Category: Starting a Business

Five Legal Questions To Ask Yourself if You Own a Small Business in 2025

Five Legal Questions To Ask Yourself if You Own a Small Business in 2025

Owning a small business can be filled with blessings and curses. The blessings of business ownership revolve around having control of your source of income and being able to build equity for larger, future personal and family goals. The curses range from people mistakenly thinking you can work (or not work) whenever you want and knowing that much of what may happen inside and outside your business can have significant legal consequences for you and/or your business.  This article addresses… Read More
Bookkeeping 101 for Small Business: Everything You Need to Know

Bookkeeping 101 for Small Business: Everything You Need to Know

Key takeaways: Bookkeeping isn’t just about taxes—it helps you track cash flow, qualify for funding, and make smarter financial decisions. Learn why keeping accurate records is essential for your business’s success. You don’t have to be a finance expert to set up a solid bookkeeping system. With advice from tax pros, we’ll break down the basics. Avoid costly mistakes and stay tax-ready with simple strategies. Discover common bookkeeping pitfalls, how to manage your records efficiently, and when to consider outsourcing.… Read More
Should You Start a Business for Freedom?

Should You Start a Business for Freedom?

Key takeaways: While business ownership can lead to more freedom, it also often comes with trade-offs like long hours, financial risk, and short-term sacrifices. Choosing the right business model is key to achieving your version of freedom, whether it’s flexibility, financial growth, or independence. Learn from other entrepreneurs who achieved freedom in their businesses, and get strategies to help you succeed.  Freedom was a key reason why serial entrepreneur Susan Nilon started her latest business, The Stress-Free CEO, a consulting… Read More
Starting a Business After Chapter 7 Bankruptcy: A Guide to Moving Forward

Starting a Business After Chapter 7 Bankruptcy: A Guide to Moving Forward

Key Findings: Nearly 450,000 Americans filed for bankruptcy in 2023, and there were nearly 19,000 business bankruptcies the same year.  Americans are also starting businesses in record numbers, with over 21 million businesses started over the past four years. Bankruptcy will create challenges for starting a business, but does not have to stop entrepreneurs who are passionate about launching their business.  “I love entrepreneurs,” says San Francisco bankruptcy attorney Cathy Moran. “They are the most optimistic and hard working folks… Read More
How to Get Money to Start a Business in 2025

How to Get Money to Start a Business in 2025

Key takeaways: If you need money to start your business, keep in mind that many successful businesses get creative and use a combination of personal savings, side hustle income, and strategic small business loans rather than waiting for perfect funding conditions. Learn how to layer multiple funding sources together—like microloans, crowdfunding, supplier credit, and business credit cards—to create a more flexible and resilient financing strategy. Build your business credit profile to position your business for more opportunities in the future. … Read More
Top Business Loans and Grants for Native American Entrepreneurs in 2024-2025

Top Business Loans and Grants for Native American Entrepreneurs in 2024-2025

There are about 49,000 American Indian and Alaska Native-owned small businesses in the US, according to US Census Bureau research. Indigenous entrepreneurs in the USA often face significant financial challenges, however: 56% of Native and Indigenous entrepreneurs cite financial issues such as raising capital or budgeting as their biggest challenge, according to a Breaking the Blueprint HubSpot blog survey. 16.3% of Native households don't use banks, due to high poverty rates, systemic racism, and lack of brick-and-mortar institutions on reservations,… Read More