Tag: small

Best deals to shop on Small Business Saturday today

by  on  in Best Business Newspaper
small business saturday

Amazon / Amazon


Today is Small Business Saturday, an annual shopping holiday that takes place the day after Black Friday. The event encourages shoppers to support small businesses and local shops. Many people focus their Black Friday shopping on big name retailers like Walmart, Amazon and Wayfair. Today is the day to pay some special attention to smaller businesses — many of which are offering excellent Cyber Weekend deals as well.

The shopping team at CBS Essentials has put together this list to help you find great small businesses to support during your Cyber Weekend shopping. Many of these brands have made Oprah’s Favorite Things List over the years and some are available on Amazon with Prime shipping. Plus, these items make excellent holiday gifts.

Keep reading to shop our favorite Small Business Saturday picks or check out Amazon’s top small business deals by clicking the button below.

UnHide Marshmallow faux fur blanket: Save $100

UnHide marshmallow blanket

UnHide


This luxuriously soft faux fur blanket has taken social media by storm this year. It’s made by the small business UnHide, a vegan lifestyle brand dedicated to making ultra-cozy and cruelty-free home goods. 

“I don’t do reviews, but I had to leave one for this blanket,” says one Amazon reviewer. “I have never had a blanket that was so soft, so cuddly or so warm! Yes, it’s pricey, but 1000% is worth the money! If you’re a blanket lover, I highly suggest you buy this one. You will not be disappointed!”

The Unhide Marshmallow is featured as one of Amazon’s top Cyber Monday deals at 20% off. But right now, you can get an even better deal on UnHide’s website where it is on sale for $149 ($100 off the regular price of $250)

Tushy Basic 2.0 toilet seat attachment bidet:

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Top Printing Services for Small Business

by  on  in Business Card Companies

If you buy something through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

Even in our digital world, printed materials still play a big role for small businesses. From business cards to brochures, the right print job can make your brand look polished and professional. Online print services make it easy to order what you need right from your computer. They help keep your brand consistent, amp up your marketing, and save you time. In this article, we’ll explore the top printing services that give small businesses the edge they need.

The Rise of Online Printing Services

Online printing services are taking over, and it’s easy to see why. They’re quick, simple to use, and often cheaper than traditional print shops. You get a wide range of options, from business cards to banners, all at your fingertips. Plus, fast turnaround times mean you get what you need when you need it.

printing services

What Can Be Printed by a Printing Service?

So, what can you actually print with a printing service? It turns out quite a lot! Whether you’re sprucing up your office or getting the word out about your business, these services have you covered. Let’s dig into some of the things you can print and why each is important for your business.

Custom Design Services

These services help you create unique designs for your brand. Make your logo, flyers, or even your website look exactly how you want.

Promotional Materials

Think pens, mugs, and T-shirts with your brand on them. These items make it easy for people to remember you.

Document Printing

Need to print reports or manuals? These services offer high-quality document printing, so you look professional all the way.

Marketing Materials

From brochures to postcards, print the things that tell people what your business

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Best Accounting Software for Small Businesses in 2023

by  on  in Best Business Newspaper

Small Business Accounting Software

Features:  Different software for small business accounting offers different sets of features that can vary widely. As you might expect, most of them can help you categorize transactions and issue payment reminders, but other features include things like the ability to e-file taxes, integrate with third-party software, and more. Usually, free options don’t offer all of these advanced capabilities, so if you need access to them you may need to get a paid product. Make a list of the features you need from accounting software before you subscribe or buy it, so you can make sure your accounting solution meets your needs.

Integration with other business software or applications:  If you use a range of software solutions for different aspects of your business, you may want software that can integrate with them. For example, you might want software that works with your company’s expensing service the payments platform you use to sell your goods. Not all accounting software offers a wide range of third-party integrations, so if that’s important to you, make sure that you find a platform that does. “Small businesses should look for an open platform that allows third-party integrations, so they can select from an ecosystem of third-party applications the tools they need to create best-of-breed technology,” says Ben Richmond, County Manager at Xero.

Reporting and analytics capabilities:  In-depth reports can be very helpful for small business accounting. Most accounting software offers some level of reporting, but different software offers different kinds of reports. You’ll likely want reporting for the various types of income and spending in your business, but you may also want deeper analytics tools that are easy to access. “Great accounting software should be easy to use, optimized so small business users can spend less

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Small businesses and the Corporate Transparency Act

by  on  in Business Information Companies

On January 1, 2024 a new reporting requirement goes into effect that will require millions of small businesses to file a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Report with the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

Congress imposed this requirement in a statute called the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), with FinCEN issuing the regulation providing the details on who must file a report, when it has to be filed, and what information has to be reported.  Every small business owner needs to know about this new reporting requirement as non-compliance can result in severe penalties. This article addresses some of the main questions small business owners have been asking about BOI reporting.

What is the purpose of the Corporate Transparency Act?

