Transitioning From Employee To Business OwnerWhen the frustration of the daily grind or the thoughts that “I could do this and be
my own boss” start to cross your mind, then it is time to sit down and plan how to get from the “here” of a job to the “there” of starting your own business. Published on April 01, 2013 |
Look Before You Leap: Researching the Market Before You Start a BusinessSomewhere between that “ah-ha” moment of a great business idea and cashing your first paycheck should be a lot of research to determine what the market is like for your idea.
Many entrepreneurs are very good at coming up with services or products that sound like they fill a need, but fall short in how to enter the market. Often they will blindly jump into the business arena, only to find that they either failed to do any market research or grossly misunderstood the market. Published on March 07, 2013 |
Ask The Experts: Home Office TransitionQ: I've been a licensed professional counselor and marriage and family therapist for 21 years, and I've been in solo private practice since 1999 and have always rented office space. My wife and I are in the beginning stages of looking into arranging for me to work out of our home. Could you please provide us with any ideas or issues we need to be paying attention to in this endeavor? Published on March 07, 2013 |
Starting OverCareer setbacks and restarts can be particularly challenging for the self-employed.
Rather than just focusing on updating one’s resume and strategizing on whom to send it to, the self-employed often have to reinvent their brand, find a new way of doing business and uncover a fresh customer base. This can be a gut-wrenching process requiring a lot of introspection, faith, courage, and above all, confidence.
Learn from the stories of three NASE Members who weren't afraid to reboot their businesses. Published on February 04, 2013 |
Lawyer Up!In the age of big-box home improvement stores, many people have started handling fix-it projects themselves. The worst that can usually happen is a plumbing repair springs a leak. Do-it-yourself lawyering, however, is another story. Published on November 05, 2012 |
Want to Win The Competition For Customers? For all micro-businesses, customer service and marketing no longer need to exist in separate silos: Given the high costs of finding new customers and consumers’ widespread use of digital media to both communicate with companies and spread tales of glee and woe, it’s time to make customer service a successful marketing strategy Published on August 03, 2012 |
Ask The Experts: Business Legal StructureQ: Can you recommend a partnership agreement that we should use and advise us about any other steps we should take in starting our new business? Published on August 03, 2012 |
Business Plans Made EasyCrafting an informal business plan is a simple, straightforward way to monitor the health of your business. It’s a vital tool that will help you diagnose problems, cut costs and implement new strategies. It also helps you capitalize on the things you’re doing right and correct the things you’re doing wrong. Published on June 29, 2012 |
Ask The Experts: New Contract Employee FormsQ: Can you tell me which employment forms a contract employee needs to complete before starting to work for my company? Published on June 29, 2012 |
5 Tips For Expanding Your Professional NetworkYour network—the people you know—is one of your most vital business assets. Collectively, these folks are like a superhuman assistant that can help you earn money, meet people, brainstorm ideas and troubleshoot problems. Such connections are invaluable. But first you have to make them. Published on June 01, 2012 |
Ask The Experts: Business StructureQ: I’ve operated a handyman business for several years as a sole proprietor. I’m now starting a second business as a voice-over artist. I’ll be operating both businesses for at least two years. What would be the best business structure? Published on June 01, 2012 |
Ready To Be The Boss?Many small-business owners assume they’ll just know when it’s time to expand operations. The decision seems intuitive: If business is booming, and you feel overwhelmed, it’s time to hire help. But, like most things in life, hiring decisions are rarely straightforward. Published on May 07, 2012 |
Ask The Experts: HRA for LLCHealth Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) eligibility Published on April 02, 2012 |
Back In BusinessThe number of Americans who go back into business after retirement is on the rise. The 2010 Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity showed 23 percent of new entrepreneurs are 55 to 64, a figure that was just 18 percent in 2000. Published on March 05, 2012 |
Ask The Experts: Establishing a TrademarkWhat is the best way to establish a trademark for a business? Published on February 03, 2012 |
