Small Business Grant | "Granting business growth in ČR Small companies should take advantage of gov't incentives"

By : Emily Thompson 
Source : http://www.praguepost.com 
Category : Small Business Grant

It takes money to make money, as the adage goes, and small businesses often have gaps in their cash flow that can put expenditures necessary for growing their business just out of reach. But in a country where small and midsize entrepreneurs represent 99 percent of all business owners and employ two-thirds of workers, they are not without support. Myriad grants are available to entrepreneurs registered in the Czech Republic, but unfortunately the bureaucracy involved can be quite overwhelming for the average small business owner. The Prague Post sat down with Luděk Hanáček, director of the Tax & Legal Department at Deloitte Czech Republic, to talk about the kinds of grants that are available and how to make the most of the money.

The Prague Post: What are some of the best grants available for small businesses now?

Luděk Hanáček: The most attractive cash grant for small and medium entrepreneurs is the grant for training employees and implementing processes for company development. This grant is attractive not only as a cash grant of up to 100 percent of total costs, but also because small and medium companies are growing quickly, and growth usually requires adaptability and the development of people, along with changes in processes.

Also, grants for marketing support are very likely to be used by small and midsize businesses. Granting up to 60 percent of costs for local or international marketing, Web presentation, attendance of fairs including the printing of marketing materials and other marketing costs can significantly help companies target new clients.

Both of these grants are focused on operating costs for small and midsize companies. There are also cash grants for investment costs related to purchasing new production machinery, reconstructing industrial buildings, creating new jobs in IT or outsourcing services.

TPP: Does the government show preference to particular types of companies in awarding grants?

LH: The majority of grants are provided for projects realized outside of the Prague region. It is due to the fact that the Prague region is so well developed compared with the rest of the Czech Republic that the seat of the entrepreneurial business may be in the region of Prague, but the realization of the project is more likely to be outside of this region.

TPP: Do you find that entrepreneurs in this country really take advantage of the grants available, or is there a lack of awareness about how they can get grant funding?

LH: If one looks at how many projects and entrepreneurs get grants, it seems like there is a great awareness about grant opportunities. From January 2007 to August 2011, more than 30,000 projects were granted EU funds, while thousands of other projects benefited from local funds.

What small and medium entrepreneurs need to see are real cases of how they can use grants. The texts of grant programs are sometimes very general, describing support for entrepreneurs' competitiveness or support for employees' adaptability. Entrepreneurs need to hear that they can get grants for printing marketing materials, stands at fairs, Web pages, language or manager training.

TPP: How can small businesses do more to maximize grants once they receive them?

LH: This is a very important question, and thank you for this. Many entrepreneurs think the decision of a ministry to give a grant is the end product. As we usually say to our clients at Deloitte: You can buy a bottle of champagne and put it in the fridge when you sign the contract with the ministry. After fulfilling all of the conditions and completing the final grant project report, you can open it and drink.

Unfortunately, I see cases where the entrepreneur has to return the grant as some conditions were not fulfilled. In many cases, it is only an administrative mistake like sending the report to the ministry late or in too short a time for potential providers to give the proposal for services financed from the grant.

TPP: How can entrepreneurs make sure they actually get to drink the champagne?

LH: Using grants means keeping to some rules and conditions to which entrepreneurs normally do not keep. There are guidelines and other documents from grant providers describing these conditions; however, most entrepreneurs are far too busy to read all of them.

Many entrepreneurs attempt to correct mistakes ex post facto, when it may already be too late in some cases. In many cases, entrepreneurs say they didn't understand what exactly they should have done as the guidelines were not clear.

TPP: What kinds of grant opportunities lie ahead?

LH: The Czech Republic is extensively spending EU funds for the period 2007-13. At this time the government is also setting its priorities for the coming period 2014-20. The main priorities are supporting innovation, cooperation, competitiveness on the job market, ecological approaches, energy saving, using renewable sources and things like that.

Source : http://www.praguepost.com/business/11106-granting-business-growth-in-cr.html







 

Small Business Grant | "State is moving quickly on small business loans "

By : Greg Bordonaro
Source : http://www.hartfordbusiness.com
Category : Small Business Grant

State economic development officials are moving quickly to try to implement several key measures of the jobs bill passed in October that aim to expand the availability of credit to small businesses and manufacturers.

The new two-year $626 million measure, which received bipartisan support, includes a Small Business Express Program that will provide $100 million in loans, forgivable loans or matching grants to Connecticut-based small businesses.

Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Catherine Smith said her agency is working on finalizing how the program will be implemented and hopes to have the first checks written by the end of this year.

Speed is a key goal of the program, Smith said, which is why the state is moving quickly to try get it going.

To qualify for the program businesses must have 50 or fewer employees and be based in Connecticut. The available options include a:

• Small Business Express Revolving Loan Fund, which will provide up to $100,000 in loans to assist small businesses with capital and operational needs.

• Small Business Job Creation Incentive Program, which will provide deferred loans of up to $250,000 to assist small businesses to spur growth. DECD may forgive all or part of the loan based on the attainment of job creation goals.

• Small Business Creation Matching Grant Program, which will offer dollar-for-dollar matching grants of up $100,000 for specific job creation, capital investment, and working capital goals.

Donna Wertenbach, the CEO of the Community Economic Development Fund (CEDF), a nonprofit lender that will play a role in making the loans, said the new program presents a unique opportunity for small businesses because of the cheap capital that will be available. Interest rates on the loans will be 4 percent.

“Businesses are not going to see 4 percent money again for a very long time,” Wertenbach said. Wertenbach said the express program will allow the nontraditional lending community, which will do much of the lending, to go deeper into the marketplace, be more flexible and take higher risks. DECD will also do some direct lending.

Wertenbach said, however, lenders will have to follow strict lending guidelines set out by the state, which could cause some issues.

The requirements, for example, only allow for a five-year loan term, which could be too short for some small businesses. In addition, loan amounts are capped at $100,000 for the revolving loan fund, which is also restrictive.

Wertenbach has suggested raising the maximum loan amount to $200,000 and raising the loan term to up to 10 years.

“The five years is a little tight, but we will make it work,” she added. One of the options, Werternbach said, is for organizations like CEDF to use some of their own lending programs to leverage state money.

Source : http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news21618.html

Small Business Grant | "2012 NonProfit PR Grants Program announced by Neotrope"

By : Carly Zed Zander
Source : http://advertisingindustrynewswire.com
Category : Small Business Grant

 
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /Advertising Industry Newswire/ — California-based PR firm, Neotrope, announced this month its latest annual Non-Profit PR Grants Program for 2012. The firm is again donating more than $25,000 in free public relations and news distribution services to worthy U.S.-based non-profit and charitable organizations. Past recipients of the PR grant program include Children Awaiting Parents, Girls Write Now, Paws of Life Foundation, Special Equestrians, The Bob Moog Foundation, The Starlight Children’s Foundation, The Native Voices Foundation, World Savvy, and many others.

“The U.S. economy the past two years had been hard on small business, and even harder on small charities and non-profits. This PR Grant program is our way of supporting some of the numerous smaller organizations we feel need ongoing help to ‘get the word out’ about their worthwhile efforts,” said Neotrope CEO and co-founder, Christopher Simmons. “We’ve been very helpful to numerous organizations to increase visibility both online and off, and hope to continue this program into the future.”

Founded in 1983, Neotrope has previously donated services as part of its Non-Profit PR Grants Program in 2011, 2009, 2005 and 2000, and has provided discounted or free services to various non-profits for almost 30 years.

Neotrope, and its service division Send2Press Newswire (www.Send2Press.com), have also sponsored art benefits contributing to aid efforts for the homeless in Chicago, groups providing environmentally sustainable housing in areas of the world where disaster has left people without adequate shelter; and to orgs who raise money for AIDS orphans.

How to Apply for 2012 NonProfit PR Grant Program:
Non-profit organizations may apply starting November 15, 2011 through January 15, 2012. Organizations will be selected by January 30, 2012, and the amount donated to each selected non-profit will vary, but typically $2500 in services per recipient (this is not a cash grant). Three of the grants will be provided to California-based non-profits, who will receive additional promotional assistance through California Newswire(R). Additionally, all 501(c)(3) organizations automatically qualify for a 15% service discount.


Source: http://advertisingindustrynewswire.com/2011/11/29/2073_215952.php

Small Business Grant | " Task force to ease way for small businesses "

By : Lynh Bui
Source : http://www.azcentral.com
Category : Small Business Grant

When Caffe Italia restaurant owner Mirko Masini tried to expand operations with a patio and grill, he hit some development roadblocks.

This summer, Masini obtained the right permits from Maricopa County to get his patio grill going but was shut down days later after a Phoenix building inspector discovered he wasn’t complying with city regulations.

