BetterSMB Best practices for small and mid-size businesses

Small business owners who have faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic are being confronted by rising threats from an old foe – shoplifters. A new survey shows that up to 89% of small business owners are experiencing an increase in ...

Consumers are expected to spend an average of $1,000 on holiday gifts this year, and most of the people shopping aren’t hoping for traditional presents. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reports that 56% of consumers would prefer to receive gift cards in their stockings. They’re on more holiday wish lists than electronics, clothing or jewelry. For some companies, ...

Today, more than any time in history, effective and business-centric IT is critical to success in a competitive, customer-centric market — no matter the industry. Small and midmarket firms need to keep pace with their larger competitors to stay relevant. The challenge for many ...

Applicants for certain U.S. Small Business Administration loans are urged to submit applications ahead of a Dec. 31 deadline to ensure adequate processing time. The SBA is accepting COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan program applications and Targeted Advance applications until Dec. 31. Those applications ...

Cash flow is critical to the success of a small business. Even more than profitability, cash flow is important because it allows a company to buy inventory, keep the lights on, and their employees paid. While small businesses continue to ...

52% of 1,385 small business owners across the U.S. and Canada say they were not impacted by COVID according to a study released today by Cargo and their research partner Phase 5. However, the study, which focuses on trends regarding technology devices ...

There are many challenges to running a business that owners must face including the countless tasks, roles and responsibilities that keep a business running smoothly. Higher on the list of concerns for business owners is cybersecurity that can put many businesses at risk. If a breach takes place and a hacker gains access to a business’s network, a great deal ...

The year 2020 was certainly a scramble for many businesses when the pivot to remote work seemed to happen virtually overnight. Thankfully, this quickly enabled companies to keep their operations going, and many discovered the added benefit of more productive ...

Many busy small businesses treat marketing and advertising as something they do when they have time, but relationship marketing in its truest incarnation is going to be a long game. The Small Business Association recommends 7-8% of revenue be spent ...

HIGH POINT — With federal unemployment programs adding money on top of what people can get while in between jobs in most states, plus lingering uncertainty due to the pandemic, furniture retailers across the board are saying the hiring landscape ...

As the COVID-19 delta variant has wreaked havoc on state and local economies in the past month, a recent survey conducted among small businesses across the country shows declining optimism that’s fueled by continued labor shortages. The National Federation of ...

Even if small business owners are optimistic about the future, they see challenges ahead. Weighing heavily are access to capital, rising operating costs and the difficulty in trying to hire workers. On Wednesday, several business owners in Valley Stream met ...

Tanvi Asher admits to being somewhat naïve when her store had to temporarily close in mid-March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “At first I thought we may be closed two weeks,” says Asher, designer and owner of Peppermint ...

In today’s world of digitization, the incorporation of analytics into businesses has become more and more prevalent to stay competitive in an industry. Businesses are taking advantage of big data and business analytics tools to better market their product and services. ...

Over this past year, during the COVID crisis, many bank lobbies have been shuttered, making neighborhood banking seem like a thing of the past. But for small business owners, this crisis has brought home just how important it can be ...