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.

By Coeli Carr, CNNMoney.com contributing writer
You're in a tough spot. A traditional lender won’t provide a loan to help you keep your business, and you can’t find a buyer to take it off your hands.

But there are upsides to your situation.

You own both the property and the building on it. Edward Indvik, a vice chairman in the investment services group of Lee & Associates in Los Angeles, suggests heading to your city’s planning department to find out the allowable uses of the building and property. Then look for ways to generate supplemental revenues from the space, especially during the non-peak season.

Some possibilities, says Indvik, are reaching out to companies that might be interested in using your space as a site for seminars or conferences. People might also consider getting married at the theater and hiring you to do the catering. Let the community know your site is open for other business, such as providing recital or practice space for other budding artists.

Joel Shulman, assistant professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College and an entrepreneurial finance expert, concedes that such measures will probably take you out of your comfort zone. But injecting fresh blood and ideas into your operation is essential. Invite local business leaders you respect in for a brainstorming session, enlist their expertise and partner up, he advises. “An alternative business model is something you must consider given the current economic market,” he says.

A partner who creates a complementary business on the premises could pay rent and give you a percentage of the take, says Shulman. Such a person could also act as agent and bring you clients who could use the space during non-peak season or during the day.

Another approach, says Shulman, is to do simple market research by asking local residents on your subscriber list what would inspire them to attend performances more frequently. Perhaps, he says, patrons would prefer to see only the show and would rather dine elsewhere. “It’s easy to lose money on a food business,” says Shulman, who cites spoilage, theft and labor costs as problematic issues.

If you eliminate the dinner, you might be able to raise the price of the theater ticket. By no longer serving a full dinner, you might attract a partner who’d want to set up a cafe or other type of eatery on your premises.

Increasing revenues in whatever way you can will make your business, even in a sluggish economy, attractive to potential buyers or lenders. With recent losses, your negative trend line is the worst thing to bring to a bank, says Shulman. However, non-traditional sources of loans are still available.

For instance, businesses that can't find bank loans can still apply online for loans from microfinance institutions like Accion USA. Premal Shah, president of Kiva, a global organization that helps people make loans to individuals in developing countries, also suggests visiting Prosper.com, a person-to-person lending site.

“It’s the eBay for loans,” he says. But first, try to boost your sales, he recommends. “It’s very attractive to a lender [if] you’ve found alternative revenue streams. It shows you’re a good entrepreneur.”

Give us your advice: Check out recent “Ask & Answer” questions.

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Not sure if you’re underpaying or overpaying? Third-party salary surveys can help.

Thomas, San Francisco
I have a video production company with five full-time editors. I'm always stressed thinking I'm either overpaying them and I'm going to go broke, or underpaying them and am going to lose them and/or they're going to get resentful. Because of this, I realize I manage them nervously, which is not good management. How does one determine pay parity? I would like to pay them fairly so I can stop worrying and pay and manage them with confidence.

By Rose Fox, CNNMoney.com contributing writer
There are plenty of resources out there for both workers and employers who want to make sure that staffers are getting paid neither more nor less than they're worth.

To start with, look at free sites like Salary.com, PayScale.com, and CareerBuilder's CBSalary.com. You can also check the Bureau of Labor Statistics site at bls.gov. For more in-depth data, consider purchasing reports from survey companies that do research in your field. Salary surveys exist for almost every industry. Amy Kaminski, manager of marketing programs for Compdata Surveys, suggests sticking with surveys that get their data from employers: "This will help ensure the accuracy and reliability of the results."

Look for data that's applicable to the type of business you run as well as the type of employee you want. Ted Turnasella of WageLINK.net offers three helpful rules of thumb:

1) Make sure that the job being reported is a match for the job at your company. A good rule of thumb is for the job summary in the survey to represent at least 75% of the duties being performed by employees in the company.

2) Look at the effective date of the data and adjust it for the passage of time. For example, for data that is several months or years old, factor in an annual wage inflation rate of 3%.

3) If the data you are using is national data, it will need to be adjusted to your local market. Salaries in New York City are much higher than those in Brownsville, Texas.

