Monday, December 27, 2010

How a Small Business Becomes a Big Business

A nice write up for long-time north suburban company, Abt Electronics, appeared in the New York Times blog on December 22.  Some of the reasons for their success, according to the author, include moderate, but sustained annual growth, customer service, and continuing to have only one physical location. 

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Better Business Blogging in 2011

Download a free, 24-page ebook, Better Business Blogging in 2011, and learn the following: how to market your blog in 35 different ways; how to blog with search engines in mind; how to use social media to find new readers; and how to recruit guest blogging for your business blog.  This ebook also contains several case studies of social-media-savvy organizations, offering real life examples that you can apply to your own blog. 

The volume is edited by Jeff Ente from Who's Blogging What,  and contains contributions from marketing and social media professionals who have launched successful blogs of their own, such as Joe Pulizzi of Junta42 Content Marketing, Ann Smarty of SEO Smarty, and others.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Free Small Business Counseling at the Evanston Public Library

SCORE, Counselors to America's Small Business, will provide free counseling every Friday, from 2 to 5 p.m, in the Small Community Meeting Room at the Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington Avenue.  Sessions begin on December 3, 2010.  Appointments are required and can be made by visiting SCORE's website, or by calling 312-353-7724.

SCORE counselors are executives and business owners who have achieved success in their fields and now, as volunteers, want to help you do the same.  Take advantage of this great opportunity to get help devising fresh marketing ideas to adapt your business to changing circumstances; fixing cash flow problems; reviewing business plan and startup activities, and so much more.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

For the YOUNG entrepreneur...

Is it true that you can be too young to start a small business of your own?  Here are some books whose authors would definitely say you're never too young!.  So whether you're a kid, a teen, or a parent of a budding entrepreneur, check these out!

Beyond the Lemonade Stand, by Bill Rancic, one of the winners of television's The Apprentice, and Karen Soenen.  This title includes 20 ideas for your own, or your kid's, kid business, a build-your-own-business worksheet to help get you started, stories and advice from Rencic and from other celebrities. 

Better than a Lemonade $tand, by fifteen-year-old Daryl Bernstein, describes fifty-one of Daryl's favorite small businesses.  He gives tips on supplies, time needed, how to advertise, and even what to charge. 

Starting a Business: Have Fun and Make Money,  by Carla Mooney.  In this book you will learn the basics of starting a small business, including writing business plans, doing market analysis, setting up a budget, and figuring out taxes. 

Be Your Own Boss: Small Businesses, by Ernestine Giesecke.  Part of the Know It: Everyday Economics series, in this book you will learn some of the reasons people start small businesses and how they choose what business to start.  You'll also learn the value of keeping good records, and writing a good business plan.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Web design for your small business

In the 2010 Small Business Technology Survey, the National Small Business Association (NSBA) found that while 86% of small businesses have a website, only 26% of those surveyed actually sell their goods or services via the internet.  If you need ideas about building or improving your website, Small Business Trends ran a great article in August about free website builders for small businesses.  Sites they mention include Doodlekit, Wix, Moonfruit and more.  The criteria Small Business Trends used in selecting their favorite website builders are whether the tool lets you build a site, for free, in less than an hour, and publish it to create at least a basic presence online.


You can also find books in the Evanston Public Library collection that will help you build an effective website for your small business.  Some titles you may want to try are Lori Culwell's Million Dollar Website, John Heartfield's Make Your Small Business Website Work, and Poor Richard's Web Site Marketing Makeover, by Marcia Yudkin.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

New titles at Evanston Public Library


Fertik, Michael. American Management Association, c2010.  [ 659.2 Ferti.M]

"The book contains tools to help perform an online reputation audit as well as have false information removed from websites. There are a good glossary, informative chapter notes, and lots of additional information available on the book's official website. There are no comparable works, since the technology referred to changes so rapidly.This accessible book would be great for anyone interested in having a personal or business presence on the Internet and for those interested in the sociological impacts of web 2.0. " (Library Journal review)


Companies on a mission : entrepreneurial strategies for growing sustainably, responsibly, and profitablyRusso, Michael V.  Stanford Business Books, c2010. [658.408 Russo.M]

"The book strikes a good balance between well-researched scholarship (including charts, graphs, and many footnotes) and real-world examples that enhance the readability and keep readers interested...A well-written and informative business book that provides valuable tips and background for anyone interested in starting up or managing a socially conscious company."  (Library Journal review)





The Wall Street journal essential guide to management : lasting lessons from the best leadership minds of our timeMurray, Alan S., 1954-.  Harper Business, c2010. 

