According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), "Small firms with fewer than 500 employees represent 99.9 percent of the 29.6 million businesses" in the United States.  Conversely, large businesses numbered only 18,000 as of 2006.  Small businesses and the self-employed truly are the backbone of America.   With tax season fast approaching, make sure your small business is well prepared for April 15th by downloading the 2010 IRS tax calendar for small businesses and the self-employed.  (Click the below picture to download this handy small business resource in convenient PDF form).   [Read Full Article]

Tips from July 16, 2009 The Small Business tips today will be about small businesses using Google Calendar to organize your life. Synchronize: share your calendar with coworkers to coordinate work schedules & see who is available to work or take your shift. Organize: create a different color coded schedule for each activity you have: personal, work, extracurricular, etc. Plan Ahead: add the “Tasks” option on your calendar to remember things to do & mark as you complete each task. Coordinate: use the “auto accept invitations that don’t conflict” to easily plan things that don’t conflict with others. Daily Overview: Combine, share, and plan easily within your business with Google Calendars. [Read Full Article]

Tips from July 10, 2009 The Small Business tips today will be about time management. Spend most of your day doing what you do best. Allocate 60-70% of your day doing what impacts your business the most. Create a daily plan & stick to it. Stick to this schedule & post it around your business for everyone to see what you’re up to. Keep a calendar at your business to have easy access to future events. This helps to coordinate your day with everyone else’s. Be thorough when you contact people. Leave detailed messages with contact information, business information, & what you need. Daily Overview: Make the best of every minute of your business day and accomplish your goals. [Read Full Article]