Taline Business Blog: April 2017

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

10 New Ideas for Making Money on the Side

Every year we make the same resolutions, like losing weight or to quit smoking. What about making more money?

While there proven ways to make extra cash on the side, even if you have a full-time job, if those haven’t worked-out for you in years past, then consider these 10 new ideas for earning some additional money on the side.

Friday, April 7, 2017

The Paperwork You Must Complete for a Friends or Family Business Loan

When borrowing from family and friends is the only way to start or fund a business, the following steps can greatly reduce that risk.

First, you must inform the person you’re borrowing from how much money you need, what you’ll use it for and how you’ll pay it back. Next, draw up the legal papers -- an agreement stating that the person will indeed put money into the business.

Too frequently, business owners fail to take the time to figure out exactly what kind of paperwork they should complete when they borrow from family or friends. “Often small business owners put more thought into figuring out what type of car to buy than how to structure this type of lending arrangement,” says Steven I. Levey, now-retired senior principal and CEO of accounting firm GHP Horwath. Unfortunately, once you’ve made an error in this area, it’s difficult to correct it.

Top Entrepreneurs Share Best Business Advice and Tips for Success

Laurence Bradford."The biggest mistake new entrepreneurs make is not putting themselves out there. If you want to succeed as an entrepreneur, you need to show others what you're doing.""Instead of praying an audience (or customers) will find you, get in front of people in your space. Start a blog, podcast or create video content. Take advantage of social media. Attend in-person events. One way to make "putting yourself out there" easier is by making an effort to help others. (Sounds counterintuitive, I know!) On the individual level, maybe it's by making an introduction. For a larger audience, perhaps it's by writing an actionable blog post. However, by being helpful you'll make a lasting impression."
Tony Stubbelbine."I’ve been trying to start companies for years and I still make this mistake. Planning too far ahead. Many new entrepreneurs are stuck on this idea of what the company could be five years from now. They’re trying to make the five year version of the company happen tomorrow.""What they need to realize is that if you have no customers, the next milestone is one customer. A very powerful tactic to overcome this is to help young entrepreneurs focus on building on momentum. That means focusing on the next step and trusting that those first few steps will build to the speed and impact you want."
Steve Rayson"Creating a company is hard work, most startups fail. The one characteristic you need above all others is resilience. You need to be relentless and work harder than the competition, and even then you will have tough times. It is for this reason I have always started companies with more than one founder. It means there is someone to share the load, to reflect and to support each other.""It's not impossible to be a single founder but in my experience it is easier to be resilient and successful as a team." You can read more from Steve about how BuzzSumo achieved $2.5 million in revenue during their first year right here. I'd also recommend reading my post about starting a business with a friend, in case you're considering going that route.
Preston Lee."A few simple examples: Redesigning your logo or website a dozen times, setting up every social media account possible, trying to stay on top of said social media. And the list goes on. Instead, focus on revenue. Do the tasks that will increase revenue and reduce costs. Without a focus on that, your business is just a hobby." To add to what Preston had to say, I'd double down and emphasize that in order to even consider doing work that makes a difference, you need to building and leveraging your entrepreneurial strength every day.