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Friday, October 2, 2009

Bad Credit Small Business Loans: Take An Initiative In Business

Author: Robert L

Source: articledashboard.com



While trying to set up a new business for you, a bad credit history may act as an impediment in getting the resources for the same. Small business loans do not require much of capital so the borrower can take up money through bad credit small business loans to set up a new business.Bad credit small business loans are provided to the borrower for fulfilling any needs that the borrower has in relation to his business. These needs can be purchase of raw material, paying the labor, buying machinery, setting up a site for the business, registration of the business, making franchises for the business etc.The borrower can take up the bad credit small business loans in two forms of secured and unsecured loan. For the secured option, the borrower is required to pledge an asset as collateral. The borrower gives a higher loan amount in return at a lower rate. If much money is not required, then the borrower is suggested to take up unsecured bad credit small business loans. No asset of the borrower will be at risk with the lender.Before taking up the bad credit small business loans, the borrower should prepare a proper plan of the business, as to how he is going to proceed with the dealings. This way the lender will be able to judge the viability of the business, and will lower the rate of interest if he is convinced with the plan of the business.Since it is a bad credit loan for setting up a small business, the borrower will be charged a rate which is slightly higher than usual to cover the risk factor involved. To lower this rate, the borrower can research and hunt for suitable deals. Online deals that are available to the borrowers are offered at low rates due to stiff competition in the online financial market.Bad credit small business loans help the borrowers in getting money inspite of their bad credit history. Now they can start something new and make big out of it.








Wednesday, September 30, 2009

What Managing a Small Business Entails

Author: Peter Gitundu

Source: ezinearticles.com



Being in stable employment is quite satisfying if you are assured of an income at the end of every month. Being employed could mean that you have a boss over your head, or you have employed yourself, probably though some business venture. Whichever way, a good performance gives you the guarantee that you will have some money coming in at the end of the month.Managing a small business is no easy task. One can build or break it within no time after its establishment. When you think of putting up an enterprise, no matter how small, the secret is to see to it that you invest in brilliant ideas that will survive the hardest of times. Patience and determination will also be required of you.Remember that Rome was not built in a day. Becoming a CEO in your own venture requires that you dedicate time to attend seminars and forums that will enlighten you some more. This will give you the opportunity to learn a lot about management as well as customer relations. It also gives you a feeling that you are not alone in trying to overcome the challenges that are bound to come by.The type of small business that will benefit you most will largely depend on your choice of category as well as your interest in that area. Small ventures can be classified into convenience stores, hairdressers, restaurants, small-scale manufacturing as well as tradesmen. Some other ventures are located at home and are referred to as micro enterprises and they too are good enough for a beginner.



Peter Gitundu Creates Interesting And Thought Provoking Content on Small Business. For More Information, Read More Of His Articles Here SMALL BUSINESS INVESTING. If You Enjoyed This Article, Make Sure You Read My Recent Post On FINANCING SMALL BUSINESS.




Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Money Matters-Small Business, It's Either Chaos or Control, Which do You Choose?

Author: Jim Hart

Source: download



Success... all you need is one sound idea and a plan for its achievement. Let's take a closer look at planning and how it ties together with organization and control. Having a business plan, even a simple one, is the most critical element of the startup of a small business of any kind. Planning helps you look more closely at the legal, financial, management, marketing and selling issues confronting you. It answers the fundamental questions of what product or service will you offer and how are you going to market and sell it. Developing a plan is an important indicator of your ability to operate a small business. It takes careful thought, discipline, time and energy to think through your business idea.Doing so will help you understand and control each step of each action you take as you assemble your business for operation. A typewritten plan represents your understanding of your business and your market and helps organize and control the project. You have two possible states of attitude and operation: Either control or chaos. Let me give an example; can you make a better quality burger at home than a fast food burger? Of course you can! But, the fast food industry sells billions of burgers and you probably don't sell any right? You can make a better burger but they sell billions of inferior burgerswhy? Because the fast food industry has a "plan" to make hamburgers with "controls" to systematically produce hamburgers of consistent quality and characteristics which are delivered to the public again and again. That is, they have a "highly controlled" production and selling system. The key to any business success is planning, systemization and control. That is the success behind franchisesa proven system of operation.Can you imagine how much harder you will work if your business is started and operated by chaos? Would you buy a franchise that sold chaos? Even the smallest business, a cake-making business for example, needs systems and controls. Which raises another point: Many franchises start off as a small business, which is purposely systematized so the business can be sold as franchises. The angle being that it is better to have 10% of what 100 people can do then 100% of what you can do. This fact alone is worth taking the time to plan your business from the beginning to "systematize" every element of operation when it is starting up or a very small enterprise. Systematize it from the ground up! If you already have a business, think "systems".If you are thinking about starting a small business, contact your Secretary of State and ask for a small business start up kit, they are free and offer guidance to planning and ensuring legal operation with local, state and federal agencies. You can also contact the Small business Administration at SBA Answer Desk 6302 Fairview Road, Suite 300 Charlotte, North Carolina 28210 or by phone 1-800-U-ASK-SBA (1-800-827-5722) Or Online: www.sba.gov. The SBA has a ton of free publications on every area of business planning to help you succeed as well as contact information to Small Business Development Corporations (SBDC's) And Small Business Investment Centers (SBIC's).Copyright 2006 James W. Hart, IV All Rights reservedJames W. Hart, IV, a consumer advocate and CEO of Smart Books Publishing, has been involved in the field of residential and commercial real estate mortgage financing since 1987. Hart, previously licensed to engage in the sale of real estate in the state of Ohio, has been directly involved in the origination of residential and commercial mortgage financing and has worked with residential and commercial mortgage lenders, large commercial mortgage banking firms and life insurance companies for financing. Hart is an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Army, graduate of the University of Toledo and graduate of the Cleveland Institute of electronics. He is a member of the National Panel of Consumer Arbitrators and the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc. During 1992/93 Mr. Hart appeared on a number of radio and TV stations throughout the U.S. including WJR-AM, WWWE-AM, WHUR-FM, WRC-AM, WLW-AM, WTVN-AM, WSPD-AM, KDKA-AM, KBGS-AM and CNBC-TV and many others Smart Books Publishing http://www.smart67.com






