Growing your new business to a state of profitability and sustainability is a grueling task. But with hard work, and the right approach, it is far from impossible to achieve. In this post, we’re going to look at some techniques for “following the money” in business: focusing on the bottom line so that your business can achieve the growth it needs to succeed.

Making decisions as a small business owner can be tough. In a market where competition is fierce, and one small mistake can spell disaster, how should one’s decision best be informed? Is it to use intuitive sensing, that gut feeling that something is either good or bad, even if you can’t tell why; or should you trust rationality, and look at the known facts to make an even handed judgement? The answer is that both of these approaches are valid, depending on the situation. In this post we’ll explore the differences between research and intuition in business, and show you how and when to use each process.

Updated April 13, 2022

If you run a small business, you should consider your financial reports as your closest, most trusted advisor. They give you accurate, up-to-date information on how your business is running, and, when you know how to read them, they can help you make smarter business decisions too. Keep reading for our three favorite ways to use financial reports to make smarter business decisions.

Triple bottom line businesses or businesses that focus on people, planet, and profit are becoming increasingly popular for business owners who want to incorporate their personal values into their business. For business owners that want to formally integrate their social and environmental values into their business operations, there are a couple of options to publicly declare their values and to be held accountable to their commitments.

B Lab is a non-profit organization that has championed the cause of triple bottom line businesses by providing certification and advocating for legislation. B Lab created the Benefit Corporation (or BCorps) certification and has helped enact legislation for businesses to incorporate as a Benefit Company in Oregon.

For those just starting out as business owners, or those interested in building a business from scratch, the idea of becoming self-employed is something you likely thought long and hard about. The misconceptions that some have of being a solopreneur is that it automatically allows for freedom and unlimited growth potential. While these are certainly benefits to having a successful business of your own, they aren’t guaranteed. Knowing the difference between being and building a business can help you focus your longterm goals and find the building blocks needed for your unique business development that can take you to that next level of financial success and personal freedom.

Experiencing success in a new business venture is a difficult, yet rewarding process. However, growth brings its own unique set of challenges as you try to keep up with demand and take your company to the next level.

One of the biggest challenges is knowing when to hire staff for your new business.

Updated April 11, 2022

Coding has become both a lucrative, secure line of work and a necessity for the world's infrastructure in record time. Learning to code has even captured the focus of federal and state initiatives, for example, Code Oregon, to promote STEM careers.

Why so much talk about coding? Because that’s where the well-paying jobs are. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, hundreds of thousands of positions entail coding, and the median pay for those jobs nationwide was over $89,000 in 2020.

No one wants to endure the discomfort of having difficult discussions; yet it’s a part of every job. Doing it well is what separates a leader from simply a manager.  

Here are three difficult business conversations you may encounter and a few tips on how to not only make them easier, but more effective. Please note this is NOT legal advice and you should make sure you are following all state and federal laws as well as your HR department guidelines.

Being in a leadership role is more than having a strong understanding of the job and what work needs to be done. You must be able to motivate others to perform at their best but be willing to provide constructive criticism or discipline when needed.

Developing your leadership skill sets is the first step in succeeding as a leader. As well as learning which behaviors you should avoid. Even with the best intentions, bad behavior can make critical mistakes that are detrimental to company culture and employee morale.

When you are building your career, no matter what field it is in, self-promotion is important. There are some conflicting views on whether or not it is beneficial or detrimental, but in the end, the more others know about how you can contribute to their success, the more sought after your services will be.

The key is to find the balance between self-promotion and arrogance.