All posts by SUASB

Sam Lewis is a small business manager and consultant specializing in small to mid-sized businesses.
Creating a Small Business Wordpress Blog, Starting a Small Business Website

Create a Nice Small Business Website in 1 Hour for $18

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???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????There really isn’t any excuse not to have a professional-looking small business website thanks to WordPress. Even if you do not sell things online, it’s good to have a website for your business. Here is a simple process for creating a small biz site in under one hour (assuming you’re familiar with internet basics) for $18.

– Visit WordPress.com and sign up for a new account using your business name.

– When you’re signed in, choose the option to purchase a domain for $18 (price as of the date of this initial posting).

– Select the option to activate the newly purchased domain name for your new WordPress site.

– Click the “Appearance” button on the dashboard and then “Themes.” Choose the drop down option to view all FREE themes.

– Activate the theme that you like best and select the option to customize it to your liking (options are limited for free themes).

– Click the “Pages” button to add pages to your site (About, Contact, Squeeze/Sales page)

– Update the “Widgets” (also located under the “Appearance” menu) with links to the pages advertising your offerings or service.

– Start posting blogs related to the theme of your new business to draw traffic to your site.

BOOM you’re done.

Of course the process will take more than one hour when you count up the time you’ll spend updating, posting to and tweaking your new small business website on WordPress, but there’s no reason why it should take you more than an hour to get it started. No excuses!

Now keep in mind, if you want more options and freedom to do what you want with your new small business website, will have to establish it with the software at WordPress.org. This is the official WordPress software that you host and manage on your own hosting account. That requires you to get a web hosting plan that supports WordPress installations. Don’t worry, you don’t have to understand every single detail just yet — you’ll get the hang of all this as time goes on.

Expect to pay about $10 per month for a hosting plan (here’s one for $6.99 per month). Most web hosts have a one-click installation and easy instructions for how to update your site. In most cases you’ll update your WordPress website from http://www.mywebsite.com/wp-admin (where “mywebsite.com” is replaced by your actual domain name). The management process is very similar to how you would update it using WordPress.com . If you want a more attractive theme than the ones offered for free, you can find a nice one that can be customized to your needs here.

So there you go. Jump in and get started so that you can finally put a classy website address on your business cards.



Starting up a small business, even if it's just on the side, is no longer an option -- it's a necessity. Why? Because everyone needs an additional source of income in our new economy. Click here to sign up for educational and motivational posts to keep you on track.

Hiring Process, Recruitment, W-2 W-4 W-9 Employees

The Rewards and Challenges of Hiring People

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When you first start your small business you might not have the funds available to hire people. But as time goes on and you start to turn a profit or you get financial assistance and things start to get a little busy, you might want to consider hiring some help. Let me help you explore some of the rewards and challenges of hiring people to your new small business so that you can reason your way through this important decision.

Rewards

There are a number of rewards to hiring people to consider:

  1. Help! The most obvious reward of hiring someone is that you get the help you have probably are desperately in need of to really launch your small business. You can assign someone to the dull details of running the company while you work on your vision for growth and new products or services. Oh, and you actually get to take an actual lunch once in a while.
  2. It’s a tax deductible business expense. Employee wages are tax deductible. You might also be able to deduct reimbursed employee expenses that you’ve paid out of pocket, like uniforms, tools and training.
  3. More brain power. Two heads are better than one. You may find that hiring someone else to help you will add value to your business in ways you never imagined. Hiring the right person can add a new level of insight and innovation to your business.

Challenges

  1. Recruiting can be costly and takes time. It may seem like this is the easiest part of hiring someone, but the recruitment process can be time consuming and expensive. When you hire someone you want to make sure that you find someone who’s really qualified, so you’ll want to post ads on hiring websites, take your time sorting through applications and of course interview people.
  2. When it doesn’t work out. Another challenge that you may face when hiring someone is coming to a point where you realize that the new hire isn’t working out for your business needs. It can be difficult to let someone go and they might qualify for unemployment benefits, which could cause your state employment tax rates to increase.
  3. There’s a lot you need to learn and know. Your state likely has an entire handbook of information related to employment laws. You are required to follow them to the letter to avoid problems. For instance, there are rules about break times, full-time versus part-time hours and overtime pay that you must follow. And of course you’ll need to hire a payroll processing company to figure out the proper employee withholdings and issue checks.

