Planning for the worst while hoping for the best is essential for successful retirement planning. In addition to your retirement savings, it’s important to create an emergency fund that you can tap if you face a financial emergency now or in retirement. Retirement tips: How to build an emergency fund Nobody plans on a financial [...]
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 [...]
Normally, tax-filing season goes relatively smoothly for me, with the same clients procrastinating and missing the same items, year after year. But 2013 was quite different: I had some last-minute filers inform me right before the deadline that they had abandoned or sold several properties in 2012. I had less than two weeks to get adequate [...]
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: [...]
Most people are generous by nature. We love to see the look on someone’s face when he or she gets the perfect gift—especially when that someone is a business associate with whom we’re eager to keep a good relationship. Unfortunately, the IRS tax laws limit tax deductions for business gifts to a total of $25 [...]
Your mission is the driving force of your company. It guides how you develop products or services, what materials you use, and the office culture you create. It should also guide the way you market your small business. Here are five tips for incorporating your mission into your small business marketing materials: 1. Evaluate all [...]
When you’re car shopping and comparing price tags, buying a used car might initially seem like the best choice. If you buy used instead of new, you’ll be saving money. In addition, by buying used you might be able to afford a nicer model because even cars that are just a year old are usually [...]
Over the years, I have worked with all kinds of wild and wonderful clients. Some of them have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams, while others have failed miserably. What’s the big difference between the successes and failures? A business plan. Small business advice: Tips for creating a business plan Creating a business plan is well [...]
At one of my jobs long ago, I arranged to have $25 taken out of each monthly paycheck to buy a $50 U.S. savings bond. The money wasn’t missed, and the savings added up to $600 worth of long-term savings for only a $300 annual investment. These days, my clients and readers don’t ask about [...]