Masini was told that he didn’t get the right Phoenix permits to build his patio and then discovered a host of other rules he had to meet because his plan complied with county code but didn’t match city standards.

The small-business owner’s plans stalled as he tried to navigate two sets of bureaucratic hurdles.

“Phoenix is such a nice town, but a lot of people have been driven away by the bureaucracy,” said Masini, who has spent more than $7,000 on the project, which still isn’t complete.

Masini’s story is the type of small-business complaint that elected officials hear over and over again, as entrepreneurs struggle to expand or open their operations amid a weak economy. But the Phoenix City Council hopes to give Masini and others a hand with a Development Task Force it plans to formally consider today.

The task force, proposed by Mayor Phil Gordon and Councilmen Sal DiCiccio and Tom Simplot, will explore ways to cut red tape and reduce bureaucracy to make it easier to do business in the city.

“I really believe if we can do this right, we can cut headaches for the people creating jobs in the community,” said DiCiccio, who asked Gordon to create the task force. “This would make Phoenix the Number 1 city in the nation for job creation.”

DiCiccio and Simplot will co-chair the group, which will consist of people appointed by each member of the council and people suggested by Gordon and City Manager David Cavazos.

The task force will review everything from outsourcing inspections and allowing business owners to submit plans via the Internet to giving inspectors the power to grant permits in the field that would eliminate an extra step of having to physically visit Phoenix City Hall for the paperwork.

The task force also will explore expanding the same-day permitting or self-certification program, which became a central campaign issue during the recent mayoral and City Council elections.

Earlier this year, the city revamped part of the Planning and Development Services Department to allow developers to bypass the city for their building permits.

The change allowed registered architects, designers and engineers who have been trained by the city to sign off on plans to ensure they comply with city code instead of requiring developers to review hundreds of pages of plans with city employees to obtain building permits.

The program, which started as a pilot in 2010, shaves days and potentially weeks off a project, which means businesses can open sooner and start pumping money into the economy, DiCiccio said. Through the task force, he hopes to see the the same-day permitting program expand.

“Instead of taking months to create jobs, it puts job creation in hyper-drive, allowing businesses to hire today,” DiCiccio said.

Since the self-certification program began in Phoenix, the city’s Planning and Development Services Department estimates almost half of the development permits issued in 2011 were issued in a single day, according to a memo from Gordon’s office.

Gordon said he hopes the task force, which will include people who’ve started small businesses in the city, will turn Phoenix into a model for streamlining development.

Phoenix Planning and Development Services Deputy Director Mo Glancy said Masini’s case isn’t a perfect example because he built some of the patio without the right permits and didn’t have the right fire-safety equipment.

“I understand he’s frustrated, but there were some definite safety violations,” Glancy said.

The city has met with Masini twice to help him open the grill and patio.

Masini said he plans to hire an additional cook to run the patio grill once it opens.

He said he hopes to find the extra revenue to pay for the building delays and improvements by opening for lunch.

“We really want the guy’s business to be a success,” Glancy said. “We could have taken him to court and charged him a bunch of fees, but he’s trying to work on it, and we’re here to help him as much as we can.”

Balancing safety and convenience will be one of the biggest challenges for the Development Task Force as it proposes changes.

Deputy City Manager David Krietor said the goal is to make sure things run as smoothly as possible so Phoenix is ready when the economy improves.

The Planning and Development Services Department was nearly twice its current size during the economic boom a few years ago, but the recession forced layoffs and cuts.

Krietor said that when the economy picks back up, the goal isn’t to ramp up hiring only to have layoffs again during the next downturn. The idea is to still provide the same — and better — service with the staff already in place.

“We have a great story to tell because of the changes that we’ve made in that department,” Krietor said.

“This task force gives us the chance to get even better.”


Source : http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2011/11/29/20111129task-force-ease-way-small-businesses.html

Obama pops into bookstore, backs small businesses

By: Taiwan News
Source: http://www.taiwannews.com.tw

President Barack Obama">Obama has pitched in to help small businesses get into the holiday shopping season.

The president took his daughters, Malia and Sasha, along on a shopping run to a bookstore a few blocks from the White House.

He says he made the visit because it’s “small business Saturday” and he wanted to support a small business.

The retail industry is encouraging shoppers to patronize mom-and-pop businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It’s a counterpoint to Black Friday and the sales and special deals offered by department stores and other large retailers.

