It is no secret that online shoppers from all over the world have found great benefit with PayPal. This online service has helped to make sending and receiving money a breeze. PayPal has also made it safer for consumers to shop online as it adds an extra layer of security when it comes to protecting private financial information. However, PayPal, which is actually owned by eBay Inc. is on the verge of making some new steps forward in the expansion of their company by offering mobile payment options for small businesses. With these new advancements PayPal will not only be [...]

One of the social phenomena that has occurred as a result of the popularization of social networks and mobile computing is the democratization of game creation. Simple software tools allow creative people to quickly produce professional-level games, and social media outlets allow the quirkiest and most entertaining games to reach a huge audience at very low cost. Many gaming businesses focus their efforts on creating such games for the mobile and social network markets. However, some companies from a collection of industries are becoming increasingly interested in using free games as marketing tools.
Advantages Over Other Marketing Methods
While the use of [...]

Cash is the most crucial element needed if a start-up company is to grow and prosper. In study after study conducted into why businesses fail, poor cash flow emerges as the number one problem.
When you start to create a business plan, it is easy to become bogged down in calculating potential sales and revenue and forget about considering the factors relative to cold, hard, cash-in-the-hand. But a well-executed cash flow statement will not only lay the foundation for your success; it will be an valuable asset in your presentation for financing.
There are three secrets to creating a creating an effective [...]

Wendy’s has dethroned Burger King as the country’s second biggest hamburger chain, according to a recent announcement by food industry research firm Technomic Inc.
While McDonald’s, with its $34.2 billion in sales, is the clear burger-chain front-runner and has been for years, Wendy’s $8.5 billion in sales in 2011 barely edged out Burger King’s $8.4 billion in sales.
Even during tough economic times, sales for McDonald’s have continued to rise, up 26 percent in the past five years. On the other hand, Wendy’s sales have increased 9 percent and Burger King’s sales have remained flat.
In January 2012, the burger chain announced plans [...]

Have the stock market’s woes over the past few years scared the daylights out of you? Do you now associate investing with rolling the dice in a casino? If so, you’re not alone.
Believe it or not, investors are not always high-risk individuals. Many investors do so conservatively to minimize the risks of doing so.
Conservative investing could be an excellent strategy for your small business if you and/or your employees are otherwise nervous about investing. There are plenty of investments on the market for both you and your employees to place in the SEP IRA, 401(k) or whatever other type of [...]

Congratulations to Adam Sandler for his record 11 nominations for the 2011 Razzie awards. For those who don’t know, the Razzies are a spoof of the Academy Awards, offering recognition for the worst movies of the year.
This year Sandler received nominations for three bombs — “Jack and Jill,” “Just Go with It,” and “Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star.” The winners will be announced on April Fool’s Day, April 1.
While it’s great to receive recognition for your efforts, no one wants to be recognized for doing a lousy job. If your reputation precedes you, make sure it’s for the [...]

The Ethisphere Institute just announced its 2012 “World’s Most Ethical” (WME) company honorees at the Global Ethics Summit held in New York City. The Ethisphere Institute is a respected international ethics “think tank” and they present a series of annual awards to companies in various industries that exemplify sterling business ethics. 2012 U.S. honorees included Cisco, Ford and Timberland, successful companies performing with conscience.
You’ve been dealing with ethics for years. Long before you ever thought to turn a new product or idea into a business you already had an established code for your own personal behavior. You may, however, just [...]

If you own an online business, an electronic payment system is vital to your success. That is unless you want to have your customers mail in checks and cash, but that is risky and probably won’t attract many customers!
There are several electronic payment systems to choose from. Of these, the 2 most well-known are Google Checkout and PayPal. Let’s compare these payment processing tools and see which is best for your online business.
Pricing
It’s a good idea to start your comparison by looking at prices. This shouldn’t be the only factor in your decision, but it helps to know what you’ll [...]

Running a small business means you have to stay on top of every aspect of your company.  With all the directions you’re pulled in, it’s easy to overlook the leaks that may be causing your business to lose money. Recently, an article went over some of the most common rip-offs that happen in small businesses and what you can do to prevent them.
Credit Card Processing Gone Wrong
The credit card processing game is notoriously complex to understand, with all kinds of different companies, issuing banks, and processing networks involved. While many are legitimate and trustworthy, some are considered fly-by-night and [...]

Throughout the month of March, news outlets have been reporting on the Obama administration’s new plans for the U.S. Small Business Administration to make small business loans more attractive to banks and other lenders. Part of this new deal for small business leaders, according to current plans, consists of waiving fees that were previously collected to guarantee a certain percent of a business loan. The other part of this is that guarantees on small business loans are going to go up to 90% from previously lower percentages like 85%.

What’s the Big Deal About a 90% Guarantee?
The percentage of a business [...]