Category: Small Business Information
What’s New with Size Standards
SBA proposes to revise Small Business Size Standards for some industries in NAICS Sector 31‑33, Manufacturing The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has proposed to increase small business size standards for 209 industries in NAICS Sector 31-33, Manufacturing; and, increase the refining capacity component of the Petroleum Refiners (NAICS 324110) size standard to 200,000 barrels per calendar day total capacity, and the requirement that 90 percent of output being delivered be refined by the bidder (footnote 4). As part of its ongoingRead More
You’re Never Too Old to Start a Successful Business
Think you’re too old to start a business? Think again. Mark Zuckerberg may have started Facebook at 19, but he’s in the minority of entrepreneurs. Through the years, there have been plenty of successful people in business and other endeavors who didn’t get started until a bit later. Funders and Founders recently shared an infographic outlining late bloomers who displayed proficiency in a variety of fields showing that great achievements don’t always happen at aRead More
Small Business Development Center Welcomes New Director
The Southern Maryland branch of the Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has welcomed a new regional director – Ellen Flowers-Fields. Flowers-Fields has a history in the county, having moved to Calvert 14 years ago. She spent 10 years heading federal workforce initiatives with the Tri-County, then went to work for the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation as the deputy secretary of workforce development. She brings her background to her work with theRead More
Free small business help available
MARSHFIELD – A counselor from the Small Business Development Center at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will be in Marshfield, by appointment only, Nov. 12. Confidential business counseling is available without charge to current or prospective small business operators on issues ranging from financial management to sources of capital. The SBDC staff member will meet clients at the Marshfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MACCI) from noon to 4 p.m. Appointments must be madeRead More
Start-Up Lendoor Aims to Use Crowdfunding for Small-Business Loans
Crowdfunding — gathering lots of small checks from individuals to finance a company or a project — is a hot area in Silicon Valley at the moment. Now, one fledgling company in New York wants to bring the principles of crowdfunding to a dusty sector of American finance: small-business lending. The company, Lendoor, plans to introduce a way for local businesses to borrow money from their customers and other individuals online. It is the latestRead More
Three Best Ways to Insure Your Small Business
Insuring your small business against a natural disaster, a fire or a catastrophic event is almost an afterthought in the scheme of daily operations, but it shouldn’t be. For starters, if you don’t have enough coverage to replace damaged or destroyed equipment, it might be harder – or impossible – to get your company running again. A quarter of businesses never re-open after a major calamity, according to the Institute for Business & Home Safety.Read More
Document of the Week: Confidentiality Agreement for Your Small Business
What is a Confidentiality Agreement? A Confidentiality Agreement is a legally binding contract where a person or small business agrees not to disclose certain information with other people or businesses. This type of agreement is also known as a non-disclosure agreement or a NDA. When do you need a Confidentiality Agreement? In the course of doing small business, whether developing a product or marketing a service, a company inevitably has to enlist the help ofRead More
There’s No Such thing as “Perfect Work-Life Balance”
“Stop trying to achieve it all.” That bit of wisdom may sound surprising, coming from the head of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). After all, you might expect the head of a prominent women’s business organization to advocate for trying to achieve everything you can possibly achieve. But Darla Beggs, the National President of NAWBO, is NOT saying women should stop pushing for business success or settle for something other than theirRead More
What Issues Are Affecting Small Business Right Now?
Small Business owners have their fair share of issues they need to stay on top of. These days they can add three more to the list. Gas prices are plunging. Fears about the Ebola virus are increasing. And the upcoming elections are raising questions about what the new Congress is likely to do. All of these issues affect small businesses and can have positive or negative ramifications depending on the situation. Here’s a look at each:Read More
How workplace technology can transform the small business
After eight failed startups, 27-year-old Nic Blair turned things around with two successful small businesses with using modern technology — Search Factory and Brus Media. Search Factory started out from his parents’ house, and, in just three years, the company has grown to 27 full-time staff members who operate from two offices in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, with an annual turnover of more than AU$2 million. Two years ago, Blair took the learnings from Search Factory andRead More