An aspiring entrepreneur wonders if academic training in running a business will pay off.
Spate, Orange, Calif.
I am a sophomore in community college. My dream is to launch my own business someday. Now that it's time to choose a major, I'm debating if I should go to a prestigious school and major in entrepreneurial studies or major in engineering or something else to acquire a set of skills first, since I will most likely work for a company and build up some capital before I can open a business. What do you think? Is majoring in entrepreneurship a good choice?
When a company goes under, employees can be stuck with the liability for their corporate credit cards.
Becky, Birmingham, Ala.
My company, an LLC, is insolvent and dissolving. No formal bankruptcy will be filed, and unsecured creditors will not be paid. I know there's potential for my credit card company to serve me with a lawsuit if I am unable to commit to a payoff plan. Can my employees also be held liable? In other words, can employees who charged company expenses on the corporate credit card be sued for the amount they charged on the card?
Finding alternative revenue streams is a necessity for business owners trying to weather the recession.
Kyle, Sarasota, Fla.
We’ve run a dinner theater for three decades, and make most of our money during the tourist season between Thanksgiving and Easter. The rest of the year our audience is local residents. We’ve been operating at a loss for the last couple of years, and are unable to get a bank loan. We own the land and the theater building, and have put them up for sale with no success. We even closed the theater for two months this summer to save money. We don’t know what to do.
Even in a recession, savvy retailers can boost their business.
The Flower Lady, Suwanee, Ga.
How does a florist sell more in this economy? We changed our business to designing weddings and events only, as the everyday flowers are not selling. We had to throw out too much product at the end of the week — flowers are perishable!
Sales don't just wander in your front door. Here's how to cultivate up a steady stream of shoppers.
Sanjay, Huntington, N.Y.
We have a retail shop of clothing and jewelry. I sit all day waiting for the customers. How can I utilize that time on my computer, and do something that will generate extra cash for my business?
Finding new clients requires new skills. Here's how to expand beyond your comfort zones.
From OLG
We have a small business with a number of federal government contracts. We would like to expand to the commercial arena, but have not been able to find a service or method that would provide market differentiation (other than offering lower costs than our bigger and better-known competitors). Would acquiring a firm offering a compatible "niche" be the best move for expansion? In terms of growing federal and perhaps state government sales, would hiring a "consultant" be wise? I am interested in hearing from business owners who have tried both methods. Thanks!
Bank vaults have been slammed shut this year to small businesses, but entrepreneurs are pulling cash from other places to get their ventures off the ground.
Victoria Pavlov
In the past year, I made two attempts to take out a loan for my startup graphic design business. All banks demand proof that our business is successful and earned money for the past two years. I tried to make them understand that our business cannot bring in any money — we need equipment that can only be bought with a loan. If I get it, my company will create new job opportunities that will be beneficial for our economy. However, with that said, all banks remain ignorant. What is the best way to take out a loan for my business?
Small companies have a hard enough time finding affordable health coverage for their workers. When your staff is scattered throughout the U.S., it's even tougher.
Barbara, Westfield, Mass.
We are a small company of just over 30 employees based in Massachusetts. Our employees are across the USA, working out of their homes or at clients' sites. We are having a hard time finding good health insurance. Any suggestions?
If you own your own company, you can skip a salary in favor of distributions, but the IRS still wants its share of the money you take home.
Erin, Kailua-Kona
Do shareholders have to take a salary in an S corp? Can they just take distributions? How about an LLC?
A dry cleaner considers turning customers' absentmindedness into a tidy tax break.
Taylor, Jackson, Miss.
I own a dry cleaning business and was wondering what to do with all the forgotten or left-behind clothes. They date back a few months or as far back as a year. I read that by donating them I could get a tax write-off.
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45,000 businesses closed their doors in 2009 - including some that survived a century. More