Monday, September 28, 2009

Help Desk Software For Small Businesses

Author: Fred Jones -

Source: articledashboard.com



When profits go down, the first area in which a small business may want to save money is its help desk. This type of frugality has its costs, however, in the form of long call backlogs, angry customers, and eventually even lower profits. A better option would be to improve the efficiency of the help desk in order to ensure even better service at a lower cost. One of the best ways to accomplish this task is by purchasing help desk software to streamline operations. There are a variety of help desk software packages on the market. Among the most popular are Support Wizard, Parature, and FootPrints. Help desk software can assist the small business owner in comprehensive, adaptable problem resolution including generating and tracking tickets, responding to requests, and automating communications using outlets such as through calls or email. Help desk software is particularly useful for small businesses in which key personnel often travel, because it can allow access to the help desk over the Internet.In case you think it's too expensive, consider the costs to the customer of a software-less help desk:o Time wasted deciding where to go for help.o Time wasted on hold for customer support personnel. o Time wasted reading through dense product manuals.o Time wasted through poor procedures and practices.Ultimately time wasted for the customer will result in dissatisfied customers and poor business performance. Direct costs to your business may include:o Lower employee productivity when staff is called away to assist.o Duplicated support efforts.Nevertheless, be prudent when considering the purchase of help desk software, because not all packages are appropriate for small businesses. Some packages include hidden charges such as frequent updates, so it would be a good idea to find out what updates are expected and how frequent they occur. Nevertheless, think carefully before going to the other extreme and using free help desk software available on the Internet - these packages usually have serious limitations and are appropriate only for very small operations. Nevertheless, small businesses should choose software with a relatively small number of features. Keep it simple because it's unlikely a small business will need every feature of a complex product, so why pay for it?








Use Effective Communication For Your Small Business

Author: Todd Hicks

Source: ezinearticles.com



Are you someone who is employed for a small business or owns one? Have you already considered starting or becoming employed for a corporation that is not too large? People who work for an organization, especially a small one that involves regular customer contact, must possess strong communication skills to create customer satisfaction and increase their odds for job retention and advancement. Business owners must have strong communication skills to please customers and employees. There has to be an excellent flow of communication among the customers, employees and managers for a business to succeed. By reading this article, you will learn how to communicate effectively to improve your small business.One aspect that involves employing strong business communication skills is effectively interacting with everyone. You must be able to start a conversation with others, especially your customers, at any given time. If you see a customer who appears to need help, do not be shy and stay out of the way. Just think of the customer as your friend and enthusiastically say, "Hi! Is there anything I can help you with?"Demonstrate you are someone who will remain available to help a customer while knowing how to back off. For example, if your customer says he does not need help now or she is just looking around, you can reply, "I understand. I will be nearby if you need assistance." Do not monitor customers too closely.Body language and eye contact are two of the most important components of effective communication. The way you express yourself with your body and eyes tells others the emotions you feel and how serious or unserious you are about something. To earn trust and put the person you are talking with at ease, sit or stand up straight without your arms crossed and frequently gaze into the other person's eyes with warmth. Do not try to get too physically close to a customer, fellow worker, employee or boss. If you are sitting at a table with someone in close quarters, do not lean over the table.Display your ability to lighten up when the occasion is not serious. Smile. Tell a joke. Laugh at a harmless joke.A good way for a small business to practice strong communication is to always provide an adequate supply of available help. Businesses such as retail stores should always keep most of their checkout lanes or counters filled to provide convenience and let customers know they are serious about making their shopping experience very pleasant.It is a must to have strong writing skills to make a good impression on customers and prospects. To convey that you provide quality products and that you are serious about your business, double-check your web site and every publication you create for accuracy and professionalism.Respond with timeliness. Always reply to every inquiry and complaint from customers quickly.Work at being a quick thinker. You can make a good impression on customers if you can always think of solutions to any problems they might have very quickly.Be a good listener. Listen closely to what the other person has to say.Show your understanding, concern and empathy to customers. If a customer has a particular problem you are not authorized to handle, you can say, "I'm not personally allowed to handle this matter. Please let me talk to the manager for a second to see how we can help you."In addition to having effective customer communication skills, everyone who works for a business must effectively communicate internally. The workers and bosses must get along with one another. All problems and concerns must be communicated and addressed civilly. Everyone must be on the same page for important matters.Follow these steps to use effective communication for your small business!



