Successful Strategies

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.

Lower Your Year-End Tax Bill

Capital Solutions Bancorp — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:12:59 -0500

As we reach the end of year, some small businesses are scrambling to find ways to lower their tax bills. Here's a roundup of articles on how to save on your taxes.

Grow Your Business: Top 10 Posts of 2011

Capital Solutions Bancorp — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:19:47 -0500

How did your business do in 2011? Did you grow? Stay the same? Staying the same in 2011 is almost as good as growing in 2010. Based on conversations, many successful companies that grew every year reported seeing no growth this year.

Regardless of what happened in 2011, you have a clean slate and these top 10 posts will help you grow in 2012.

Start the New Year with a Clean Slate

Capital Solutions Bancorp — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:42:19 -0500

Many students leave college with a diploma in hand and big student loans waiting to be paid. Those loans are a big burden for students to bear in starting life after school. How do you think students who paid off their entire college education by graduation day feel compared to those with the big loans?

The same happens to companies starting the New Year with unused equipment, inefficient inventory and unpaid accounts receivables. No matter what kind of year your business had, you can get it in better shape for year ahead and be like the graduate free of loans.

Six Tips to Stop the Late Payment Pains

Capital Solutions Bancorp — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:15:15 -0500

Cash flow management relies heavily on timing whether or not your business is doing well. When a business owner pays suppliers late, those suppliers pay theirs late. It's a vicious cycle causing cash flow problems for small business owners down the line.