The Obama">Obamas walked out with a selection of books including “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” ‘’Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever” and “Descent into Chaos: The U.S. and the Disaster in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.”


Source: http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=1771621

When small cities need help, CEDA steps

By: winonadailynews
Source: http://www.winonadailynews.com

CHATFIELD, Minn. - Sometimes all a small city needs is a little extra help.
That's the belief of Community and Economic Development Associates, a nonprofit community development organization based in Chatfield. The group, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, provides services including grant-writing and small business assistance, and recently added another - city administration.
The reach of its impact on area cities is wide. The group employs workers in Winona and Fillmore counties, in the cities of Rushford, St. Charles, Harmony and Preston, among others. Wherever they go, their mission is clear - to create fully-developed and sustainable communities.
Sometimes that comes in the form of financial assistance. According to company data, CEDA has helped secure more than $23 million for communities in southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa since 1986, including $4.2 million since 2010.
The money has gone toward aesthetic and structural improvements in several downtown areas, as well as toward assisting small businesses.
The support also can help communities recover from disaster. Cris Gastner, a CEDA community development specialist based in St. Charles, has been integral to the city's rebuilding efforts since the city's biggest employer, North Star Foods, burned in 2009.
When the company chose not to rebuild, the city began work on a business park. Two years later, curb-and-gutter construction is finished on the 30-acre park, and city officials are confident most - or all - of the jobs lost in the fire will be replaced. Nearly a third of the project was paid for with grant money Gastner secured, and he is actively marketing the park to potential businesses.
CEDA is about more than economic development. After years of working directly with city governments, the group recently started taking on city administrative work.
The city of Lewiston, Minn., last week became the first in the area to privately contract city work, hiring two CEDA administrative workers, both of which will hold offices in Lewiston. CEDA President and CEO Ron Zeigler said the arrangement is "cutting-edge" and may change the way small-town government is run.
Zeigler said contracting administrative work allows for more efficient - and nimble - government. Rather than working on a per-project basis, staff are based in the city and are constantly looking for new projects. And all contracts allow cities to cut ties at any time, a process much less painful than firing a city or county employee.
Zeigler said the members of his 14-person staff become entrenched in their communities.
CEDA Board of Directors Chair F. Mike Tuohy said small cities should embrace the help. "When we come in, we open doors for them," he said. "It's an opportunity."

Source: http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/article_09cc2372-18b2-11e1-994a-001cc4c002e0.html

Home > News Syndicate content Comment Follow This Article Small Business Saturday seeks to support main street stores

By: Renee Richardson 
Source: http://brainerddispatch.com

This Saturday after Thanksgiving a national effort is aimed at reminding holiday shoppers that small, independently owned businesses are vital to communities.
Small Business Saturday encourages shoppers to spend some of their holiday dollars with independent main street businesses, which support the community by providing jobs, keeping money in the local economy and through civic involvement.
“The whole point is to get people to rethink how they spend their money,” said Amy Gray Ellingson. Brainerd Main Street coordinator. “Every little bit we can do to keep more money here locally is good for our community.”
This is the second annual Small Business Saturday. The awareness effort began with American Express and was embraced this season by the Brainerd Main Street program and supported by chambers of commerce in Brainerd, Pequot Lakes and Crosslake.
“Small business is really the backbone of our country,” Ellingson said. “In order for us to support that, we need to support local, small business.”
The Main Street Business District spearheaded the lakes area participation, including small independently owned businesses beyond the immediate downtown area to those on Washington Street and Baxter. About 22 businesses were actively participating in getting the word out about Small Business Saturday.
A number of grassroots efforts are working to raise awareness of local economies and the role of small businesses. One Ellingson said she likes is the 3/50 Project, which describes itself as an effort to save the brick and mortar backbone the nation was built upon. The 3/50 Project asks shoppers to think of three independent businesses they’d miss if they were no longer part of the community and to spend $50 a month total in three of those stores.
The 3/50 Project reports if half the U.S. population did that, their purchases would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue. “For every $100 spent in independently owned stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures,” the 3/50 Project reported, adding if the $100 is spent on a local chain, $43 stays locally and online shopping doesn’t return the dollars to the local economy.
For holiday shoppers still struggling with the effects of the recession, decisions are often based on where they can get the best deal. It may be hard for smaller stores to compete with big box discounts or their marketing dollars.
But Ellingson said in many cases small businesses are competitive in prices, but in order to do that it means they have a smaller profit margin.
Ellingson said even if it does cost a few more cents on the dollar, she’s made the decision to shop at an independent store because of the benefits to the community. She noted store owners who are active as community leaders and who donate to youth sports and numerous other activities here.
“So it’s really important we are in there to support them,” Ellingson said. “In an economy such as ours, anything we can do to keep more jobs and more money in our economy, it’s good for all of us.
“It doesn’t cost that much more to do that, but it can be a huge benefit to them.”

