Starting a New Business in the New Year in America
Starting a business involves planning, making key financial decisions and completing a series of legal activities. These 10 easy steps can help you plan, prepare and manage your business.
The EILEEN FISHER Women-Owned Business Grant
The EILEEN FISHER Women-Owned Business Grant supports innovative, women-owned companies that are beyond the start-up phase and ready to expand their business and their potential for positive social and environmental impact. Find out here how you can apply!
5 Signs You Have What It Takes to Be an Entrepreneur
Startups are always hard. But if you don’t pursue your dreams, you’ll never know if it stand the chance to be successful. Dreams are all we have. Take them seriously.
How Startups Such as Dropbox, Airbnb, Groupon and Others Acquired Their First Users
Do you wonder how startups start building their customer bases? Even companies that are well-known today struggled to gain traction, and some employed clever ideas to build momentum.
You may be able to use some of these ideas for your own (for-now) small business.
DetailsElon Musk’s First Wife Explains What It Takes to Become a Billionaire
Justine Musk, first wife of billionaire Elon Musk, knows a thing or two about wealth and hard work — her ex-husband is a founder of PayPal, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and has an estimated net worth of $12.1 billion.
She posted a response to a Quora thread asking the question “Will I become a billionaire if I am determined to be one and put in all the necessary work required?” Her answer is “no,” though she says that the Quora reader is asking the wrong question altogether.
Read her interesting take on what the right mindset should be for business success.
DetailsNow is a good time to take stock of your small-business finances and grants to plan for the upcoming year
Now is a good time to take stock of your small-business finances and plan for the upcoming year. Making time to review your business’s financial health and update business plans will help you be better prepared for success in the coming year. Here are six tips to help you get started.
Vets can continue to serve by starting a business
One of the most impactful ways veterans can keep serving their country is by starting a business. It allows them to channel their talents, support their families, build their communities, and put their fellow veterans to work. One out of every 10 American businesses today is owned by a veteran, and 5.8 million Americans owe their job to a veteran. Among the most patriotic things any American can do is hire a veteran.
Grants to help young Vermonters find jobs
More than 200 at-risk young Vermonters will find summer employment thanks to a federal grant program, with the focus on those who are no longer in school.
The Vermont Department of Labor has awarded grants totaling $100,000 to eight organizations from Burlington to Bennington. They will use the money to offer education and on-the-job training to Vermonters ages 16 to 24, with training in a broad array of fields ranging from early childhood development to forestry. One official said, “We’re trying to create independent citizens who have the skills needed to get a job and have a career and be a success at it.”
DetailsWill my business idea be successful?
While there are no guarantees any startup business will be successful, a good first step to determine if an idea makes sense before proceeding with an investment of time and resources is to do a venture feasibility study.
A venture feasibility study analyzes an idea from several perspectives: market opportunity, competition, resources available, resource gaps, financial viability, operational issues, intellectual property rights, development timeline, and technology needs. Are there enough customers willing to buy your products, often enough, at a profitable price that your business can pay all expenses and provide a decent living wage to owners? If not, the business idea is not feasible.
Government grants kick off the next “British Invasion”
Nineteen British bands that are signed to independent labels are getting government grants of up to £15,000 to help them make it big abroad. The acts are receiving the cash to pay for overseas marketing, session musicians, roadies, and more. The government is keen on banging the drum for the UK’s fledgling music stars. Up-and-coming bands dominate the list–see who made the cut.
