There good news for entrepreneurs in New Hampshire, thanks to a newly launched website.

There good news for entrepreneurs in New Hampshire, thanks to a newly launched website.

The Associated Press reports that the new site will allow visitors to connect with experts in small business and give them the opportunity to ask questions on a variety of topics. The website – MyExpertNet – is a free service developed by the Knowledge Institute, based in Exeter, New Hampshire. It currently has 41 volunteers willing to help out those in need of assistance when it comes to running a small business.

“Anyone who has ever started a business knows that the process is daunting at best and terrifying at worst,” said Russ Oullette, a volunteer with the site, in an interview with the AP.

Read more…

Building Business Credit Video

Watch my short video recording with AllBusiness covering the following question:

What are some of the key decisions you need to make before you start building business credit?

• Business name selection
• Business SIC Codes and NAICS Code Classification
• Business Information
• Financial Disclosure
• Corporate Conformity

What type of key decisions have you made when building business credit for your company?

Are you ready to start building business credit? Become

Read more…

Are you ready to expand your small business and start hiring employees to help your business grow? Be ready for the expense shock. The new employee you just agreed to pay $15 per hour will probably cost you about $21.

That’s right! Employees are a big investment for any business. It may seem like small change to pay someone $10 or $12 bucks an hour to help you cook your baked goods or assemble your products, but the hidden costs may add up to about 40% above the hourly rate. This extra cost can creep up and surprise many small business owners.

The Cost of Taxes

What are the extra costs? First is the given – employment taxes. Federal IRS code requires that all employees pay 12.4 percent of the first $106,800 as Social Security taxes. Med

Read more…

USA One Credit Union of Matteson, Illinois, is offering an 8 month Step-Up certificate of deposit that currently has a CD yield of 0.90 percent for the first four months and then the CD yield will Step-Up to 2.00 percent the last four months.

The combined certificate of deposit annual percentage yield is 1.45 percent.  That CD yield is one of the best 8 month CD yields currently available and is higher than the national average 24 month CD rate of 1.27 percent. New money is required for this CD deal and the minimum opening deposit is $10,000. 

Looking for the best CD rates? Use our CD rate tables at CDRates.MonitorBankRates.com to find the best CD rates in your area.

In addition to the special 8 month Step-Up CD deal, the credit union is also advertising regular share certificate CD rates and IRA certificate CD rates. Regu

Read more…

There is a race that every small business owner must run – the 5 year anniversary. Less than 50% of all new small businesses ever make it to their 5th anniversary, and only about 31% make it to their seventh year. So how can a small business owner who is just trying to make the longevity cut make it to a million dollars in sales?

Small business owners have many obstacles after opening a new company. To increase revenues, a business must make more sales. That means hiring more employees, increasing market exposure, and delivering goods while experiencing growth pains. However, a savvy entrepreneur and small business owner can make the 5-year cut and even earn that $1 million sales barrier. Here are a few tips:

Break It Down

First, don’t think of earning $1 million in annual sales. Fin

Read more…

An award-winning shop is being forced to put its dreams of expansion on hold because banks won’t lend it any money.

Local Roots and Wellie Boots, based in Eastbourne, has just been named local retailer of the year in the 2010 Observer Ethical Awards – pipping Brighton’s Infinity Foods to the title.

The shop sells fresh produce supplied by farms in Sussex.

It has been a huge success in its first two years in business – with annual turnover growing from £77,000 to almost double that in the past financial year.

Despite this, owner Luke Randall says he is struggling to pay the bills and his dream of opening a second store looks unlikely.

He has also incurred more than £3,000 in bank charges.

Read more…

Plano Real Estate

Is your private information safe? Before a Plano home goes on the market and home buyers begin to come through the door, smart sellers will put away confidential and sensitive information. You might be astonished to learn what “home buyers” can learn about you as they are looking at your home.

Your Private Documents

• Some potential home buyers will open your drawers and cabinets.
  Buyers can innocently, or on purpose, pull open a drawer or cabinet to inspect its construction, or size and come across important personal documents that you might not intend for anyone to see. 
• Don’t leave mail sitting out where a potential buyer can find it.
  Many sellers leave piles of opened mail stacked on their kitchen counter.  A pote

Read more…

Forcing pubs and bars to pay a “law and order” tax to open later could devastate the Brighton and Hove night-time economy, it has been claimed.

The Government is reviewing licensing laws in a bid to tackle antisocial behaviour caused since roundthe- clock drinking was introduced.

It is understood Home Secretary Theresa May wants late-night bars to help pay for the cost of controlling alcohol-related violence, with councils given the power to charge premises additional fees for late-night licences.

However, many venues across Brighton and Hove are already struggling to stay in business because of plummeting consumer spending.

The Engine Rooms shut abruptly last week; the Hanbury Ballrooms is searching for a newlicencee while the Freebutt is also under threat.

Read more…

Reams of books have been written about reducing and streamlining expenses for small business in order to increase net profits. However, staying solvent isn’t the only goal. Most small businesses overlook money-making opportunities that can be generated through their regular expenses. A creative and clever entrepreneur can find ways to make a profit and develop revenue streams that are outside the normal business paradigms. Here are a few examples.

Turn Your Rent Into Cash

Do you rent an office or warehouse? Do you use every square foot of it? Many small businesses have extra space that just goes wasted. There are many other entrepreneurs, hobbyists, and work-at-home business owners who need just a little bit of space. W

Read more…