Category: Uncategorized

“What’s Small Business Saturday?” a shop owner asked me recently. She told me she had just opened weeks before, and I asked her if she had anything planned for Small Business Saturday. While she had a day of events and giveaways, including gift card drawings, planned for the last Saturday of November, she just hadn’t made the connection to the popular holiday that celebrates local businesses and encourages shoppers to #ShopSmall. With a little extra effort, she may be able… Read More

There were about 25,000 staffing and recruiting agencies in the US before the pandemic, and total sales grew to $168 billion in 2021, according to ASA research.  Despite the pandemic and the disruption it cased in the labor market, overall the outlook for the staffing industry is strong,  Some three million temporary and contractors work for staffing agencies (aka temporary staffing agencies, or temp agencies) each month, according to the American Staffing Association. They fill roles in all types of… Read More

Every entrepreneur looking for a small business investor has probably heard how important a pitch deck is. It offers the chance to capture a potential investor’s attention. Thousands of dollars (or more) can ride on your ability to sell your business or business concept quickly and concisely.  “A pitch deck is like an elevator pitch,” says Peter Fong Certified Mentor Entrepreneurship with Central Valley SCORE. “You have a short period of time to pitch an investor or banker to invest… Read More

Cash flow is the lifeblood of any small business. While it’s ideal to run a business where you get paid upfront for every job, in the trucking industry that’s just not how it works. Instead, it’s common for trucking companies to deliver a load and then get paid 15, 30, 60, or even 90 days later.  In the meantime, there is fuel to be bought, and bills to be paid. And trying to keep track of who has paid, and… Read More

If your small business has inventory, knowing how fast it is selling will help you better understand the financial health of your business. Here’s why inventory turnover ratio is important and how to calculate it.  What Is The Inventory Turnover Ratio? The Inventory Turnover Ratio, or ITR (a.k.a. stock turnover ratio) measures the number of times a business sells and replaces its inventory over a certain period.  A higher turnover ratio means that a company is selling more and replacing… Read More

If you’re worried about the potential impact of a recession on your small business, you’re not alone. Business owners are bracing for an economic downturn, with no idea when that may happen or how bad it may be. Eight in ten small business owners believe the economy will enter into a recession this year, according to The CNBC|SurveyMonkey Small Business Index Q2 2022 survey.  CEOs of larger businesses surveyed by The Conference Board were slightly less pessimistic. Nearly 60% said they expect the… Read More