Category: Starting a Business

How to Turn a Killer Recipe Into a Successful Food Business

How to Turn a Killer Recipe Into a Successful Food Business

What started as a hobby making sauerkraut has grown to a full-fledged business, thanks to passion, a few credit cards, and an interest-free loan. When David Edmondson started making sauerkraut in his home kitchen in Dunsmuir, Calif., three years ago, he says, “I tasted good sauerkraut for the first time.” He was hooked. He started giving it to friends and family, who raved about it and told him he should sell it. He took their advice “with a grain of… Read More
New in Small Business: Sustainable Spaces, Drones, and Where to Invest Your Company’s Money

New in Small Business: Sustainable Spaces, Drones, and Where to Invest Your Company’s Money

Each week, Nav brings you relevant small business news from across the web that we hope you find interesting! Pay off your credit cards now. Here’s why Credit card holders: once the Fed starts increasing interest rates, rates on your existing debts will start to go up. That means anyone with credit card debt could see their debt increase once rates start climbing higher. No need to panic: there’s still time to pay off debts, but as Nav’s head of… Read More
New In Small Business: Friendliness, Mentorship, and the Apparel Industry’s “Best Business Model”

New In Small Business: Friendliness, Mentorship, and the Apparel Industry’s “Best Business Model”

Each week, Nav brings you relevant small business news from across the web that we hope you find interesting! What’s Happening This Week U.S. Small Business Friendliness This week Thumbtack released its 2016 Small Business Friendliness Survey, which pulled over 12,000 small business owners from across the U.S. The survey graded both states and major cities on issues such as overall business friendliness and labor regulations. The states receiving the highest grade (A+) include Utah, Texas, and Tennessee, while California… Read More
What’s New In Small Business — Regulation Reform, How to Work From Anywhere, and More

What’s New In Small Business — Regulation Reform, How to Work From Anywhere, and More

Each week, Nav brings you relevant small business news from across the web that we hope you find interesting! New and Noteworthy Rethinking Red Tape Rethinking Red Tape is a recently-launched coalition of the SBE Council, the National Association of Manufacturers, the International Franchise Association and Women Impacting Public Policy. Many small business owners cite regulation as the biggest hurdle they face. “This is a project designed to bring the regulatory issue to life for lawmakers in Washington and provide… Read More
What Does It Take to Raise Angel Funding/Venture Capital?

What Does It Take to Raise Angel Funding/Venture Capital?

I live in Silicon Valley, the birth place of Apple, Google and Facebook and the Mecca of angel investments and venture capital. I also make a fair number of angel investments every year. I get asked all the time by business owners how to raise money from angel investors and venture capitalists. I am going to make this post short. The truth is, most typical businesses are not good candidates for angel investments and venture capital. After all, only about… Read More
Let’s Help Close The Entrepreneur Earnings Gender Gap

Let’s Help Close The Entrepreneur Earnings Gender Gap

If the gender gap between men and women’s wages isn’t troubling enough, take a look at the differences in earnings between male and female owned small businesses. Average sales receipts of women-owned businesses are only 25% of sales receipts of men-owned business, and the annual earnings ratio between self-employed women and men is 55%, well below the ratio between non-self employed women and men, according to a 2013 report by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Those numbers don’t indicate a… Read More