The Facts About Startup Business Lines of Credit

Lines of credit are one of the most misunderstood subjects among startup founders and entrepreneurs. It’s not their fault. Most of the information out there is too generic to be actually useful. And, in some cases, it’s even outright inaccurate. So here’s a primer on startup lines of credit. You are going to learn: How they […]

Six Government Contract Financing Options

Becoming a government contractor has a number of advantages, especially for small businesses. Government agencies buy most types of products and services year-round, they pay on time, and can be great customers. Actually, the government gives small businesses incentives to work with them. There are a number of programs designed to help small companies win more government business. […]

Why Your Small Business Should Sell to the US Government

One of the most overlooked business opportunities for small business owners is selling to government agencies. It’s easy to see why it can be overlooked by some. For many, the process seems tedious and complex. And there is often a lot of competition by larger, better-funded, and more experienced companies. So, why bother? Actually, the government […]

How Clients and Suppliers Can Help Fund Your Startup

For many entrepreneurs, finding money to start a small business is one of the most challenging aspects of being an entrepreneur. It’s just hard. But in this article, we discuss two great – but seldom discussed –ways to finance your business: your vendors and your clients. Both vendors and clients can be a great source of funding – if you […]

Offering Net-30 Terms? Will Your Client Pay on Time?

One of the many challenges that small business owners face is having to offer net-30 to net-60 payment terms to clients. While offering net-30 terms can help you increase sales, it also exposes your business to credit risk. Basically, your company could run into cash flow problems if your client pays late, or worse, doesn’t pay […]

Five Options for Companies that are Running Low on Cash

Running out of money is a common problem for startups and many small businesses. It’s one of the worst things that can happen to a business owner. Without money, you can’t pay salaries, vendors, or any bills. Unless you fix the problem quickly, you could go out of business. One of the greatest misconceptions about cash […]

How to Come up with A Ton of Great Business Ideas for Your Startup

For many would-be entrepreneurs, the process of coming up with a business idea can be daunting. Having the right idea is the first of many important steps along the path to entrepreneurship. It’s also one of the hardest steps – at least it was for me. To be frank, I wish I’d had a good idea-generation […]

Practical Business Lessons From my Daughter’s Lemonade Stand

My daughter had been asking me for three days straight whether we could put a lemonade stand in front of the house. She had that relentlessness that seven-year-olds have when they want something – and they want it now. As someone who has lived in Miami for many years, I can tell you that the […]

Should Vendors Offer Early Payment Discounts to Clients?

Many small companies get into cash flow problems because they have difficulties managing their client payments. Most commercial clients pay their invoices in 30 to 90 days. That is not a problem if your company has a large enough cash reserve to cover expenses. However, if you don’t have a cash reserve, you have a problem. You […]

How to Ask Friends to Invest in Your Business

I have always believed that the best way to finance a business is through self-financing. It has a number of advantages, if you can afford it. The most important one is that you have complete freedom to run your business as you see fit. You don’t owe anything to anyone. As a matter of that, […]