2019

article thumbnail

6 Business Growth Strategies: Ways to Grow and Measure Growth

Fundera

6 Small Business Growth Strategies. Increase demand through strategic partnerships. Improve your profit by removing unprofitable products and services. Boost revenue by improving your conversion rate. Increase sales by creating a sales funnel. Fortify your workforce with new recruiting tactics. Shore up market share with a customer relationship management system.

article thumbnail

Holiday Sales on the Dark Web

Abrigo

Key Takeaways Holiday sales, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday, are aggressively promoted by criminal sellers on the Dark Web seeking to grow sales and customers. The expected outcome of greater inventory at a lower cost, as we have seen in prior years, is an increase in fraud activity and cyberattacks heading into the end of the calendar year.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Trending Sources

article thumbnail

The 23 Most Profitable Businesses in 2020

Fundera

Some people venture into entrepreneurship knowing what industry they want to conquer and what type of business they want to start. However, for many new entrepreneurs, it can be difficult to figure out how to start a business and exactly what kind of business is the best choice. It’s tough to find that perfect idea. We’ve compiled a list of the most profitable small businesses for 2020.

article thumbnail

How to Advertise on Facebook

Fundera

How to Advertise on Facebook in 7 Steps. Create your Facebook Business Page and ad account. Add the Facebook Pixel to your website. Start creating your ads. Set a reasonable budget and schedule. Target lookalike audiences. Test, test, test. Make sure your website is up-to-date and optimized. Despite the issues Facebook faces with regard to privacy and data, billions of people across the world still use the platform—making it an essential tool for small business marketing.

article thumbnail

44 Free (or Super-Low Cost) Ways to Advertise Your Business

Fundera

Advertising for your business doesn’t have to be expensive. In today’s increasingly digital world, there are countless ways to advertise your business without running up a massive bill. You can also find cheap ways to advertise your business with more old-school tactics, as well. . Sometimes, the best ways to advertise your business don’t involve reinventing the wheel.

article thumbnail

15 Small Business Holiday Marketing Tips That Won’t Kill Your Budget

Fundera

The holiday season is a critical money-making time for many independent businesses and if your small business marketing strategies are strong they can go a long way. What’s more, it’s a prime opportunity to grow your customer base and turn one-time buyers into frequent patrons who will return to your business even after the holidays are over. . “Most people are looking to buy presents for the people in their lives, so they’ll likely venture to sites and stores they wouldn’t shop at

More Trending

article thumbnail

Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Everything You Need to Know

Fundera

What Is an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)? An employee assistance program is a workplace benefit that helps employees through mental health problems, family issues, substance abuse, and other personal or work-related problems. Businesses typically contract with an EAP provider for the services. Licensed counselors provide confidential services at no cost to employees up to plan limits.

article thumbnail

Top 11 Small Business Accounting Tips to Save You Time and Money

Fundera

Top 11 Small Business Accounting Tips. Separate business and personal expenses. Track every business expense. Accurately record income. Consider hiring a professional, even if temporarily. Automate accounting practices with accounting software. Dedicate time to update your books. Keep tabs on labor costs. Be prepared for major expenses. Maintain inventory records.

article thumbnail

21 Lead Generation Strategies That Actually Work in 2019

Fundera

Whether you’re running your small business out of your home or out of a warehouse, there’s one thing you can always use: More customers. And the catch-all term for the way to get these new customers? Lead generation. To grow, your business has to gain exposure to new potential clients and customers. Sure, this is far from a new concept—the concept of gaining new customers is as old as business itself.

article thumbnail

Cash Flow Statement: Definition, Example, and How to Prepare One

Fundera

What Is a Cash Flow Statement? A cash flow statement, also known as the statement of cash flows, is a financial statement that shows the flow of cash into and out of your business during a specific period of time. This report shows how much cash a company receives and spends on operating, investing, and financing activities. The statement of cash flows is one of the core financial statements, along with the income statement and balance sheet, used to evaluate a business’s financial situati

article thumbnail

Top 11 Small Business Accounting Tips to Save You Time and Money

Fundera

Top 11 Small Business Accounting Tips. Separate business and personal expenses. Track every business expense. Accurately record income. Consider hiring a professional, even if temporarily. Automate accounting practices with accounting software. Dedicate time to update your books. Keep tabs on labor costs. Be prepared for major expenses. Maintain inventory records.

