Consultants_Corner_Consolidating_A_Business_Loan

Question: Can I get a loan for consolidating business loans together, and how do I go about applying for them? Checking with your current lender or lenders would be the first place to inquire about the availability of and requirements for a consolidation loan. Provided that your business is financially stable and generating sufficient cash…

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Q. I’m looking for ways to measure my customer service. What do I need to look for, and where should I look? A. Managing and measuring customer service varies by type of business products and services and can include counting customer calls and inquiries, measuring response time, customer surveys, improving written customer policies and procedures, product…

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Motivating_Sales_People

Question: We are a base pay + commission compensation company that has been in business 5 years. What is an effective way of motivating employees to understand that they are not cost effective until they generate 5 times their pay? While it is important for workers to experience transparency in their company and understand where…

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Consultants_Corner_Filing_A_Patent

Question: I’d like to file a patent. How do I perform a patent search and complete the process of filing a patent? Patent Basics A patent for a product or business process invention is the grant of a property right to the inventor. Patent protection prevents others from using a product or business process invention…

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Q: What do I need to know about Business Succession Agreements? Business succession planning refers to the planning for changing ownership of business interests. There is no one document that does effective business succession planning. You can research succession planning considerations through articles and information like the following examples, which explain that several coordinated documents are often required to…

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Forming_A_General_Partnership

Question: I am ready to start a business with a partner. What steps should I take? You can review information for forming a General Partnership at state and legal websites; however, these are the general steps required for formation of this entity type: Choose a business name File a trade name Draft and sign a…

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Home_Based_Business_Insurance

Question: Would our homeowner’s insurance cover the entire inventory of our home-based business, or do we need additional insurance? In our experience, it is unlikely that your existing homeowner’s insurance policy covers any of your business assets or liabilities, particularly significant amounts. You would have to speak with your homeowner’s insurance agent to determine if…

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