The Launch Blog: Expert Advice from the CorpNet Team
21 Things Our Dads Teach Us That Make Us Better Entrepreneurs
Every year around Father’s Day, I reflect on the profound impact my own father had on my self-confidence and work ethic. His encouragement and the fine example he set forth have contributed to my ability to succeed in business. And every day, I see Phil—my husband...
Business Name Registration Or Trademark: Which Is Best?
One of the most valuable assets your business will ever have is its name. Your business name is more than what your company is called—it represents your brand’s identity and it’s a way for you to distinguish yourself from your competition. With your business name...
Eight Must-Haves To Include In Your Freelance Work Proposals
As a freelance professional, establishing a solid working relationship with your clients often hinges on mutual understanding and clear expectations. New entrepreneurs learn that very quickly upon starting their businesses! That’s why having a proposal that covers...
What To Do When The Luck Of The Irish Isn’t On Your Side
With certainty every year, the celebrations of all things Irish in honor of St. Patrick’s Day go into full swing on March 17. But when you’re starting or running a small business, nothing is ever completely certain. Sometimes all things go according to plan...
How to Rekindle Your Love for Your Business
This time of year, a lot of us are thinking about romantic love, or in my case, romantic love + business partner. But what happens when something you love — i.e. your business — isn’t bringing you the joy it once did?
4 Gifts You Give Every Day as an Entrepreneur
While your focus this time of year might be on giving your clients gifts, don’t overlook yourself. This year, you don’t need to put a bow on a present and put your name on it under the tree; you’re already reaping the benefit from some pretty fabulous gifts to yourself.
Small Businesses & Retirement: What You Need to Know
Did you know that 68 million employees don’t have a retirement savings plan at all? This is often due to the fact that their employers — often small businesses — don’t offer employer-sponsored retirement plans. And small businesses aren’t eager to offer retirement plans for employees, either because they don’t know how to go about doing it or they can’t afford to.
Where to Start a Business if You’re a Millennial
Have you ever noticed how some cities seem younger than others? Some seem to offer more entertainment and opportunities than others, and therefore appeal to the Millennial generation. And when it comes to entrepreneurs, Millennials are ahead of the pack: more than 25% of them are self-employed.
Where to Start Your Business? Look at the Fastest Growing Economies
When it comes to determining where you want to start a business, you want to choose a city that has a thriving economy and plenty of potential for you to corner the market in your industry. If you’re not planning to open a business in the town you live in, consider one of these, from WalletHub’s 2015’s Cities with the Fastest Growing Economies list. (And if you’ve already started your business, see how your city stacks up).
5 Ways to Lower Your Risk When Starting a Business
It’s important to understand when starting a business: there is no 100% guaranteed way to eliminate the risk that entrepreneurship brings. You can’t be sure your customers will pay you on time. Your employees can quit without notice. Your vendors might deliver damaged products. All of these, among other risks, make it difficult for you to know what’s going to happen tomorrow, much less next year.
Did You Overlook Trademarking Your Brand?
You probably didn’t come up with the perfect business or product name overnight. Most likely, you brainstormed. You sought the advice of colleagues and friends. You tested out a few options, and checked what domain names were available. In short, you’ve invested a...
Get Back Your Time: 5 Tools to Help You Manage Your Small Business Tasks
I have to be really disciplined to ensure that I make the most of my time at work. After all, there’s so much to do and so little time to do it! For business time management, I’ve discovered a few cool tools that help me do more with the time I have.
Is your Business Structure Really Working for Your Business?
There may come a day when, after everything in your small business has been chugging right along for a while, that you start to wonder if the business structure you first chose is still a good fit.
Small Business Employee Development: Teach Your Employees a Thing or Two!
While you know the importance of continuing to develop your own knowledge about running a small business, have you given much thought to helping your employees with their own professional development?
The State of Small Business for Women
It seems like no matter how hard women entrepreneurs try, we will never catch up to our male counterparts. Or will we? The state of small businesses owned by women has risen significantly over the past few decades, and seems to be speeding up.
4 Reasons it’s Time to Leave Your Firm (and Start a Business)
In the back of your mind, you’ve been fantasizing about quitting your job and starting a business for years. So why haven’t you done it yet? If any of the following ring true, it’s time to stop dreaming and make that vision of starting a business a reality!
Nonprofits: Making Your Mission Into Your Job
While many entrepreneurs focus on making money, others build a business around a cause. When a cause is so important to you that you want to make it your day job, it’s time to start a nonprofit.