Source: http://brainerddispatch.com/news/2011-11-24/small-business-saturday-seeks-support-main-street-stores#.Ts8ykHK1XIc

Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday court shoppers Read more: Richmond County Daily Journal - Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday court shoppers

By: Dawn M. Kurry
Source: http://www.yourdailyjournal.com


Black Friday gets a lot of press this time of year but there are two other events — Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday — that also work to attract shoppers and their money.
Small Business Saturday was held for the first time last November, as a response to Black Friday and in support of small businesses. American Express created the holiday last year to boost patronage at small businesses, and partnered with Facebook to promote the event. American Express also announced the event on radio and television through advertisements.
According to MSN Money’s Staff Writer Stacy Johnson, on Small Business Saturday, you could get free money.
“For Amex cardholders, shopping local on Nov. 26 can net a $25 credit on a $25 purchase,” wrote Johnson. “Check out the Small Business Saturday Facebook page for details on how and where. (FedEx partnered with American Express to offer 40,000 $25 Amex gift cards to non-Amex customers too, but they ran out in about an hour.)”
You could find something different at a small business.
“They often have unique items or services you won’t find in the mass retailers,” she said. “These can make great gifts.”
You could help “preserve unique places to eat, drink, and shop. That uniqueness can also help create a community character and a sense of place. Think of the reasons you like to travel — it’s probably not because the destinations have another McDonald’s or Walmart. Shopping at these stores helps keep them alive, and encourages new ones.”
“The service is often much better,” wrote Johnson. “More than 20 percent of consumers in the American Express survey listed being greeted by name and getting personal recommendations as the primary reason for shopping small. Local businesses depend on maintaining relationships, unlike the giants who sometimes seem too successful to care.”
Small businesses support the local area with their taxes, by creating jobs, and often by buying from and working with other local companies, noted Johnson.
To see a list of small businesses in Richmond County that will be participating in Small Business Saturday, go to www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday and enter your ZIP code. Businesses listed on the website were submitted by American Express, as those businesses accept the American Express card. However, many of those businesses do not know they are listed there, and some will be closed on Small Business Saturday.
Cyber Monday is the online version of Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. At CyberMonday.com, “Get special offers including free shipping at hundreds of merchants during the holidays and throughout the year. On the day of Cyber Monday there will be hourly specials and exclusives from your favorite online retailers. Sneak peeks of the hourly deals will be shared via email alerts so make sure to sign up for special savings and the latest offers,” read its website.
Cyber Monday is ideal for people who would rather shop online. Online shoppers avoid long lines at checkout, and many retailers will gift-wrap your items before sending them out.
On CyberMonday.com, top retailers are listed that offer free shipping, such as Barnes & Nobles, QVC.com, The Body Shop and Anne Klein. The list goes on for pages. In one stop, with a few mouse clicks, you could have your holiday shopping behind you and on its way. With online shopping, you can choose if you want the package to come to your house, or you can have the gift wrapped and sent directly to your relatives. This cuts down on the cost of shipping to family across the country.

Source: http://www.yourdailyjournal.com/view/full_story/16552638/article-Small-Business-Saturday-and-Cyber-Monday-court-shoppers?instance=home_news_lead

The quick-start guide to setting up a small business

By: Jeff Haden
Source: http://www.cbsnews.com


(MoneyWatch)  The details and planning required to start a small business can seem overwhelming. That's why many would-be entrepreneurs never manage to take the small business plunge.

Fortunately, taking care of the details -- getting a business license, obtaining permits and other related matters -- is actually fairly easy. Then, once you have your basic infrastructure in place, you can spend your time focusing on what entrepreneurs do best: making money.

One quick note: We won't cover deciding whether your business should be a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC or corporation. Many entrepreneurs, especially those starting a side business, begin as sole proprietors, but the decision regarding which legal entity to form is one you should make only after consulting with an accountant or financial professional.