Draws the best from the existing body of knowledge and research, and summarizes it in a simple, clear, and useful way. Focusing on classic and contemporary works that have been recommended by members of The Wall Street Journal CEO Council-all chief executives of large and successful global companies-it is an invaluable reference and essential tool for every manager, new and experienced alike.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

IRS releases draft of form to Help Small Businesses Claim New Health Care Tax Credit

On September 7, the IRS released a draft of the form 8941, that will be used by small business owners to claim a tax credit under the new health care law.  The final version will be available later this year.  The credit is designed to encourage small employers to offer health insurance coverage for the first time or maintain coverage they already have.


If you have any comments on this draft form, you can submit them to the IRS on their web site.  You may make comments anonymously, or you may include your name and e-mail address or phone number.  Due to the high volume of comments they expect to receive, they will not be able to respond to each individual.  However, they will carefully consider each suggestion.  Comments should be sent within 30 days from the date the draft was posted.  Be sure to include the words DRAFT  and Form 8941 in your response.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Brown Bag Lunch Workshop for Small Business Owners

Bring your lunch and join Neil Gardner of Edward Jones, Inc. as he presents Financial Solutions for Business Owners on Thursday, September 23, at noon, in the Community Meeting Room of the Evanston Public Library.  Mr. Gardner will provide ideas for putting the banking, retirement and insurance tools available to business owners to work, to build their wealth and protect their businesses.  Registration is requested, but not required.  If you would like more information, please call the Reference Desk at 847-448-8630.

Monday, July 26, 2010

New Titles at EPL for Small Business Owners

Here are some new titles to check out at the Evanston Public Library.

19 ways to survive : small-business strategies for a tough economy, Spry, Lynn.   (658.022 Spry.L)
"This is not a book on economic theory. It's a practical guide for small business owners demonstrating hands-on techniques and ideas that you can start using today...Readers will be presented with the nuts-and-bolts basics on how they can turn their small business around today using inexpensive tactics to gain and retain customers."

Accounting savvy for business owners : a guide to the bare essentials. Goodman, Philip B.  CPA911 Pub, 2010.  (657.9042 Goodm.P)
Addressing a common problem for small business owners, this accessible handbook is the key to understanding the ins and outs of accounting. Demonstrating how to correctly maintain records and apply bookkeeping rules, but avoiding complex jargon, this guide demonstrates how to keep track of financial matters and monitor the overall health of any business.

Win government contracts for your small business, DiGiacomo, John.  Toolkit Media Group, c2010.  (658.804 Digia.J 2010)
Government contracts under $100,000 are targeted to small businesses. This title-now in its fifth edition-will show you how to get in on the action in just 10 easy-to-understand steps. By following the author's practical advice, you'll be listed accurately in the federal procurement system, allowing you to start receiving bid leads for lucrative federal contracts.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Sidewalk Sales

The Central Street Business Association's annual SIDEWALK SALE takes place today, Thursday July 15 through Saturday, July 17th from 10am to 5pm each day. The businesses located between the 1900-2100 blocks of Central Street will be putting their wares out on the sidewalk at heavily discounted prices.  

Next weekend, you can visit the SUPER SIDEWALK SALE.  Close to 200 Evanston merchants in both downtown Evanston and the Chicago/Dempster district will be participating.  The Super Sidewalk Sale runs Friday, July 23 - Sunday, July 25, 2010; times vary with each business.

Show your support for Evanston's retail businesses by visiting one of these great sidewalk sales!

Monday, June 28, 2010

Evanston/North Shore Networking's e-B.A.S.H.

Participate in Evanston/North Shore Networking's e-B.A.S.H (Evanston’s Business Appreciation Scavenger Hunt) on July 27, 2010, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30.   The event is a challenge (but not a race).  Participants go to predefined merchants to learn more about the products and services offered by those merchants.  They decipher creative clues and answer questions about merchant offerings, which provides the opportunity to learn the next clue on the route.

All teams that successfully complete their route are submitted for a drawing to determine the winning team.  Prizes include Cub tickets, jewelry, dining certificates and much more.  Registration is $30 in advance and $40 at the door.  Buffalo Wild Wings is the final destination, where a post-scavenger-hunt party will be held.  For more information, check out the e-B.A.S.H. website today.  Don't miss out on this unique Evanston networking opportunity!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Small Business Startups

Here's an interesting factoid, presented by the Kaufman Foundation:  the rate of entrepreneurial startups in 2009 was was higher than anytime in the previous 14 years, which includes the dot.com era... 

