Small business suppliers and supplier-hopefuls, rejoice! The SBA just announced they are launching a Supply Chain Training Initiative in partnership with Connecticut-based United Technologies (who itself just announced it will invest $19 billion into hiring US small business suppliers over the next five years). According to the official press release, the program will include “events, webinars, and procurement conferences, all in an effort to break down barriers and prepare small businesses to compete for supply chain opportunities with large businesses across America.” While you wait for this ..read more

By Dave Donovan Considering that around half of all businesses no longer exist after five years, risk mitigation should be a crucial aspect of any new venture’s strategy. But which risks do you have to watch out for the most? Here are the ten most common risk factors that can kill a startup before it finds its footing. Financial Risk When you start a new business, you can’t completely avoid the risk of losing all of the money you (and potentially others) have invested in it –but you can work to minimize this risk. It’s important to know exactly how much money your business needs to earn to br ..read more

When it comes to tax preparation, it’s in a small business owner’s best interest to learn as much as they can about staying in compliance and meeting their tax obligations. Even though small business owners may deal with taxes through their in-house accountants or an outside accounting firm, having a working knowledge of tax preparation can still be extremely beneficial. Keeping poor records and failing to identify all the items that make up gross receipts – otherwise known as taxable business income – are two of the major pitfalls small business owners need to be aware of. Solid record keepi ..read more

|| Share on LinkedIn || || Share on LinkedIn || What Should I Do Next? Learn more about the Dun & Bradstreet D-U-N-S Number Get a Dun & Bradstreet D-U-N-S Number Look up your or another company’s Dun & Bradstreet D-U-N-S Number Did you know…. “Almost all Fortune 500 companies require a D-U-N-S Number when applying to do business with a supplier, contractor or consultant.”  Tweet This My team is fortunate to travel to dozens of business events each year and talk to thousands of small business owners.  Two questions we find ourselves answering again and again are: What is a ..read more