The CTA is mainly an anti-money laundering law.  In it, Congress states that bad actors seek to conceal their ownership of corporations, LLCs, or similar entities in the United States to facilitate money laundering, financing of terrorism, tax fraud, and other illegal acts. And according to Congress, federal legislation providing for the collection of beneficial ownership information is needed to protect national interests and better enable efforts to counter those illegal acts.

Who has to file a BOI report?

Every corporation, LLC, or other entity created by the filing of a document with a Secretary of State or similar office under the law of a state or Indian tribe is required to file a BOI report unless it qualifies for an exemption. Those entities created in the United States and not exempt, and therefore required to file a BOI report, are called “domestic reporting companies”.  (Certain entities created in foreign countries and registered to do business in the United States are also required to file a BOI report and are called “foreign reporting companies.”)

Who is exempt from

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Do you need a financial advisor as a small business owner?

by  on  in Business Financial News

If you run a small business, there’s already a lot on your plate. You’re in charge of managing employees, overseeing marketing campaigns and delivering services to your customers.

But who keeps an eye on your company’s finances? You might have a CPA or accountant to call on during tax time, but hiring a holistic financial advisor with experience in small businesses planning can help take your enterprise to the next level.

In this article, we’ll explore what business financial advisors do and how hiring this type of professional can be a worthwhile investment for your company’s future.

What is a business financial advisor and what do they do?

A business financial advisor is a hired professional who specializes in matters such as retirement planning for the self-employed, small business taxes and identifying cash flow issues.

As a small business owner, you’re probably used to doing a lot of things yourself and might wonder if you really need a financial advisor or if you can manage everything on your own. If you can financially afford it, and you’re comfortable with handing over some responsibility to a professional, hiring a financial advisor could help you streamline your company’s finances.

In essence, a small business financial advisor acts as a strategic partner. If you’re just starting out, speaking with a financial advisor before launching your business can help you identify any funding issues or spot discrepancies in your projections.

Here are some other things a small business financial planner can help you with:

Need expert guidance when it comes to managing your investments or planning for retirement?

Bankrate’s AdvisorMatch can connect you to a CFP® professional to help you achieve your financial goals.

Benefits of small business financial advisors

If you want to take your startup to the next level, a financial

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How To Accept Credit Card Payments As A Small Business

by  on  in Business Card Companies

Key takeaways

  • Many card processing providers offer similar services. Finding the best fit comes down to the number of transactions you expect to process and how you plan to accept payments — in person, online or over the phone.
  • In-person payments come with lower processing fees, while over-the-phone payments can be more costly due to the risk no-card-present transactions attract.
  • When weighing options, don’t simply go for the cheapest: think about your business’s needs and whether the provider offers tools that can scale with your business as it grows.

The reign of cash as king is coming to an end. Today’s consumers use cash for only 18 percent of all transactions, according to a 2023 Federal Reserve study.

Today’s best credit cards offer enhanced security features, generous spending limits and rewards. Plus, with the rise of online shopping, credit cards are more popular than ever. In fact, credit card transactions account for 31 percent of all transactions, according to the study.

We’ve created this guide to help small-business owners and side hustle entrepreneurs weigh their credit card processing options. Here’s what you need to know.

How to accept business credit card payments

1. Find a credit card processing provider for your small business

There are many payment processing providers that offer similar services.

Consider what portion of credit card transactions you will process in person, online and over the phone. Also, think about what type of credit cards you’ll accept: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express and so on. Processing fees vary among transaction types and card networks. It’s in your best interest to find the provider that offers the most competitive fees for the type of transactions and credit cards that you’ll process most.

You should also consider the volume of transactions your business will be processing, as some

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Best Website Builders for Small Businesses (2023)

by  on  in Best Business Newspaper

If you want to create an appealing website quickly and within your budget, a website builder can help. Our Best Website Builders for Small Businesses rating can help you decide which one to use. We researched providers and compared more than 20 features to identify the top four site builders. Compare pricing, tools, customer service, and more to find the best solution for your company.
Wix logo
#1 Wix

Best Website Builder of 2023

Business Plan Monthly Pricing

$27.00+

Marketing Tools

Money Back Guarantee

14 days for paid plans
GoDaddy Logo
#2 GoDaddy

Best for Smaller Companies on a Budget

Business Plan Monthly Pricing

$24.99+

Marketing Tools

Money Back Guarantee

30 days for annual plans, 48 hours for monthly plans
Duda logo
#3 Duda

Best for Custom Coding

Business Plan Monthly Pricing

$29.00+

Marketing Tools

Money Back Guarantee

14 days
Wordpress logo
Business Plan Monthly Pricing

$40.00+

Marketing Tools

Money Back Guarantee

14 days for annual plans, 7 days for monthly plans

We evaluated web hosting services, site-editing tools, and professional reviews for our rating of the Best Website Builders for Small Businesses. Our assessment looked at plan pricing, range of subscriptions, and features for various industries. Also, we considered cart, checkout, analytics, and inventory management tools for e-commerce. Explore the top website builders to create a professional and functional business site.