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

New small business titles

Here are some new books and audiobooks that will be of interest to entrepreneurs.  And they're available for free at the Evanston Public Library:

Your idea, inc. : 12 steps to building a million-dollar business--starting today! Abrams, Sandy.  Avon, Mass. : Adams Media, c2010.  "Founder and CEO of Moisture Jamzz Moisture Gloves, Abrams started with a business idea-and little else. She went in search of a comprehensive guide she could understand without having an M.B.A. that would teach the basics in a step-by-step fashion, but could find nothing. Undaunted, she learned the ins and outs of starting a business on the fly-and wrote the book herself. " (Publishers Weekly)

Selling in tough times : secrets to selling when no one is buying, Hopkins, Tom. New York : Business Plus, c2010.   "Hopkins...encourages readers to step back and reevaluate their positions in the economy, and to make a plan for when the climate improves...Part self-help book, part motivational guide, this book provides valuable advice for selling professionals struggling in the current economy as well anyone hoping to emerge from the recession primed for growth." (Publishers Weekly)

The next evolution of marketing : connect with your customers by marketing with meaning, Gilbreath, Bob.  New York : McGraw-Hill, c2010.  "With solid credentials supporting him (as chief marketing strategist at Bridge Worldwide, a large advertising agency), Gilbreath lays out his ideas about a marketing strategy he calls meaningful marketing. He defines meaningful marketing as the marketing itself adding value to peoples' lives. Insisting that traditional marketing is now out-of-date...he is a great proponent of marketing that offers consumers actual things to put to practical use..." (Booklist
Also available as a downloadable eAudiobook to Evanston Public Library cardholders.

Rubies in the orchard : how to uncover the hidden gems in your business, Resnick, Lynda.  New York : Doubleday, c2009.  " In a forest of dry marketing books, Resnick's animated debut stands out as its own hidden gem, filled with juicy real-life tales of marketing strategies that rocketed Resnick and her husband to astounding success with companies like Fiji Water, Teleflora, the Franklin Mint and Pom Wonderful, the wildly successful pomegranate juice." (Publishers Weekly
Also available as a downloadable eAudiobook to Evanston Public Library cardholders.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Is Green the New Black for Your Bottom Line?



As we have become more environmentally aware, many business owners are wondering how they can be more green, without adding red ink to their balance sheets.  The Small Business Administration has a Green Business Guide that provides information about resources to help small businesses expand their businesses while saving energy costs.  The Greening Advisor of the Natural Resources Defense Council provides advice for that can help any commercial business or organization to reduce its environmental impacts.

Also, the Evanston Public Library has a number of books that address this issue.  Here are just a few to get you started:
Greening your small business : how to improve your bottom line, grow your brand, satisfy your customers--and save the planet, Kaplan, Jennifer, c2009.  Jennifer Kaplan founded Greenhance LLC, a business consultancy dedicated to providing marketing and communications strategies to small businesses going green. 


The complete idiot's guide to greening your business, Riley, Trish, c2009. This entry in the "Idiot's" series provides the most up-to-date, concrete, and practical steps for readers to follow "to get rich by going green."
Green recovery : get lean, get smart, and emerge from the downturn on top, Winston, Andrew S., c2009.  Includes case studies of companies that have gone green, and explores how going green can aid economic recovery.


Green your work : boost your bottom line while reducing your carbon footprint, Carlson, Kim, c2009.  This book shows managers practical steps to make their companies environmentally responsible while staying profitable and efficient.






ShareThis

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Meeting set for contractors about big grant

An article in Evanston Now announces that Brinshore Development LLC will hold an informational meeting about subcontracting opportunities for the City of Evanston's $18 million federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program housing rehabilitation grant at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27, at the Civic Center. (Read article)

If your small business can benefit from this opportunity, be sure to make plans to attend.


Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Small Business Blogs

Do you want to keep up with the best of the Small Business blogs that are out there?  Forbes Magazine has weighted in with their choices for the Best of the Web blogs to follow. Included are recommendations for Duct Tape Marketing, Small Business Trends, and more.

Or ar you just interested in local news?  Both the Chicago Tribune and Crain's Chicago Business have their own business blogs.  Crain's targets entrepreneurs in its blog.  For example here is a recent post to Crain's talking about business lending loosening up, which is good news for local business owners: Crain's video: Ice starts to melt for biz borrowers | Enterprise City | Crain's Chicago Business.  (Posted using ShareThis).   The Chicago Tribune maintains a business blog as part of its breaking news feature, Chicago Breaking Business.




Thursday, April 8, 2010

New Small Business Titles @EPL


Here are some recent acquisitions at the Evanston Public Library that may interest the small business owner or owner-to-be:


Awakening the entrepreneur within : how ordinary people can create extraordinary companiesGerber, Michael E.  Collins Publishing, c2009.

Michael E. Gerber is the legend behind the E-Myth series of books, which includes The E-Myth Revisited, E-Myth Mastery, The E-Myth Manager, The E-Myth Physician, The E-Myth Contractor, and The E-Myth Enterprise.