Change Is GoodThe economic slump has caused an existential crisis for many small-business owners who are struggling to redefine themselves according to the whims of a volatile market. Published on September 02, 2011 |
Meeting Of The MindsNearly every day of the year, conferences for every industry, every niche and every type of business convene across the world. Attending a conference in your industry or area of interest can boost your market insight, expose you to new ideas, help you grow professionally and offer opportunities to meet new contacts. Published on September 02, 2011 |
How To Sell To Uncle SamThe U.S. government purchases $500 billion worth of goods and services each year and is required to spend at least 23 percent of it with small businesses. Fortunately, you don’t have to build tanks or manufacture parts for fighter jets to enter this market. Published on July 29, 2011 |
Productivity 2.0Micro-business owners love to be productive. The ability to work hard and reap the full reward for the effort is the reason many NASE Members started their own businesses in the first place. Published on July 01, 2011 |
Selling OutMany micro-business owners have a hard time envisioning anyone else running their company. It’s your baby, after all, and you’ve built it from the ground up with your own blood, sweat and tears. Published on July 01, 2011 |
School’s Out!It’s the big challenge every summer for self-employed parents who work from home: How to keep the kids busy during those hot, school-less days...and run a business at the same time. Published on June 06, 2011 |
What Still WorksNASE Member Ron Wilson, owner of R&S Cleaning Service in Peoria, Ariz., has been cleaning commercial buildings for as long as the NASE has been providing services and products to help the self-employed succeed. Thirty years. Published on March 17, 2011 |
Branch OutSubway, H&R Block, Jenny Craig and Dunkin’ Donuts are household names that have exploded across the U.S. through franchising. But these empires didn’t rise overnight—most big-name franchises started out as small, single-shop operations. Published on March 17, 2011 |
Learn To LeadAs a self-employed professional, you might see yourself as a boss, a business owner, a contractor or even a supplier for other business owners. But do you see yourself as a leader? Published on February 25, 2011 |
Think Like A Project Manager Most home-based businesses are long on projects and short on project managers. The good news is that the basics of effective project management are simple and intuitive, and they can be applied to almost any project, regardless of size or scope. Published on February 25, 2011 |
Mind Your P’s & Q’s
Networking is no longer just a matter of shaking hands and exchanging business cards. Some of today’s most effective networking platforms don’t even require that you leave your desk. Increasingly, people are building business networks by putting in more face time with their computers than with their colleagues and contacts. Published on November 23, 2010 |
What Makes Customers Tick?No one needs to tell micro-business owners that the past three years have been the toughest economically in decades. Even entrepreneurs who survived several previous recessions say this time has been more difficult. Published on November 23, 2010 |
Reduce These Hidden CostsFinding ways to cut unnoticed home office costs can improve your profits. Published on November 23, 2010 |
Biz Apps For Your iPhoneWhether you’re in your home office or on the go, these top-notch iPhone apps are guaranteed to help you manage your schedule, organize your data and optimize your workflow. Check Apple’s App Store for up-to-the-minute price info. Published on September 13, 2010 |
How To Keep PaceNASE Member Chris Lamb, who owns Lamb Exterminating LLC in Gloucester, Va., is in an industry that’s regulated by various government agencies and is constantly changing. He doesn’t dare allow himself to be unaware of new laws or new technology if he wants to remain competitive in business. Published on September 13, 2010 |
E-Waste Is Not a Dirty WordWhat are you supposed to do with broken or outdated office equipment? Fortunately, there are an increasing number of eco-friendly ways to dispose of this waste without hurting the environment. Published on July 12, 2010 |
Poised For GrowthNASE Members need to evaluate exactly what growth means and how to make the climb to the next level a reality. The move is exhilarating but needs to be executed carefully and purposefully, experts caution. Here’s what you need to know to avoid stumbling as you step up to your next level. Published on July 12, 2010 |
Perfect PitchA well-crafted elevator pitch is an essential networking tool that home business owners can use in social situations, online profiles and even marketing materials. Here are five tips that will help you make sure your first impressions are pitch-perfect.
