Successful Strategies

Is It Time for a B2B Small Business Checkup?

Capital Solutions Bancorp — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:03:21 -0400

We're no longer at the start of the year and tax time will soon pass. After that will be a great time to put on your stethoscope to give your B2B business a physical. This exam requires taking time away from your routine to focus closely on your business to gauge its progress and identify needed changes.

This checkup includes reviewing finances and operations for potential opportunities and costs to cut. Call it a spring break checkup giving yourself permission to take a break from your everyday tasks. This checkup just might make a big difference to your business.

An Overview of Financial Statements

Capital Solutions Bancorp — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:42:21 -0500

Reading financial statements may be foreign to many people, but they tell you various stories about the money in your business. They're like reading nutrition labels -- you understand it better as you pick up new information. Financials statements provide you with a snapshot on where the money comes from, where it goes and where it is today.

Businesses will find value in having the following financial statements:

10 Ways to Motivate Employees to Better Performance

Capital Solutions Bancorp — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:45:19 -0500

No matter how things are going for a company, a motivated workforce propels a company through bumpy roads and leads to more successes. Motivation makes it possible to create a culture consisting of hard-working employees who are passionate about the company and growing the business.

Should You Give Credit Cards to Employees?

Capital Solutions Bancorp — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:48:43 -0500

It's hard to relinquish control especially when it comes to cash flow and expenses. Instead of dealing with paperwork and doing all the purchases, employees having credit cards may mean more time for you to focus on growing your business.

Here are some points to consider when deciding to give credit cards to employees.

Lenders Entice Small Businesses with Credit Card Reward Programs

Capital Solutions Bancorp — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:33:42 -0500

The National Small Business Association reports that 42% of small business owners carry over a credit card balance according to data from July 2011. This has serious effects on small businesses owners and their credit scores because small business credit cards don't have the same protections that the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (CARD Act) gives to consumer credit cards.

Avoid Tax Time Headaches with These Record Keeping Tips

Capital Solutions Bancorp — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:33:03 -0500

Many small business owners fear the thought of an audit. However, you don't have to quake in your boots as much if you keep thorough and organized bookkeeping records. The number one rule for bookkeeping: Have a record for everything that flows in and out of your business. You'll be prepared to answer any auditing questions and provide the required paperwork when billed for additional tax.

Compassion Fatigue Affects Nurses and Possibly Patient Care

Capital Solutions Bancorp — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:54:57 -0500

As if staffing shortages aren't enough, the nursing profession faces another problem: compassion fatigue (CF). While the problem first came up in the early 1990s, it wasn't until recently that the medical industry started addressing it.

9 Things You Can Do to Be More Successful in Business

Capital Solutions Bancorp — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:07:32 -0500

Most of us hope for a happy New Year. But what does that mean when it comes to business? For most, it's a year without problems. We both know that isn't going to happen. Problems are part of business. The sooner we accept that, we faster we can focus on getting better at what we do.

The Best and Cheapest Way to Beat the Competition

Capital Solutions Bancorp — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:45:39 -0500

Four words: make your customers happy. That's it. Your customers already know you, which puts you ahead of everyone. However, they will leave if your customer service suffers, your prices fall out of alignment with the industry or your product / service fails to do what customers need.

You maximize the acquisition cost for your current customers by keeping clients for another month. The longer you keep customers past the break-even point of acquisition, the greater the profit.