Most People Think Banks Are the Go-to for Business Funding—But They May Not Be Your Best Option Anymore. Discover Smarter, Faster Funding Options That Go Beyond the Bank.
Beyond the Bank: Alternative Ways for Small Businesses to Fund Their Future Read More »
Discover How Corporate Bonds Can Provide Cash Flow During Revenue Delays, and Explore How Royalties Can Tie Investor Returns to Your Sales Without Control.
Advice About Bonds and Royalties to Fund Business Growth Read More »
Robert Kiyosaki, the author of “Rich Dad Poor Dad”, discussed the value the game Monopoly had in his education when he wrote that “You buy four green houses and trade them in for a red hotel.” The message here is that to have a successful business you don’t buy the red hotel right out of the gate. You build up your tacit business knowledge so that when you can afford the red hotel you are more likely to be successful.
Successful Business – Buy Four Green Houses Before You Buy a Red Hotel Read More »
For most inventors with a new product idea, they are far better to license their idea to a manufacturer than to raise the capital to manufacture and distribute the product themselves.
How to License Your New Product Idea Read More »
The Small Business Administration (SBA) does not lend money, it simply acts as insurance for lenders, such as banks, with 3 loan programs
What You Need To Know About The Role Of The SBA Read More »
Enjoy the following excerpt from my FREE What You Need to Know About Starting a Business course where I talk about two common small business funding options for small businesses. We will discuss what I call the debt continuum, how lenders control risk and reward, and the value proposition for equity financing investors you can use to convince investors to fund your business.
Video: What You Need To Know About Your Funding Options Read More »
When a business approaches a lending institution about debt financing, the lender conducts an evaluation of the borrower using a method known as the 5 C’s of Credit
The 5 “C’s” of Credit Read More »
When considering key partners, you must consider the following questions: 1, Who are your key partners and who are your suppliers? 2, Which key resources are you acquiring from key partners and suppliers? 3, What key activities do your key partners and suppliers perform?
Key Partners and Your Business Model Read More »
What is operating leverage and why should you care? Ignoring the financial mumbo-jumbo, operating leverage represents how having debt can affect a company’s bottom line profit. In some cases, Operating leverage can improve a company’s profits and in others, it can destroy it.
Operating Leverage for Small Business: When You Should Use Read More »
Within the world of debt financing, there is a continuum, as different lenders have different appetites for risk and reward.
What You Need To Know About The Debt Continuum Read More »
A franchise investment isn’t as high as most people think, especially when you put the investment cost into context and compare it with starting a business from scratch. There are eight factors that determine a franchise’s investment costs.
So Why Does a Franchise Cost So Much Anyway? Read More »
There is a huge difference between consumer credit and business credit. Consumer credit funds consumptions while business credit is known as “leverage” and is applied to the purchase of an income-producing asset. As individuals, consumer credit is generally a method we use to obtain what we desire sooner than if we were forced to save
What You Think You Know about Credit Is Just Wrong Read More »
while the government may understand the importance of small business in the overall economy, its definition often differs from the way most entrepreneurs may define them. As a result, the methods in which the government can inject money are primarily limited to guaranteeing loans and creating projects for a narrow slice of the business community.
The Feeble Role of Government to Stimulate Small Business Read More »
Several weeks ago, Sara Pope of ConsumerAffairs.com, reached out to me and asked if I could review a step-by-step guide to business loans and financing that her company had produced. My initial reaction was to just say no. My inclination to decline her offer was based on my experience with hundreds of nascent entrepreneurs. All too
A Step by Step Guide to Business Financing Read More »
Understanding monetary policy is critical to understanding why our lives are the way they are. Unfortunately, economics is often viewed by the vast majority of citizens with confusion and boredom. Financial jargon coupled with intimidating mathematics quickly deters people from any attempt at understanding it. That said, our established monetary system exists as one of
Our Fragile Monetary System Read More »
Innovations and manufacturing businesses have different planning requirements than the more common support and local service businesses.
Why The Business Planning Advice You Have Received Is Probably Stale Read More »
The SBA has it wrong. A business plan is not always what you need. Financial planning is advisable to the extent that you have access to enough money or capital to conduct your first few experiments. However, small business counselors, mentors, and the SBA often encourage ALL fledgling businesses to write a business plan. This
Forget Writing A Business Plan Read More »
The inverse to why sellers sell a business is why buyers buy. Often a seller may only sell one business in a lifetime. However, buyers often buy several companies during their lifetime as they assemble pieces to help another business grow. Many buyers purchase a business to avoid the risk associated with start-ups and are
Why Buyers Buy a Business Read More »
Most banks say that they are small business lenders. The missing part of that statement is how banks define small businesses and what banks will lend money for. From the bank’s perspective, a small business is an established business and not a new business. Banks lend money primarily for tangible assets that double as collateral.
How to Argue for Seller Financing Read More »
When it comes to buying a business, size does matter. Most lifestyle or micro businesses have under 1 million in annual sales. When it comes to lifestyle and micro businesses, the owner is also the top manager. For valuation purposes, a good rule of thumb for a marketable lifestyle or micro business is that the
How to Value an Existing Lifestyle or Micro Business Read More »
There is a bit of an injustice in the way entrepreneurs are told about the business planning process. First, new entrepreneurs are told that to get money from a bank they need a business plan. While there is some truth to this, a major missing piece is that they will likely not get any funds
Retirement accounts qualify for special tax treatment by the IRS. A common retirement account is a 401k, where pretax dollars from you, which are often matched by your employer, are deposited into an account and allowed to grow tax-deferred. These funds are designed to create income during retirement and are subject to premature distribution penalties
Using a 401k Loan to Fund Your Business Read More »
By transferring a traditional IRA into a self-directed IRA, the IRA owner can invest in private businesses and in real estate as well as traditional sources
Using a Self-Directed IRA to Fund Your Business Read More »
Many would-be entrepreneurs have money tied up in retirement plans like IRAs or 401ks that could be used to fund their businesses. Many simply believe they can’t access these funds until they reach the age of 59.5 without being subject to a premature distribution penalty. That being said, there are a few ways that you
Retirement Account Funds New Business Read More »
Why Every Business Needs Capital to Survive and Thrive. Learn How Debt and Equity Financing Can Make or Break Your Venture.
Why Every Business—Successful or Not—Eventually Needs More Capital Read More »
Writing a business plan is not about the document—it’s about the clarity and confidence you gain in the process. It’s your earned knowledge that matters most.
Why Writing a Business Plan Yourself Builds Earned Knowledge Read More »
