With the recent flooding in the South many companies, including the Small Business Association, are unable to answer their phones.
Grasshopper is offering free service to small businesses in Nashville affected by the flooding. Set up custom greetings to let customers know what is happening or have your calls forwarded to another number.
Contact Grasshopper at 800-820-8210 to get set up.
Posted in News & Updates, Small Business | Tagged customer service, Small Business | Leave a comment
Every recession inspires government leaders to enact an economic stimulus plan. The assumption is that market downturns are intolerable and can only be cured by political intervention. Yet, it is unclear whether stimulus packages like President Barack Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 stimulate anything other than government spending.
The way to know for sure is to determine what, if anything, such plans do for entrepreneurs. John T. Reed, a Harvard MBA, points out that what actually needs stimulating is business profits, which supply the money for defense, Social Security payments, employee salaries/wages, business taxes and ultimately, the stimulus itself.
What Was Stimulated
The question of whether the stimulus is working, therefore, is really a question of whether it helps entrepreneurs be more profitable. Some aspects of the stimulus do appear to help.
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Small Business, Startup | Tagged Entrepreneurship, Small Business, Startup | 7 Comments
One of the great things about the entrepreneur community is the willingness and desire to share the trials and tribulations of starting and running a business. From blogs to forums to podcasts and books, there is a lot of really great knowledge out there. We have chosen eight of the best entrepreneur forums where you can ask questions, find info and share your own stories.
Entrepreneur.com – Industry Groups
Link: http://econnect.entrepreneur.com/browse_groups.php
What is it: Entrepreneur.com is a great forum that covers everything around entrepreneurship and business. The forums are even split up into industry-based groups ranging from construction professionals, to franchising, to sales and marketing to online business and young entrepreneurs.
Why you should read it: Entrepreneur.com has long been a trusted source for all kinds of entrepreneurs. Their forum allows people to connect with each other and share their experiences and knowledge. The starting a business section has nearly 1000 discussion topics!
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Small Business, Startup, Tips & Tricks | Tagged Entrepreneurship, Small Business, tips, tricks | 3 Comments
Recessions are frequently associated with bankruptcy, layoffs and business failures. For seemingly the entire duration, we are fed a steady diet of recession-related negativity by politicians and journalists. Unemployment soars, despair builds, and it seems like the worst is always yet to come. It might sound counter-intuitive, then, to suggest that a recession might be the perfect time to start a new business. But the idea makes more sense than many give it credit for.
For all the pain and hardships recessions cause, they also create unique opportunities for savvy entrepreneurs in general and certain types of businesses in particular. Today, Grasshopper explores why recessions can be an ideal time to get a business off the ground.
Lower Pressure & Expectations
A common barrier to starting a business is fear of failure. Entrepreneurs are often chastised by friends or family to pursue something more realistic (like a “guaranteed” job or career) than the company they dream of starting.
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Small Business, Startup | Tagged Small Business, Startup | 6 Comments
Have a great business idea but not sure what to do next? Luckily there are people all over the world who want to help you get your business off of the ground. We have listed 10 business plan competitions that can help you do just that. Get feedback and maybe even some funds to help you make your dream a reality.
Silicon Valley Boomer Business Plan Competition
Who is it for?
Anyone 18 years or older from around the globe with a business plan that shows the 45-plus market as the primary market for the product or service. Current annual revenues must be no more than $1 million.
How to enter?
Executive summary submissions are due via YouNoodle
Deadline: April 23, 2010
Link to competition: Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit – Business Plan Competition
Cisco I-Prize
Who is it for?
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Events, Small Business | Tagged business plan competition, Entrepreneurship, Small Business | 1 Comment ← Older posts Newer posts →
