FastUpFront Small Business Blog

A couple of weeks ago, the U.S. House of Representatives made a conspicuously bi-partisan effort to pass the Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act which essentially makes it easier for businesses to raise capital through crowdfunding.   Crowdfunding is a relatively new form of raising money. By tapping into the extensive reach of the internet, prospective [...]

In my last post, I listed 10 notoriously ridiculous fees that many of the big banks are charging these days. If you are a small business owner then choosing the right bank is all the more important. As you make an effort to maintain a healthy cash flow and get financing when you need it, [...]

The other week over at Small Business Trends, I saw an interesting poll. The sole question: “What’s your biggest business mistake?” Though there are various options to choose from, such as “Failing to market my business,” and “Selling myself short,” the overwhelming favorite response (at the time of writing it is holding at 86% of [...]

When multiple people are involved in starting and building a new business, it is very easy to overlook what seems to be a small, mundane issue: how to divide founders’ equity. But, if a bit of forethought is brought in at the beginning regarding the definition of ownership and the anticipated compensation that each of the founding members will receive, [...]

Over the past couple of years, crowdfunding has emerged as a quick and agile way to raise money- whether for a new business, charity, or artistic project. While many have been quick to point out the various “side benefits” of turning to the online community for funding, such as generating customer interest and building brand [...]

 The U.S. Small Business Administration’s West Virginia office has a great idea for spurring small business: speed dating. The office sponsored an event that provided a forum for small business owners to present their business plans to bank lending officers and economic development officials. Each entrepreneur had five minutes to request funding, before they had [...]

The recent economic crisis in the United States left a pall on small businesses all over the country. During the last couple of years, the usual credit lines and business credit cards which kept businesses afloat have seriously diminished     Common sense would seem to dictate that small business owners would be seeking more [...]

Small and home-based business owners in desperate need of financing are increasingly being targeted by a flood of scam artists hoping to capitalize on wide spread confusion and economic hardship. The Better Business Bureau recently released its list of the top 10 scams and rip-offs for 2009. Here are a few examples from that list [...]

One of the less publicized fallouts of our economic tailspin has been the overnight devaluation and in some cases decimation of personal savings. This phenomenon has effected people from all walks of life and all ages. (Image Credit) But, there is a silver lining to every cloud… Now that the economic bubble has burst, it [...]

Earlier this year I posted a series on credit card reform and suggested that it would be a rough road ahead for many small business owners… unfortunately I was right. Though the credit card reform act of 2009 may have put a spotlight on some of the obscure and outright abusive business practices embraced by [...]