Smart Answers for Entrepreneurs

June 30, 2009

Who Pays a Failed LLC's Debts?

My spouse and I owned an LLC that closed last October. We filed dissolution with the state. We had a five-year lease agreement that has two years left on it. Although ...

June 26, 2009

How to Structure a Bonus Program

I'd like to set up a bonus structure for my fund-raising consulting firm that would encourage employees and subcontractors to help bring in business. New clients ...

June 23, 2009

What Small Business Owners Want from Obama

Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part series about small business owners' reactions to the Obama Administration's policies. The first column and its ...

June 19, 2009

What Entrepreneurs Think About Obama

Jim Droney is willing to give President Barack Obama a chance. "He is, I believe, a good person," says the CEO of Mt. Lebanon Office Equipment in Pittsburgh. "But so ...

June 16, 2009

Survival Advice for Auto Parts Suppliers

It is adapt-or-die time for many of the 10,730 small businesses that are lower-tier suppliers to the auto industry, and close to 400,000 jobs may be on the line. But ...

June 12, 2009

Perfecting the Fund-Raising Pitch

Stephen McCorkle took the stage and adjusted his microphone. "We turn poop into energy!" he declared to an audience of 300. He went on to tout Agricultural Waste ...

June 9, 2009

When You Can't Secure Product Liability Insurance

Our company sells a product kit for DIY auto enthusiasts. Because we don't yet have a storefront address or sales above $28,000 a year, we can't obtain product ...

June 5, 2009

Attract International Clients to Your Web Site

Can you explain the specific areas that need to be included in a Web site to assist global trade and attract potential clients? What languages should the site display?...

June 2, 2009

Pitching to Mommy Bloggers

When Lisa Williamson and Julie Jumonville founded UpSpring Baby in 2007, they knew their innovative infant products would not sell without getting specific information...

May 29, 2009

Two Businesses, One LLC?

My wife and I have a couple of small DBA (doing business as) retail ventures, one selling pet products and the other jewelry. The scale is small, and we treat each ...

May 26, 2009

To Avoid Tax, Set Up as S-Corp or C-Corp?

The debate on proposed tax rate increases for the country's wealthiest people has just begun, and the potential increases would not happen until 2011. Still, tax ...

May 22, 2009

How the 'COBRA Subsidy' Works

What the heck is the "COBRA subsidy" and what impact does it have on small businesses that have laid off employees or plan to? —T.M., San Francisco COBRA gives ...

May 19, 2009

Where Entrepreneurs Go for Help

Michael Ferrera Jr. is looking for new clients for his custom clothing company: "I love my business, I love my margins, and I have great relationships with my ...

May 15, 2009

Managing Your Brand's Reputation Online

Small businesses without national brands are perhaps most vulnerable to rumors, complaints, and bad blood spread about them through blogs, online review sites, and ...

May 12, 2009

Recession-Proof: Private Campgrounds

Combine a global economic recession with fears of pandemic disease, and it looks to be another dismal summer season for the travel industry. But for one sliver of the ...

May 8, 2009

Back Taxes: Here's What You Need to Know

Sales taxes, payroll taxes, quarterly estimated tax payments: There are so many different types of taxes that it's no wonder many small-business owners run into tax ...

May 4, 2009

The Stockholder Who Wouldn't Sign

I'm not a business owner, but I own stock in a small private company. If I don't sign an amended stockholder's agreement that's presented to me, what are the ...

May 1, 2009

How Finder's Fees Work, Accounting-Wise

Should a finder's fee on a sale be accounted for as a cost of sale, or as a selling expense such as a commission paid to a company salesman? -—P.C., Bellevue, ...

April 28, 2009

Where Entrepreneurs Can Still Find Private Capital

Venture capital investments dropped dramatically in the first quarter from 2009 from 2008, and angel investments dropped as well, according to the latest figures. But ...

April 21, 2009

How to Evaluate a Distribution Deal

My online company sells dietary products, and I'm looking to buy shipping products wholesale. Some companies online offer wholesale pricing if I become a distributor ...

April 14, 2009

Time to Buy TV, Radio, and Internet Ads?

These days, you don't have to be an insomniac to come across television commercials for products like the "Snuggie" or "ShamWow." With advertising dollars scarce and ...

April 10, 2009

Advice for Tax Procrastinators, 2009

Tax procrastinators take heart: You're not alone, and there's no need to panic. Gather your paperwork, download your online records, and take a deep breath. You've ...

April 7, 2009

Tax Advice for Rental Property Owners

My vacation rental business owns 23 properties on which we make over $200,000 in principal payments annually. Since we make $195,000 in annual profit, every year we ...

April 3, 2009

When It's Time to Shutter Your Business

Six years ago I tried to start a fashion clothing company. I did all the things I was instructed to do and put in countless hours that led nowhere. Everyone I spoke to...

March 31, 2009

Swapping Equity for Services

How do I advertise and implement an arrangement to trade equity in a company for skills or work? I'm looking for a Web developer who wants a stake in my new business. ...