Finance | BizSieve.com

The 5 Best Budgeting Shortcuts For Small Businesses

If you have just purchased or opened a small business, you may know your trade well, but when it comes to budgeting, your skill set could be lacking. If you are like most small business owners, budgeting is your least favorite managerial task. That is because budgeting is not an exact science – especially during changing and challenging economic conditions. In fact, you may see your actual budget vary significantly from your planned budget during economic difficulties.

When there is a downturn, and you need to tighten your financial belt, you will need to re-evaluate your budget and make some changes. Read on for five simple tips that will help your small business put together a top-notch budget.

1. Emphasize Customer Service

During rough times, your business may not gain many new customers. In order to hold on to those you do have, you will need to provide excellent customer service. Outshine your competitors to retain the sales you already have after the economy improves.

2. Cut Costs

When times are tight and cash is needed to advertise, pay a crucial bill, or capitalize on an opportunity, cutting costs is essential. Take a look at which budget items can be controlled or altered – put off making purchases until the next billing cycle, or ask creditors for a change in payment terms.

3. Talk with Suppliers and Clients

When difficulties loom, talk with your company’s suppliers about renegotiating your credit terms If you have had a good relationship, chances are that the vendor will work with you to lower your minimum payments, adjust a due date or reduce your interest rate. At the same time, keep in contact with your own clients to ensure they pay you on time. Call any clients that have gotten behind on their invoices, and encourage them to get their accounts current. Consider offering a discount to clients for paying their bill in full now. Check your books and make sure you are billing all your clients in a timely manner.

4. Issue Employees Business Prepaid Credit Cards

Many small businesses allow some flexibility in what their managers, representatives and salespeople can charge to the company. Rein those costs in by providing your employees with business prepaid credit cards and establish some hard and fast rules about what they can be used for. Choose a plan that allows instant funding from your mobile device or computer when expenses come up, rather than depositing lump sums in advance that may tempt spending. Track the business prepaid credit cards through your computer or mobile device, to monitor how the funds are being spent.

5. Reduce Administrative Expenses

To keep your budget on track, slash your office expenses and administrative costs. Eliminate company travel and entertainment as much as possible. While it is smart to buy office supplies such as envelopes or toilet paper in bulk for maximum discounts when finances are good, when budgeting gets tight, only spend when absolutely necessary. Cut back or eliminate expense accounts, membership fees, lunches out, unnecessary services. Do your own maintenance and mow your company’s lawn yourself. Limit long distance telephone calls. Consider every possible way to cut corners and lower costs without seriously compromising your business. Request employee input into which expense areas could be reduced.

Bottom line – small business budgeting is a fairly easy but essential process that will allow you to forecast and match your current and future income and revenue to your monthly expenses. Ensure that enough money is available to keep your operation up and running, to expand, compete, and to guarantee a solid emergency fund.

About the Author: Marilyn Smith specializes in covering the latest news of interest to small business owners, including business prepaid cards.

10 Tips For Running A Successful Crowdfunding Campaign

Crowdfunding is a new vehicle for raising money for projects and business ventures. During 2012, $2.7 billion were raised employing the use of crowdfunding. This method of fundraising usually takes place over the Internet. Supporters that believe in projects can now respond to crowdfunding campaigns by donating to entrepreneurs’ and artists’ projects. The most popular crowdfunding sites are IndieGoGo, RocketHub, Kickstarter, GoFundMe, GiveForward, Crowdfunder and Crowdtilt. These sites represent only a small fraction of the crowdfunding sites in operation worldwide. It is estimated that there are currently about 308 active crowdfunding sites.

As banks have tightened restrictions for small business lending, crowdfunding is growing as a viable option for entrepreneurs. While this method for raising money has proven to provide a pathway to success for many, other entrepreneurs have not been successful utilizing crowdfunding platforms. It is important for participants interested in raising money in this manner to make their offer as appealing as possible. There is a lot of competition for donations.

Below are 10 tips learned along the way by both successful and unsuccessful participants.

1. Commit to the necessary time to prepare the best campaign possible. The more complete and clearly stated the campaign project is, the more likely it is that financial supporters will respond. It is not uncommon for an entrepreneur to spend weeks or even months preparing to launch a campaign.