What Successful Entrepreneurs Know (That You Don’t…Yet)
I spend a lot of time reading articles and books written by successful business owners to learn from them. After all, if they share their wisdom, maybe a little of that success will rub off on me! Here are some of their nuggets of wisdom that you can learn a lot from.
Starting an LLC in Georgia: Fees for Forming Your New Business
If you’re looking for a great place to launch a business, why not try Georgia? Forming an LLC in Georgia is a great idea because it’s relatively inexpensive to live and work in this peach of a state.
First, Why an LLC in Georgia is Right For Your Business
We see a ton of CorpNet customers that prefer the flexibility the LLC offers. It’s a bit of a hybrid business structure because it offers the best features of a corporation as well as a limited liability partnership, all the while protecting your personal assets.
Just Starting a Biz? CorpNetNellie’s Top 10 Pieces of Advice
If you’re at the start of your entrepreneurial journey, congratulations. You’ve got a lot of exciting times ahead of you, as well as a lot of lessons to learn. Let me help you get started on the right foot with some advice I’ve learned on my own path to small business ownership.
5 Small Biz Secrets of Success When Your Kids are Home for the Summer
Whether you work from home or run your business elsewhere, having your kids at home for three months can create a logistical problem that can threaten your small business’s productivity during the summer.
Short of closing your business for several months (not happenin’, am I right?), here are a few strategies to help you keep your business booming while still being a kick-butt parent.
5 Tips to Creating Loyal and Long-Term Employees
One of the things that I’m most proud of in running CorpNet is how long our staff has been with us. Many were there at the start. Our turnover is incredibly low. Clearly, we’re doing something right to keep our employees happy! Here are a few of the ways we do that.
Knock Your Next Networking Event Out of the Park with These Tips
All your social media efforts, blogging, and emails might not get you as far as one simple strategy: in-person networking. By building relationships with people in real time, you can pave the way for future sales success.
Still, few people actually master the art of smart networking. I’ve gleaned a few helpful strategies over my years of attending networking events to help you.
Fees for Incorporating by State: Understand Your Costs to Become a Corporation
Here’s a question I get almost daily: what’s the best state to incorporate in?
The second most asked question I get is: “what are the fees for incorporating in [state]?”
It’s interesting that the fees vary so much. For example, to incorporate in Connecticut, it costs $455. That’s on the high end! On the opposite end is Mississippi, at just $50.
How I Make Time for Myself After the Stress of Tax Day
Thank goodness tax time is over, right? I, like most small business owners, find this time of year a bit stressful. So after April 15 passes, I’m all about rejuvenating and recharging my battery.
When you run a business, whether you’re the only staff or you manage a team of ten, it is essential that you make time for yourself. Otherwise, you’re a stressed out ball of tension that puts your business —and your health — in jeopardy.
We’re all in the same boat here, so I thought I’d share how I decompress.
Businesses Incorporated in Texas Need to Fill Out an Annual Report By May 15
Before you form an LLC in Texas or incorporate a business in Texas, it’s important that you know what your responsibilities will be in reporting on your business in future years. If you’ve already formed an LLC or corporation, you need to be aware of an important deadline on May 15.
That’s the date your Annual Report — also called Franchise Tax Report — is due. Here’s what you need to know to ensure that you stay compliant with the state of Texas.
5 Ways to Show Administrative Professionals a Little Appreciation
There’s an important holiday on Wednesday, and it’s likely one you’ve overlooked. It’s Administrative Professionals’ Day, and a day that you need to make sure you show support to the people in your office that help you run like a well-oiled machine.
Small Business Taxes and How Incorporating Affects Them
This time of year, most business owners are thinking about their small business taxes: how much they owe, what they need to do to file them, whether they have enough to pay what they owe. But did you realize that if you incorporate a business, how you file your small business taxes and how much you pay can sway in your favor (depending on the corporate structure you choose)? Let’s take a look at how incorporating affects your taxes.
14 Days Until Tax Day? 14 Things You Must Take Care Of
If you’re like a lot of other small business owners, you drag your feet until the last minute to file and pay your taxes. It’s getting down to the wire, folks, so even if you want to wait until April 15 to file your taxes, you still have a lot of work to do to prepare.
How To Find Motivated Employees for Your Small Business
When you first start a business, you may not need to hire, But as you grow, you start looking for people to help you take your business to the next level. But where can you find the right motivated people? Sure, you can post your job on a job board, Craigslist, or career site, but you can’t always know that you’re getting quality applicants.
So where DO you find the right people?
