Startup
Finding Entrepreneurial Employees
Hiring the right employees can go a long way when you’re an entrepreneur. Your business is a team, and you want to have the best team around you, people who both do good work and work well together. When you are interviewing potential employees, what characteristics and experiences are you looking for? Anita Campbell, the…
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S Corporation: Pros and Cons
Deciding on a business entity type is one of the most important decisions for a business. It affects everything from tax status to ownership, to aspects of day-to-day operation to even how people perceive your business from the outside. And yet, it is a decision that many small business owners don’t make—or, rather, don’t realize…
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LLC: Pros and Cons
The state of Wyoming enacted the first Limited Liability Corporation in 1977, but, due to uncertainty of treatment from the IRS, it wasn’t until the late 1980’s that this entity type really gained widespread acceptance. But what is an LLC? An LLC (Limited Liability Company) is something of a hybrid, combining features of a corporation…
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General Partnership: Pros and Cons
Like the sole proprietorship, the general partnership is a default business entity. In this case, a general partnership is automatically formed any time two or more people form a business together. There is no paperwork required to form a partnership; all it takes is two people (or three, or four, or…) agreeing among themselves to…
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Taproom Coffee — Crowdfunding
When Jonathan Pascual decided it was time to start Taproom Coffee, he was faced with the same problem as many other startup entrepreneurs — finding funding. He started by going through the normal channels. He dipped into his savings and got loans from family and friends, but when that wasn’t enough he had to look…
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Even Home Depot Was Once a Startup
One of the things everyone should remember is that every large, successful company was once a small business startup. If you read the stories of corporate founders, or hear them speak, their stories all bear a strong resemblance. I got to spend several hours talking to Bernie Marcus, the founder of Home Depot, and was…
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Consultant’s Corner: Marketing Plan for a Restaurant and Catering Business
Question: How do I increase profits for my restaurant/catering business during a down economy? Increasing profits in a Recession We have provided marketing considerations and resources below; however, increasing profits can also involve menu pricing, cost controls, staffing levels, and other measures. We assume that the tight market and local competition will not allow you…
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Business Mentoring Series — How a Startup Incubator Helps Entrepreneurs with Jim Flannery
Last week, Fran and Jim discussed the importance of knowing your customers. This week, Jim talks a little bit more about Four Athens and how incubators in general help entrepreneurs. A startup incubator like Four Athens is focused on helping entrepreneurs start sustainable businesses that create value and help people. And they are looking to…
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3 Small Business Myths That Prevent Your Success
For years we’ve been told by “experts” that there are certain all-encompassing principles that will get you through the bad times and make your business a success. Well, just like you and unlike many of these experts, I’ve actually gotten my hands in the soil and started quite a few successful businesses, and I…
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Business Mentoring Series — The Importance of Feedback with Jim Flannery
On last week’s show, Fran and Jim talked about the makeup of an entrepreneur. This week, they discuss a fundamental of the startup business: finding your customers. It’s easier than ever to build a product today. From tangible products to software to internet companies, it’s possible to build a product in a day. But should…
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