Creating a personal brand can be a way to establish an authentic image and stand out from the crowd. For most people, personal branding is a communications strategy rather than a career path. A carefully cultivated personal brand lets people know at a glance who we are, what we stand for, and the value we provide. But for anyone with …
The simplicity of partnerships is alluring. They are easy to form, and often easy to operate. It can be tempting to hit the ground running with a partnership without first setting a partnership agreement out in writing. In this blog, I explore why a written partnership agreement is nevertheless important, and I review a few relevant terms to include in …
Standing out in today’s crowded digital marketplace requires business owners to think creatively about brands. Customer attention is a limited commodity that all brands compete for. But there may be opportunities to partner with other brands to gain consumer attention and loyalty. Brand collaboration, or co-branding, is a strategic advertising and marketing partnership between two brands that each bring success …
The beginning of the year is a time to reflect and refocus on what you want to achieve over the next twelve months. Optimally, entrepreneurs spent part of December on small business housekeeping tasks that helped them finish the year strong, and at the beginning of January, they prioritize setting themselves up to look ahead confidently. Reviewing key performance indicators …
Owning your own business or investment portfolio can be incredibly rewarding. However, to preserve the fruits of your labor and dedication, you must do everything you can to protect it. Whether you seek to protect yourself, your investments, and your family from taxes, creditors, or probate, a family limited partnership (FLP) is a strategy worth considering. What is a family …
A balance sheet is a financial statement that provides a snapshot of a company’s financials at a specific time. Also known as a statement of financial position, a balance sheet shows what the company owns that can be converted to cash (assets), its debts and financial obligations (liabilities), and its net worth (owner’s equity or shareholder’s equity). By knowing the …
Some of us remember when, to sign a document, it was necessary to print out the form, physically sign it, scan the signed document, and then send it as an email attachment. Electronic signatures have made this process all but obsolete. Nowadays, for most transactions that require us to sign our name, we can apply a digital signature that satisfies …
Some entrepreneurs love the challenge of starting a new business and creating everything from scratch. However, that may not be the best approach for everyone. Buying an existing business can eliminate the initial legwork of establishing a customer base, training employees, and securing start-up funding, but it is not without its own challenges. As a prospective business buyer, part of …
When hiring a new worker, companies have two choices: bring a new employee on board or hire an independent contractor. One of the main benefits of having employees is that you have much more control over the work they do. You can train them how you want, specify the hours they work, and require them to work only for you. …
Small businesses have more ways than ever to reach their audience. Social media, websites and blogs, video campaigns, webinars, and podcasts are just a few of the marketing strategies that you may leverage to drive sales. And while it is good to experiment with new ways of communicating your message, you should not overlook tried-and-true strategies like email marketing. Email …
The topics of misinformation and disinformation frequently arise in conversations about news coverage. But the question of truth is not just relevant to the media we consume. It is also a significant issue to consider for a business’s advertisements. Truth in advertising is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Regardless of where an advertisement appears—internet, radio, TV, billboard, or …
It is a long-held capitalist axiom that businesses exist solely to make a profit. Typical for-profit corporations are legally required to act in the best interests of their shareholders, which means maximizing profits—often at the expense of other considerations. In fact, failure to focus strictly on profits can expose corporate leadership to shareholder litigation. But this exclusive focus on profits, …