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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Don't Let Office Clutter Clog Up Your Efficiency

For many small business owners, a cluttered desk or office is a sign of success. Things are good, so there’s more that has to be done. But it doesn’t take much for office clutter to go from a source of pride to a serious, potentially overwhelming problem.

Motivation Matters in Getting the Best from Your Employees

One of the first and most important lessons an entrepreneur learns is that employees really are a small business’s most important resource. In fact, the business literally cannot succeed with out them. Their talent, skills, and effort truly add value to your products or services, allowing you to focus on the planning and creative issues that will move your business forward.

Point, Click, Read: The Power of Good Web Copy

Good writing is the fundamental element of all your small business marketing strategy. A thoughtful, well-crafted message that connects with your customers will do more to connect with your customers than any other element.

This is particularly true for websites. Although the web is a visual-driven medium, with sites using flashy graphics, sounds, and other fancy features, success still comes down to what you say and how you say it.

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.

Equipment Leasing Equals Lasting Value

Ready to invest in some new equipment for your small business, but concerned about the added burden of a loan? Consider leasing. 

Not only does leasing help you conserve your cash, it also ensures that you don’t wind up paying for equipment that quickly becomes obsolete or unsuited for your needs. And if you need the equipment only for a short time or special project, leasing saves you the hassle of having to be both buyer and seller.

Maximize Your Web Site's Visibility and Value

“You do your best business on Main Street,” so the old saying goes. But for 21st Century small businesses, “Main Street” is the so-called Information Highway of the Internet.

While a Web site is now considered a must for most any kind of small businesses— whether it’s just a “billboard” or a full e-commerce site— just having an Internet presence is not enough. You must continually monitor and reevaluate its looks, function, and utility to make sure its meeting the needs of your business and— more importantly— hose of your customers.

Borrowing from Friends or Family Requires Wise Management

Friends and family are an invaluable source of support for the aspiring small business owner. And often, they’re an invaluable source of financial assistance as well.

In fact, more small businesses rely on loans from friends and family than any other funding source. Familiarity with the person and his/her business goals, the investment opportunity, and the ability to monitor the venture’s progress are among the major reasons why friends and family members willingly contribute to a start-up or expansion.

Build a Better Business by Listening to Your Customers

Do you ever wonder what your customers think of your business? Are you meeting their expectations? Are there area’s that need improvement? Will they like that product or service enhancement you’ve been thinking about?

All those answers and more are there for the asking. All you have to do is listen.

Franchising is Fun and Rewarding — If You Do Your Homework

Franchising has been characterized as a way to be in business for yourself, without being by yourself. Rather than having to “reinvent the wheel,” a franchise owner can take advantage of tested concepts and proven operational and marketing strategies, as well as the franchisor’s institutional knowledge and guidance. 

Bringing On Contractors Vs. Hiring Staff: Which Will Benefit Your Small Business The Most?

As your small business grows, you will find you cannot do everything on your own. To obtain the help you need, you can choose to outsource tasks to independent contractors or hire employees to whom you can delegate work.

To decide which will make the most sense for your company, it is important first to understand some of the key differences between working with independent contractors versus having employees on staff.

Employees vs. Independent Contractors: Four Points Of Comparison

Key Considerations When Firing an Employee

While carefully selecting employees can help prevent human resources issues, your small business might still find it has hired a staff member who is not a good fit.

A number of issues may justify termination of an employee:

How Creating Buyer Personas Can Help Small Businesses in Their Marketing Efforts

Compiling demographic information about your buyers will only take you so far in understanding how to reach and what to say to your target customers. By creating a “buyer persona” (a profile of a customer to represent a particular group of buyers) for each group of customers to whom you wish to sell your products and services, you will gain greater insight. Buyer personas help you drill down to the specifics of what motivates individual customers to buy and identify what communications channels will give you an opportunity to connect with more of your prospects and customers. 

“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.

Self-Employment Tax Basics

Going from “employee” to being your own boss brings some significant changes, professionally and personally. One of the most significant to become accustomed to is no longer having certain taxes neatly taken from your paycheck by your employer.

As a self-employed individual, not only are you responsible for directly submitting the income tax you owe to the federal, state, and local governments, you are also responsible for paying self-employment tax.

Eight Ways to Manage Your Time and Multiple Projects

As a small business owner, you must have fallen into the trap of having to juggle many tasks in a limited time. While there is no magic formula to hitting the right balance and managing your time seamlessly, you can improve your time-handling skills to accomplish more tasks on your to-do list. Here are some ways to help you keep everything in check when working on multiple projects at the same time.

1. Make a to-do list before you start your day

Record Keeping 101: Information Your Small Business Needs to Maintain

One of the most important administrative responsibilities small business owners face is keeping accurate and current records. Not only is it critical for assessing opportunities and risks that can affect your company’s profitability and potential for growth, it’s also necessary for ensuring legal and regulatory compliance.

Regardless of the type of business you are running, record keeping comes with the territory. Some types of documentation and information are required for all businesses and others may or may not be necessary depending on your industry.

Get Ahead of Your Personal Paper Chase

Forget everything you’ve read about the “paperless” office. Though our computers, PDAs, and smart phones have digitized many aspects of daily life, paper is still very much with us.

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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