The Source

Small Business

I Didn't Know An Accountant Could Do THAT?

4 minute read

January 7, 2025

Growing your business means you need to focus best on what you — and only you — do well. Meanwhile, other people on your staff can manage sales, finance, human resources, because that's what they do...

In Case You Missed It: Ten Important Small Business Headlines

4 minute read

December 17, 2024

The year may be winding down, but small-business headlines are buzzing with news of increased small-business optimism, changes in federal regulations, and reports of improved holiday sales over last year's receipts. Here's our roundup of...

The Customer Is Always Right... Right?

5 minute read

November 26, 2024

"The customer is always right" became a motto of American commerce more than a century ago. Ever since, it's been a reminder to business owners that customer needs and wants come first, regardless of any...

8 Tips for a Memorable Small Business Saturday

4 minute read

November 19, 2024

Leave Black Friday to the big box stores. Your next big sales day is Small Business Saturday. Last year, consumers bought more than $17 billion in goods and services on SBS, according to American Express....

Seven Steps for Getting ahead of Holiday Hiring

3 minute read

November 12, 2024

Holiday shopping is on the upswing, and expected to continue that trend: End-of-year sales in 2023 rose 3.8 percent over 2022 receipts to $964.4 billion, according to U.S. Census Bureau data compiled by the National...

How to Manage (and Improve) Your Reputation Online

4 minute read

October 29, 2024

Warren Buffett once said, "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it." When you take the speed and global range of the internet into account, his assertion rings truer...

What You Need Know about Customer-Loyalty Programs

5 minute read

October 1, 2024

While Marcy is shopping for flowerpots at her local big-box store, an email comes in on her phone: "Congrats! You now have 300 points to spend in your Happy Valley Nursery Loyal Customer account!" So...

Are You Watching These 5 Critical Business Metrics?

4 minute read

September 17, 2024

What are some of the most important metrics of success? Here's a surprise: The number of happy customer reviews you have is probably not one of them — though they certainly help. You need to...

6 Important Business Startup Costs You Just Can't Ignore

6 minute read

September 3, 2024

Starting a business and creating a business plan is a great example of that old saying: The more you know, the more you know you don't know. With that in mind, what are some of...