Once you have all that information, consider how it applies to your company, factoring in regional and personal differences that may not be reflected in the numbers. "If a good editor is difficult to find, you may need to pay above market in order to keep these key employees," Kaminski says. "On the other hand, if you offer valued benefits such as flexible hours or above-average health insurance, you may be able to pay at or below market while still keeping your employees happy."

Jennifer Grasz, a CareerBuilder spokeswoman, agrees that soft benefits can matter as much as cash. "Companies are looking beyond salary and incorporating more flexibility into their packages to stay competitive in their recruitment efforts,” she says. “For example, we see more companies offering telecommuting opportunities, compressed workweeks and other alternative work arrangements."

Finally, if it becomes clear that a current employee's salary needs to be renegotiated, don't be shy about showing them the numbers that helped you to reach that decision. "Salary market data moves any pay discussion onto a less confrontational footing," says Dr. Al Lee, director of quantitative analysis for PayScale.com. "Yes, your employees may still look for work elsewhere, but it won't be higher pay that draws them away."

Give us your advice: Check out recent “Ask & Answer” questions.

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Jesse Placencia, Photogenic Arts, Fort Worth
I own a small photography business and I am looking to try and reach a large market cost effectively. I have tried sites like Craigslist.org and placing ads in newspapers but it's just not working. When using Craigslist, people are too cheap and when using newspapers advertising costs are too expensive to keep the ad going consistently. I was wondering if anyone out there can help me find a new way of marketing my services or suggest an old way that works. Surly I have not thought of everything?

What do you recommend? Leave a comment below with your answer.

Give us your advice: Check out recent “Ask & Answer” questions.

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An entrepreneur's query: Can I write off expenses for a roving business office?

Jim Fong, State College, Pa.
I am thinking about purchasing an RV to use as a business office as I travel around the country for a few months to gather information to write a book. Can I only write off the mileage, or can the purchase of the RV be depreciated just like any other vehicle? I certainly don’t want to draw the attention of an audit, and I want to do this honestly and ethically.

By Myrlande Davermann, Fortune Small Business contributor
Dear Jim: If you use an RV for legitimate business travel, it could be depreciated as business property, according to a representative from the National Society of Accountants – but as with any other business expense, to be deductible, it must be ordinary and necessary to your trade or business.

Where it starts to get complicated is when you begin considering the questions that the IRS is likely to ask you, says Tom Ochsenschlager, vice president of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Two questions to consider:

-Is this your primary residence? If you are not away from home, you don’t get to claim the RV as a business expense.

-Are you established as a writer? Can you justify why you had to travel to write this book? Have you met with publishers? The IRS will be looking for evidence that this is a viable business venture. Is this a serious moneymaking plan or is it a "hobby loss" – something done for pleasure?

You'll need to make a strong case if the IRS comes calling, and Ochsenschlager warns that the questioning may be intensive.

If you live in the RV most of the year, traveling around the country for work – as do traveling artists, who migrate around doing shows – you may have tax problems trying to write off your vehicle, according to the National Society of Accountants. You could get classified as an itinerant taxpayer. In that case, you do not get to deduct expenses related to being away from home, because in the IRS's eyes, you don't have a home tax base to be away from.

Without knowing all the facts of your individual situation, Ochsenschlager says your best bet is to keep very good records of what you are doing. As a start, keep a copy of the proposal for the book and all documentation related to the book's potential sale.

And above all: “Before you purchase the RV, you should seek out an accountant or tax advisor,” Ochsenschlager says.

This column provides general information only and is not intended to replace the services or legal advice of an attorney. Always consult a lawyer regarding any specific legal concerns, as laws vary from state to state.

Dayzon Johnson, CEO, Ice Cold Music, Clarksville, Tenn.
I own an independent record label that I started two years ago. It's growing quickly, and I'd like to get a bank loan to help me expand. But I have a bankruptcy on my personal credit record. Will this make it impossible for me to get bank credit for my business?

By Anne Fisher, Fortune Small Business contributor
Dear Dayzon: Not necessarily. "Bankruptcy used to be the financial equivalent of a scarlet letter," notes Jim Lynch, CEO of Leaders Bank in Oak Brook, Ill., which lends almost exclusively to entrepreneurs. "These days we're more willing to listen."

