Angel Investors Still Interested in New Business Funding

Filed Under (Education, Financial) by admin on 01-05-2009

angle_investorHere is a tip on getting start-up funding for your new business at About.com.

By Rosemary Peavler, About.com Guide to Business Finance

Saturday January 3, 2009

Even in a recession, angel investors are still interested in funding start-up small businesses, even though they are a bit pickier about which start-ups they fund. It’s always a challenge to get angel investor funding, but in these trying times, you have to have a bullet-proof business plan, a good management team, and financials that will stand up to the glare of the spotlight. Sources of angel investor funding have not dried up in this recession. Companies just have find a good match and take their presentation preparation seriously.

A Christmas Thanks

Filed Under (Misc Posts) by admin on 12-22-2008

open-gateOn behalf of the entire team at Small Business Mole we wish you and your family a very happy holiday. We have had a pretty tough year but if you’re still in business you can certainly give thanks for that. We here at the Small Business Mole are looking forward to next year as we can finally see a light at the end of the economic tunnel. Don’t get us wrong, we still have some challenges ahead. Hopefully this next year will be the turn around we have all been hoping for. We are going to continue to dedicate ourselves to getting as much helpful articles, materials, and comments up as possible so please continue to visit.

Thanks again for all your support and comments this year.

Your Business Mole

5 Tips for Writing a Business Plan For a Loan

Filed Under (Business Plans, Business Setup and Planning, Financial) by admin on 12-17-2008

business-plan-3

  1. Begin with a statement of purpose. You should be able to explain your business in 25 words or less.
  2. Tell how your business will work and why it will be successful. List the owners.
  3. Fill in the business details. Describe its products or services, the customers,the market and the competition. List the managers and their credentials.
  4. Supply three years of projected financial statements. Include income, loss, and cash-flow projections.
  5. Provide supporting documents, such as references from creditors and potential clients and suppliers, evidence of insurance and the like.

Brought to you by SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business.”

5 Tips to Jump Start a New Business

Filed Under (Business Plans, Business Setup and Planning, Education, Marketing and Sales) by admin on 12-16-2008

We like the work that comes out of Score. You should go take a look at their site as they have some good tips for you to consider. The website link is at the bottom of this article.

jumpstart1

By Christine Banning, SCORE VP Corporate Relations

  • Create a brand. Spend a little money to create a professional logo, business card and stationery. Present a professional image.
  • Ramp up Online. Make creating a Web site a top priority. A Web site is today’s calling card. You really shouldn’t do without one. Give people a place to go to learn about your business.
  • Make Your First Sale. This is key. Get that first sale even if it’s friends or family at a discounted rate. This counts as getting started, so go for it.
  • Promote Testimonials. Get testimonials from your first sales. Start building credibility for your business from day one.
  • Build Buzz. Be creative. Look for a special promotion, big event, email campaign or something out of the norm for your business to get people talking about you, your product or service.

Brought to you by SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business.”
Ask SCORE

The 2008 Small-Business Survival Guide

Filed Under (Business Plans, Financial, Operations) by admin on 12-15-2008

The following is the next article in a series that we will be posting to help you  bridge the gap between the current down economy and when things get back on the up swing again.

1103257_187x169By: Johnathan Blum

My fellow small-business owners, we may be battered, we may be bruised, we may be scared out of our minds. But at least we are still in the game.

And the good news is, the technological revolution in small-business tools came just at the nick of time with readily available digital tools we can use — right now, this week — to get control of the crazy situation and keep our businesses, well, in business.

Here are three steps you can take today:

Read the rest of this entry »

IRS Tax Planning Calendar for 2009

Filed Under (Education, taxes) by admin on 12-13-2008

tax-help-blueHard to believe but just in a blink of an eye we will be into the 2009 business cycle. The IRS has put together a easy to read planning calendar that might be of use for you as you get ready for next year. It covers dates through the year you should be aware of. You can find this PDF file on the right side of the website under Pages then click the link for Forms and Materials . The file is called: IRS Planning Calendar for 2009. You can click on the form and it will download for you.

The Business Mole

Auto Industry Bailout Editorial

Filed Under (Financial) by admin on 12-11-2008

Well a modified version of the original auto bailout plan has passed the US House of Representatives. Whether you agree with the plan or not I did like the way the House of Representatives got through the debate and into the vote quickly. It is hard to say, as a small business owner, how this will affect me. One thing is sure the top executives at these firms have done a terrible job managing their company’s future. My guess is some type off assisance is needed to give these auto companies a chance to survive. If they fail it will be like an atomic bomb exploded within the industrial sector of this country. That can’t be good for anyone. More unemployment, lower retail sales, more pressure on lending institutions, and a heck of a lot of bad vibrations within the stock market, and yes a trickle down effect to our businesses as well.

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Preparing Your Family and Business for a Emergency

Filed Under (Emergency Prepardness, Operations) by admin on 12-10-2008

ref1Please take a look at this excellent site that has a series of high quality easy to follow videos designed to help you and your family get ready for an emergency. It’s our understanding that they will be adding new segments each quarter. It’s surprising how little the effort required to save your life or to protect your assets during an emergency

We found this site as being very informative:

http://www.preparednessvideos.com

The Mole

Where Is The U.S. Economy Going?

Filed Under (Education, Financial) by admin on 12-08-2008

The following article was in Forbes and although we may have some tough times ahead in 2009 maybe the new administration and incoming congress can help get us out of the financial cellar sometime next year. Until then we all need to tighten our belts and take the ride.

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Small Business the Good News

Filed Under (Financial) by admin on 11-12-2008

Tagged Under : , , , ,

The sun will come out after this economic storm, and until then, small businesses - dubbed the backbone of the economy - have access to more offerings to keep them going, the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration said at a Tuesday conference here.

“These are interesting times, they are challenging times, and they are scary times,” said Sandy K. Baruah, acting administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, a government agency aimed at helping Americans start, build and grow small businesses. “But our period of slow growth that is ahead of us will be followed by some pretty impressive economic growth.”

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