As economists around the nation and, indeed, around the world, continue to debate on whether or not the global and national economies have recovered from the recent devastating depression, the economy of Texas is booming. Outpacing national growth by almost four percent, every single Texas industry has shown a strong upward swing this year. Almost 50,000 [...]
A number of states, as well as the federal government, have recently passed minimum wage hikes. Many legislators believe it is only a matter of time until minimum wage is increased nationally. What can your business do to protect itself, when most companies are already struggling to make a profit in this fickle economy? Raise Prices [...]
Twenty-eight million businesses in the United States are categorized as small businesses, and twenty-two million of those are sole proprietorships with no additional employees on payroll. That means there are a lot of startups around! Unfortunately, a large percentage of those businesses fail within the first three years of operation. How can you safeguard your startup [...]
The holiday rush is just a few weeks away -- what is your business doing to prepare? Whether you offer merchandise through an e-commerce store, or software services and products, most every business sees a jump in sales during this time of year. Here's your starter guide to gear up for sales like you've never seen [...]
As Washington remains deadlocked on every issue from healthcare to the minimum wage, the economy continues to trudge on like an old mule caught in mud. The DOW and NASDAQ averages look schizophrenic. Every industry that announces gains for one quarter sees losses erase the gains within a few months. How are small businesses supposed to [...]
In this economy, keeping your business lean and agile means outsourcing many peripheral jobs. For example, hiring a vendor to work your call center means you don't have to employ and train as many customer service staffers. Companies also frequently outsource accounting, housekeeping, IT, and other non-production jobs. How can you assure yourself you're hiring the [...]
Transportation, medical facilities, amusement venues, adult entertainment, tour buses, waste management and recycling, food, water, telecommunications -- there are new regulations for industries all the time. The United States is already one of the most heavily regulated countries in the world. It pays off in terms of safety, but it's hard for most business owners to [...]
Small and micro-businesses want to maintain the same professional-looking image as the big guys, but how can this be done on a tiny budget? As it turns out, there are a few simple tricks to look just as impressive as the big guys, without going over budget to do it. Hire a Professional Answering Service If [...]
According to reports from numerous sectors, the Dallas area is recovering faster from the recent Great Recession than the rest of the nation. In fact, Dallas is out-performing most of the other major cities in Texas. Building is on the rise, including development of both commercial and residential properties. Even more new data centers and call [...]
The economic situation has improved somewhat, but companies still feel the pressure to perform better for cheaper. Demands for high-quality products and services are up, while revenues and tax breaks are down. In order to survive, you can outsource many office tasks to streamline your internal processes and focus on what your company does best. Here [...]