He notes that a recent Harvard study shows that catastrophic medical expenses are the top reason for personal bankruptcies in the U.S. "These could befall anyone, so a bank is unlikely to hold them against you. But if the bankruptcy resulted from poor judgment" – an ill-advised shopping spree, for instance – "I'd probably take a pass."

David Waltzer, a New York City bankruptcy attorney, says that a bankruptcy is "like a loud noise – a big jolt with echoes that fade in time." He says that many people erroneously believe bankruptcy will ruin their credit forever. "By law, the maximum time that a bankruptcy can stay on your credit record is ten years, but the credit agencies will often expunge it long before then," he says. "If your income is steady, you've kept your debt low, and you're paying your bills on time, banks may be willing to lend to you." So why not apply?

If banks balk, consider alternative financing sources. "If the business is growing and you can show two years of solid financials, a small equity investor may be willing to overlook a past personal credit problem," says Rick Singer, CEO of RaiseCapital.com.

Singer's firm in Port Washington, N.Y., is among a growing number of companies that connect small-business owners and investors. Gobignetwork.com and fundinguniverse.com are two other options.

"Disclose your credit problem, but wait until a potential investor has gotten to know your business and shown interest in it," he says. Of course, you would need to give up some equity to attract outside investors. But for a well-timed capital infusion, it might be worthwhile.

Give us your advice: Check out recent “Ask & Answer” questions.

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Should this owner seek out international investors to grow his business?

Jean Luc Gaudry, Los Angeles
I have a unique music Web site on which one can find listings of shows, bands on tour, clubs and venues. I have two questions. I am looking for some investors – what are the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when they decide to add an investor to their company? Also, I want to set up a company in Europe and eventually have my Web site branch out all over the world. Is it better to have different investors on each continent?

By Myrlande Davermann, Fortune Small Business contributor
Dear Jean Luc: “Having investors in multiple continents is the last thing you want to do,” says Jim Beach, director of InternationalEntrepreneurship.com.

He cautions that as an entrepreneur you will lose some control of your business – and , potentially, some of your creative freedoms – if you relinquish partial control to investors. Beach, a former entrepreneur himself, says the biggest mistake he has seen entrepreneurs make is giving up too much control.

“Sometimes, it is better to grow small and slow,” he says.

To help you strategize for breaking through to international markets, Beach recommends hiring a college student whose task is research the international potential of your Web site. “Why have expensive talent, when you can have passionate talent?” he says. He also suggests going on Facebook and Craigslist to scout out young talent eager for music-industry opportunities.

“Investors are looking for a proven business model,” Beach says.

His advice: “Make the U.S. profitable before you branch out internationally.”

Raj Khera, co-founder and CEO of More Business.com adds: “Investors will want to know how your company meets a demand and how their investment will grow. Regardless of their location, you should seek 'smart' money."

Smart money, as he defines it, is an investment from people who know your space and can open connections and channels to help you grow.

Give us your advice: Check out recent “Ask & Answer”questions.

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Translation software may have let you down, but there are other options for crossing the language barrier.

Sid Smith, The International Art Materials Trade Association, Huntersville, N.C.
As an avid reader of Fortune Small Business, I zeroed right in on the March 2008 story “Goodbye Language Barrier?,” only to be disappointed in the answer, that current software packages are still very poor in doing electronic translations into other languages. As an association for manufacturers and retailers, we have members all over the world, and our Web site and e-mail lists are the only practical way to reach most of them. How are other companies, organizations and Web sites translating large amounts of information into several different languages? Can it be done inexpensively?

By Emily Maltby, Fortune Small Business staff writer
Dear Sid: Don't fret if your Dzongkha grammar is rusty. It's still possible to take your biz to Bhutan, or any other non-English speaking country.

Let's break down your options, which, of course, depend on your needs. Software may be your best bet if you are doing cursory research in another language or are translating simple text for personal use. Stan Bassett, President of TopTenReviews.com, admits that the best software his team has tested is still not suitable for professional use.

