Owning a startup isn’t all it’s cracked up to be—especially at the beginning. In fact, many people have to take a few stabs at it before they get to something that works. John Kobs, CEO and cofounder of Apartment List, the fastest growing apartment-search engine in the U.S., cleaned out his personal bank account to [...]
When you are working for yourself, you may not have a human resources person or retirement specialist working for the company with which you are employed to help guide you through your retirement options. You may have to rely on yourself. As a self-employed individual, you have many of the same tax-deferred options as employees [...]
For anyone with a young business, the elevator pitch is both extremely important and extremely short. It’s the nature of the pitch: detailed and interesting enough to hook the listener on your business, but short enough that it could last the duration of an elevator ride. Your elevator pitch can be a great way to [...]
If you want to grow your small business, it can help to expand your product or service line. Adding new products and services can benefit your customers and draw more revenue to your business. However, you don’t want to rush in with this decision. Make sure that you create a plan for growing your product [...]
As a business owner, you may at some point consider hiring outside professionals to help grow your small business. Whether that’s early on or further down the line, you will better understand the costs and benefits of bringing these professionals on board when you can anticipate who they are and when you might need them. [...]
You might be able to get your small business off the ground quickly with a clear entrepreneurial vision and exceptional work ethic. However, without commitment and loyalty from your staff, you could fall short of achieving your long-term business goals and never reach cruising altitude. Small business advice: Build a solid team “Success is really [...]
As you work to grow your small business, you may at some point feel stuck in a rut and unsure of how to get out. Luckily, whatever the issue—sales have plateaued, for example, or team morale is low—there are business coaches who specialize in helping small business owners propel themselves to the next level. So [...]
If you’ve been pondering the idea of starting a small business for some time now, you’re not alone. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), the number of small businesses in the U.S. has increased 49 percent since 1982, and small businesses have added 8 million new jobs since 1990. As you start and grow [...]
Building up your business network might seem like a daunting task, especially as you manage all of the other responsibilities that come with starting and managing a small business. However, whether you are sending a client a thank-you note, setting up a meeting with someone you met at a party, or signing up for a [...]
“I wish I could clone myself.” As a small business owner, you’ve probably said this before—I know I did at one time. When you’re starting a small business, it’s tempting to think that you know it all and that you simply need to hire more people like you. But smart hiring is exactly the opposite: [...]
