent contractors and customers. Discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination—these are just a handful of the claims [...]
Of all the misguided concepts I embraced when I was younger, one of the most ridiculous involved retirement planning. “Why plan for retirement?” I thought. “I’ll be dead by then.” Luckily, as I got older I wised up and realized that I needed to start planning. But I’m sad to say there are still folks [...]
Starting a small business can be intimidating, but plenty of people have done it before—and done it successfully. Whether it’s opening your own coffee shop, starting a consultancy firm, or becoming a wedding planner, there are plenty of opportunities for success. Take real estate investor Theresa Bradley-Banta (pictured right), who has created two businesses, one drastically [...]
As a small business owner, it is often difficult to increase brand awareness on a limited budget—so it pays to get creative. The following four tips can jumpstart your business marketing plan and expand your reach. 1. Team up with other small business owners to double your exposure. Possible ideas include co-hosting customer events, co-branding [...]