"If you are trying to get the gist, software can get you through easy, conversational messages. But in that case, you might as well use the free online translators," he says.

When your messages are for public distribution and must be perfect in the destination language, however, you will need more.

FSB checked back with Nick Leighton, the small-business owner who tested the software packages in our March issue. Leighton's PR firm NettResults works in Korea, Japan, Russia, Italy and other countries around the world, and he must ensure that the 30 pages that get translated each day for his clients are conveyed correctly.

"We rely on professionals outside the company to translate and also on bilingual teams internally to rewrite it to avoid misinterpretation," says Leighton. "It's not just about the words; it's about the culture. In the U.S., you can say 'run like a deer' but in the Middle East, it makes more sense to say 'run like an oryx.' These nuances even exist for the same language, such as Spanish for Mexicans and Spaniards."

Darren Jensen, COO of Agel, a nutritional-supplements company based in Provo, Utah, helped launch his company simultaneously in 12 countries. Agel set up a back office that deals just with the company's Web site, to facilitate changing the site into additional languages as the company expands.

"Make sure it is easy from the back-end to modify the site," Jensen recommends . "That way, your Web site will adapt to whatever the default language is for the consumer's computer."

Jensen tried software and quickly found out that human translators are essential to both build the Web site in multiple languages and grow the company internationally.

"When we started, it was essential that we have staff in each country, namely, operations managers and finance managers, who were bilingual. It disrupts the flow of the company if key people abroad can't communicate," he says. "But to consolidate our customer service in the U.S., we looked for an area with a quality work force that spoke every language possible. Brigham Young University caters to Mormon missionaries who speak dozens of languages, so that's where we decided to be headquartered."

Chuck Cherel of Languages Unlimited in Vienna, Va., a translation agency that specializes in patents, agrees that universities are a great place to tap into local talent: "Ask the language departments if they have any seniors with a B.S. or B.A. in French who may want some side work. That's also the least-expensive way to get human translators working for your company."

But Cherel notes that hiring professionals is the most reliable way to go.

"Firms that specialize in translating can translate 2,000 to 5,000 words a day and can handle technical, legal, and other special-industry vocabulary," he explains. "Plus, reliable translation firms require more than one set of eyes to look at the assignment and, if necessary, editors can debate meaning. If they can't come to a conclusion, they can describe the discrepancy to the client and ask for the client's preference."

Rates for most translation firms depend on the language, the assignment and the deadline. Some firms charge per word count (Leighton pays his outside translators about $40 per page, defined as 250 words) while others like Languages Unlimited charge between $25 and $100 per hour.

Give us your advice: Check out recent “Ask & Answer” questions.

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Take your business global

An Indian textile business checks with Ask FSB's experts for advice on international expansion.

Abhiram, New York City
I have a handloom and textile business in India and I would like to start an import/export business in New York City this year. Can you suggest a good book on how to get started and be profitable? I want to start with the least burden. I want insight into the problems, and also I’d like to read real-time scenarios.

By Lenora Chu, Fortune Small Business contributor
Dear Abhiram: Importing goods to the United States can be a daunting task unless you do your homework, say the experts.

The first step you should take? Classify your product according to its unique code on the Harmonized Tariff schedule, says George Mylonakis of the Boston-based international trade consulting firm Go Global Logistics.

This classification will dictate what import requirements, duties, free-trade agreements or quota restrictions your product will be subject to.

Next, consult a customs broker who can classify your goods and file the necessary paperwork for import clearance. Without proper classification, your goods can get stuck in customs and rack up daily storage charges, says Mylonakis.

John Heimsath, president of Houston-based customs consulting firm ACM Logistics, recommends checking in with someone who’s importing similar goods.

Getting this kind of information firsthand will hint at what kind of shipping and customs clearance charges you might incur, for example.

Then copy what they’ve done, Heimsath says: “Plagiarism is truly the best form of flattery."

There’s a lot to learn about running an import/export business. Mylonakis recommends reading How Small Business Trades Worldwide: Your Guide to Starting or Expanding a Small Business International Trade Company Now by John Wiley Spiers. Heimsath recommends consulting Incoterms for Americans by Frank Reynolds. This booklet demystifies the standard trade definitions used in international trade contracts, and will help you better communicate with the parties in your supply chain.

