Local Assistance from the Small Business Administration

The Small Business Administration has many local offices and resource partners that counsel, mentor and train small business owners and entrepreneurs.

These nearby offices and online assistance can help your business start up, succeed and grow. This short video provides a good introduction to services near you.

This post is aligned with a network of sites interested with the intersection of small business, the philanthropic sector and government in creating healthy and sustainable communities.

Find additional information and resources on nonprofit information, educational grants and Civic Engagement programs from around the world.

How The Government Can Help Your Small Business

The Small Business Administration is largely responsible for providing indirect financial assistance to entrepreneurs and small business establishments. In most cases, the primary role of the SBA is to provide several financial assistance program to small business that have been specially designed to meet essential financing needs.

This post is aligned with a network of sites interested with the intersection of small business, the philanthropic sector and government in creating healthy and sustainable communities.

Find additional information and resources on small business grants and loans, home buyer programs and impact investment programs from around the world.

Look Below For Some Really Great Tips About Work From Home Business

TIP! Concentrate on making your customers happy. It is easier to sell to people who have bought from you before and were satisfied, instead of selling to a new customer.

Everyone considers how nice it would be to be the boss. You know you have considered it as well. Being able to decide on your own schedule and make all the decisions can be a good thing. This article will review a few important tips when it comes to operating your own business.

Make sure that your business phone line is separate from your private one. This helps avoid you answering the phone unprofessionally and helps customers see it as a business.

TIP! Develop a regular schedule of time to devote to your work at home that is separate from your personal time. Decide at what point each day you are going to stop taking business calls.

You are going to need an office and a lot of supplies to get started. This may seem like a minor thing, but having an organized home office goes a long way to making your work space a pleasant one. You will work harder if your work space is inviting.

Business Cards

TIP! It’s important that you have an office. There’s no need for an oversized office; however, the area must be professional, comfortable and used only for work.

Have business cards printed. You can even find some good business cards for free or cheap online. Be sure to include key information like your full name, phone number and company name. You should also list your email address and website. The more options your customer has, the more likely they will use one to contact you.

TIP! Consider the possibilities offered by joining a home based business forum. Joining a forum will give you a chance to exchange pertinent information with your business peers.

Create a business mailing list for sending direct mail. While you want to keep in touch with your clients, do not spam them with too frequent or unimportant information. Many use mailing lists for ads and special promos for some new products. Some people also use mailing lists to send coupons, relevant information and articles to their customers regularly. Include a place to sign up for the list on your website.

TIP! Business cards are a good thing to have. Many online companies will make you business cards at little to no cost.

No matter what type of business you choose to run from home, the key to running a successful home business is to serve your customers the best way that you can. You are solely responsible for how well your business does. To make sure your business is as good as it can be, don’t stop learning about new strategies. Soon, your online business will be flourishing.

Shopping for Your Home

This video is essential for every first time home buyer and it’s a great
refresher even if you’ve purchased a home before.

This post is part of a network of sites interested with the intersection of small business, the philanthropic sector and government in creating healthy and sustainable communities.

For more information on small business grant and home ownership programs visit TopGovernmentGrants.com.

Small Business Grants – Support for Veterans

The SBA is dedicated to lend a hand to the service people in America and directly links with the Patriot Express Loan for veterans who desire to initiate their own business and want to start commercial activities. The SBA also plays a role in encouraging growth and job creation during the process, which is an indispensable part to support economic prosperity.

This post is part of a network of sites interested with the intersection of small business, the philanthropic sector and government in creating healthy and sustainable communities.

Find additional information and resources on small business grants and loans, home buyer programs and Community Foundation programs from around the world.

Historically Underutilized Business Zones

The Small Business Administration has established the Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone) Empowerment Contracting Program wherein they aim to provide federal contracting assistance to eligible small business corporations which are located in underutilized business zones so as to improve their employment opportunities, investments, and their area’s economic development. The Small Business Administration will identify which businesses are eligible to receive HUBZone contracts and will then maintain a list of qualified HUBZone small businesses which federal agencies can then use to locate them.

This post is aligned with a network of sites interested with the intersection of small business, the philanthropic sector and government in creating healthy and sustainable communities.

Find additional information and resources on small business grants and loans, home buyer programs and impact investment programs from around the world.

Grants from the Department of Health and Human Services

In 1979 the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was established in an effort to protect the health of all Americans and to provide essential human services to everyone, especially to those who are least capable of helping themselves.

This post is aligned with a network of sites interested with the intersection of small business, the philanthropic sector and government in creating healthy and sustainable communities.

For more information on small business grant and home ownership programs visit TopGovernmentGrants.com.

California Downpayment Assistance Program

The California Homebuyer’s Downpayment Assistance Program is a deferred payment junior loan that can be used in conjunction with other CalHFA housing programs.

This post is aligned with a network of sites interested with the intersection of small business, the philanthropic sector and government in creating healthy and sustainable communities.

Find additional information and resources on small business grants and loans, home buyer programs and impact investment programs from around the world.

Need Home Improvement Help? These Tips Are For You!

TIP! Have a “soundbite” description of your business ready in your mind. If you are able to talk about your business in a couple sentences, it will impress prospective clients.

You may not be able to quit your job tomorrow, but what if you had the chance to quit within a year or two? Many people out there are selling the working from home idea. There is no magical way to make this a reality for yourself, but it is possible. The following bits of advice will tell you the ins and outs of starting your own business from home.

TIP! It is important that you dress for success, regardless of the physical location of where you work. If you work at home, you may wish to work while in your jammies.

Create an elevator pitch for your business. You can impress potential clients if you are able to describe your business in a few short sentences. You can even shorten it into a slogan!

TIP! In order to differentiate between work and personal time, set yourself a rigid work schedule and adhere to it. Determine an ending time for each workday.

If your home based business is going to be your first source of income, make sure to build a Plan B just in case. Make a backup plan that addresses problems like shipment failures or problems with your website. You will be able to sustain your income as you recover from these catastrophes.

TIP! Always begin your home business when you are employed. A business that just started takes time to generate profit, therefore it is best to have your current job.

Know what your production costs are when trying to sell products you make to avoid losing money. You determine mark-up for wholesale by multiplying your cost by two. To obtain the retail charge, multiply the wholesale price by two. Set a price that covers your costs, and is sensitive to the market.

TIP! Your website should include a banner page. This will allow you to trade banner links with other businesses that you have contact with.

It is advisable to have a PO box as a mailing address for your home based business. Don’t put your real address on the Internet under any circumstances. This will help protect the identities of you and your family.

TIP! Starting a business-specific checking account helps you to establish a solid paper trail for your business transactions. To be effective, you must ensure that you use the account for all of your business expenses.

As you have just learned, there are many people trying to sell you on scams. However, as you’ve learned throughout this article, there are also many common-sense tips and tactics that you can use in order to grow your home business. If you’re willing to put in the work, you can certainly be successful.

SBA – Small Business Investment Companies

The Small Business Administration has inititiated the Small Business Investment Companies program to help in developing privately owned and managed investment companies which will be licensed and regulated by the Small Business Administration to provide equity capital, long term loans, and advisory services to small business requiring such services.

This post is part of a network of sites interested with the intersection of small business, the philanthropic sector and government in creating healthy and sustainable communities.

For more information on small business grant and home ownership programs visit TopGovernmentGrants.com.