Published on July 12, 2010 |
Business SchoolSerious-minded students at colleges and universities across the country are eager to help micro-business owners with tasks as varied as advertising strategy, feasibility studies, market research, social networking and strategic planning. Published on July 12, 2010 |
On the MoveRemember the manual typewriter? Imagine relying on one today to run your micro-business. How much time—and profit—would you have lost if you had clung to that relic? Published on May 13, 2010 |
Social Media Safety: 4 TipsMany home-based business owners are leveraging social networking tools like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to boost their bottom line. In the same spirit, entrepreneurial thieves are using the sites to look for new business while minimizing the risk of getting caught. Published on May 13, 2010 |
Lending A HandDiane Parker expected to pay for her new home with the funds received from the sale of her previous one. Suddenly the sale of her first house fell through, creating a serious cash squeeze. Common problem, right? What’s not so common was the solution. Published on May 13, 2010 |
Risky BusinessMicro-business owners inevitably assume risks in their pursuit of rewards. To slash the odds of a setback—or worse, a crisis—it’s wise to prevent accidents before they happen. Published on March 05, 2010 |
For Richer For PoorerSome say mixing business and pleasure is a mistake. Nonetheless, married couples often take the plunge and expand their partnership to include business, too. Published on March 05, 2010 |
Price PointsSelling products and services to today’s budget-conscious customers isn’t easy. Published on January 06, 2010 |
Home Office Makeovers That Won’t Cost You A CentMany of us spend more time in our home offices than any other area in the house, so it seems strange that these workspaces are often neglected. How many stay-at-home workers dragged a desk into some unused corner when they started their business and never looked back? Published on January 06, 2010 |
Back To BasicsIn the not so distant past, a business needed only a few basics to ensure success. A good location, decent customer service and an advertisement in the local newspaper was just about all a micro-business really needed to attract customers and keep sales coming. Published on January 06, 2010 |
Get More Bang for Your Labor BuckMicro-business owners everywhere are relying more than ever on freelance workers. Published on January 06, 2010 |
Good CompanyAnyone who works out of a home office knows that it can be a lonely place. At home, the trivial interactions that break up most people’s workdays—chats around the copy machine, birthday cake in the break room—are in short supply. Published on October 30, 2009 |
Property Lease Do-OverCarla, the owner of an Atlanta gift shop, knows only too well what a recession can do to the financial health of a micro-business. Earlier this year a steep sales decline made it tough for her to pay the rent. Published on October 30, 2009 |
Young GunsIf you’re experiencing hiring challenges, one solution might be to broaden your search to include members of Generation Y. Also called Millennials, they were born roughly between 1979 and 1988. Businesses that ignore these 20-somethings are shutting the door on a huge universe of potential employees—employees that might be a perfect fit for micro-businesses. Published on October 30, 2009 |
Anchors AwayThe failure of an anchor store can cause a shock that’s as much emotional as financial for surviving retailers. But, you can take action to mitigate the potential financial loss and improve the well-being of the surviving small retailers. Here’s how.
Published on August 31, 2009 |
How To Hire Your BrotherIn these tough economic times, it’s not uncommon for micro-business owners to be approached by family members or friends looking for a job. Laid off from work and unsuccessful in landing a new job, these relatives and friends may feel like you’re their last hope for employment. Published on August 31, 2009 |
Brainstorming SoloWe all know being creative isn’t easy, and it can be especially challenging for folks who work in home offices with nary a brainstorming partner nearby. Here are five tips for sparking creativity even when you work alone. Published on August 31, 2009 |
Why You Don’t Need To Super SizeFew people in the business world look down on home-based companies these days. But if a potential client balks because of your firm’s lack of size or real estate, use your smallness (and your homeyness) to your advantage. Published on July 29, 2009 |
Local PoliticsThe health of your micro-business depends to a great extent on business-friendly decision-making from your town and county governments. Published on July 29, 2009 |
Retail RedoA showroom retooling can be just the ticket to get shoppers excited about buying. And that’s what you need to move that moribund merchandise sitting on your floor.
Published on July 01, 2009 |
Can You Take The Home Office Deduction?Can you or can’t you take the home office deduction? This is one of the most vexing questions faced by home-based business owners. Published on July 01, 2009 |
The DelegatorsThere are only so many hours in the day and so much energy that solo operators can spend in their businesses. If they want to grow the enterprise—while keeping their health and sanity—they need to let go and pay someone to handle certain parts of the business. Published on July 01, 2009 |
Driven To DistractionOne reason the home office workday stretches into an exhaustive 12 hours rather than merely a weary 10 is because we’re so easily distracted. Published on April 07, 2009 |
JET LAGShake-ups across the air travel industry have given even the most seasoned travelers a newfound fear of flying. Published on April 07, 2009 |
STOP The No-ShowsLarge businesses have long had the luxury of employing receptionists, telephone operators and online booking tools to serve customers. Published on April 07, 2009 |
You Can Go Home AgainThe economy is tight. Customers are tight-fisted. Many micro-business owners are eyeing that monthly check for the lease of their commercial office and thinking of a thousand better uses for the money. Published on January 01, 2009 |
Don’t Risk It AllNot having the proper home office insurance — or under insuring your home-based business — can put you at a big risk. Published on November 01, 2008 |
Great PerformancesYou want the most bang for your buck when you invest money in your business. If you buy a computer or truck, for example, you select a top-quality machine and maintain it for peak performance Published on November 01, 2008 |
Now HiringWhat’s the fastest way to double the size of your home-based business? Hire your first employee. But while you’ll now have additional help, you can also double your headaches if you don’t hire the right person for your home office. Published on September 01, 2008 |
How to Stop a ThiefIt’s a quiet crime. Sometimes the only evidence is a missing pair of jeans or a vacant display shelf. Shoplifting, though, can do a big bang on your bottom line. Published on September 01, 2008 |