Category: Small Business Tips

In part 1 of the “Startup vs. Small Business” I addressed what may be the most important differentiator between a startup and a small business: growth. While I hope that post was useful, especially from a theoretical standpoint, I want this one to go more directly to where the rubber meets the road. What’s the […]

When I was in business school, I was lucky enough to intern as a product manager at what I consider to be the best company in the world: Google (not coincidentally, Google’s also battling it out with Apple to be the world’s most valuable company). Perhaps the one thing that stands out most about Google—and […]

In the course of my career over the past decade or so, I’ve started three businesses—with varying degrees of success! The first, started with a great friend and business partner while in college, was called iWrap, and was a manufacturer of iPhone covers. The second was a design and development agency, called Reef3. And the […]

They say “cash is king.” And in this case, they are right on the money. *ba-dum, ching!* A US Bank study found that up to 82% of small businesses fail because of cash flow problems. I’ve experienced this firsthand. When I was working on my second business, a web design and development agency, everything seemed […]

When I first started raising venture capital money for ZipBooks, I found that one of the firms evaluating us (that became our lead investor) had a really useful framework for evaluating startups called “The 5 T’s.” Each “T” represented an aspect of the company that our investor would score, and if they all looked good, it likely […]

You’ve heard the grim statistics – something like 90% of all new businesses fail within the first few years of operation, but you’ve decided you make the plunge anyway. We commend your courage and optimism, but it won’t be enough. With that kind of force opposing you from the very beginning, it makes sense to […]

When I first started my app design and development agency back in 2010, the biggest question on my mind was how to find more clients.  More clients meant smoother cash flow, higher rates, and lower risk to me as the owner of a small business if we lost one or two accounts.  Over the next three […]

If you’ve been self-employed for a while and have begun earning a decent income, it might be time to consider whether or not you would benefit from converting your business to an S-corporation. You might be a bit intimidated because it sounds complicated and expensive, but don’t let that discourage you from checking out the […]

You may not give a lot of thought to safety when it comes to your home-based business. It’s not top of mind for most small business owners, especially those who live in a neighborhood that is relatively free of crime. However, there are many other ways in which you need to protect yourself, aside from […]

Updated 04/15/2019 One of the greatest things about being self-employed is the freedom to do your own thing. You are the boss; you make the decisions; you reap the rewards. However, you also pay 100% of self-employment taxes, which would have been split 50/50 with your employer if you held a regular job. Fortunately, though, […]