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Cheryl Sowa

Small Businesses' Top 5 Financial Mistakes

Dealing with finances is a major responsibility and very important for small business owners. Find out the top 5 mistakes and work hard to prevent them from happening to your business.

Tags: small business, finance, mistakes, plan, software, help, money, help

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Posted: 9/24/2009 | Comments (1)

Cheryl Sowa

The Swine Flu Revisited

The H1N1 global epidemic has affected thousands of people around the world. Find out more about the vaccine, how to handle Swine Flu in your business, and more.

Tags: small business, swine flu, h1n1, health, who, vaccine, workplace

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Posted: 9/24/2009 | Comments (0)

Cheryl Sowa

September Slump Got You Down?

Slowdown got you troubled? No worries. Think positively and improve your business.

Tags: small business, slump, slowdown, opportunity, chances, network, marketing, improve

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Posted: 9/21/2009 | Comments (0)

Cheryl Sowa

Nonverbal Communication Signals in Business

For businesses, communication is very important within the company, customers, and clients, and some of the most important communication is said without words.

Tags: nonverbal communication, presentation, gestures, eye contact, movement

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Posted: 9/18/2009 | Comments (0)

Cheryl Sowa

Is Working From Home For You?

Working from home definitely has its perks, but it is not for everyone. Before taking the plunge to work from home, see if it is right for you.

Tags: work from home, neighborhood, property, house, family, work style, entrepreneurship, small business

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Posted: 9/11/2009 | Comments (0)

Cheryl Sowa

How to Write an Engaging Subject Line

Email newsletters or email marketing campaigns are important for small businesses to provide messages, tips, savings, and more to their subscribers. But, without a compelling subject line, your subscribers may never read it.

Tags: small business, email, marketing, newsletter, subject line, subject

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Posted: 9/9/2009 | Comments (0)

Cheryl Sowa

Avoiding Negative Publicity: The Do's and Don'ts of Advertising

Recently, a rejected advertisement found its way onto the Internet, stirring up controversy throughout America. What can businesses do to prevent this awful situation?

Tags: business, 9/11, september 11, wwf, advertising, campaigns, planing, attention, compelling, brand

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Posted: 9/3/2009 | Comments (0)

Cheryl Sowa

Catching the Cold Call the Right Way

Cold calling is one of the hardest things to do in business. Whether you are an experienced salesperson or a novice, you can follow these tips to strengthen your cold calls.

Tags: cold call, sales, business, research, practice, script, confidence, persistence

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Posted: 8/28/2009 | Comments (1)

Frances Foley

5 Important Exceptions to Know Regarding Minimum Wage

Learn about the exceptions of minimum wage that you may not be aware of.

Tags: small business, minimum wage, law, fsla, dol

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Posted: 8/27/2009 | Comments (12)

Cheryl Sowa

Cash for Clunkers Damages Small Businesses

Think Cash for Clunkers was an all-around success? Think again. For small businesses, the program knocked them to the ground, leaving them feeling more as if they got clunked on the head than anything.

Tags: small business, cash for clunkers, obama, cars, destroy, hurt, dealerships

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Posted: 8/26/2009 | Comments (0)

Charles M Cooper

Fall Filing Deadline Looms for Special Small Business Refund Claims

Time is running out for many small businesses wishing to take advantage of the expanded business loss carryback option included in this year’s recovery law.

Tags: small business, irs, taxes, expanded loss carryback option, refund claims

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Posted: 8/13/2009 | Comments (0)

Charles M Cooper

Changes to Illinois Sales and Use Taxes

As of September 1st, 2009, Illinois merchants will see changes in the sales and use taxes associated with candy, personal grooming and hygiene products and soft drinks.

Tags: small business, illinois, sales tax, use tax

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Posted: 8/10/2009 | Comments (0)

Charles M Cooper

Why Customer Service is Terrible

Jay Goltz came up with three reasons for the terrible state of customer service. He blames health insurance, crazy pricing and the lack of a real merchant class in this country. Is he right? We want to hear your opinions!

Tags: small business, customer service, health insurance, parttime employees

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Posted: 8/7/2009 | Comments (4)

Charles M Cooper

Government Procurement and Small Business

To many small business owners, the dream of a nice, lucrative government contract is enticing to say the least. Sure, the process is long and arduous, there are stacks of forms that have to be filled out, you have to comply with a variety of regulations, etc., but the playing field is level and you have a fair chance to compete with other small businesses for those government contracts set aside by law for small businesses, right? Maybe not.

Tags: small business, government procurement, fairness and procurement alliance

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Posted: 8/5/2009 | Comments (1)

Charles M Cooper

Who Gets Credit?

There is a lot of talk about small business and the need it has for credit to survive the recession. We hear that small businesses are having trouble, yet we also get news of small businesses successfully finding the credit they need. A new report from the SBA Office of Advocacy has the answers.

Tags: small business, credit, financing

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Posted: 8/3/2009 | Comments (1)