Succeeding in Your Business from Creators Syndicate

"My Customers Love Me So Much, They're Trying To Kill Me" for 06/30/2009

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

"I run a very successful marketing consulting business — frankly too successful. Because I work out of my home and have no significant overhead, I charge less than half of my nearest competitor in this area. Whenever I quote a job, the customer never complains — they just roll over and sign my standard contract. Frankly, despite a difficult economy, I've got more work than I ca ...

Updated: Tue Jun 30, 2009

Paying Sales Taxes When You Buy a Business for 07/07/2009

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

"I recently bought a small business. During a routine sales tax audit, the auditor mentioned that when I bought this business, I should have paid sales tax on the entire amount of the purchase price. This came as a huge shock to me, as the attorney who represented me said nothing about it. I had to pay several thousand dollars in taxes, plus interest because I paid it late. Is this correct ...

Updated: Tue Jul 07, 2009

Should You Post Your Prices on Your Website? for 07/14/2009

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

"I just started a small service business out of my home. Because my overhead is absolutely rock bottom, I can charge significantly less for my services than my competitors. I just set up a website for my business, and I'm thinking of putting a 'price list' on the home page showing the prices I charge for different services. I want people to see just how affordable I am. But a couple of fri ...

Updated: Tue Jul 14, 2009

Doing Business With Your Soon-To-Be-Ex for 07/21/2009

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

"I was laid off from a corporate job earlier this year, and am thinking about buying a franchise. I have very little savings, but my current boyfriend has more than enough money to pay the franchise fee and the other upfront expenses. This is going to be primarily my business — my boyfriend is willing to work in the business, and says he has no problem working as my subordinate. But ...

Updated: Tue Jul 21, 2009

Corporate "Survival Skills" vs. Entrepreneurial "Survival Skills" for 07/28/2009

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

"I was laid off from a corporate job a while back. I'm in outplacement, and the people here are telling me there are no jobs anywhere in corporate America for anyone with my experience. I've thought about doing something entrepreneurial — doing some consulting, maybe, or making some money out of some of my hobbies — but I'm really not sure I've got what it takes to make it. I'm ...

Updated: Tue Jul 28, 2009

When An Artist Faces the "Dying of The Light" for 08/04/2009

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

"My mom was a prominent artist in her day. She created hundreds of original paintings, most of which she still keeps in the home where we grew up. Some were sold through galleries, and a few were given to friends and relatives, but most of them she still has. Sadly, Mom is in a hospice right now, and is not given much longer to live. She and I were working on a book together, featuring rep ...

Updated: Tue Aug 04, 2009

Twelve Things You Need When Starting a Consulting Business for 08/11/2009

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

With unemployment rates at historically high levels in the United States right now, the picture for laid-off corporate executives is looking bleaker and bleaker. Let me say it point blank: If you want a corporate job like the one you just got laid off from, it's probably not there anymore, at least not in this country. If you want to continue working and making a living — especially those ...

Updated: Tue Aug 11, 2009

Twelve Things You Need When Starting a Consulting Business (Part 2 of 2) for 08/18/2009

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Here are six more things you will need before you start a consulting business:

7. The right contract forms. If you are working for individuals or small businesses, chances are they don't have a consulting agreement form. You will need to develop one, along with the following standard forms: a "statement of work" (SOW) or proposal letter (spelling out what services and deliverab ...

Updated: Tue Aug 18, 2009

Six New Year's Resolutions for Business Owners for 08/25/2009

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Yes, you read it right — it's late August or early September right now, there's not a drop of snow on the ground right now, and while some of my local retail outlets are showing Halloween merchandise, there's no Santa Clauses or menorahs in sight. But now is a great time to make some resolutions for your business, regardless of the weather.

My practice is always very busy in late A ...

Updated: Tue Aug 25, 2009

Some Tips for Starting a Catering Business for 09/01/2009

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

"With the economy in such terrible shape, I'm thinking of making some extra money by starting a catering business out of my home. I will not be hosting the actual events here, of course, but will be providing food and beverage service either in people's homes or in other rented locations — such as the local VFW hall. What are some of the legal things I need to think about?"

...

