Category: Small Business Trends
Funding Circle Raises $65 Million for Peer-to-Peer Small Business Loan
Venture capital firms have come to see small business lending as an industry ripe for a shakeup, given the slow pace of lending since the financial crisis and unmet demand for credit, which is estimated at billions of dollars a year. Funding Circle, a British peer-to-peer lender, is the latest to benefit: The company announced on Wednesday a new $65 million dose of capital from Index Ventures and other firms. Funding Circle’s online platform lets individual or institutional investors fund loans thatRead More
Moms Build a Small Business on Better Tissues
In 2007, Julie Pickens and Mindee Doney found a $16 million business hiding in their children’s stuffy noses. The Oregon moms were trying to figure out the best way to get their children’s nostrils clean when they got congested. Their pediatricians advised using saline drops, but getting toddlers to stand still while they administered the treatment was next to impossible, says Ms. Pickens. So, they started putting the drops on regular tissues and wiping theRead More
Small Business Loan: Why the Government’s ‘Record’ Isn’t a Record
Small Business Administration boss Maria Contreras-Sweet was in New York City on Thursday to visit Bayside Milk Farm, a local business that isn’t really a dairy (it’s a food market), and to announce a small business lending record that isn’t really a record (more on that below). The agency guaranteed $19.2 billion under its working-capital loan program in the 12 months ended Sept. 30 (PDF). To celebrate, it fired off a press release today with theRead More
Ten ways small business owners can improve their financial literacy
As a small business owner, a deep understanding of your company’s financial situation drastically improves your chance of long-term success. When you know exactly where you stand in terms of your financials, you can plan for the future and avoid common financial management pitfalls. Unfortunately, the fact remains, entrepreneurs struggle to get a grasp on their finances. In a recent Intuit study, 46 per cent of Canada’s owners rated their knowledge of financial management asRead More
WHO OWNS THAT? Butcher’s son carries on family legacy
1. Let’s start with the basics. Can you briefly describe your business, including when it was founded, what it does, and where you operate? Created to bring gourmet prepared meats to your table in minutes, by Amos is a line of cooked and seasoned, naturally raised meats. Our selection of chicken breasts and steaks provide quick and easy meal solutions using sous-vide cooking. Since our meats are all pre-cooked and pre-seasoned, all you have toRead More
A Marketing Guide for Small Businesses
Marketing is one of the most important parts of any small business, and it’s especially important for new startups. An effective marketing plan — one that helps you identify the marketing activities that have the highest return on investment — can often be the difference between a small business that thrives and one that dwindles. If you are in the process of starting a new small business and are ready to get your feet wet with marketing,Read More
Top 5 Bootstrap Marketing Techniques Every Small Business Owner Should Use
With the economy still lacking, the idea of starting and running a low-budget, bootstrappedbusiness is a very hot topic. The good news is that it doesn’t have to cost you a decade of debt to start your business, if you’re willing to put in a little time and elbow grease. In fact, it’s entirely possible to not only start a business on a bootstrap budget, but to also grow your business with minimal investment. Marketing isRead More
7 Tips for Getting Started with Social Media for Your Business
Small business owners who haven’t gotten started with social media might be overwhelmed, intimidated and confused by sites like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube and Vine when they consider what to do and what not to do when using these sites for business. The good news is that it can be easy to get started using social media sites for your business, and not only can it be fun, but it can also open upRead More
What Is a Focus Group?
A focus group involves having potential purchasers come together to experience something. Each member of the group then shares their opinions, criticisms and other feedback about the experience by answering the same set of questions posed by an interviewer. A focus group can be an effective way for small businesses to conduct market research. For example, a focus group can involve having a set of potential clients walk through one of your email marketing campaigns,Read More
101 Small Business Marketing Activities
One universal small business goal is to sell the business’s products and services. This is usually best accomplished by positioning the business in front of the target audience, and offering something they can’t refuse or find elsewhere. To this end, one of the smartest things a small business owner can do for their business is take the time to develop asmall business marketing plan that will set them apart from the competition. A marketing planRead More