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Do not look at the calendar and think, "I don't need to start on my small business tax return yet. I have more than three months to do it."
It's natural for small business owners to focus on customers at the start of the year. Owners are looking for new business opportunities and making sure their relationships with existing customers stay strong.
The presidential primary season is upon us, and the Super Bowl isn't that far off. Small business owners may find productivity dipping as employees talk about the candidates and this weekend's game.
Many brand-new entrepreneurs learn quickly that they have to create a budget for their new companies. It can be a daunting experience for someone who doesn't have an accounting background or never maintained a personal budget.
Some of the stress that small business owners feel around the holidays may come from employee issues.
A holiday party can be a great opportunity for employees and clients of a small business to relax and get to know each other better. It can also land the company in legal trouble.
If there isn't enough money in your budget to hold a big holiday party for your small business, start thinking like an entrepreneur. In other words, get creative, and think of ways to put on a party that you can afford.
The cost of sending letters and packages through the U.S. mail will go up in January, but small businesses can find ways to lessen the pain. They have plenty of options not just for sending mail, but for saving on it.
Two generous tax breaks that small business owners got during the recession are going to shrink dramatically in 2012. That makes yearend tax planning more important than usual.
The recovery in the job market just hasn't happened. So, many people who lost their jobs well after the recession ended in June 2009 have decided not to look for work. They've gone into business for themselves.
Many business owners, especially those who are in the early stages of running a company, need advice. Many also find they need to learn about business subjects like accounting and marketing. But cost is often a problem. Going to a consultant or enrolling in a university may not be an option when your cash flow is tight in a difficult economy.
When the country recovered from recessions in the past, small businesses were usually the first companies to start hiring. But smaller companies are so pessimistic now that they're not taking on their historical leadership position.
Hurricane Irene hit many small businesses as it moved up the East Coast last weekend. Owners typically look to the federal government for help after a disaster.
Many big investors look at the drop in the stock market as a buying opportunity. Small business owners should consider it an opportunity as well. That's because it can be a smart time to start a retirement plan.
The searing heat this summer is giving small business owners a great opportunity to create some goodwill with their employees.
In a slow economy, small business owners know what to do: adapt.
It's time to give your small business a checkup. The midpoint of the year is an ideal time to look at the company and see what's working, and what isn't. And to do some strategic and financial planning not only for the second half, but for next year too.
It's an uncomfortable summertime moment that many small business owners face: A female staffer shows up for work in the shortest of shorts. Or a male staffer arrives wearing a tank top. And they work in full view of customers or clients.
Small businesses that were hit by severe weather this spring can get some tax breaks from the government.
The government is predicting that it won't be as hot this summer as it was last year. But you'll probably still have the air conditioner going full blast at your small business. And you could probably shave some money off your electric bill without much effort.
You've decided to hire your first employee. But where do you go to find the best candidate?
Tornadoes and flooding in the Midwest and South are painful reminders to small businesses about the need for disaster preparation — a task that often gets pushed to the bottom of a company owner's to-do list.
Small business owners across the country are getting back to focusing on their companies now that they've filed their income tax returns. But many of those owners may still have some tax work to do.
If you're only now starting to work on your company's tax return, maybe you shouldn't try to finish it by April 18, the deadline to file returns this year. You might be better off getting a six-month extension of the deadline.
It might be inconceivable to small business owners that a disaster hundreds or thousands of miles away could shut them down. But the earthquake and tsunami in Japan have interrupted shipments of parts and finished goods to companies in the U.S., and sent many of them to call their insurance carriers.
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