FastUpFront Blog:

Sometimes in an effort to cut costs, free up time, and conserve resources we can loose sight of our own internal strengths and capabilities. Before outsourcing any processes or tasks to an outside third party, make sure to take stock of those areas  that should remain in-house.
 

In the begining, when Americans were still reeling from the after shock of a freshly burst credit bubble and a crash in the housing market, to mention the term Recession felt almost dirty. Only the brave few dared to mention the “R” word for fear of persecution or being labled as a doomsday party-pooper. Most [...]

Is investing in your employees good for business? According to a new report, “Profit at the Bottom of the Ladder,” (Harvard Business Press), the answer is unequivocally, “Yes.”

 
Jody Heymann, who led the study behind the report, researched twelve companies in nine countries. Every company had policies that improved conditions for their lower-level workers. She examined [...]

These days, while many small business owners are dealing with tightened budgets and strained cash flow, heading for the latest conference may seem like an unnecessary luxury. It’s hard to justify taking time away from work, paying for a hotel, food, and travel expenses. Yet, hobnobbing at conferences and tradeshows could infuse your business with [...]

The US economy is still on the slow road to recovery, and no one is more aware of the fact than those small businesses owners who have watched their customer base dwindle. In response, many enterprising small business owners are considering expanding into international markets.

 
In recent years, growing economies like China and India have witnessed [...]

Throughout much of his tenure, President Obama been lending a significant amount of lip service to the idea that America should be investing in its small businesses.

 
Since the onset of our current economic difficulties, small businesses have disproportionally been suffering from the overall slowdown in consumer spending, leading to less cash flow and poor credit- two factors that have effectively crippled many businesses by limiting their [...]

No one can say that the credit card industry isn’t resourceful. The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act, which was enacted in 2009, was meant to reshape consumer finance. The new legislation stipulates that card issuers must give customers more notice about interest-rate increases. It also restricts problematic billing practices, such as inactivity fees.
While [...]

Ever since Skype rolled out its Skype 4 and Skype SIP in 2009, numerous small businesses have been using the service in order to keep overhead costs to a minimum. In May of this year, Skype released it’s 5.0 beta version packed with several great features particularly appealing to small businesses, such as video conference [...]

Cost-cutting needs have produced the latest trend: spouse-run businesses. According to the Kauffman Foundation, 8% of new small businesses in the U.S. are co-owned by husbands and wives.

 
Both marriage and business co-ownership are relationships with potential for conflict. How can a couple successfully work together without compromising their marriage?
Here are some of the possible pitfalls [...]

All predictions indicate that the economic recovery from the 2007-2009 US recession in will remain sluggish well into the next year. (No crystals balls needed.)
According to the latest quarterly AP Economy Survey, economists are not very optimistic when it comes to the economic rebound. As opposed to earlier predictions, now they typically use words like [...]