So Is It Time to Hire Someone?

Take all these considerations into account when deciding if it’s the right time to start hiring people. If you’re still unsure, try hiring a qualified W-9 worker (independent contractor) to see how things work out, then make the step of getting a full-time or part-time W-4 employee.



Starting up a small business, even if it's just on the side, is no longer an option -- it's a necessity. Why? Because everyone needs an additional source of income in our new economy. Click here to sign up for educational and motivational posts to keep you on track.

Home Office Ideas, Setting up Your Small Business Office

Cool Stuff for Your Small Business Office

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Your home office should be a place where you’re about your business, but it should also be a place where you feel relaxed, comfortable and maybe even have a little fun from time to time. Check out this cool stuff that you’ll probably want to pick up for your small business office.

Coffee Warmer

There’s nothing that sucks quite as much as a cold cup of coffee – especially when you’re down to your last cup. In the course of handling your business in the morning, you don’t always have time to leisurely sip your coffee while it’s hot, and it’s never quite the same when you try to heat it up in the microwave. That’s probably why coffee cup warmers are so popular in small business offices. This one is only 10 bucks. Just place your mug on the warmer plate and switch it on. Keep the coffee warmer plugged in on your desk to ensure that your cup of joe stays warm until you’ve had every drop.

Massage Chair


There are going to be moments while running your small business when you desperately need a break. You might be having a tough time dealing with a customer or struggling with a supplier over terms. Hang up that phone and turn on your office massage chair. The newer models are ergonomically designed for comfort – some have heating elements and others can massage your back.

Exercise Bike Desk


418cFeVoQuL._SL250_Sitting on your backside doing nothing for hours can take its toll after a while. Spice things up in your office and get your body in motion with an exercise bike desk. Sit down, set your laptop securely on the desk right in front of you and get your workout on while you’re responding to emails, updating your website or participating in an online meeting. It’s fairly compact so that you can put it in a corner of even a small office comfortably.

Keep these cool ideas in mind when you’re decorating your small business office. Your office doesn’t have to be boring and plain. Make it a little oasis — a place you look forward to going when you wake up in the morning.



Starting up a small business, even if it's just on the side, is no longer an option -- it's a necessity. Why? Because everyone needs an additional source of income in our new economy. Click here to sign up for educational and motivational posts to keep you on track.

Securing Financing for a Small Business

Creative Ways to Finance Your Small Business

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One of the most pressing concerns of people who want to start a small business is how to finance it. My advice is to first create a business plan where you outline exactly how much you’ll need to launch the business (it might be less than you think) and then explore some creative ways to finance your small business. Here are a few ideas to help get your wheels turning.

The Friends and Family Plan

If you have a supportive family and friends who want to see you succeed, consider talking to them about your business idea. Once you have your plan and know exactly how much you need, you can divide the cost amongst yourself and the number of people you know who might want to support you in this venture. So for instance, if you need $1,500 to get started and have 4 family members (plus you makes 5), you’re appealing to them for $300 each.

Crowdsource Your Butt Off


Another popular and creative method of raising money for a new business idea is to crowdsource or crowdfund it. Sites like GoFundMe.com and Kickstarter offer this service – it’s up to you to provide complete information about your business idea, make an appeal that will grab attention and promote it via social media. You have to be serious, thorough and very motivated for this creative business fundraising method to work.

Community Grants – CDFIs

Some municipalities offer special programs to local residents who want to start a small business but need funding. A lot of people don’t know about these programs or don’t believe they will qualify, but this is definitely worth looking into. Their requirements for loans are often more relaxed than going to a back. They are often run by CDFI groups (Community Development Financial Institutions). Some community programs help you to save for your business and then provide matching funds if you complete a series of classes and reach your savings goal. Go to your local Chamber of Commerce and ask around town.

Before you go to the bank or pull out your credit cards to pay the initial investment for your idea, investigate these creative ways to finance your small business.



Starting up a small business, even if it's just on the side, is no longer an option -- it's a necessity. Why? Because everyone needs an additional source of income in our new economy. Click here to sign up for educational and motivational posts to keep you on track.

