Health Insurance

December 17th, 2004 President Bush signed into law new tax-free savings accounts called HSA or Health Savings Accounts. Even though HSA's have been around for awhile, these plans were only open to a select few. The new revised HSA plans are open to a broader range of small businesses and individuals. You can drop by http://www.hsadecisions.org to see if you and/or your business qualifies for the new HSA and to find out more information on HSA's.

It's all about the risk

One of the hardest thing an entrepreneur has to over come is their adversion to risk. Most people do not like risk and therefore do not reach their full potential since they tend to take the well traveled road. Those who take the less traveled road or set off and make their own trail are the people who will eventually become successful in business and in life. Bob Rottenberg, president of Long's Jewelers Ltd in Boston has built Long's by taking risks. more...

An important aspect of risk, is manageing your risk. It is unwise to set off on a risky adventure without weighing the ROI. Just as when banks loan money they expect a higher ROI when the risk is greater. This does not mean that a risky measure that is forseen to have a great ROI is worth the investment. Each investment of time and money must be balanced with your goals and situation.

There is no doubt that taking risks is a must in life, knowing which risks to take and when to take them sets apart those who will succeed and those who will not.

Two Lessons

Two lessons can be learned from studying PureSafety start small, and be
focused. Like many other dot.coms PureSafety had lots of money from
investors rolling in, but when the dot.com bust hit in the late 90's that
capital all but disappeared. PureSafety is a dot.com business that makes
computer based safety lessons. When the dot.com bust hit they scaled back
their operation, and focused their training only to safety lessons. This
flexibility and focus allowed them to bust through the dot.com bust. more...

Windows Updates

Did you know by not updating your computer with the most current updates you are leaving your business open to loss of data or even data theft. It is very simple to turn on automatic updates. The threats come in many forms. First an attacker can exploit a windows hole, thereby access the valuable information on your PC. Secondly a virus can exploit a security risk left open in Windows, using it to destroy your data, thus causing you to recreate the lost data. Finally, certain software will not run properly unless these updates are installed. The bottom line is that the cost of not performing critical updates is greater not performing them.

Year-end Taxes

It's not too late to same money on your 2004 taxes. One week to go, no time like the present to get ready for next year. more...

What a Blog Can Do For Your Small Business

Ever wonder how having one of these blogs can help your business? more...

Free Management Help

Are you endlessly looking for templates to make forms, letters and contracts? Try Authenticity Consulting's free forum for many of the types of business documents you will need to run your business. Remember these are just free templates, not legally binding documents, so I would suggest if you were going to create a legally binding contract that you would run it by a attorney first. These templates will give you a starting point in how the document should be formatted and the type of content to by used. Remember these are not turn-key documents but are a good starting point for any business document.

Cash is the lifeblood of a business

As any good business owner knows, cash is the lifeblood of a business. Without it, companies wither and die, or worse, remain stagnant and do not reach their financial potential.
There are various scenarios in which financing is not only appropriate, but also, at times, absolutely necessary to help keep your company healthy.
You may have already encountered some of the frustrations associated with securing financing. You could have needed an infusion of cash but had limited time, resources and knowledge of the lending marketplace. You may have tried to get through the process on your own, visiting your personal bank, the bank down the street from your office and a third institution referred to you by an associate or friend.
You copied the mountains of paperwork required for the loan application, forwarded that bundle of documents to the lending officer and left your company's financial future to chance. Then you waited for the lender to evaluate your documentation, request more that you did not know was needed, tell you his or her version of your future cash flow potential, determine how much you should borrow and dictate the terms of the loan agreement to you.
Banks are in business to make a profit. They sell cash as a product to the highest bidder and may also specialize in certain industries or types of loans, preferring to stick to their core competencies when making loan transactions.
There are many reasons loan applications are declined or reduced, including inconsistent historical financial information, lack of prospective financial data and incomplete or ill-prepared proposals. Knowing what a bank is looking for to support a loan request is very important, and there are better ways to ensure you obtain the financing you need -- with favorable terms.
If you are thinking about financing your business, consider using your trusted adviser as a consultant who can lead you through the red tape and enable you to focus on ownership issues rather than stretching yourself thin by picking up the additional role of CFO. more...
By Stephen H. Barnett