2. Clearly state your financial goals and why the target amount needed is necessary. It is particularly important that monetary goals be justified for higher amounts. Be sure to give careful thought to the amount of money required so that you can intelligently answer questions that donors might have about how the money will be spent.

3. Use provocative videos and photos to sell the project. Videos have proven to be a compelling force for keeping the attention of viewers. With this fact in mind, a poorly produced video could backfire and make a negative impression. If you decide to produce a video, be sure you can make a quality product that looks professional. Being able to keep a person’s attention for two to four minutes is not as easy as it sounds. If you do not have the resources or talent to create a first-rate video, then be sure to place photos in the campaign information for full impact.

4. Test your campaign out on trusted friends and family members to get feedback before taking the campaign public. Use feedback to improve the campaign.

5. Keep your backers “in the know” by sending them updates about your progress on the campaign.

6. Get publicity for the campaign. Advertising or writing an article for a related blog is one good idea for getting some attention. Using social media is another way to create some buzz and get interested donors to check out your offering.

7. Give donors a valuable and memorable keepsake in thanks for donating.

8. Spend money on marketing. Buying an email list or hiring a PR expert can make all the difference in a campaign’s success. Donors must be aware of your campaign before they can give.

9. Get a budget together for starting and marketing the campaign to increase your odds for success.

10. Send out press releases.

About the Author: Adam Smith is currently blogging for Startup Valley. He loves to blog about different crowdfunding platforms and how to create an effective crowdfunding campaign.

Protecting Your Business: Important Considerations For Purchasing Liability Insurance

If you own a business, the costs of a lawsuit could cost you everything; in an effort to cut operating costs, many may fail to go without liability insurance, figuring their chances of being sued are low. But, in a world where frivolous claims and sue-happy people are rampant, it would be foolish to think you do not need that protection just in case. Here are some important considerations for purchasing this all-important protection for your business.

Look into Trade Association Memberships

In many instances, you can purchase products and services at a discounted rate through membership in some sort of organization. When it comes to liability insurance, belonging to a trade association relevant to your business may help you get better rates; this type of membership may also other benefits to your business so it is something worth considering regardless.

Look for a Broker that Specializes in Your Industry

Different industries have different needs when it comes to insurance and other types of products; they each also face unique challenges and have unique concerns. When shopping for liability insurance for your business, you should look for a broker that specializes in your industry. His knowledge of your type of of business and the risks it faces will help guide you in putting together the best policy to meet your needs at the best prices.

Examine Industry Settlements

When deciding on the proper amount of coverage, it is important to have an idea of what type of money you may be looking at should you get sued. Take a look at recent legal actions and settlements against businesses similar to yours. This will help you get an accurate estimate of how much money you would need to fully protect yourself.

Consider a Combination Policy

Liability insurance is not the only type of coverage a business should have. Maintaining separate policies will often result in paying more in premiums than you need to. But, when going this route, it is important to have a full understanding of what is included and what is not. These policies do not typically include all types of business insurance you are interested in purchasing. Examples of what is typically included besides general liability are property, business interruption and business vehicles.

Errors and omissions insurance, also called professional liability insurance, needs to be purchased separately. While general liability insurance is designed to cover things such as injury or property damage, this type of coverage is designed to protect against claims of professional negligence in which a customer believes your services caused them a financial loss.

Check Coverage Periodically

Your liability insurance is not just set it and forget it; as your business grows, it is important to carefully review your policy each year to see if any changes need to be made. After working so hard to build your business, you would not want to risk it because you failed to upgrade your coverage. If you feel you may need to make changes, contact your broker who can offer you sound advice.

About the Author: Kelli Cooper is a freelance writer who blogs about a variety of business topics; if you are in need of liability or other types of commercial insurance in Canada, she recommends you visit Kanetix.ca.

Choosing An Accountant For Your Small Business

Hiring a professional accountant for your small business is a smart investment that will pay off in the long run. Their professional expertise will guide you through some of the common financial pitfalls that businesses suffer from. As a result, you’ll have higher profits and more free time to focus on other aspects of your business. It’s important to note, however, that not all accountants are the same. To get the most benefit from their services, you’ll need to choose the one that’s right for you. Keep reading and we’ll reveal a simple method for choosing a small business accountant.

Before you can even think about hiring an accountant, you should identify the specific needs of your business. Some businesses may only require the services of an accountant during tax time, while others may need them for on-going work like payroll, invoices, check cashing, etc. Determine exactly what services you need and then start your search for an accountant.