Here's a quick-start guide to starting your own business:

Determine your business name. While branding, unique selling propositions and business-identity considerations are important, keep in mind there is no perfect company name. So don't worry about selecting the ideal URL, dreaming up the perfect website design or roughing out your promotional literature. Pick a name. You can always operate your business under a name that's different from your company name. (That's what a DBA, or "doing business as," is for.) And you can always change your company's name later, especially if you end up doing something different than you originally thought.

Apply for an Employee Identification Number (EIN). An EIN is a federal tax number that is used to formally identify your business. Although you don't need an EIN unless you plan to have employees or form a partnership, LLC or corporation, it makes sense to apply for one. The process only takes a few minutes and is free. If you don't have an EIN your Social Security number is used to identify your business for tax purposes. An EIN allows you to keep your Social Security number confidential. All you have to do is go to the IRS website and apply.

Apply for a trade name. If you decide you won't operate your business under your own name, some localities require you to register your trade name. Go to the courthouse and fill out the form. In most areas, applications get approved on the spot.

Apply for a business license. The county or city where you live will require you to have a business license. The form takes minutes to complete, but make sure to bring your EIN and approved trade name application form. You may also be asked to estimate what you think your business will gross in terms of annual receipts. Don't get hung up on trying to create the perfect forecast. If you're just starting a business, there's no way to know.

Complete a business personal property tax form. Some localities require this form while others do not, so ask while you're at the courthouse. In many areas this form is not required for the first year of operation. There is no need to list equipment, tools, supplies, computers, etc. that you already own and plan to use in your business. Keep track of any tangible business personal property you buy later, because you will list those items when you file next year's form.

Apply for other required permits. Every locality requires different permits. Ask about zoning requirements, permits to allow you to run a business from your home, etc. If you're not sure, just say, "This is the type of business I'm setting up. What permits do I need?" The clerks will tell you.

Apply for a certificate of resale. This is only necessary if you plan to sell products and are required to collect sales tax. (A certificate of resale is sometimes called a seller's permit.) Check your state department of taxation website for details.

Establish a business checking account. Keeping track of business and personal expenses can be tough at first. An easy way to make sure you don't use the wrong funds -- and lose out on possible deductions -- is to have a business checking account you use solely for business purposes. Don't put the account in your name, though. Use your business name and business EIN to identify the account. Running all your revenues and expenses through a separate account will make your accounting a lot easier. (Remember to ask a lot of questions about the account: monthly fees, charges for checks and deposits, etc. Business checking terms and costs vary widely from bank to bank.)

Set up a simple way to keep your books. Business accounting software is great but can be a little daunting at first if you've never run a business. For now, create a spreadsheet or even use a notebook to log the revenue you receive and the money you spend. Later you can set up a more formal system, but as long as you keep track of all your expenses and all your income, you'll be fine at first.

All of the above may sound like a lot to accomplish but it's actually very easy. Plus there will be people happy to help you. The staff at your courthouse and your locality's treasurer's office will answer any questions and walk you through the different processes.

Best of all, unless your area has unusual requirements, you can get the basic infrastructure of your business set up in no more than a day or two. Then you're off and running!

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505143_162-57330250/the-quick-start-guide-to-setting-up-a-small-business/

Small Businesses Owners Cautiously Optimistic About Holiday Shoppers

By Lisa Spinelli
Source: http://annandale.patch.com

Small business owners in Annandale are hoping for a profitable shopping season, but not entirely sold.

As the holidays close in, small businesses around Annandale expect a little relief from the financial chokehold the economy has placed around their necks, but not much.

“We do better than normal business around this time, but we’re still in a recession,” said Gary Sherfey, owner of Annandale Florist Inc..

Small Businesses account for 97 percent of all businesses in Fairfax County, according to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, and while Virginia’s small business sector has seen more growth than most states in the recent past, today’s economy is still making it tough to turn a big profit. With the busiest shopping days of the year right ahead of us, many of the small businesses in Annandale are on edge to see if shoppers will spend more than last year and help pull the bottom lines out of the recession slump.

“Before, they would do repairs right away, nowadays they have to think about it,” said Annandale Watch, Clock and Jewelry owner Paula Luabun. “It has been slow, but I hope it will pick up after the holidays. Usually people come in with their gifts like rings that are too big or too small and need to be resized so, we [are] hoping.”