Give us your advice: Check out recent “Ask & Answer” questions.

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Our experts suggest fixes to make a Web site usable by visually impaired Web surfers.

Linda Rhodes, Express Framing and Stained Glass
I operate a small framing and stained glass business and art studio in a rural area of West Virginia. I want my Web site to be accessible to the entire community. Recently, a severely visually impaired individual inquired about artwork in our gallery. We fall short when it comes to making our site and our gallery more friendly and accessible to the visually impaired. Please take a look at our site and give us some feedback.

By Diana Rosenthal, Fortune Small Business contributor
Dear Linda: Making your website accessible to the visually impaired and blind can seem intimidating for a company that sells artwork – but it only takes a few fixes to make your site visible to all customers. And there's an important fringe benefit: the same fixes should make your Web site more visible to search engines.

According to Garry Grant, CEO of Search Engine Optimization, the first step in improving your Web site lies in the coding of your photographs and images. Grant recommends using ALT HTML attributes, commonly referred to as ALT tags, which are alternate textual descriptions of the images on your site.

Most visually impaired and blind Web surfers use screen-reading programs that read only the text on the screen out loud. If your site’s navigation bar features unlabeled links or product images, a blind person won’t know they exist.

“On a page where the navigation links at the top are all pictures, it may be perfectly clear to a sighted person, but a screen reader just can’t recognize it,” says Chris Danielson, public relations specialist for the National Federation of the Blind. “You can’t even navigate the website because you don’t know what the links mean.”

Grant encourages Web developers to be as descriptive as possible, either in ALT tags or in expandable captions that accompany each image.

“Close your eyes and describe [the image] without looking at it,” Grant says. “And don’t worry about colors; the blind community associates colors with different textures.”

Our experts recommend that you avoid Flash animations and JavaScript on your site. Instead use CSS (cascading style sheets). They also advise close attention to the sequence in which the items on each page load, in order to prevent a confusing audio translation of the page.

“The more graphic-intense a site is, the more plug-ins it has,” says Uri Estrin, president of Web development firm Estrin Technologies. “It will be less functional for the visually impaired.”

Danielson and Estrin both caution against using visual-only CAPTCHAs, which are images with letters and numbers that appear jumbled and function to prevent spammers from accessing secure information, like e-mail addresses and credit-card numbers.

CAPTCHA, which stands for Completely Automated Turing Test To Tell Computers and Humans Apart, was developed in 2000 at Carnegie Mellon University. Though our experts agree that CAPTCHAs are effective, visually impaired users need an audio version that also deters spammers.

Danielson also reminds Web developers to make sure Web sites can be navigated without the use of a mouse. (Visually impaired users favor keyboard shortcuts and the Tab key.)

“Fixing accessibility issues not only expands your website to a new demographic and more potential customers, but also increases the crawlability of your site for search engines, which in turn gives you higher placements and greater visibility,” Grant says in a blog post he wrote on the topic.

Give us your advice: Check out recent “Ask & Answer” questions.

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Reader Claire wants to sell her piano school. Do you have any advice for Claire? Share it here.

Fred asked FSB about protecting his wife's artwork. What steps do you take to ensure your work is copyrighted?

Elaine asked FSB about figuring hourly costs for her oral history business. Do you own a similar business? How do you determine the cost for your services?

Cindy asked FSB about deductions when donating art to a museum. Have you claimed deductions for charitable contributions? What did you claim? Give us the details.

John wants to know how to pitch a new cartoon idea. Have you tried to pitch a new idea to a company? Tell us about it.

Guitar store owner Shawn Winchester is thinking about subdividing his space. Have you taken on tenants? How has it worked out?

Raggaeton artist Gerson Martinez wrote in to ask for marketing and distribution ideas. What's worked for you?

Andre Jfirson is looking to grow his Kansas music-promotion business. What do you recommend?

What you're looking for is a copyright, says FSB experts. Have you registered a copyright? Have you filed a lawsuit against copyright infringement? Talk back here.