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Items tagged with SBDC Business Tips Articles

News

  • February 9

    Although it is being challenged in both Congress and the courts, I still recommend small businesses review and prepare for compliance with DOL expectations https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/flsa/misclassification. Note that the sub-directory title “misclassification” is a strong clue to the continued focus for regulatory oversight.

  • Angelina Torres
    January 9

    The term “franchise tax” may be confusing for business owners, especially if their business is not a franchise. Franchise Tax is a privilege tax imposed on each taxable entity and a “franchise” is the right granted to an entity to market their goods or services.

  • October 30

    Some of this is because cracking passwords isn’t all that difficult in most cases. To avoid providing access to your bank or credit card accounts, or to other sources of sensitive information, the companies are striving to ensure that only authorized individuals are accessing those accounts or information. In short, it is just a way of making sure that the owner of the login is the one accessing the account or information.

  • James Leavelle, ASU-SBDC Business Development Specialist
    September 21

    Another responsibility is security. This responsibility is a big one and encompasses a lot more than some realize. Physical security is something that everyone is familiar with and probably comfortable with. It involves everything from door locks to alarm systems. It is generally easy to implement and not hard to remember to do. It used to be enough.

  • Angelina Torres
    August 9

    There are countless things to consider when starting a business. Which structure should I pick? Where do I find suppliers? How do I secure financing? Those are all very important, and often daunting, questions to answer while planning out your business concept and operations.

  • Senior Certified Business Advisor
    July 6

    For example, it is fairly obvious that an infant and children’s clothing boutique will target parents and grandparents with infants and children that are within a certain age range. For the business to succeed there must be enough parents and grandparents to generate sufficient demand for such clothing and an evaluation of the competitions strength and the number of competitors.

  • Portrait of Dezaray Johnson
    June 1

    The Go Texan program is a Texas Department of Agriculture initiative dedicated to identifying and supporting Texas-based businesses and connecting them with customers across the Lone Star State and around the world. The Go Texan program is dedicated to showcasing the diversity and quality of Texas – based businesses. Their efforts support business growth opportunities through developing new sales, establishing partnership relationships and encouraging customers to seek out the iconic Go Texan mark when making purchases. 

  • April 3

    While the length of time the employee has worked may have an impact on an employer’s financial liability for an unemployment claim, it does not completely absolve the employer from the responsibility to respond to the claim.

  • October 13

    All you wanted to do was open a small business on Main Street, or one that operates from home, selling your goods or services.

  • August 24
    Inadequate cash flow is the number one problem for some businesses. Cash flow can be described as how cash moves or “flows” from the time the business pays for the expense of cost of goods or service (cash out) until the time it is collected by the business from the customer (cash in).
  • August 18

    When it comes to marketing and advertising your business, it is easy to fall back on colloquial phrases as justification for not being willing to try different techniques or channels.

  • August 2
    If the pandemic taught us all anything, it is that there is more than one way to serve customers.
  • Dezaray Johnson, M.A. Certified Business Advisor &Training Coordinator
    July 7
    As the COVID numbers continue to decrease, and Governor Abbott recalled the mask mandate, it seems businesses are getting back to normal. But what does “normal” really look like after all the challenges the small business community has faced over the past 18 months.
  • Senior Certified Business Advisor
    June 15
    I really enjoy reading the posts on Facebook of a high school principal. I know several educators and am “friends” with them on Facebook. However, not one of them is more active on Facebook and Twitter than he is. In fact, it would be fair to say that he is more active than my own school-age children are.
  • David Erickson
    June 10
    Business incubation started in 1959 in New York when an old Massey-Ferguson farm implement plant closed.
  • Leslie Mackie
    March 26
    2021 has been a rough start for Texas’s small businesses. Covid-19 and the winter storm affectionately referred to as “Sno-vid” has packed quite a punch for west Texas and the Concho Valley.
  • Dezaray Johnson, M.A. Certified Business Advisor &Training Coordinator
    March 18

    It is no secret that over the past year businesses have suffered in many ways due to the many tolls COVID-19 has taken on the economy. Our communities and businesses are starting to mend; however many small businesses are still struggling financially.

  • Senior Certified Business Advisor
    March 3
    For any new business it is imperative that they understand their target market and that they know who their target market is. For some business and industries, this is easily determined. For others, it is more difficult.
  • March 1

    The COVID-19 pandemic took our economy on a roller-coaster ride in 2020, and in 2021 we are still feeling the pains and strains from that ride. The introduction of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in March of 2020 was a lifeline to many small businesses who were struggling due to the pandemic. In late December, Congress tossed another lifeline to small business again with more flexibility in use and some clarifications in hopes to get small businesses back on their feet. Here are a few things you need to know about the PPP.

  • February 3
    If there is one thing the pandemic has forced businesses to do is to think outside the traditional business box. Under the circumstances, getting a leg up on the competition has become more irrelevant and surviving has become the top priority.
  • January 22
    Newly Issued Pandemic Relief Bill Provides Additional Financial Resources to Small Businesses
  • January 11
    We have completed one more revolution around the sun and what a journey it has been! We have seen controversy after controversy, faced a pandemic, and other events that have made 2020 a year like no other.
  • David Erickson Director &  Certified Business Advisor
    September 7
    During the COVID19 crisis beginning in March of this year, the ASU Small Business Development Center (SBDC) staff has helped many small business owners obtain emergency funding due to the shutdown of non-essential businesses. 
  • James Leavelle Senior Certified Business Advisor
    August 24
    As a small business owner, you may have needed some sort of financial assistance to get started. 
  • Dezaray Johnson, M.A.  Certified Business Advisor & Training Coordinator
    August 10
    In the COVID world that we now live in, many businesses are making the leap to online sales and more online interaction with customers.
  • Alejandro Castañon Certified Business Advisor
    July 27
    Prior to 2020, working from home was a luxury.
  • James Leavelle Senior Certified Business Advisor
    July 13
    Mission Creep.  Merriam-Webster defines mission creep as “the gradual broadening of the original objectives of a mission or organization.”  
  • Dezaray Johnson, M.A. Certified Business Advisor &Training Coordinator
    June 29
    As a nation, we are facing unprecedented times.
  • Dave Erickson, Director & Certified Business Advisor
    June 15
    The 2020 San Angelo Business Plan Competition is here and open for entries! 
  • Alejandro Castañon Certified Business Advisor
    June 1
    We are living during a strange time in history.