article thumbnail

The 35 Best Books for Entrepreneurs

Fundera

No matter how experienced you are as an entrepreneur—whether you’re just opening your doors or have already started a few successful businesses—you can always benefit from advice from someone who has followed a similar journey. That’s where reading some of the best books for entrepreneurs comes into the mix. . Maybe you need a little inspiration to rev up your engines, or you could use some advice on how to be a better manager and bring your business to new heights.

article thumbnail

The 30 Best Business Books for Entrepreneurs

Fundera

No matter how experienced you are as an entrepreneur—whether you’re just opening your doors or have already started a few successful businesses—you can always benefit from advice from someone who has followed a similar journey. That’s where reading some of the best business books come in. . Maybe you need a little inspiration to rev up your engines, or you could use some advice on how to be a better manager and bring your business to new heights.

article thumbnail

The 10 Best Freelance Gigs and Side Hustles of 2019 (Report)

Fundera

If you’re like many Americans, you might have a New Year’s resolution to make more money or manage your money more wisely in 2019. For some people, financial independence means starting a full-fledged business , but that’s not a viable or desirable path for everyone. Some opt for a lucrative freelance gig or side hustle to supplement other income and get a taste of entrepreneurial life.

article thumbnail

The 10 Biggest Business Problems Entrepreneurs Face—and How to Beat Them

Fundera

The 10 Biggest Business Problems for Small Business Owners. Managing your money – creating a budget, running financial reports, tracking expenses, paying bills, and more. Building a quality team – finding and hiring the right people to help your business grow. Providing health care for your employees – finding the right solutions for your employees, fitting it into your budget, etc.

article thumbnail

Small Business Growth Strategies: 6 Ways to Grow and Measure Growth

Fundera

6 Small Business Growth Strategies and Indicators. Increase demand through strategic partnerships. Improve your profit by removing unprofitable products and services. Boost revenue by improving your conversion rate. Increase sales by creating a sales funnel. Fortify your workforce with new recruiting tactics. Shore up market share with a customer relationship management system.

article thumbnail

The 8 Best Accounting Books for New Small Business Owners

Fundera

The 8 Best Accounting Books for Small Business. Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits by Greg Crabtree. Accounting for the Numberphobic by Dawn Fotopulos. Finance for Nonfinancial Managers by Gene Siciliano. The Accounting Game: Basic Accounting Fresh From the Lemonade Stand by Darrell Mullis. Profit First by Mike Michalowicz. The Tax and Legal Playbook: Game-Changing Solutions to Your Small-Business Questions by Mark J.

article thumbnail

What Do Bookkeepers Do, and How Can They Help My Business?

Fundera

What do bookkeepers do? If you’re a small business owner that keeps bookkeeping far away from your to-do list, it’s likely that you’ve asked this exact question many times before. There’s no cut-and-dry answer—bookkeepers can wear many different hats depending on what each business needs. That said, there are a few things that almost every bookkeeper can take care of for your business.

article thumbnail

How Many Small Businesses Are in the U.S.? (And Other Employment Stats)

Fundera

How Many Small Businesses Are There in the U.S.? There are 30.2 million small businesses in this country. Small businesses comprise 99.9% of all United States businesses. You’ve probably heard it said that “small business is the backbone of America.” But what does that saying mean in practice? How many small businesses are there in this country, and how many people do they employ?

article thumbnail

The 25 Best Business Ideas for the Aspiring Mompreneur

Fundera

Many new mothers see raising children and growing a family as a full-time job. But more and more mothers are inspired to take on the full-time job of raising children while running a business—all at the same time. And from these ambitious and inspiring mothers, we have the rise of the term “mompreneur” in the small business space. If you’re an aspiring mompreneur, hoping to make the most out of your past experiences, skills, and your current schedule, what are some of the best businesses to star

article thumbnail

The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Food Truck

Fundera

How to Start a Food Truck in 9 Steps. Plan your costs and find a truck. Get approved by the Board of Health. Get the permits and licenses you need. Decide how you’re going to prepare your food. Hire employees and get mobile food vendor badges. Figure out where to park. Start marketing and promoting your food truck. Consider using a point of sale system.

