FastUpFront Small Business Blog

As the year comes to an end many small businesses owners may already be thinking about the upcoming tax season. If you are among that population then here’s one more thing to think about: If you plan on filing your business taxes electronically or will be working with sensitive personal and financial information online in [...]

As countless brick and morter small business owners fish for ways to survive a whirlwind of sluggish sales, creeping inflation, and economic uncertainty, many may be making decisions that are actually hurting their companies.   According to a recent survey conducted by American Express Open, the majority of Americans seem to realize the value of [...]

Businesses looking for ways to keep their overhead costs down, may want to consider subletting a part of their rental property to another business. Doing so can help to maximize any unused space and ultimately shave off a significant amount of a business’ monthly rental expenses. But for a subletting arrangement to truly work, it [...]

According to recent reports, such as this one from the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), many small businesses have finally begun to consider a price hike. It was to be expected as the increased cost of commodities, confirmed inflationary pressures, and year-over-year of sluggish consumer spending have whittled away profit margins at a time [...]

As a small business owner, getting unexpectedly caught up in a lawsuit can be both overwhelming and scary, not to mention a tremendous drain on resources. But you don’t have to sit around waiting for it to happen. There are many actions you can make to protect yourself in the event that one of your [...]

Even with the optimistic forecasts meant to buoy a nation still smarting from “The Great Recession” that keeps on giving, the fact is that many small businesses are struggling these days just to remain in operation. For the owners and employees of these ailing companies, some “real” optimism needs to be sent their way. So [...]

In previous posts, such as this one, I’ve discussed some of the unique opportunities crowdsourcing offers for small business owners- especially in the areas of business finance and market research. But there is a flip side to these benefits. If you do not exercise your due diligence, at best, you can end up forking over [...]

Faced with a lousy job market, many people are trying the entrepreneurial route these days. They start their new ventures which such high hopes and enthusiasm. But little do most of them know, that they probably won’t see their companies operating through 5 years, much less turn a profit. At least, that’s what the Small [...]

As the 2011 tax season gets underway, many small business owners will be seeking the assistance of professional tax preparers to help them through the process. But in an effort to save money, they may end up shortchanging themselves. Here are three reasons why a long-term financial adviser may more adequately fulfill the needs of [...]

There are many reasons why small business owners would want to sell the company they worked so hard to build up. Some common examples include: retirement, changing life priorities or goals, illness or death. But often small business owners are unaware of the sales process and end up making costly mistakes. The following are a [...]