Real Estate Information

Facebook aims to woo small-business owners

Facebook is making a push for small-business users, hoping to woo more of them through an effort that includes an advertising-credits giveaway worth $10 million. The social network is working with major business groups to target small enterprises and educate them on benefits of advertising on the website and using it as a platform in marketing. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (9/26)

How Google Analytics can improve your website

Information is key for small-business owners looking to improve their websites. Google Analytics can provide a number of metrics, including what your visitors are interested in -- and what they aren't. "Funneling resources to features that aren't captivating users is clearly not a smart business move, and Google Analytics can help you avoid making that mistake," Karlee Weinmann writes. The Business Insider (9/24)

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau - 
BBB Accredited business since 03/01/1994

Your San Mateo Real Estate Advisor

BBB - TrustBrief - Advancing trust in the marketplace

How to build the trust you need to delegate

It can be tempting to micromanage your workers, but learning to trust them to tackle challenges in their own ways is important and frees up your time to look at the big picture. One manager who was having trouble delegating was able to loosen up by realizing that there are multiple ways to get something done and by using coaching sessions to prepare employees, writes Mary Jo Asmus of Aspire Collaborative Services. Aspire-CS.com (9/25)

Locavesting: The book on alternative funding for small businesses

"[Peer-to-peer] lending will expand ... to $5 billion in loans worldwide," according to the book "Locavesting: The Revolution in Local Investing and How to Profit From It," which focuses on alternative sources of funding for small businesses such as co-ops and community banks. The book fills unmet demand in the business-book world for information about small-business financing, writes Pierre DeBois of Zimana. Small Business Trends (9/25)

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau - 
BBB Accredited business since 03/01/1994

Your San Mateo Real Estate Advisor

BBB - TrustBrief - Advancing trust in the marketplace

BBB: Investigate unexpected credits on your bills

One woman's predicament emphasizes the importance of contacting a company if you notice unexplained credits on your bill, writes BBB's Alan Bligh. After a $30 credit mistakenly appeared on several bills, she was asked to pony up more than $1,000. "A mistake doesn't mean the company has to eat the debt. The lesson here is that if you see a credit on a statement from anyone that you do not understand, you need to contact that company immediately or you may wind up in a jam," Bligh writes. Victoria Advocate (Texas) (9/24)

How to save on wheels for your business

Car manufacturers offer discounts to businesses looking to buy several vehicles, and the deals sometimes come with other advantages, such as prepaid maintenance. Company owners who want to learn more should call dealerships during regular business hours and ask for their fleet-vehicle managers, Susan Carpenter writes. As with other deals, prices vary among dealerships, she writes. Entrepreneur.com (9/23)

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau - 
BBB Accredited business since 03/01/1994

Your San Mateo Real Estate Advisor

BBB - TrustBrief - Advancing trust in the marketplace

Businesses face a shortage of skilled employees

More than one-third of employers are having a hard time finding skilled employees to fill their open positions, according to research by ManpowerGroup. This can be especially tricky for some small businesses, who may lose out on skilled employees to larger companies. Offering small perks and creating a good workplace environment can help attract talent, said Joyce Gioia of Employer of Choice. Fox Business Small Business Center (9/15)

Wells Fargo reaches $1 billion in SBA loans

Wells Fargo has doled out 2,600 Small Business Administration loans in the past fiscal year. The bank increased its loan amounts by more than a quarter from Oct. 1, 2009, to Sept. 30 2010, and became the first bank to lend $1 billion worth of the SBA 7(a) loans. "Getting a small business loan is the last choice [business owners have] got. The SBA industry is counter cyclical; it is probably the one big growth area right now," said Tom Burke of Wells Fargo. Fox Business Small Business Center (9/15)

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau - 
BBB Accredited business since 03/01/1994

Your San Mateo Real Estate Advisor

BBB - TrustBrief - Advancing trust in the marketplace

Why trust is essential for business success

A visit to Munich, where cyclists often leave their bikes unlocked, highlighted that trust is essential for economic growth, writes consultant Dorie Clark. "You aren't going to loan someone money, or conduct big deals, if you're not confident you'll be paid back. ... The key is building a shared expectation that deadlines and agreements will be kept, and having a central authority ... that backs those guarantees," she writes. Harvard Business Review online/HBR Blog Network (9/16)

Why risk management isn't just for big businesses

While large and midsize businesses are often the focus of risk-management efforts, small businesses, which have high failure rates, also have much to gain from them, writes Jay Vadiveloo of Towers Watson Risk & Financial Services. Inefficient business processes and too much reliance on a key individual are some of the most common risks small businesses deal with, he writes. The Huffington Post (9/13)

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau - 
BBB Accredited business since 03/01/1994

