Ask SCORE

SCORE, "Counselors to America's Small Business," is a nonprofit organization of more than 13,000 volunteer business counselors who provide free, confidential business counseling and training workshops to small business owners. Call 610.327.2673 for the Pottstown SCORE chapter, or find a counselor online at www.pottstownscore.org. 

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Revitalizing Your Old PCs Can Maximize Your IT Investment

Computer technology changes so quickly, it almost seems like today’s state-of-the-art today might well be obsolete. Though few small business owners can afford to be on the “bleeding edge” of PC technology, they also don’t want to compromise their employees’ productivity with seemingly outmoded machines.  As a result, they find themselves making periodic purchases of new hardware while the old machines pile up in a closet or corner.

Your Price Is Right — If You Do Your Homework

“How much should I charge?”

That’s one of the first questions most small business owners ask. And it’s not an easy one to answer. Setting a pricing strategy depends on many factors — the type of product or service you’re offering, your own costs to provide it, your expected profit, your customers’ location, the “going rate” for your industry, and many others.  

Finding just the right balance between all of the factors involved is more art than science. Pricing too low can cut into your profits, while overpricing also can hurt your business.

Good Planning Will Help You Know How to Grow

After a fast start, your small business seems to have lost momentum. What happened? And more importantly, what can you do about it?

Given the interconnected nature of today’s economy, even small, largely local businesses are influenced by trends and events in other industries, and even other continents. 

For Fast-Track Fulfillment, Consider Specialized Shipping Services

Handling the fulfillment responsibilities yourself may seem like a good, cost-saving idea when you’re just starting out. But as demand for your products grows, so too will your fulfillment backlog. Unless you stay on top of it, your sales will suffer along with your company’s reputation for quality and responsiveness.

Ethics — Don't Do Business Without Them

Operating an honest, ethical business may seem like a no-brainer. But in today’s highly competitive business environment, the temptation to bend the rules looms large. And don’t think that it’s OK to do something “just this once.” Not only is a wrong choice always wrong, but one-time ethics breaches often become habits. And, once the reputation of you and your business are compromised, it may be impossible to repair the damage.

The Potential Power — and Pitfalls — of Partnerships

The idea of a partnership may be appealing if you’re considering launching a small business.   Unlike solo ventures where the burdens fall on a single person, partners can share responsibilities and often bring different skills and knowledge to the business. One partner may be great with numbers and planning, while the other is a whiz at marketing and sales. Combining these elements can open more doors and help the business realize more opportunities more quickly than it could with only one person involved.

Overtime Awareness Will Protect You and Your Employees

Will you be asking your employees to work overtime this year? Before you start setting those work schedules, make sure you fully understand the rules governing overtime pay.

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA, administered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, hourly employees must be paid overtime at time-and-a-half for working more than 40 hours in a workweek. Overtime pay may not be waived by any agreement between you and your workers.

Overtime Awareness Will Protect You and Your Employees

Will you be asking your employees to work overtime this year? Before you start setting those work schedules, make sure you fully understand the rules governing overtime pay.

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA, administered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, hourly employees must be paid overtime at time-and-a-half for working more than 40 hours in a workweek. Overtime pay may not be waived by any agreement between you and your workers.

Some Insights on Successful Outsourcing

Outsourcing is a common practice in today’s business world, but it’s not the domain of large companies. Small business owners use outsourcing for a variety of reasons— to handle work overflows, receive specific expertise in a new or unfamiliar area such as marketing or IT, or take on more routine administrative tasks that are taking up too much of their time and attention.

Opportunities Abound for Sharpening Your Small Business Skills

Very few people begin the process of building a small business with a full knowledge of all the skills required for success.  Even those who extensive experience or education in business management still need to bring themselves up to speed on the added responsibilities of entrepreneurship—tax issues, employee management, business development, accounting, etc.

Redefine Your Management “Quality Time”

Time is a precious commodity for every entrepreneur. With all the responsibilities of managing and growing a small business, the hours and the days can easily slip by, sometimes leaving one to wonder just how much got accomplished.

For many, the go-to time management tool is the to-do list. Marking off completed items may provide a sense of satisfaction—at least until you remember what else has to get done— but it may not be as productive as you think, according to professional organizer and productivity expert Julie Morgenstern

Accuracy is Essential in Small Business Valuations

When you first contemplated becoming an entrepreneur, you probably spent some time calculating how much your time was worth. Now, you may be wondering how much this business that you’ve built is worth.

There are many reasons for determining the value of your small business. You may be ready to raise capital by issuing stock or selling a portion of the business to a prospective partner. An appraisal may also be needed in order to spin off a portion of your business, settle a dispute or divorce, liquidate some assets, or sell the business entirely.

Pottstown SCORE Celebrates 25th Anniversary with Client Expo

On October 22nd, the Service Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE) Pottstown Chapter celebrated its 25th anniversary with a first of its kind Client EXPO. The event was open all of the tri-county area business community and their supporters. SCORE is a national organization of volunteer advisors offering free, confidential business advice to small businesses, entrepreneurs and local communities. All of the exhibitors at the EXPO were SCORE Clients or sponsors.

Understanding the What’s and Why’s of Advertising

Have you ever seen an advertisement and thought that something similar might well benefit your small business? Well, it just could. Or, it could backfire and be a complete waste of money.

That’s because advertising is but one element of a business’s overall marketing strategy. True, it has many facets—print, billboard, online, broadcast, direct mail, etc.—but each element and the message it conveys has been carefully developed with a specific purpose in mind. In other words, image is not always everything.

“Success Thinking”—It’s All About Attitude

As a small business owner, you’re not just “the boss.” You’re also the leader, the person employees, vendors, customers, and prospects look to for guidance, support, and confidence. And being a leader is easier than you think. It begins with a positive, “can-do” attitude that your business delivers what it promises, and can achieve any goal.

Plan Now to Survive the Seasonal Sales Cycle

Seasonal businesses devote a large part of the year preparing for those special weeks or months when most of their revenue is generated. For many retailers the holidays are boom time. Fitness centers soar in January and sag with the summer exodus. Some businesses sell more when the weather warms, the tax or wedding season arrives or tourists travel.

Those boom times come at a price—financial survival throughout the remainder of the year when business slows to a trickle.

Use Mindful Management to Control Routine Costs

You’re very meticulous when it comes to providing quality service or products to your customers. So why treat your routine administrative expenses the same way? Every extra dime or dollar you spend on supplies, photocopies, postage, etc. adds up. Taken together, those “little things” can take a huge chunk out of your profits.

Good Habits Can Translate Into Great Sales

The longer you’re in business, the more you realize that the only constant is change. You may be enjoying strong sales across a broad customer base, but those conditions could be far different in just a matter of months. A competitor’s offer may tempt your customers to try something different. Organizational and operational changes may require you to build relationships with new people from scratch.

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