To many business owners, this question is scarier than finding a burglar standing over your bed at night. So, here's some common sense advice that can save your business, regardless of how long you've been in business.

First of all, building a solid business credit rating is possible regardless of your personal credit scores. Obtaining the right types of corporate credit is vital to: the protection of your personal assets, the risks associated with personal lawsuits affecting your business, and your business' ability to weather economic changes that seem to occur overnight.

All business owners must make it a weekly priority toward developing relationships with the right types of lending institutions. You usually want to start your applica ... Read more »

This article is about only step one, how to creatively find viable companies and one's that are able to be purchased.

Assuming you have clearly defined your business purchase criteria and you have decided to pursue only companies that are "officially" for sale, versus attempting to find and contact company owners who might be willing to sell, you will need to explore as many ways as you can to find companies for sale as possible.

As a business buyer you want to use the best means possible to position yourself to get the first shot at your most prom ... Read more »

"I don't have enough money to budget."

For many small business owners, the word "budget" is something for the bigger company - maybe they'll have one when their business "grows up."

Yes and no. I have personally met many average people who have made many hundreds of thousands of dollars each in home businesses. Some of them had impressive educations and backgrounds. Some were pretty unimpressive before. I've met a tattoo parlor owner, a bouncer, a college coach, and a homemaker. All of them have made multiple six figure incomes. They were average in terms of their education and work background, but there are also some things about them that aren't average at all.

Did they have to train for years and listen to a home correspondence course of hundreds of CD's? No. Did they go get another degree? No ... Read more »

Six months later, this same gentleman opened up another restaurant on the other side of town. What was the secret to his immediate and amazing success? ...he found a natural market. No one can simulate a natural market. Outsiders go to get the cultural flavor as well as the good food, insiders go to enjoy the "homey" experience.

But wait a minute, have you seriously thought about what kind of small home based business opportunity you should bank your future on?

Before you start your own small home based business, do the following and you'll get your home based business off to a good start.

What marketable skills do you have that you can use to work from home? Some examples of people who have made a good transition to home based businesses are accountants, sewers, teachers as tutors or educators of toddlers, musicians who teach musical instruments, etc... If you have a skill, you can market it and have a home b ... Read more »

Up until a few years ago, work from home opportunities were rare and poorly paid. This type of work from home slavery still exists but technology has caused a dramatic increase in the number of genuine work from home opportunities available, both for the home based business entrepreneur and for the stay at home mom who wants a job she can fit in around the kids' schedule.

If you have a professional qualification such as being a Lawyer or Accoun ... Read more »

So you think that you are just like your competition? Well, then it is time to differentiate yourself. As a contractor, you probably use the same types of materials as your competitors do... so how can you differentiate yourself? Service! Build it better and serve your clients better. You will come out on top. This may seem so simple, yet very few contractors really do things better than their competitors.

So what are 5 simple ways that can double your income? Here they are...

1. Use only high quality subcontractors. It costs you less in time and rework costs to use quality subcontractors the first time. You may think you are going to save a few dollars by hiring the cheapest one, but in the end we all know it doesn't work out that way. We pay for what we get. What's quality service and product ... Read more »

Job related stress has many psychological and physiological effects. Stress affects worker health and in many cases, worker safety. The stress brought on by poor working conditions, coworkers, demanding bosses, or stressful job duties causes physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle pain and muscle spasms, tension, ulcers and other digestive disorders, loss of appetite, loss of sleep, and fatigue.

Lack of financial security is also another major factor that contributes to job related stress. Regardless of what your income level is, you still may not earn enough money to pay all of the bil ... Read more »

There are few acts more impressive than handwriting a letter or a note to someone with whom you do business or would like to. Most people think that writing notes by hand requires extra time and effort. Ironically, it can be quick and painless if you do it frequently and follow these tips:

1. Have writing supplies close at hand. Store stationery and stamps in the most convenient place in your desk. When you need to send a not ... Read more »