Archive for August, 2010

Email subject lines the key for LLCs marketing to customers

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Crafting email subject lines is critical to the success of email marketing, and following a few simple tips will help assure entrepreneurs forming an LLC that the messages are opened and read by potential customers. A good email subject line is like a newspaper headline, and if it uses the "Four U Approach," it will [...]

VP Biden: Obama’s tax plan would benefit LLCs, all small businesses

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Vice President Joe Biden has said the proposed tax changes in 2011 will keep taxes low for 98 percent of Americans, and believes a small business stimulus bill will help many entrepreneurs forming an LLC. Visiting a Washington D.C. pizzeria this week, Biden reinforced President Barack Obama’s commitment to keeping taxes low for small businesses. [...]

Report: Small businesses sharing more in government contracts

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Government contracts are increasingly an attractive revenue source for entrepreneurs forming an LLC, and 2009 figures showed small businesses are obtaining more federal dollars and a larger portion of total available contracts. Official 2009 data from the U.S. Small Business Administration revealed 21.8 percent of all federal government money was contracted to small businesses – [...]

Business insurance protects businesses, owners from financial ruin

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Business insurance may seem like an unnecessary expense to entrepreneurs who are forming an LLC, but protecting a business from injury liability, fire and natural disasters will prevent many disruptions that can damage a profitable company. The type and limit of insurance required depends on the type of business, but consultant Jacqueline Taylor at the [...]

Security for LLCs, other small businesses, essential to protecting investment

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Addressing security issues for a small business can often be forgotten among the many other concerns that come with forming an LLC, but protecting an office, inventory and the safety of employees and customers is critical. According to SmallBusinessDelivered.com, some simple and inexpensive steps can dramatically increase security at small businesses. Proper lighting, both interior [...]

Maintaining innovation key to small business success

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Although the tight economy makes it difficult for LLCs to maintain a focus on innovation, a business researcher recently identified a few ways to increase revenue. Most business owners are more worried about just surviving, says business consultant Steve King in the Washington Business Journal. But he notes that innovation is one of the "best [...]

Vision, employee participation are keys to business success

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Assuring that a company has a clear vision and a plan to incorporate employees into its process will help entrepreneurs forming an LLC recruit and retain the best workers in the future. With more research pointing toward the value of happy employees – both for productivity and creating higher customer satisfaction – Deborah Vence at [...]

Rapid growth not always good for small businesses

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Every small business needs to improve its product and maintain customer satisfaction to survive, but a business professor warns entrepreneurs forming an LLC that mismanaged, runaway growth can actually hinder a business. Smaller companies must be careful in high-risk ventures because they don’t have the capital to withstand an interruption to operations, according to a [...]

Traits of successful online business owners

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Successful online entrepreneurs usually share a few common traits that LLCs can develop to help their own businesses grow. The comparatively inexpensive costs associated with online businesses are a great advantage, writes Malek Ashtar at Helium.com, but the hyper-competitive environment also requires that successful businesses maintain a constant effort to stand above the rest. Internet [...]

Free tax calculator identifies healthcare tax credits for businesses

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Entrepreneurs forming an LLC will have to consider the inevitable operational expenses, but a new website offers small business owners free help in identifying possible tax credits under the new healthcare reform. The tax firm H&R Block and health insurer Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City have worked together to provide a free [...]

SCORE: Nonprofit professionals with small business tips

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Entrepreneurs forming an LLC can use all the advice and tips they can get, and their local SCORE offices provide free advice on business formation, financing and marketing. SCORE is a nonprofit group of professionals who volunteer their time to help other entrepreneurs start – and maintain – their own businesses. They have offices around [...]

Incorporating an LLC can save money on taxes

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Entrepreneurs can avoid double taxation and lower their tax rates through incorporation, especially by forming an S corporation from their existing LLC or C corporation. Many LLC members pay a self employment tax that can be reduced to a lower payroll tax by forming an S corporation and allocating a small portion of profits for [...]

Guerrilla marketing can be inexpensive advertising for new LLCs

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

For innovative entrepreneurs, forming an LLC is only the first step when starting a successful business, and effective branding creates the need for unique advertising techniques like guerrilla marketing. Jay Conrad Levinson was the first to use the term "guerrilla marketing," and his ideas have taken off. In the Miami Herald, Levinson outlined some key [...]

LLCs can benefit by having employees develop innovative solutions

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

Entrepreneurs forming an LLC may want to look to their employees to identify innovations or improve marketing strategies, as a recent survey by a career management firm shows that more than 50 percent of employees regularly suggest ideas and improvements to make in the workplace. A survey by Right Management revealed that most employees frequently [...]

Technology helping connect lenders with small businesses

Friday, August 20th, 2010

When forming an LLC, entrepreneurs seeking investors can find lenders through a new website that eliminates the tedious and time-consuming search for financing. BoeFly.com’s founder, Robert Tannenhauser, told the Newark Star-Ledger that his website is succeeding because it acts like a "dating service," using a computer to match potential borrowers with interested lenders. Tannenhauser has [...]

Franchise model offers recognizable brand, proven system to entrepreneurs

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

With a tight economy and advertising capital critical to a successful business, entrepreneurs forming an LLC or corporation are increasingly considering investing in a franchise and the business model it provides. Business owners who have recently joined a franchise in the north Texas region say the benefits are worth the investment, according to Reuters. Franchises [...]

Smaller firms can qualify for new healthcare tax credits

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

Entrepreneurs forming an LLC will want to consider new tax credits available through recent healthcare reform in order to minimize expenses. The new requirements are aimed at making healthcare coverage affordable for smaller businesses. A report by Families USA and the Small Business Majority states that only 46 percent of U.S. companies with fewer than [...]

Up to 50 percent of SBA loan fees to be covered by City National Bank

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Facing a 70-percent drop in U.S. Small Business Administration loans since federal funding ended, City National Bank will pay for half of the SBA fees for LLC loans. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 made federal financing available in an effort to stimulate economic recovery and provide capital for small businesses. But the [...]

Fictitious business name renewal companies could be a scam

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Entrepreneurs forming an LLC and using a fictitious business name should watch out for disreputable companies offering to renew a business name filing for excessive fees. A Victorville, California, business owner thought twice before sending in the $125 fee to an official-looking company that threatened his LLC status would expire, reported the Victorville Daily Press. [...]

Federal Reserve reports small business lending becoming easier

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

The most recent Federal Reserve quarterly survey of banking loan officers revealed that conditions for business loans have become more flexible and credit lines are no longer being reduced, boding well for entrepreneurs forming an LLC and looking for capital. For the first time since 2006, major U.S. banks are reporting their lending standards are [...]