The Wall Street journal complete small business guidebook, DeBaise, Colleen.  Three Rivers Press, c. 2009.

a practical guide for turning your entrepreneurial dreams into a successful company, from America's most trusted source of financial advice. It answers would-be business owners' biggest question-how do I fund my venture?-then explains the mechanics of building, running and growing a profitable business.



Escape from cubicle nation [electronic resource (eAudiobook)] : from corporate prisoner to thriving entrepreneur, Slim, Pamela. Brilliance Audio, c2009.

Life coach Slim shows readers how to navigate the terrifying yet gratifying transition from corporate drone to entrepreneur.  Hating your job intensely, she writes, is not a business plan. What's here is: the nitty-gritty of getting a business off the ground, legal considerations, making the best use of social networking sites, the components of a business model, organized creative brainstorming, financial advice, shopping for self-paid insurance and benefits, and helpful anecdotes of real-life entrepreneurship.


Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Good advice in tough times

Small business owners sometimes need someone to consult when they need advice, especially in tough economic times.  There are a number of non-profit organizations that will supply the expertise of advisory boards for just this purpose.  One of the largest and most well know is SCORE, Counselors to Small Business.  SCORE offers free and confidential business advice through Ask SCORE online, face-to-face counseling, workshops and more.  Their 12,400 nationwide volunteers consist of working or retired business owners, executives and corporate leaders who share their wisdom and lessons learned in business.  Their Chicago office is located at 500 W. Madison Street. 

An organization that provides business counseling to women through a mentor-matching program  is Athena International, whose Chicago office is located at 70 E. Lake Street.  Their Athena PowerLink Program is an advisory program designed to increase the growth and profitability of women-owned businesses by "linking" a business with a volunteer panel of advisors recruited from the local community. The panel and business owner work together for one year to meet the specific objectives of the business owner.

And Northwestern University provides the expertise of its graduate students, at a nominal fee, through the Small Business Opportunity Center.  This student-based clinical program affiliated with the Bluhm Legal Clinic and Northwestern University School of Law, provides affordable legal services to entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations focusing on job creation and economic development in the Chicago area. 

Monday, March 15, 2010

Tax Time

Spring is in the air, and taxes are on our minds.  The Wall Street Journal has advice in the form of "The Best Tax Breaks for Small Business."  The Nolo Small Business center provides a "Small Business Taxes FAQ", posted on the website of the magazine, Inc., and the IRS provides an online, Virtual Small Business Tax Workshop

You can find J. K. Lasser's Small Business Taxes at the Evanston Public Library, which has tax facts and strategies that every small business owner needs to know for their 2009 tax return and year-round planning.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Kellogg Entrepreneurship Internship Program (KEIP)

An eight week internship program sponsored by Kellogg's Levy Institute for Entrepreneurial Practice offers entrepreneurs the opportunity use Kellogg students' passion and business skills toward completing critical projects, and offers first-year MBA students the opportunity to experience entrepreneurship first-hand.  As a business owner, you will be matched with an exceptionally talented business student between February and May, and will have their services full-time for 8 weeks in June through early August.

According to KEIP's website, "This program is ideal for start-up companies that can’t afford MBA talent year round but have a need in marketing, finance, strategy, or operations that could be met through an 8 week project involving the Kellogg intern." 

Kellogg’s Larry and Carol Levy Institute for Entrepreneurial Practice is hosting an information session and networking reception for prospective students and host companies interested in participating in the 15th year of the Kellogg Entrepreneurial Internship Program (KEIP) in Summer 2010. Past participating students and host companies will also be on hand to talk about their experience with the program.


Event Details:
Thursday, January 21st
5:15 – 6:15 pm: Information Session
6:30 – 7:30 pm: Networking Reception
Kellogg School of Management, Jacobs Center, Room TBD
2001 Sheridan Road, Evanston IL 60201 (no parking passes required)
RSVP by Wed 1/20 to levyinstitute@kellogg.northwestern.edu

For more information, and to find out if this program could benefit you and your business, see the KEIP website.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Small Business and Taxes

Small business owners face a different set of tax issues than do individuals. Since many entrepreneurs start out by turning their hobbies into money-making ventures, they don't always realize what the implications will be at tax time. An article in the Small Business section of the New York Times discusses some of the bookkeeping and tax problems you may encounter as your business grows.

There are some resources that can help. Taking accounting classes at a local community college, such as Oakton Community College can be useful. SCORE, Counselors to America's Small Business, offers reasonably-priced workshops and free individual counseling.The IRS provides important small business tax information in its Publication 583.

The Evanston Public Library has some resources, also.  Check out J.K. Lasser's Small Business Taxes, or Tax smarts for small business, or Nolo Press' Tax savvy for small business, to name just a few.