Thanksgiving’s Black Friday, the Friday following Thanksgiving, is the busiest shopping day of the year for stores nationally. The seven-year-old Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, hit a reported $1 billion in online sales last year, so it’s no surprise that another shopping “holiday” has been created right around Thanksgiving aimed at small businesses.

For the second year in a row, American Express has been publicizing Small Business Saturday (SBS) to try to push their cardholders to shop at local small businesses. American Express cardholders who shop at small businesses on November 26, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, will receive a $25 refund on their bill; however, you must register your American Express card ahead of time through the SBS Facebook page or other sites like Foursquare.

Last year, American Express reported a 28 percent rise in their small business merchant sales on SBS, versus the same day in 2009. However, small businesses in Annandale don’t seem to be emphasizing the day.

“I know I am supposed to be advertising to my customers, but I really haven’t done much,” said Duke Cigar & Tobacco owner Sam Zeki. “[But] this is our busiest time of the year—now until Christmas.”

And many businesses in Annandale do not even offer American Express as a payment option, so it is unlikely the SBS “holiday” will create much of a stir locally. The hope for booming sales still lies on the rest of the season, with some trepidation.

“We expect to do better than last year, but this economy has definitely affected us,” said Robin Milburn, director of Artisans United. “We are cautiously optimistic.”


Source: http://annandale.patch.com/articles/cautious-optimism-amongst-small-businesses-owners

Small Businesses Are A Big Part Of The U.S. Economy

By: Péralte Paul
Source: http://eastatlanta.patch.com


Small Business Saturday serves as a reminder that the neighborhood store, clothing shop or restaurant form the underpinnings of American business
The Friday after Thanksgiving, as all shopaholics know, is "Black Friday," traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year.

With the rise of the techie generation who shop online, the Monday after Turkey Day has been dubbed "Cyber Monday."

But the Saturday in-between, Nov. 26, is Small Business Saturday, an effort to get consumers to spend their money and patronize those non-chain, neighborhood enterprises.

From a neighborhood impact and local economy perspective, Small Business Saturday might be the most important of the three.

Sure, Georgia boasts a blue-chip roster of Fortune 500 firms including Home Depot, Aflac, Newell Rubbermaid, SunTrust Banks and UPS.

And while all of them have scores of employees, the average Georgian is more likely to be working for a small business, which the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy defines as having fewer than 500 employees.

"A lot of the job creation that goes on is in the small- to medium-sized businesses," said Roger C. Tutterow, an economics professor at Mercer University.

“The big companies, when they expand, they get the attention in terms of headlines, but on a percentage basis, it may not be as large as when a smaller business expands.”

In fact, the number of small businesses in Georgia was 177,445 in 2006, the most recent figures available, according to the SBA's Office of Advocacy.

They accounted for 97.9 percent of the state's employers and 46.3 percent of its private-sector employment, according to the U.S. Dept. of Commerce's Bureau of the Census.

That means the lion's share of Georgia's total economic output, which JPMorgan Chase estimates will be $364 billion this year, will come from small businesses, like the Shed at Glenwood.

Opened in 2008, the restaurant, located in Glenwood Park, has a full-time staff of 25.

Owners Todd Martin and his wife, Cindy Shera, live in Grant Park and most of the Shed’s employees live in Grant Park, Ormewood Park and other nearby communities.

“A small business is where you really keep your finger on the pulse of the neighborhood and of the community,” Martin said. “It’s nice to be able to put a name and face with a business when you’re spending your hard-earned money there and it’s nice to develop those relationships.”

Beyond those interpersonal relationships, the restaurant has a direct impact on Glenwood Park and surrounding neighborhoods by paying taxes to the city and state, which are then funneled back into the local economy.

The employees, in turn, also pay state and local taxes and buy local goods and services.

But the Shed also helps explain just how important small businesses  — when added collectively — are to the $14 trillion U.S. economy.

The restaurant buys its meats and vegetables from a slew of local farmers and vendors as close as the Old Fourth Ward to Covington to as far as Thomasville in South Georgia. [See our interactive map.]

Each transaction supports the local economies of those communities.

“It can have a significant effect beyond what their direct output is,” Tutterow, the economist, said.

Indeed, the Shed’s economic web goes well beyond Georgia’s borders to food vendors in North Carolina and Tennessee to wineries in California, Oregon and Washington and overseas to a host of countries including South Africa, France, Chile, Argentina and New Zealand.