SBA Loans

How to Improve Your Chance of Getting an SBA Loan

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An SBA loan is a loan that is backed by the government. A bank is much more likely to approve your loan request if it is guaranteed by the SBA. Here are a few tips for how to improve your chance of getting an SBA loan for your new business.

Get Your Credit Profile in Order

As you can imagine, one of the most important elements of a decision by the SBA on whether or not to back your loan is your credit profile. In most cases you’ll need a great credit history and score to get an approval. Before you apply for the loan, pay down your credit card accounts as much as possible. This will improve your credit utilization ratio and increase the chance of your score going up in the near future. Get caught up with any payments and avoid going over 30 days late with your debt accounts.

Spend Some Time on Your Business Plan


When you’re planning to apply for financial assistance from the SBA you really need to spend time crafting your business plan to perfection. Don’t just throw it together in a day – take some time to get market research, gather proof of your claims and hire an accountant to help you with the finances. Having a solid plan will improve your chances of getting a “yes” answer from the SBA and a small business lender.

Bring Something to the Table

When you apply for business financing, the bank and the SBA want to know that you’re personally invested in the company as well. There’s a slim chance that they’ll provide you with 100 percent financing — you need to come with cash savings and/or collateral to show them that you’re willing to risk some of your own assets for the sake of the business. Make some sacrifices and start putting some money away in advance of applying for an SBA loan.

If you intend to ask for an SBA loan approval to get your small business started, it’s a good idea to plan ahead. Use these tips to improve your chances of getting approved.



Starting up a small business, even if it's just on the side, is no longer an option -- it's a necessity. Why? Because everyone needs an additional source of income in our new economy. Click here to sign up for educational and motivational posts to keep you on track.

Business License

Why Would You Need a Business License or Permit?

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Getting a business license or permit is similar to getting a driver’s license — it grants you certain privileges to conduct commerce in your location of choice. Permits are issued on the city, state and federal level and commonly require a fee. Here are just a few common circumstances when you’ll most likely need to get a business license or permit to legally operate your business.

You Provide Medical Services to the Public

Any provider of medical services will need to be properly licensed by the state. That includes hospitals, doctor’s offices, dermatologists, providers of cosmetic body sculpting services and more. The practitioner must present proof of her medical training and pass tests to prove that she’s qualified to provide the service safely to the public.

You Sell Items That Are to Be Consumed by the Public

If you sell products that are going to be consumed, there’s a good chance that you’ll need a business license or permit to do so. When I say “consumed” I mean items that will be ingested or used in/on the body like food, medicine (pharmaceuticals) and supplements. The state has a responsibility to the public to ensure that the products they buy for consumption are safe.

You Are in Construction or Building of Structures

If you’re starting a business in the construction industry, the city, town or state where you plan to operate must ensure that you’re qualified to create and repair structures. Again, this is an issue of safety and fairness to consumers and other businesses. You will need to get the proper licensing to operate legitimately as a construction business owner.

You Are a Home Services Provider

If you plan to visit homes to provide services to customers, there’s a good chance that you’ll need a business license or permit. That includes home care attendants, child care providers, plumbers and electricians.

If you’re still unsure if you’ll need to get a business license or permit to operate in your location, the SBA offers a tool that helps you do the proper research.



Starting up a small business, even if it's just on the side, is no longer an option -- it's a necessity. Why? Because everyone needs an additional source of income in our new economy. Click here to sign up for educational and motivational posts to keep you on track.

Limited Liability Company LLC, Sole Proprietorship or Partnership

Sole Proprietorship or LLC for a Small Business?

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There are a number of different business structures that new small business owners can choose, but two of the most common are the sole proprietorship and LLC (limited liability company). Keep the following considerations in mind as you’re deciding between the two.

Ease of Organization

As soon as you trade a product or service for money and make a profit you’re technically a sole proprietor. The business is YOU. You usually don’t have to officially register the business unless you need to get licensing or pay sales tax. With an LLC you have to submit paperwork to the state where you want to organize. The process requires a few extra steps, but can be completed rather quickly by an LLC filing service (this service usually doubles as the registered agent).

