by Erin McDermott. Psst. Is that silent partner you’re seeking really the best move for your small business? When it comes to finding additional funding these days, it’s sometimes a tough road. As a result, people are looking at other avenues of capital, taking on all types of new partnerships, and even tapping into money through crowd-funding sites such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and AngelList. Traditionally, silent partners have been the go-to investors, often family and sometimes...

by Erin McDermott. Jim Angleton Jr. started attending his father’s company meetings when he was 7 years old. He watched and learned as the venture-capital firm invested in dozens of small companies. His dad died a few years ago. Though the two had what Angleton described as “very painful, heartfelt discussions” with an estate planner about what the father wanted for the future of his company after he died, crucial decisions needed to made shortly after he passed—and soon. “There was a...

What small businesses can learn from four notable Big Business ‘mistakes’. by Reed Richardson. For many entrepreneurs, the notion of making even a small mistake often sends a chill down their spines. That fear of failure can be a powerful motivator, but if in the pursuit of avoiding such a mistake it breeds hidebound thinking and paralysis, it can create even bigger problems. “Success in a business career—any career, really—doesn’t happen because everything falls into place,” notes...

Statistics show consumer buying is low, and many small businesses are facing sluggish sales. Beginning in March, the NFIB’s small business optimism index fell three months in a row after six months of rising. And, falling sales were cited as the number one business problem by one out of four business owners, particularly in the services sector.  Only 23 percent of owners reported higher sales, while 36 percent reported lower sales. However, there are some small business sectors that are showing...

Many small business owners say that overhead costs are one of the leading concerns, or even barriers, to starting or growing a business.  Most of those costs are associated with office space and other equipment. Today, however, business owners have the option to lease on a monthly or annual basis virtually anything from computer software and printers to delivery vans and specialized production machinery. Renting, as opposed to purchasing outright, can deliver important benefits to small...

by Reed Richardson. Matt Mireles vividly describes it as his “hallelujah moment,” that point in time two-and-a-half years ago when the notion of starting his own business suddenly made perfect sense. “After trying a number of other things in my life, I still felt like I hadn’t quite found my niche,” recalls Mireles, who is the founder and CEO of the Silicon Valley–based startup SpeakerText. But after a five-week entrepreneur’s course at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, he says...

Five good reasons to launch your startup in today's economy (and two reasons to think twice). by Reed Richardson. In a still fragile business climate marked by stubbornly high foreclosure rates, uneven consumer demand, and tight credit markets, budding entrepreneurs might consider right now to be one of the worst times to start a new business. But launching a startup in the midst of ongoing economic struggles can actually be a roadmap to long-term success. According to studies by the...