FastUpFront Blog:

The prolific growth of the Internet and Web2.0 has been a boon for market researchers in that it has simplified the process of collecting and generating quality market data.
To run a successful small business these days, conducting effective market research is a must. Market research is a dynamic process focused on understanding the relationship between [...]

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.

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But, there is a silver lining to every cloud… Now that the economic bubble has burst, it is forcing [...]

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 the [...]

In a previous post, I listed my picks for the top small business blogs. But as the economy continues to sputter along and the credit markets remain tight (especially for small businesses), I wanted to highlight those blogs that are specifically targeted to those small and home-based business owners committed to bootstrapping- those who seek [...]

For numerous small business owners who are being heavily affected by the current economic turmoil, the road ahead remains tough. Though the Fed (with a lot of help from the media) has been all too happy to call an end to the U.S. recession, the statistics paint a grimmer picture: the rates of unemployment, home [...]

As the year begins to wind down, it’s time to turn our attention to the 2010 tax season. For many small business owners emerging from such a difficult economic year, the mere thought of taxes may conjure up a hearty serving of distress and anxiety.
 

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But the truth is that the IRS has been offering [...]

It is common among cash-strapped small businesses for the owners and their employees take on many responsibilities simultaneously. The job of financial accounting and general bookkeeping thus often goes to someone within the business who has not been formally trained for the task. Though this may be an effective way to reduce expenses, it could [...]

As the recession continues to drone on, stilted consumer spending coupled with restricted (and in many cases nonexistent) credit markets have made it rough going for numerous small businesses and start-ups. At such times, seeking shelter in a business-friendly environment, can mean the difference between success and failure, growth or stagnation.

Virginia is Pollina Corporate’s pick for [...]

When it comes to mobile phones and business use, RIM’s Blackberry series of feature-rich smartphones might immediately come to mind. But a wide and versatile range of apps are actually making Apple’s iPhone an attractive business tool for those on the go.

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Here are my picks of some of the most practical and useful iPhone [...]