Cost of Doing Business

It’s important to know in advance that when you’re running an LLC you’re going to be responsible for paying annual fees to keep your status. That includes a registered agent fee (this is the company manages your LLC and receives any official mailings) and a state LLC tax. Sole proprietors only have to pay their yearly income taxes associated with their business activities. You have to ask yourself if the annual cost is worth the benefits of maintaining an LLC status. Many business owners gladly pay the fee for the business and personal protection it offers.

Personal Protection

The main benefit of filing as an LLC is that your personal matters are considered separate from the business. It is similar to a corporation in that it is its own entity. In most cases, any debts or judgments against the business will not be issued against your personal assets. When you operate as a sole proprietorship you are exposed to risk that could affect your personal property.

Credibility

If you’re planning to start a business where you’ll have to make deals, hire people and work with suppliers, credibility is an issue. Some people feel more comfortable working with an officially registered business that has an “in good standing” LLC status. They may want to look up your company to learn more about your business reputation before working with you. If you do business as a sole proprietor they may have a hard time researching this information. If you are a sole proprietor, at the very least invest in a fictitious name filing so that you can put that on your letterhead and have a searchable record with the state.

Keep these issues in mind and consult with a business adviser to help you decide if you should operate your company as a sole proprietorship or LLC.



Starting up a small business, even if it's just on the side, is no longer an option -- it's a necessity. Why? Because everyone needs an additional source of income in our new economy. Click here to sign up for educational and motivational posts to keep you on track.

Business Plan Outline

A Quick Business Plan Outline for Your Small Business Startup

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Some people think that it’s pointless to create a business plan unless you’re asking someone for money, but I beg to differ. The main reason why the majority of small businesses fail within the first 5 years of operation is poor planning. At the very least, you should create a short-form document (a few pages long) containing this business plan outline to use for your own reference.

Executive Summary

The executive summary is an introduction to what this business plan is all about. It offers an overview of your goals as a new business owner, what you’re selling and why you believe this is an awesome business idea. If you have an interesting (but brief) story to tell about how you got the idea or inspiration to start the business, here is where you put it.

Company Description

Just write the basics about your company, including the location, what you do, your industry and what makes you better than the rest.

Market Analysis

99 percent of businesses have some type of competition (or will at some point in the future). In this section of the business plan outline provide information about your industry, competitors and the market where you plan to sell your goods.

Management Profile

The people who are running a business are crucial to its success. In this section provide a list and details about each key player who is involved in launching and managing your business. If there are a lot of people, you may want to create an organizational chart using Microsoft Word.

Product or Service Description

Here is where you get down to the “nitty gritty” of what your business is all about. What do you plan to sell, how do you plan to make it and what makes it different and better than what’s already out there on the market?


Marketing Plan

As a marketing major, I may be a bit biased but I really think that this is the most important part of your business plan. After everything has been established, products designed, store in place (online or brick and mortar) and items purchased, all you’re going to be doing is marketing.

In this section of your business plan outline, discuss the 4 Ps of marketing (promotion, place, price, product) and give a detailed profile of your target audience. Use demographic data where possible and any marketing research you’ve done (focus groups, surveys, etc).

Financials

In my experience writing business plans, the financials are usually the most time consuming to complete. That’s because you have to create several different financial statements that can be a bit complicated to generate if you aren’t familiar with accounting. Statements you’ll need include an income statement (profit and loss), balance sheet and cash flow statement. You’ll need to create financial projections for years 1-5 (possibly longer if you’re applying for loans or an investment) and past statements if you’ve already been in business for a while.

If applying for financing, you also need to create a funding request outlining how much money you’re asking for, how you’ll use it and how you plan to repay it (if applicable). If you’re not familiar with how to do your financial section properly, hire an accountant to help.

Use this simple business plan outline to create a short plan for your own reference or to present to lenders or investors.



Starting up a small business, even if it's just on the side, is no longer an option -- it's a necessity. Why? Because everyone needs an additional source of income in our new economy. Click here to sign up for educational and motivational posts to keep you on track.

