Financial management is a challenge for many small business owners. However, ineffective financial management can have a direct, negative impact on your bottom-line and your ability to grow profits in the future. It's imperative that you prioritize financial management for your business. According to an infographic from Intacct (shown at the end of this article), there are … [Read more...]
Connecting Women to Investors at Capital W: The Boston Women’s Venture Summit
Investor and businesswoman Sheryl Marshall started working with women-owned businesses and women venture funding in 1999 after spending years working in financial services where she fielded tons of calls from women looking for capital. She recalls, “Back then, only 2% of venture funding went to women-owned businesses, and most of that 2% went to iVillage.” This lack of … [Read more...]
How Women Entrepreneurs can Overcome the Cash, Contracts and Connections Challenge
There are three challenges that can deeply hinder the progress and growth of a woman-owned business: access to funding, contracts, and resources. Fortunately, they are not impossible to overcome. It’s no secret access to capital has consistently been a thorn in the side of women entrepreneurs and prevented them from scaling to the next level, but so have scoring major accounts … [Read more...]
How to Create A Financial Model for Your Business
Most entrepreneurs fall in love with an idea and spend a lot of time building out what it looks like. For example, a software developer will work on the features of his software product; a chef will work on the menu for her restaurant; and a service provider will identify potential customers for her services. This is the fun part of creating your business plan, and it is … [Read more...]
How To Launch A Successful Crowdfunding Campaign
We live in the age of the entrepreneur. And, thanks to the number of crowdfunding platforms available, it’s possible for anyone to launch a business idea, product, or concept without access to traditional resources. Nonetheless, it will take more than a great idea and a few strategies to successfully crowd-fund a campaign. Below are a few tips for generating a memorable and … [Read more...]
6 Tips to Build a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign
Crowdfunding is becoming an increasingly popular method to access financial capital. Rewards-based crowdfunding is appealing as a way to raise funds without giving up equity or increasing your debt. But there are other benefits too. Using your social network to gain support for your business goals and engaging your customers in the success of your enterprise can have a … [Read more...]
6 Reasons Women Have Problems Getting Loans
On a recent trip visiting my parents, I learned some interesting things about my grandmother. There were a couple of ways my grandmother made extra money. One of those ways was using her talent as a seamstress. Every one loved her work. People would have her make them all types of garments. I vividly remember my grandmother’s house. I often wondered why she didn’t buy … [Read more...]
SEC 2014 Examination Priorities Announced
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced its 2014 examination priorities based on both internal and external communications, data, tips, complaints, referrals, and more. These are the areas the SEC will examine throughout the year because they have been flagged as areas with heightened risk, but they could be modified as needed. For 2014, the following … [Read more...]
Crowdfunding Can Launch Your Business
One of the largest challenges entrepreneurs face is getting funding for their great ideas. Women business owners struggle in spite of efforts by the government to create SBA and micro loan programs to help entrepreneurs’ access capital. The challenge is that even the SBA requires good credit, collateral, and an income source to repay the loan. If you are starting a company … [Read more...]
How to Find Common Ground between Financial Planning and Your Marketing Budget
Sponsored by VISA Business: As the tax season draws to a close, there is no better time to re-evaluate your business budget and financial goals for the year. Financial planning should factor into every aspect of your business, including your marketing budget. Marketing is an expense, and controlling your expenses is always a priority. How can you achieve measurable … [Read more...]