Credentials

When it comes to your business’s financial documentation, you want a skilled and experienced accountant for the job. Allowing some inexperienced college student to perform your taxes or handle other accounting roles places the livelihood of your business at risk. Even the slightest mistake in your financial statements could result in disastrous consequences.

So, how do you know if an accountant is qualified to handle your small business? Check to see if they are designated Certified Public Accountants (CPA). This requires ongoing training and test taking in the accounting field. You can expect to pay a bit more for an actual CPA, but their experience and knowledge is something that every small business can benefit from. Don’t just take their word for it, but instead ask to see their credentials to ensure they are still registered as a CPA and have met all of the necessary prerequisites.

Experience and Background

In addition to their credentials, you should also perform a basic background check on their past experience and client reviews. Thanks to the expansion and reach of the internet, this has never been easier. Any reputable accountant should have a website with their past experience and education. Check to make sure it’s credible and professional. If there are any discrepancies, you may want to double check to see if they are correct.

Doing a simple Google search of the accountant’s name will likely reveal comments and reviews from past clients. See what people said about the accountant’s services. If the majority of comments are positive, then you know the accountant must be a pretty good choice. On the other hand, a long list of negative comments is a sign of trouble.

These are just a few of the many things you should consider when choosing an accountant for your small business. Take your time to compare the services offered by different accountants both online and in-person until you find the best match for the needs of your business. A services offered by a good accountant is something that’s well worth the investment.

About the Author: Alyssa is a content contributor for MyVAO.com. Alyssa enjoys writing about accounting advice, small business marketing, and much more. She recommends checking out MyVAO for all of your Quickbooks hosting needs.

How Important is Your Business Credit Score?

Business credit ratings have become more important over the last few years. While they have always been crucial to the success of a business, the recent financial crisis has made managing your business credit rating even more important. Your credit rating will now be used in almost every aspect of your business. Vendors, even ones you currently use, will now review your credit standing periodically to determine if they are going to continue offering you terms on your purchases.

Government agencies offering contract opportunities will now review your credit standings to determine if your company is qualified to complete the contract. They believe if your company has a less-than-perfect credit rating, you will be unable to make purchases necessary to complete the project.

How To Keep Your Business Credit In Good Shape

There are several things that you can do to improve your credit rating or keep your credit standing in good order. Many of these suggestions are also things you could do to manage your personal credit:

• Pay Invoices On Time Regardless of the “grace period” stated on many of your invoices, it is crucial to pay your bills on or before the original due date. While using the grace period may not negatively impact your credit score in a large way, each incident will have a small impact that will quickly impact your credit.
• Watch Balances You want to remain at 35 percent or less of your available credit balance to maintain a good score. While some credit scoring agencies will allow businesses to go up to 50 percent of available without a negative impact, you should try to remain in the 35 percent range. When your debt-to-credit ratio goes to high, the credit rating companies view you as a risk.
• Use Credit Repair Services Many times it takes a “different set of eyes” to see a problem in your finances. You may believe that everything you are doing should have a positive effect on your credit, but your score remains low. A professional agency using business credit repair software can help you manage your debts in a way that will improve your overall credit rating.
• Go To Auto Pay Bills that can be automatically deducted from your checking account each month should be enrolled in auto pay. This simplifies your bill paying process, guarantees your bills are paid on time, and helps you improve your credit rating with little effort.
• Overextension Is Bad Yes, it may seem like a great idea to have accounts established with every provider in your area under the pretense of always being able to get supplies, but this can also impact your credit. As more vendors pull your credit record before establishing an account, or randomly check your record while you are their client, the more inquiries are posted to your credit record. Just like personal credit reports, every time your credit report has an inquiry placed against it, your credit score will drop a few points. If you have an excessive amount of vendors, you could possibly have an excessive amount of inquiries.

Little steps like these can make a huge difference in the success of your company. Sadly, business owners involved with every other aspect of their company often forget how important managing their credit standing can be to their success.

Author Catherine Stephens is a small business consultant and offers this article to help college student avoid heavy debt load. DebtPayPro is one of the best providers of business credit repair software systems within the finance industry. These important tools will help your lender to determine eligibility and assist them in doing necessary common repetitive actions faster and more accurately, which is important when it comes to your financial history.

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