Search
More and more small companies are using blogging to promote their business. In fact, in 2012, “small business” was one of the fastest growing categories in Technorati, a global blog search engine, with 20 percent growth that year alone (source: Small Business Blogging Proved Effective for the Year 2012 by Rahul Manekari). Why? Blogs are a great tool for connecting with your customers and sharing your expertise. They also improve your company’s search engine rankings. Search engines love fresh, relevant and local content...
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 - 08:37
If you run an online or retail business, did you know that you might be prohibited from advertising a manufacturer’s products below a certain minimum price? Minimum advertised pricing (MAP) policies are particularly critical to manufacturers who sell their products for online resale, given the ease at which consumers can now conduct online and mobile price comparisons. MAP policies are also established to help small businesses compete and sell on service and value, rather than entering into a price war with cost-cutting big box stores....
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Wednesday, February 27, 2013 - 12:16
If you’re starting a business, you may be wondering how to legally structure it. Should you incorporate, become an LLC, or operate as a sole proprietor? Over 70 percent of U.S. businesses are owned and operated by sole proprietors or sole traders. But what does being a sole proprietor involve and is it the right structure for your small business? Here’s what you need to know about the advantages and disadvantages of being a sole proprietor. What is a Sole Proprietor? A sole proprietorship is basically an unincorporated business...
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Wednesday, February 6, 2013 - 07:36
Do you run an overseas business? Thinking of expanding and selling into the U.S. market? Because U.S. residency or citizenship is not required, non-U.S. citizens can readily sell into the U.S. However, many overseas business owners aren’t clear on whether they are required to incorporate in the U.S. and the associated tax implications. Here’s what you need to know: Should I Incorporate My Business in the U.S.? This is a question that comes up frequently on the SBA Community Discussion Boards and there’s not a clear cut answer...
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - 08:32
Should you pay employees for rest and meal breaks? Are you even required to offer such breaks? We all need rest and meals during work hours and the law stipulates standards for these breaks, including whether your employees should be paid for them. Here’s what you need to know: Federal Wage and Hour Laws Under the Fair Labor Standards Act of the U.S. Department of Labor, non-exempt employees can take short breaks (although it’s not mandatory). A short break is typically considered to be 20 minutes or less, and employees must be...
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Wednesday, January 16, 2013 - 08:37
If your business interacts with consumers via email or on the web, then it’s likely that you have an online privacy policy that governs how you collect, use and store consumer information. But do you have policies or guidelines that govern how your business uses social media to engage and interact with your followers? Social media opens up new avenues for communication and engagement with consumers, but it also brings with it an element of risk. For example, perhaps your employees have access to social media at work, or are posting on...
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Wednesday, January 2, 2013 - 08:56
Whether you are entering into a relationship with a customer, a vendor or an independent contractor, contracts are a fact of business. You need them because they serve as legally valid agreements protecting your interests. But aren’t contracts laden with legalese? Don’t they have to be blessed by an attorney to ensure their validity? Not always. In fact, I’ve seen contracts come across my table that are less than one page in length, in plain English, and still legally binding. How? Generally, to be legally valid, most...
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Wednesday, December 19, 2012 - 08:16
Does your business source or manufacture all its goods in the USA? The “Made in the USA” tagline can be a powerful marketing tool, but it can also make good business sense. According to the Washington Post, manufacturing in the USA can be a smart investment, even in the face of cheaper offshore alternatives. The article, written by Los Angeles-based small business owner Nicholas Ventura, cites “Five ways ‘Made in the USA’ can cut your company’s manufacturing costs.” Ventura is co-founder of Youth...
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Wednesday, December 12, 2012 - 07:46
Does your product do what your advertising claims it does? Perhaps you’ve invented or imported a product “that will remove even the toughest carpet stain in 10 minutes – guaranteed!” Can you stand behind that claim in a court of law? Even if you don’t realize that your claims are false, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or your state government can take action against you for non-compliance with marketing and advertising laws. Take for example an actual case scenario (described in this FTC blog post) in which the...
by Stephen Morris, Community Moderator on Wednesday, December 5, 2012 - 16:18
You can count on it, just like clockwork: when a new federal program or interface or system is put in place, someone is going to try to squeeze some extra cash out of people who want to use it. Here at SBA HQ, we’ve heard recently of attempts to do just that to people who want to register their small businesses in the new SAM database. SAM stands for System for Award Management. SAM, which is being developed in phases – the first was released in July 2012 – is changing the way you do business by...
Contributors
Top Rated Articles
Community Help
About This Blog
Legal terms and rules explained
Archive
- March 2013 (14)
- February 2013 (26)
- January 2013 (31)
- December 2012 (24)
- November 2012 (29)
- October 2012 (26)
- September 2012 (29)
- August 2012 (26)
- July 2012 (29)
- June 2012 (25)
- May 2012 (33)
- April 2012 (35)
- March 2012 (36)
- February 2012 (35)
- January 2012 (30)
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Wednesday, March 13, 2013 - 07:28