FastUpFront Small Business Blog

If your to-do list is fast becoming unsustainable, you do not have to wait till you are literally drowning in tasks you do not have the time, skills, nor expertise to accomplish. You could hire a virtual assistant (VA) to help you. As small business profit margins stay slim and trim while sales continue to [...]

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 [...]

When it comes to the U.S. economy, sometimes it seems that everyone loves a good scapegoat- especially when the “everyone” is desperately trying to turn a blind eye to some ugly, fundamental problems…   As economic analysts try to make sense out of Wall Street’s recent nose dive, there are so far several suspects in [...]

When times get tough, companies increasingly look to temporary employees to fill their needs- at least that’s what this recent article over at CNN suggests.   As a small business owner, relying on temporary or contractual hires may seem like a quick and cheap solution to getting a particular job done, and these days with [...]

Even as the stock market continues its heady rally and some economic indicators suggest that the economy is improving (albeit slowly), the surge in commodity prices, many of them unavoidable staples, has wreaked havoc on small business profit margins. But, the pain is certainly not being felt equally by all. Some industries have been hit [...]

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 [...]

As any small business owner will tell you, the onus of responsibility for the business’ success or failure falls squarely on his or her shoulders. Stress seems to come with the territory when you are trying to set up your own company, particularly when the general economic environment is uncertain.   How can you avoid [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]