Your San Mateo Real Estate Advisor

BBB - TrustBrief - Advancing trust in the marketplace

SMB bank accounts lose up to $1B a year to cybertheft

Cybertheft siphons up to $1 billion a year from bank accounts held by small and midsize businesses, according to Dell SecureWorks, and companies are often left on the hook for the losses. One senator last year introduced legislation to cover cyberfraud on small-business accounts, but Doug Johnson of the American Bankers Association said it's important for small businesses to share some of the responsibility. Bloomberg Businessweek (9/15)

SBA: Faster payments could mean billions for small businesses

President Barack Obama's directive that the government pay its small-business contractors in 15 days rather than 30 would save small businesses billions by reducing financing costs, said Joe Jordan of the Small Business Administration. Small businesses often fund their services with lines of credit or loans, so, "[b]y cutting the receivables time in half, you're reducing the negative float," he said. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/You're the Boss blog (9/15)

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau - 
BBB Accredited business since 03/01/1994

Your San Mateo Real Estate Advisor

BBB - TrustBrief - Advancing trust in the marketplace

Why some crowdsourced reviews are untrustworthy

The anonymity of crowdsourced review sites such as Yelp is a breeding ground for fraudulent reviews from unscrupulous businesses, writes John Quain. Recent moves from large companies, such as Google's decision to buy Zagat, demonstrates that there might be a trend away from crowdsourcing and toward professional content, he writes. FoxNews.com (9/12)

What to do before an audit

Internal Revenue Service audits may include income analyses in which auditors compare your bank transactions against the income listed on your tax returns. Before an audit, perform this comparison yourself, while keeping in mind the number will not match up with the adjusted gross income listed on your Form 1040, Bonnie Lee writes. The figures listed on the form will be higher because they include withheld taxes, for example. Fox Business (9/15)

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau - 
BBB Accredited business since 03/01/1994

Your San Mateo Real Estate Advisor

BBB - TrustBrief - Advancing trust in the marketplace

How Obama's jobs plan could affect your business:

The jobs plan announced by President Barack Obama last week has a number of initiatives that would affect small businesses. For example, under the plan, employers would get a payroll tax cut and could receive thousands of dollars in tax credits to hire long-term unemployed workers. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/You're The Boss blog (9/9), Entrepreneur.com (9/9)

The 3 P's of business success

People -- both the ones you hire and the prospects you foster -- are essential for business, writes Jamillah Warner. And creating an effective process is key to keeping the prospects rolling in, according to Ivana Taylor. "If you're not following a sales recipe that consistently delivers your ideal customer, then you don't have a process," Taylor noted. Small Business Trends (9/11)

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau - 
BBB Accredited business since 03/01/1994

Your San Mateo Real Estate Advisor

BBB - TrustBrief - Advancing trust in the marketplace

Frequent outages raise trust issues with cloud-based apps

Cloud-based software such as Google Docs and Microsoft's Office 365 can increase data portability and help to avoid licensing fees for small-businesses, but inevitable service outages can sideline a company. Planning ahead, such as by having local software alternatives and storing data on local machines, can help to mitigate the impact of cloud issues when they crop up, writes Tony Bradley. PC World (9/11)

4 ways employee turnover costs a company

Losing an employee carries with it a number of hidden costs, so it's important for small businesses to focus on retaining their people. For example, when an employee leaves, customers might decide not to stick around, consultant Tom Armour said. "Dealing with trainees can be challenging. If you have a lot of unwanted turnover, customers can get annoyed or begin to lose interest in your business," he said. Entrepreneur.com (9/10)

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau - 
BBB Accredited business since 03/01/1994

Your San Mateo Real Estate Advisor

BBB - TrustBrief - Advancing trust in the marketplace

How to safely cash in on your golden opportunity

The surging market for gold, now valued at more than $1,700 per ounce, has also produced a surge in consumer complaints against dealers, according to the BBB. Check for trustworthy appraisers on the BBB's website, and get a few appraisals before selling your gold, the BBB recommends. Also, insure gold items before sending them through the mail, and find out how much the company will reimburse you for lost pieces. SeacoastOnline (Portsmouth, N.H.) (tiered subscription model) (9/12)

Save money paying your people

Direct deposit isn't just convenient for employees, it could also save your business money. The average business could save up to $7,000 from switching to direct deposit, yet 48% businesses -- including nearly one-fifth of small businesses with revenues of $10 million to $20 million -- don't use it, according to a survey by NACHA. Businesses interested in using direct deposit should talk to their banks, Maria Valdez Haubrich writes. Grow Smart Biz (9/8)

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau - 
BBB Accredited business since 03/01/1994

Your San Mateo Real Estate Advisor

BBB - TrustBrief - Advancing trust in the marketplace