Todd Hicks owns Skill Development Institute, an enterprise that provides a keyboard typing lesson and academic study guide. To become a great typist or student, visit Skill Development Institute. http://sdinst.blogspot.com




Sunday, September 27, 2009

Small Business - Keep Going

Author: Ove Nordkvist

Source: download



You've a burning desire, you're loaded with motivation, your attitude is to kill for, You've the tools to realize your small business ideas. Marvelous. Now you only need one more thing. You'll need to set your mind in a "never give up" mode.It's a crucial fact, you and your small business, will face serious setbacks and tough to get by obstacles. Doesn't matter if everything starts smoothly or work great right now. Sooner or later you'll experience rough days.You must prepare yourself for this and you need to learn how to tackle these situations with enthusiasm. You'll have to learn how to land at your feet. Get back on the bike right after you've fell off.When the time comes the following thoughts might come in handy.When you feel like you never want to see your business again, give yourself some breathing space. Take scheduled breaks, do something completely different.When you're all steamed up and frustrated, Take a few deep cleansing breath. Tell yourself to relax. Think about a funny story.Get the good habit of daily exercise. There is nothing more stress relieving than a hard body exercise.You must allow yourself to have other activities. Turn your attention to a hobby that takes your mind off the business for a while. When you re approach your task, you'll see it with new eyes.Look in the mirror and say it out loud, you look at a real winner. First class material like that, don't ever give up. Your success is probably just around the next corner. Let your winners mind run free for a while, when you harness it again, it will be reloaded with power.Have a look into the future, you're just one step away from achieving your big goal. Of course you want to take that step. Imagine what a waste it would be to quit, just before you would be able to reap the rewards.It would be such a shame to have done all the hard work, only to not take the last necessary step. The next action you take might just be the one which make the snowball rolling. Keep going.Get hold of some motivational books and tapes, it's an efficient and cheap way to stay at course.All successful small business owners, have been able to overcome all the humps and bumps along the road towards a successful business. Think about that when you feel like it's time to quit. If they were able to do it, so are you.You can't give up, it's not in your bag of options. Keep educate yourself in your area of business. The more you learn the more you increase your velocity towards your goal.Ove Nordkvist is the owner of the web site http://www.small-biz-ideas.net Take advantage of free business education material, and informative and motivational articles, as well as tools and resources. Click here http://www.small-biz-ideas.net/small-business-ideas-think-positive.html to learn how to think positive, can take your business to the next level.






Saturday, September 26, 2009

Small Business Ideas - Learn How To Take The Right Decisions

Author: ove nordkvist

Source: articledashboard.com



A major reason why people fail with their small business ideas is the lack of ability to take the right decisions.People don't reach their business goals because they don't posses the strength to take their own decisions. They let other people interfere and get influenced by negative opinions. Unfortunately many small business entrepreneurs let their friends and family make important decisions. How about that? Has it happen to you sometimes? Well, it is a fact that it happen to many small business owners all the time, and it's one of the reasons why so many people fail to reach their ultimate business goals.However, of course you should still listen to good and genuine advices from successful people. Especially from those who are in the same business area as you are. Evaluate all information you can get, and then YOU make the decision.To be able to make calculated decisions, is a skill you must have or develop, if you want to create a viable small business of your own.Learn how to make appropriate and well considered decisions, this will lead you onto a successful small business path. And be ware, if people without the right knowledge influence your decision making or if you make poor decisions by yourself, your business will suffer.You can develop your decision making skills by use this step by step technique :- Define the purpose of your decision. What are your desired result?- How are you going to achieve that result?- Make a list of available choices. create ideas for different solutions.- Evaluate your different alternatives. list positive and negative reactions from each solution.- Determine the best solution to get the desired result.- Create a plan, take action.- Look at the outcome, did you achieve your desired result? put it in your experience bank.Studies show that successful people from all over the glob, doesn't matter what area of business. share the ability to reach decisions. They don't allow anybody to interfere or get in the way of their goals.Summary : To get your small business ideas up and running. To be able to create the lifestyle you desire. To become the person you want to be. YOU must be able to make your very own decisions. You're the boss of your own future.