Updated: Tue Sep 01, 2009

Software Licensing for Beginners for 09/08/2009

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

"I was laid off from a high-level information technology position last year. In the course of looking for a new job, I subscribed to a number of database products. Just fooling around on the computer a while back, I developed a software application — really, a simple subroutine — that makes one of my database products easier to use. I showed this product to the company that pub ...

Updated: Tue Sep 08, 2009

The "Magnificent Seven" Marketing Tools for Service Providers for 09/15/2009

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

"I was laid off from a large law firm earlier this year. After several failed attempts to find a job with another large firm elsewhere in the country, I have decided to ‘hang out my shingle' in my hometown and work out of my home office. Since I think you do pretty much the same thing as I want to do, do you have any good tips for marketing a successful one-person law practice?"

< ...

Updated: Tue Sep 15, 2009

Should You Be Using E-Mail In Your Business? for 09/21/2009

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

It may seem odd to be asking this question in 2009. After all, the Internet has been with us for about 15 years, and e-mail was one of the first "killer apps" to emerge in the Internet era. Everybody uses e-mail, for just about everything, and I'd be willing to bet there are literally trillions of e-mails floating around in cyberspace leaving an amazing archaeological record of how we ...

Updated: Mon Sep 21, 2009

A Crisis of Competence for 09/29/2009

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Does it seem to you sometimes that nobody knows how to do their jobs anymore?

My mom is 81 years old, a widow who lives about a two-hour drive from where I live. My mom is not usually a complainer, but when I called her this past Sunday, she was nearly in tears due to three separate incidents that occurred within a three-day period last week.

Incident No. 1: She received an IRS Fo ...

Updated: Tue Sep 29, 2009

Give Me a Perfect Life ... Or I'll Kill You for 10/13/2009

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Is it just me, or are people getting awfully touchy these days?

Within the past week, I have received calls from three consultants and other professionals who had received screaming phone calls from their clients threatening lawsuits for things they absolutely weren't responsible for. Without getting into specifics, here's what the clients said:

"I did something stupid and it ...

Updated: Tue Oct 13, 2009

Becoming a "Banker" for Your Better Clients for 10/20/2009

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

"My family and I run a trucking company that services mostly customers in the construction industry. Obviously, a lot of our clients are struggling in the current economy and are having difficulty paying our bills. Most of these folks are extremely good people, and we know they will turn around and start becoming prompt payers again once the economy improves. We want to collect our overdue ...

Updated: Tue Oct 20, 2009

Using Your 401(K) Plan To Start a Business . . . Revisited for 10/26/2009

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

"I was laid off from a corporate job a few months ago. I'm thinking of buying a franchise, but I don't have enough money in my checking account to pay the franchise fee and other upfront expenses. I've heard that there's a way I can tap into my old 401(K) plan for the startup capital I need, but I've also heard the IRS looks at that as an audit trigger. Where's the truth here?"

Updated: Mon Oct 26, 2009

The Growing Tax "Cloud" on Small Business e-Commerce for 11/03/2009

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

"I started a small online retail business earlier this year. I understand that I have to collect and pay state sales taxes whenever someone buys from me who also lives in my state. But my business is growing, and I have customers now in virtually every state in the United States. I am hearing more and more that I may have to collect sales tax in some of these other states as well, but nobo ...

Updated: Tue Nov 03, 2009

"Flipping" a Business, and Buying One from a Retiring Founder for 11/10/2009

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

"I have made an offer to buy an existing small business in my town. The owner is in his 70s and has let the business run down the past couple of years, but I see a lot of potential for quick growth. My objective is to buy the business, have a manager run it for a couple of years and then sell the business at a profit. I have a manager in mind, and I'm willing to compensate him generously s ...

Updated: Tue Nov 10, 2009

Tips for Selling a Franchised Business (Part 1 of 2) for 11/17/2009

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

"I bought a franchise several years ago, and while I made back my initial investment, it hasn't exactly made me rich and I'm no longer that excited about running the business. Also, my husband and I want to retire and move to Florida to be closer to our grandkids. The franchisee in the territory next to ours has made us an offer to buy our territory. What are some of the things we need to ...

Updated: Tue Nov 17, 2009