You face plenty of challenges as a small business owner. Finding ways to protect yourself against lawsuits is a major one. You may be able to add protection by structuring your business as a corporation or limited liability company (LLC). Both these entities may shield the owners’ or members’ personal assets from the company’s debts […]
Financial Analysis for Your Small Business
Comparing a business’s key financial ratios with industry standards and with its own past results can highlight trends and identify strengths and weaknesses in the business. Financial statement information is most useful if owners and managers can use it to improve their company’s profitability, cash flow, and value. Getting the most mileage from financial statement […]
How Small Businesses Can Use Artificial Intelligence
Science fiction movies and books may portray artificial intelligence as a human-like giant brain with thousands of wires coming from it that control whole cities and their populations. The reality today is that artificial intelligence is unobtrusive, everywhere, and we are interacting with it multiple times daily without always recognizing that we are. Artificial intelligence […]
Getting Started with Reports in QuickBooks Online
You should be running reports in QuickBooks Online on a weekly—if not daily—basis. Here’s what you need to know. You can do a lot of your accounting work in QuickBooks Online by generating reports. You can maintain your customer and vendor profiles. Create and send transactions like invoices and sales receipts, and record payments. Enter […]
Mentoring the Next Generation to Take Over the Family Business
Many owners of small businesses would love to see a family member take over their business. If you have children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews that you think might be interested in running the business in the future, you can help lay the groundwork for that potential transfer of ownership in several ways. Use the following […]
Cash Flow Strategies for Cash-Strapped Businesses
Cash is critical to the functioning of every business. Maintaining a healthy cash flow not only allows a company to meet its financial obligations but also gives it the flexibility to take advantage of emerging opportunities. All too often, however, small businesses find themselves in a cash crunch, struggling to pay the bills and stay […]