97
article thumbnail

5 Best Grocery Store POS Systems and How to Choose One

Fundera

Best Grocery Store POS Systems for 2020. Revel POS systems: A fully integrated, customizable POS system— but it comes at a significant cost. Clover POS systems: A happy medium between capability and reasonable, transparent pricing. Square POS systems: A great option if you’re willing to search for an external scale but want to access high-power inventory tracking.

article thumbnail

The 4 Best PEO Companies for Small Business

Fundera

A professional employer organization (PEO) provides comprehensive HR, benefits, payroll, compliance, and other administrative services for businesses of all sizes. By outsourcing these complex, time-consuming, and generally burdensome tasks to PEOs, business owners can focus on larger-scale matters and run their businesses more efficiently overall. But with over 900 PEOs operating in the U.S., it can be a time-consuming and burdensome task in itself to track down the best PEO for your business.

article thumbnail

Selling a Small Business: A Step-by-Step Guide

Fundera

Every small business owner pours more than long hours into their company to make it succeed. There’s plenty of tears, sacrifices, and struggles to make a small business stand on its own two feet—all of which make the decision to sell all the more complicated. Selling a small business can be a complicated process, both emotionally and logistically. You’ll have to get your organization in tip-top shape before entertaining serious offers, make sure that your financials are rock-solid, and invest a

article thumbnail

Schedule K-1 Instructions: How to Fill out and File IRS Form Schedule K-1

Fundera

What Is a Schedule K-1 Tax Form? IRS Form Schedule K-1 is an annual tax document that must be filed by owners of pass-through entities (partnerships, S-corporations, and certain LLCs) along with their personal tax return to report their share of business profits, losses, deductions, and credits. Beneficiaries of trusts and estates must also complete a Schedule K.

article thumbnail

How to Use Word-of-Mouth Marketing for Your Small Business

Fundera

Digital marketing tactics may have gotten the lion’s share of attention over the past decade, but one of the most valuable and effective marketing strategies actually has its origins offline. Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the oldest tricks in the book, and modern technology has made it easier than ever to get people talking about your brand. If you’ve heard of referral marketing or the concept of brand loyalty, it’s worth noting that both of these fall under the word-of-mouth marketing umbre

article thumbnail

How to Expand a Business: 10 Tips to Help Your Business Grow

Fundera

How to Expand a Business: 10 Tips. Add new offerings. Optimize your existing market. Claim a niche. Move into new markets. Seek referrals. Launch an ecommerce website. Partner with other businesses. Acquire a new business. Franchise your business. Research your competition. It’s one thing to start a business —it’s another to know how to expand a business.

article thumbnail

How to Advertise on Facebook: A Step-by-Step Guide

Fundera

As a small business owner, you know all about embracing new opportunities when they knock on the door. You’re the chief decision-maker for your brand, and when new customer acquisition channels emerge, you’re curious because you see them as routes to sustained growth. Businesses like yours, the ones that adapt to a changing landscape and think about the future, are the companies that will be the 100-year enterprises of tomorrow.

article thumbnail

How to Write a Business Proposal in 7 Steps—Plus Tips and Examples

Fundera

How to Write a Business Proposal. Step 1: Introduce your company and the assignment. Step 2: Create a table of contents. Step 3: Write an executive summary coverting the who, what, where, when, and how of the proposal. Step 4: Lay out all of the project details. Step 5: Describe every deliverable you’ll give the client. Step 6: State the overall budget for the project.

article thumbnail

18 Business Books You Can Finish on Your Lunch Break (Infographic)

Fundera

Everyone is constantly reading. Between texts, emails, social media, and articles, that’s hundreds to thousands of words read every day. Yet the typical American has only read 4 books in the last 12 months. It can be hard in our always-on lifestyle to set aside time to read a book. Between your long commute, desk lunches, and endless responsibilities, it can be difficult to find quiet time for reading.

101
101
article thumbnail

Best Franchise Opportunities for Veterans

Fundera

Franchises are an excellent opportunity for aspiring business owners in general, but veterans are uniquely qualified for this kind of entrepreneurship. Running a franchise successfully requires grit, determination, analytical skills, and leadership ability, which service members have in spades. Succeeding in the franchisor’s mission also requires that the franchisee works within the franchisor’s proven business model and properly executes their training.

94