Source: http://eastatlanta.patch.com/articles/small-businesses-are-a-big-part-of-the-u-s-economy

A Small Business Take on Black Friday

By Ashle Briggs Horton
Source: http://edina.patch.com


Local small businesses shift focus rather than attempt to compete with big box stores on the shopping holiday.
Friday may be the biggest shopping day of the year, but for the little shops, big Black Friday expectations are left to the larger retailers. 

“I don’t think you can compete with the big box stores,” said Mary Brindley, owner of Grethen House. “We do our own thing because I don’t think there’s any competing with those guys.”

Part of their own thing is looking past Black Friday to Small Business Saturday, the second annual call to support local small businesses at the start of the holiday shopping season.

Katie Egan, owner of il Vostro, said she’s excited to see what Small Business Saturday will bring. As for the much-talked-about day before, Egan expects to see those who prefer to avoid the early morning retail races.

“People go to the malls,” Egan said. “I can’t really compete with that and I don’t really want to. I’ll take the people that don’t want to go to the malls.”

The consensus among the shop owners at 50th & France is that the local boutique shopping district attracts a different kind of shopper from the type who is likely to line up outside big box stores in the middle of the night hoping to score deep discounts and giveaways.

As owner of the new stationery and design boutique Paperista, it’s Antoinette Ramos’ first Black Friday and holiday season at 50th & France. 

“We’re not thinking people will come here; they’re going to the mall,” Ramos said. “I haven’t assumed it’s going to be that big of a day for me.”

That’s not necessarily the goal, anyway. For a day dedicated to moving mass amounts of merchandise, the small boutiques don’t really fit in.

“We’re such a small store, we don’t carry enough inventory that we can just blow out of it all with sales,” Ramos said.

And most patrons of small businesses are savvy enough not to expect to walk out with a free toaster at 3 a.m. Instead, they’re looking for personalized service and a more relaxed shopping experience.

“Our customers aren’t really into the gimmick,” Michael Hagie, owner of Gather, said. “Not to be elitist or snobbish, but our customers are a different demographic.”

That demographic is one that is willing to forgo doorbuster sales for a certain level of service and atmosphere. As Antoinette Ramos said, “Maybe we draw the crowds that don’t want to be in the crowds.”

The beauty of 50th & France, Michael Hagie said, is that while the shops will likely be busy on Black Friday, they won’t be overwhelmed. This will allow Hagie to offer the same level of customer service at Gather as usual, as well as free gift boxes and complimentary gift wrapping.

Of course, there are Black Friday shoppers who shop both the big box stores for deals and the small, local shops for service and unique items. Kari Shaw of Live, Laugh, Love has learned to schedule heavier in the afternoon on Black Friday to accommodate that crowd.

“What we find is in the morning we’re not very busy, but then in the afternoon on Black Friday is when the people come in because they want to have the service, they want something different, they want their purchase gift wrapped, or they want to stroll the street and go to lunch,” Shaw said.

So if the early hours of Black Friday have you exhausted, 50th & France may be your respite. Some boutiques are even offering Black Friday specials. Or maybe you’ll choose to shop on Saturday instead, supporting the new retail holiday for the locals.
Related Topics: 50th & France, Black Friday, Holiday Guide 2011, and Small Business

Source: http://edina.patch.com/articles/the-small-business-take-on-black-friday-at-50th-and-france

Who Gets Your 'Small Business Saturday' Love?

Source: millburn.patch.com

Let's face it: There are a lot of big, big businesses out there. You might even be planning a pilgrimage to some of them on Black Friday.

And, there's nothing wrong with that. Many of those large businesses provide us with some of our most needed services and employ our friends, our neighbors, our families – and, for that, we are grateful.

Still, there is something about a mom-and-pop shop, the local place, the place where everybody knows your name (or at least recognizes your face). You know more of the money you spend there has a better chance of staying in your community. Not only are these places owned by your friends, neighbors or family members, they also employ some of those people too.

Thankfully, those in Millburn and Short Hills who support small business don't have to go very far to do that. From a multitude of restaurants to operations that provide some of our most basic, needed, or just desired services, there are a lot of places that call this township home.

So, when you shop on "Small Business Saturday" on Nov. 26, where will you go? Which businesses gets your money and time, and, hopefully, a "thank you" for making your community unique?

This week we're asking you to give your "shout outs" to your favorite local businesses in the comments section. Call it Patch's love letter to our small businesses, signed by all of you. Chime in below.

News Source: http://millburn.patch.com/articles/who-gets-your-small-business-saturday-love-35726ba3