As 2025 approaches, small business owners must focus on building a clear strategic plan to stay competitive. A strategic plan helps define your goals, understand your target audience, and identify the resources you need to grow. Start by evaluating your business’s current strengths and weaknesses. This includes reviewing your finances, […]
Advice from an Advisor
32 posts
Building a positive workplace culture isn’t just a goal for large corporations—it’s essential for small businesses too. In fact, smaller companies have unique advantages when it comes to shaping and nurturing a culture that’s engaging, positive, and productive. When you invest in creating a supportive, values-driven environment, your employees feel […]
The holidays are coming up: should I wait to apply for a business loan? As a current or future business owner, the holidays can be a frustrating time to access capital. There are many factors applying and closing a business loan in a normal scenario so dealing with holidays […]
Your business may be relatively new, but if things are going well and/or if you want to retain good people, you may be considering offering some sort of benefits. The first place that new business owners often look is for professional development training; employees feel valued when their employer invests […]
Are you a small business owner that thinks they can (or should) wait until after Halloween is over before you begin your holiday marketing? Think again. Shopping for the holidays has already begun, for some consumers as early as June. Couple that with a distracting election (and higher bidding for […]
Knowing the value of the business is critical to the planning necessary to successfully exit your business. For most owners, their businesses are their most valuable asset – think of it is the 401K for the business owner. Accomplishing financial goals depends on converting that asset to cash. Based on […]
Employees are, among other things, expensive! The labor crunch of the past few years has escalated compensation (which, truth be told, had not been keeping up with the cost of living so a correction was necessary) but the costs go well beyond their hourly rate or salary. An employer matches […]
Expanding into international markets might seem only for larger businesses, but the rewards can be just as great for small businesses. Exporting opens up a world of opportunities that can significantly contribute to a company’s growth and sustainability. Consider these points as to WHY your business should take the plunge […]
One silver lining – or at least an opportunity – from the supply chain, price and geopolitical uncertainty that the world has faced post-pandemic is the welcome phenomenon of nearshoring to North America. The U.S. actually bought more from Mexico than from China in 2023! Now, much of that economic […]
“It takes money to make money” is a phrase that most entrepreneurs have heard – and lived. Yes, there are many business models that can be started on a shoestring, particularly in some service industries, but often a new or growing business will require an injection of capital in order […]