Decide and Plan for a Small Business, Entrepreneur Ideas

3 Totally Doable Small Business Ideas

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A lot of people hesitate to start a business because they think they need to invest a whole lot of money and time to get it going. Not so, thanks mostly to the Internet and social media, there are plenty of options for starting a business with a minimal investment. Here are 3 totally doable small business ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Get Crafty

In the past, the only people who benefited from your creative crafts were your mom and maybe your cat, but now thanks to sites like Etsy, Zazzle and Cafepress you can get “crafty” and make some money in the process. You can sell your creations on a highly trafficked site that gets a lot of attention from the public. A lot of online craft sellers promote their creations on Twitter and other social media sites… and yes, they sometimes make a nice bit of change doing it.

So get crafty and have some fun making some really cute jewelry, home décor, clothes and other items from scratch.

Your investment: the costs associated with the site, which usually include a small listing fee and a percentage of each sale, so yea, basically not much at all. Oh and the investment of your time spending your weekends making beautiful crafts (as if that’s some type of chore! Have some fun with it).

Time for Your Close-Up – Start a YouTube Business

You may be surprised to learn how many people make a nice living from YouTube. With this totally doable small business idea you make money by posting videos that provide information, tips, advice, funny content and other things that people really want to see online. So how do you make money? Google has a program called Adsense where you can run ads besides your videos and make cold hard cash every time someone clicks to your page.

Your investment: the cost of a really good camera (a web camera works) and 1+ hour per day recording videos for posting.

Start a Flourishing Business – $5 at a Time

Another totally doable small business idea for entrepreneurs young and older who are just getting started out is to start a Fiverr business. If you’re not familiar, it’s a site where people can post what are called “gigs” – a service like writing, translation or design – for $5 per gig. You can also sell products on the website, it’s totally awesome and easy to use. There are plenty of resourceful people who have built thriving “Fiverr” based businesses earning a living on the site.

Your investment: none (besides the $1 fee for each completed gig) and your time investment providing the service.

So as you can see despite popular belief, there are ways to start a business without having to invest your life savings or work yourself into the ground. Have some fun with it and remember that when you do what you love, people can tell and they will buy from you. Get started today!



Starting up a small business, even if it's just on the side, is no longer an option -- it's a necessity. Why? Because everyone needs an additional source of income in our new economy. Click here to sign up for educational and motivational posts to keep you on track.

Decide and Plan for a Small Business, Entrepreneur Ideas

How to Find Your Talent – Your Calling

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What is your calling in life? How do you find your talent — the one thing that you have a knack for that could make you a lot of money if you set up a proper system to sell it?

But to be clear, when I ask the question, “what is your calling?” I’m not just asking what you’re good at. Everyone has skills in one area or another, but just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean that it’s your calling. You might be good at copying papers, but do you really want to copy papers for a living?

When I ask “what is your calling” I’m asking what do you LOVE to do. That’s what it comes down to — you have to love what you do first and foremost. You can always learn and refine your skills as time goes on.

So what do you love doing? How can you make money from it? Here are a few suggestions for brainstorming and coming up with a good idea:

  1. Take a trip back to your childhood. In elementary school I wrote a little book in one of those small white hard covered books where you can draw a picture on the cover) and also won 2nd place in a statewide poetry content. It wasn’t until 15+ years later that I realized I loved to write and could make a living from it. Think back to what you loved to do when you were a child but may have stopped doing because someone told you you had to be a “grown up” now.
  2. Ask yourself, what would you do even if you weren’t getting paid for it? What are you passionate about? What makes your heart flutter when you even think about doing it?
  3. What do you do on your free time that you really enjoy? Golf? Tennis? Are you the grill master on weekends? Do you love to snowboard? Reading? Start off with your hobbies, activities that you’re knowledgeable about, and then think of innovative products, services that you can sell to other people who have the same interests. Maybe even an online store selling the best stuff or an informational blog on the subject that earns money from clicks.

Start off with these ideas to find your talent. You might have to try a few things until something takes off. If you have to keep working in the meanwhile, no problem; do that, and use your nights and weekends to work on your new business idea.

Whatever you do, don’t give up! Keep pushing forward until you find your calling and can finally say that you love what you do for a living.

 



Starting up a small business, even if it's just on the side, is no longer an option -- it's a necessity. Why? Because everyone needs an additional source of income in our new economy. Click here to sign up for educational and motivational posts to keep you on track.