Wix
Monthly Pricing Range for All Plans

$16.00 – $59.00

Business Plan Monthly Pricing

$27.00+

Best Website Builder of 2023

Wix Is Recommended For:

  • Businesses of all sizes and budgets looking for site building packages

  • Customers that need 24/7 support via chatbot and callback

  • Those in search of a range of management, marketing, and e-commerce tools

Wix Isn’t Recommended

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What is Financial Modeling and Why Should Your Small Business Use It?

by  on  in Business Financial News

Planning for the future of your small business is an important part of success. Financial modeling takes different shapes, but basically, it’s about plugging different numbers and scenarios into a formula very often on an excel sheet and seeing the effect they have.

Financial Modeling in Action

Small Business Trends spoke with various business experts about this useful tool and how it works for small business.

Healy Jones from Kruze Consulting clarified how these tools can help a startup get rolling or an established business move forward when they are considering expansion.

Understanding Costs and Profits

“A well built financial model will help a business owner understand the costs and profits from their management decisions. What will it  cost to open a new location, hire a new employee, and how does that impact the bottom line?” he says.

He went on to say that a good financial model can answer questions like whether your small business should buy a new piece of equipment or pay down debt too.

“These can even tell businesses they have enough customer service people to take on the number of customers they want to next year.”

What is Financial Modeling and Why Should Your Small Business Use It?

Using Real World Starting Points

Although you can pick some numbers out of the air and plug them in (what happens if we price our widgets at $400 dollars and sell 6000?) more accurate results come with more real world starting points.

That’s why using financial statements and market research will give you more accurate results. It’s even a good idea to consider a professional consultant to get an objective base to start from.

Daniel Feiman from BuildItBackwards.com explains how to use  base line once you’ve put one together.

Establishing Extreme Outcomes

“Frequently you want to establish the most extreme possible outcomes by modeling the best and worst case,

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Some small businesses caught in culture wars face financial woes, employee fears: ‘Never been as bad’

by  on  in Business Financial News

When Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a war on “woke” earlier this year with a proposal that would require booksellers to rate texts before selling them to school districts, he caught the attention of a small wholesaler in St. Louis who feared that his industry would be decimated.

“We’re not book raters — we’re booksellers,” said Benjamin Conn, the owner of Classroom Library Company and the president of the Educational Book and Media Association, a group of 150 distributors nationwide that sell books to schools. “It would be like if Paramount came out with a movie and every theater had to rate it themselves.”

The trade association hired a lobbyist, who negotiated with Texas officials on behalf of an alternative version of the measure, Conn told ABC News, but to no avail. In response to a lawsuit brought by booksellers, a federal judge last month temporarily blocked Texas from enforcing the law, leaving the ultimate regulation uncertain.

“It has never been as bad as it is now,” Conn said, noting that Texas schools account for as much as $40 million in revenue for some wholesalers and the move could prompt adoption in other states. “It’s a mess. This has ground business to a halt.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Abbott told ABC News that he has led Texas to a period of strong economic growth, in part through his support for small businesses.

“Small businesses are a key part of the Texas economic juggernaut, with 99.8% of Texas businesses being small and employing nearly half of all working Texans,” Spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris said.

While Fortune 500 corporations like Disney, Target and Anheuser-Busch draw attention as high-profile targets of anti-LGBTQ+ backlash, a lesser known but wide-ranging set of small businesses has been thrust into the nation’s culture wars.

A

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The Evolving Financial Confidence of Small Businesses: A Deep Dive

by  on  in Business Financial News

The American Express second edition of the Small Business Financial Confidence Report offers a deep and intriguing insight into the dynamic and ever-evolving landscape of small businesses in today’s market. Delving into the shifting perceptions and confidence levels, this report provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of small businesses and uncovers the potential factors influencing these trends. In this article, we will thoroughly examine these compelling findings and explore the intricate nuances that shape the financial confidence of small businesses in today’s dynamic and ever-changing business environment.

Fluctuating Confidence Levels

The Small Business Financial Confidence Report recently uncovered some interesting insights. It revealed that initially, a substantial 54% of small business owners expressed high confidence in their ability to make sound growth decisions. However, just two months later, this figure experienced a significant drop of 5%, indicating a noticeable shift in the financial confidence of small businesses.

Upon further analysis, it was found that the broader macroeconomic environment played a pivotal role in this decrease in confidence. As we all know, we are currently navigating through an uncertain economic landscape. In fact, a staggering 80% of all small businesses surveyed agreed that the current economy is negatively impacting their long-term financial confidence. Amidst this backdrop, inflation emerged as a primary concern for 35% of these businesses. Furthermore, more than two-thirds (72%) are apprehensive about the future, believing that inflation will either worsen or remain the same in 2024.

Digging deeper into the survey findings, operating costs, labor costs, and consumer spending were identified as other critical concerns among small business owners. This highlights the multifaceted challenges that small businesses are grappling with in today’s highly competitive market. Overall, it becomes evident that the economic climate is significantly impacting the perspectives and decision-making process of small business owners.

Banking

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