Sound financial management means knowing the firm's cash flow, forecasting cash needs, planning to borrow at the appropriate time and substantiating the firm's payback ability. Even a business with respectable sales volume is not protected against financial disaster, and it's often due to poor financial planning.
Bulletin Board
Add tags to Web site for better visibility
Submitted by donna on Tue, 04/27/2010 - 1:56pmRecently, we did a workshop for the University of Georgia Small Business Office's Savannah location, and one of the topics was explaining how to ensure a Web site was optimized (SEO) and the importance of having a properly designed Web site.
Every Web page has four basic tag components that are important to Google's bots (spiders that search Web sites frequently) and search-engine users.
The four tags are:
-- Title tag
-- Meta description tag
-- Header tags
-- Alt tags
Title tags
Title tags announce your Web page's purpose in a big, bold way.
Tips from SCORE
Submitted by donna on Tue, 04/27/2010 - 1:39pmSuccessful Entrepreneurs Know When to Ask for Help
Entrepreneurs are independent by nature. Business owners take the risk of entrepreneurship because they have bright ideas and the skill and determination to get the job done. Often entrepreneurial beginnings can be traced to starting out alone. But, there is no need to go it alone. Resources are available to help entrepreneurs succeed and succeed more quickly. It is admirable to go it alone, but it may make sense to call upon others for some help if it means greater success for your business.
Tips From SCORE
Submitted by donna on Tue, 04/27/2010 - 1:37pmHow to Avoid Trouble When Managing A Family-Owned Business
SBA Recovery Lending Extended Through May
Submitted by donna on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 1:15pmNews Release
Release Date: April 16, 2010
Administrator Mills presses for longer-term extension for successful programs
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama signed legislation yesterday providing $80 million in additional funding to continue important enhancements in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s two key small business loan programs. The enhancements, first made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, include a higher guarantee on some SBA-backed loans and small business fee relief.
Savannah Morning News - Small businesses need to look for ways to succeed
Submitted by donna on Wed, 03/10/2010 - 2:39pmPosted: March 1, 2010 - 12:16am
By Lynn Vos
Many business owners both large and small are redefining what their new "normal" is.
So many things have changed in some markets that companies are looking to see what their customers need now, how much they need and how much they can afford to buy.
Now is the time to look at your business and look for simple things you can do to improve your performance. Just look around and start asking simple questions and take small positive actions to improve specific areas of your business.
SBA-Backed Loans Are Bright Spot in Gloomy Climate
Submitted by donna on Tue, 02/16/2010 - 11:41amBy EMILY MALTBY
Bank lending to small businesses remains hampered as banks buckle under intense scrutiny from regulators to reduce risk on their balance sheets, meaning only businesses with high credit ratings and robust track records have a chance of getting a loan.
STARTING A NEW BUSINESS – THE USATODAY CHALLENGE
Submitted by donna on Thu, 02/04/2010 - 3:08pmUSA TODAY asked people who wanted to start a small business to be part of the USA TODAY Small Business Challenge, a six-month series that would follow their progress from having an idea to making the first buck. Nearly 1,800 people applied; they came from every state — and a few from abroad.
Significant Increases in Georgia SBA Loan Volume. —small business loans are up 83 per cent from last year—
Submitted by donna on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 1:00pmATLANTA—U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed lending in Georgia increased significantly in the first quarter of fiscal year 2010, ending December 31, 2009, compared to the same quarter in FY 2009. The total number of SBA loans increased 83 percent from 224 to 410 while dollar volume of lending jumped by 139 percent, from $91.6 million to $218.7 million in first quarter 2010.
Significant Increases in Georgia SBA Loan Volume
Submitted by donna on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 1:00pmATLANTA—U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed lending in Georgia increased significantly in the first quarter of fiscal year 2010, ending December 31, 2009, compared to the same quarter in FY 2009. The total number of SBA loans increased 83 percent from 224 to 410 while dollar volume of lending jumped by 139 percent, from $91.6 million to $218.7 million in first quarter 2010.