Real Estate Information

How to negotiate a "green" lease

Thinking of leasing space in an environmentally friendly building? Although rents in green buildings are 13% higher than average, the overall commercial market remains soft, leaving room for negotiation, Kelly Spors writes. Get an estimate on utility costs, for instance, and try to pay them yourself, separate from the rent. If the building is truly energy efficient, you should see lower utility bills, helping to offset those higher rents. Small Business Trends (5/5)

What you need to know about the new tip-credit rules

Businesses that have workers paid primarily in tips need to pay attention to new tip-credit rules that take effect this week. The regulation requires employers to notify employees in advance of the cash wage the employer will pay and the amount of the tip credit in addition to any changes that are made. Entrepreneur.com/Daily Dose blog (5/5)

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Credit situation is better, but far from perfect

While data show that the small-business credit environment is improving, it's still not great. About 26% of small-business owners lack available credit, according to a National Small Business Administration report. That figure is down from 29% in July. Meanwhile, a Capital One Bank poll found 85% of owners were able to land the financing they need, up 15 percentage points from a year ago. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model)/In Charge blog (5/4)

The top fraud risks your business faces

The most urgent security threats to your business include data breaches from poor networking choices and improper shredding practices, says Geoffrey Arone, the co-founder ofSafetyWeb.com. He also gives advice on combating identity theft, bank fraud and social engineering. BusinessNewsDaily.com (5/6)

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Led by small banks, loan approvals top 50%

Looking for a loan? Think small. Research from Greenwich Associates shows that about half the loans to small companies in the past 12 months were made by banks outside the top 20 -- a dramatic turnaround from a few years ago. With smaller banks loosening the purse strings, Greenwich found that entrepreneurs who applied for loans in the past 12 months were approved 57% of the time. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/You're the Boss blog (4/30)

Marketing to a moving target

Looking for ways to reach customers on their mobile devices? John Arnold offers a list of 10 mobile-marketing channels -- text messaging, search, enablers and more -- designed to both "push" and "pull" on-the-go users. Entrepreneur.com/Finding Customers blog (5/5)

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau - 
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5 steps to prevent credit fraud

Credit fraud carries direct and indirect risks to businesses, from the financial hit when they have to reimburse customers and pay nonrefundable processing fees to the less-obvious loss of customer trust that can wear away at a brand's reputation over time. Sam Taute offers five tips to help companies prevent credit fraud, starting with identifying vulnerabilities in your systems and keeping databases and virus-protection software current. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (5/4)

Tips for solving the profit problem

Fewer than 40% of small businesses reported profits or an increase in profits last year, according to the National Small Business Association. Patricia Sigmon says too many business owners watch income rather than profit and lack a formal budget to keep a rein on expenses. Another tip for boosting profit: Find a way to charge by subscription or retainer, helping to generate more consistent cash flow. Crain's New York Business/Executive Inbox blog (4/29)

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau - 
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7 simple steps to operating-cost savings

Running a small business can get expensive fast, but there are some easy steps to cost cutting, writes Christopher Null. Stop using expensive software and opt for free open-source applications such as OpenOffice. Rent equipment instead of buying it, and save travel money by using videoconferencing. PC World Business Center (4/27)

BBB gives high marks to online retailers that best respond to consumers' complaints

Some popular Internet retailers are earning high marks from BBB, including Amazon.com, Zappos and Overstock.com, each of which earned an A+ rating. While each company had plenty of complaints by customers, the vast majority of them were resolved to the customer's satisfaction. Other top grade earners included TigerDirect.com and NewEgg.com. KTVK-TV (Phoenix) (4/27)

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau - 
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Phone-app developers must respect user privacy -- or else

Phone-application developers must take user security seriously to succeed, Neil McAllister writes. With controversies over location tracking and security breaches, smartphone apps that track user data or access contact lists may be, at best, shunned by users, or at worst, the subject of lawsuits. InfoWorld/Fatal Exception blog (4/28)

4 types of customers and how to target them

To find customers, small businesses should break them down into four types and use specific techniques on each, writes John Arnold. Some of the most qualified customers include those who have bought substitute or similar goods and services or equivalent products. The best qualified customers, though, are those that have bought from your business in the past. These are the customers businesses must stay in contact with. Entrepreneur.com/Finding Customers blog (4/28)

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau - 
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Signs of a trustworthy tax preparer

As tax day approaches, it may be too late to make sure your tax preparer is qualified and trustworthy, but Eva Rosenberg gives tips on making sure your accountant has your best interests at heart. She says to watch out for stories of huge refunds and preparers offering results that are too good to be true, and to look for a preparer who is a member of a national organization that requires members to keep up with their education and be professionals. MarketWatch (4/12)

9 tips for better money management

Many small-business owners neglect the lessons of money management 101, such as paying bills on time every month and sending out invoices on time, Rhonda Abrams writes. She wrote that now, in the wake of tax season, is the perfect time to get your financial house in order and gives tips for making those checks easier to write next April. USA TODAY (4/22)

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3 factors to consider in timing the sale of your business

There are lots of factors beyond the balance sheet that will determine the selling price of your business, Barbara Taylor writes. For instance, an expected increase in capital-gains taxes after 2012 could eat into your take if you wait too long to sell. Supply and demand is another factor to consider, with baby boomer retirements likely to flood the market with businesses for sale, Taylor writes. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/You're the Boss blog (4/7)

The 5 A's of a profitability culture

Employees need to understand that their jobs depend not just on sales and service, but on the company's profitability. Mary Goodman and Rich Russakoff suggest sharing financial data with employees -- profit margins, if not actual dollar figures -- in order to connect them with company targets. "Every employee needs to be invested with you in building and growing the company," they write, offering five tips for making that happen. BNET/The Money Dept. blog(4/21

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau - 
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How to get your meals, entertainment tax write-offs right

Including a client or prospect in your night out isn't a surefire way to a tax deduction. "Essentially, the rules say: If you're having way too much fun, it's not a deductible expense," Bonnie Lee wrote. Her advice for writing off meals and entertainment includes keeping tabs on your guest list and keeping entertainment for clients simple, as well as being prepared to defend any deductions you take. Entrepreneur.com (4/7)

Why you must understand accounting even if you have a CPA

Business owners often have strong passion and drive, but they also must be able to manage day-to-day finances to survive, writes Jeanette Mulvey. Accountants can help with the big stuff, but she recommends business owners who can't tell accounts receivable from accounts payable take a class or read a book to start learning "the A,B,C's of your 1,2,3's" because in the end only you are responsible for making sure your business makes money. BusinessNewsDaily.com (4/25)

Samia Morgan is proud to be listed with the Better Business Bureau - 
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Cyberthreats are on the rise as hackers target mobile, social networks

Global networks faced more than 286 million cyberthreats last year as attackers employed more sophisticated methods that make malware harder to detect and more difficult to remove, Symantec reports. The number of Web-based attacks increased 93% in 2010, and malware writers have been turning their attention to social-networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, where it's estimated that 17% of links are connected to malware, according to the security firm's annual threat review. Mobile threats were also increasingly common, with hackers using trojans disguised as applications to infect Android phones. eWeek.com (4/5)

How to profit in the face of inflation

As inflation begins to creep up, small-business owners should consider making a series of small price increases rather than one large one to offset increasing costs. Other tricks include adjusting the size of products, stocking up on inventory before prices go up and cutting costs by going virtual. USA TODAY (4/24), The Christian Science Monitor/Entrepreneurial Mind blog (4/25)

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