Archive for January, 2009
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
Booming Businesses that Began in Recessions
Many people think that starting a successful business during an economic slump is a bad idea. There’s too much uncertainty and money can be scarce. The truth, however, is that it’s actually a good marketing practice to get in while others are playing it safe.
Several of today’s biggest businesses got their starts when the chips […]
1 Comment » - Posted in Entrepreneurship by Megan Dorn
Monday, January 19th, 2009
Small Business Tip of the Week: Logo Design
Designing a quality logo is just as important as creating a quality name. Like a name, a logo speaks volumes about your company—what you do, how professional you are, if you can be trusted, etc. So how exactly do you go about getting the right logo? Easy—you hire a graphic designer or work with a […]
6 Comments » - Posted in Small Business by Megan Dorn
Friday, January 16th, 2009
Open-Concept Offices Cause Issues
A recent study from an Australian university found that offices with open floor plans cause employees to become less productive, more irritable and to become ill much more quickly.
The more modern layout may mean more money in your pocket (smaller, enclosed offices are about 20% more expensive), but it also means more germs, more noise […]
1 Comment » - Posted in Random thoughts by Megan Dorn
Thursday, January 15th, 2009
SBA Loans Plummet
During the first quarter of its 2009 fiscal year (which is the last three months of 2008), the Small Business Administration dropped the total number of loans it backed by 57 percent from 2008 and 62 percent from 2007. The actual loan values also dropped by 40 percent from 2008.
So why such a drastic dive? […]
No Comments » - Posted in Small Business, Financing by Megan Dorn
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009
How Small Business Friendly Is Your State?
The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council recently released its Small Business Survival Index 2008, which is basically a ranking of how small business friendly each state is. To come up with its list, the SBEC looks at major government-imposed or government-related costs affecting investment, entrepreneurship and business. They also rank states according to their public […]
2 Comments » - Posted in Small Business by Megan Dorn
Tuesday, January 13th, 2009
2008 Employment Figures Dismal
The U.S. economy closed out 2008 as the worst year in job losses since 1945, according to the Labor Department. Nearly 2.6 million people lost their jobs this year; 1.9 million lost them during the past four months.
Job losses totaled 1.8 percent of employment, causing the unemployment rate to rise to 7.2 percent, the highest […]
No Comments » - Posted in Entrepreneurship by Megan Dorn
Monday, January 12th, 2009
Small Business Tip of the Week
When it comes to creating a board of directors for your small business, the first thing you need to do is decide if you really need one. As a small business grows, so does its need for direction and guidance from professionals with experience in the field. Look at the areas of your business where […]
No Comments » - Posted in Small Business by Megan Dorn
Friday, January 9th, 2009
Small Businesses to Increase 2009 Ad Spend
Times are tough, but small businesses owners are showing signs of optimism heading into the New Year, at least where advertising is concerned.
According to the Ad-ology Small Business Marketing Outlook survey, 26 percent of small businesses plan to increase their ad spending this year. Another 60 percent plan to spend about the same as they […]
