Category: Small Business Resources
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Holiday Customer Demand has Changed: How Small Businesses Can Meet People Where They Are
Smart business leaders are taking note as consumer behavior shifts to satisfy the market’s newest wants and needs — especially now that the holidays are here. Nearly 60% of consumers say they anticipate their holiday plans to change this year, and another 15% say they’re not yet sure what will happen, according to Progressive Grocer.…
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SMB Capital Lending: Key Options and What to Consider
Small-business owners (SMBs) can use debt to do one of two things: stay afloat during turbulent times or exploit opportunities to achieve exciting growth. If you’re doing one or the other, then you’re in good company. Business owners everywhere are borrowing for both reasons now more than ever. To decide whether (and how) to use…
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Inspiring Business Stories: 5 Companies that Survived Tough Financial Times
A pandemic is not the only crisis that can thwart a business’s financial success. Calamitous accidents, mismanagement, economic volatility, and other hazards can threaten your company’s trajectory. The good news is that you can learn from other business leaders who have weathered various storms. Here are five true, very inspiring business stories to help you…
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Small Business Tax Relief, Grants, Loans, and More: Resources for Financial Help in 2020 and Beyond
The average small business (<500 employees) has less than a month’s worth of cash on hand. If that describes your company, then it’s imperative you know what to do when an unforeseen expense arises. Financial help comes in many forms. Loans, benevolent gifts, and small business tax relief can all be lifelines to carry you…
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Why and How to Track Business Expenses Separately from Personal Spending
Most small business owners use their personal money to get their business off the ground. In fact, funding your business with personal cash is widely accepted and even encouraged in many industries. Why, then, is it so important not to fund your personal life from your business’s coffers? As a business owner, there are many…
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Blunders, Bottlenecks, and Bloat: 9 Surprising Ways Small Businesses Waste Money on Operating Costs
Businesses are like engines. To produce, your company consumes. And like a more efficient engine, your business can produce the same output while consuming — that is, spending — less. It’s true that you may cut costs on overhead and some capital investments, but the most opportunity to save lies in operating costs. That’s because…
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The Importance of Work-Life Balance for Small Business Owners
Building your business from the ground up is a huge accomplishment, and with it being your passion, it can be easy for the barriers between your personal and professional life to begin to blur. Work-life balance can be a challenge to master, but there are a few ways to gain more of your personal life…
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Ask the Expert: How to Improve Your Customer Support
According to SCORE, 40% of small businesses believe that customer experience helps retention and is their top growth strategy. At Neat, we definitely agree, which is why we believe in the importance of customer support. “You’re only as good as your last customer interaction,” says Jeff Gove, VP of operations and information tech at Neat.…
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What You Need to Know About Google’s E-A-T Algorithm
If you’re a small business owner, you’ve heard it over and over again: It’s important to convince Google your small business website is credible. Unless you’re a search engine optimization (SEO) expert, you probably have more questions than answers. Questions like: How do I get my website to rank higher on Google? How do you…
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4 Cybersecurity Tips for Remote Work
With the somewhat chaotic introduction of remote work, many companies were unable to take the time to create proper cybersecurity protocols. Although companies have a great deal of control while their employees are at the office, that luxury is no longer afforded when everyone is working remotely. Creating cybersecurity policies for remote work and educating…