Idea of the Day®
July 26, 2024
Digital Wallets Set to Overtake Debit Cards for In-Store Payments
PYMNTs reported that by 2027, consumers will be using digital wallets more than debit cards for transactions in brick-and-mortar retailers. Growth in the use of digital wallets has been greater than any other payment type—12% since 2023. Customers like the convenience of digital wallets. Do you accept payments from digital wallets now? Are you planning to do so soon? #IdeaoftheDay
Big Ideas for Your Business
Resources For Your Business
July 25, 2024
By Barbara Weltman
Small business owners want a safe and supportive work environment for their staff. One disrupter is domestic abuse, the effects of which do not stop as employees enter the workplace. According to one source, more than 10% of employees said they experienced domestic violence in the past year. A Cornell Law School article said “suffering through […]
July 24, 2024
By Aaron Franks
The landscape of small businesses is changing fast. From new technologies to evolving consumer behaviors, the dynamics are undergoing a radical transformation. If you own a small business or are planning to start one, it’s crucial to keep up with these trends. This will not only keep you ahead of the competition, but also prepare […]
July 23, 2024
By Barbara Weltman
The IRS has a slew of penalties that may be imposed for doing something wrong, doing something late, or failing to do what you should have done: failure-to-file, failure-to pay, failure-to-deposit. Obviously, the best course of action is to avoid penalties by knowing the rules and acting correctly and on time. But this isn’t always […]
July 18, 2024
By Barbara Weltman
Small businesses don’t have in-house departments for payroll, legal, accounting, IT, marketing, etc. Many small business owners try to DIY for all of these specialties. It’s understandable; professionals cost money. But this can be short-sighted. Why and how you can grow your business by developing a team of professionals: Why use professionals? There are a […]
July 17, 2024
Financial forecasting is a vital skill for small business owners. It helps predict your future expenses, ensuring you have steady armor to face corporate and industry challenges. Discover the common financial mistakes and strategies to ensure success. What Are the Common Challenges in Predicting Future Expenses? These are typical mistakes small business owners grapple with […]
July 15, 2024
By Barbara Weltman
Childcare benefits can have a positive impact on recruitment, retention, and productivity—all key concerns for employers. According to a survey by Care.com, 56% of employers in 2024 are prioritizing child care benefits to recruit and train staff, which is 10% more than in 2023. Where do you stand? Can small businesses afford to help employees […]
July 11, 2024
By Barbara Weltman
Business owners know that they need to have credit cards exclusively for business use and that they should not charge business expenses to their personal credit cards. This is still true even though there are alternative payment options, such as electronic transfers. What small business owners don’t know in many cases are the benefits and […]
July 10, 2024
By Annie Button
Small businesses everywhere face an increasing number of cyber threats nowadays. With many companies taking advantage of cloud-based data management solutions, a variety of social media marketing channels, and digitizing many of their services, their cyber risk exposure grows unless they maintain constant vigilance about their security. When a cyber attack hits, unprepared small businesses […]
July 9, 2024
By Barbara Weltman
I think small business owners are the bravest people. They face a myriad of risks, any one of which can undermine the viability of their businesses. They can experience financial ruin and personal shame, humiliation and guilt if their businesses go under. Who wants to fail? Knowing what the risks are can help in preparing […]
July 4, 2024
By Barbara Weltman
It’s been 248 years since a group of men in Philadelphia signed the Declaration of Independence and started a revolution. The document was adopted on July 4, 1776, although it wasn’t signed until August 2, 1776. Most of the 56 delegates to the Second Continental Congress who signed the document were small business owners, lawyers, […]
July 2, 2024
By Barbara Weltman
Tax planning may not be your favorite activity, but it’s one that can put money in your pocket. The decisions you make now and execute before the end of the year can result in tax savings for 2024, as well as position you to realize tax savings in 2025 and beyond. The sooner you begin […]
July 1, 2024
Financial literacy is indispensable for entrepreneurs striving to build and sustain successful businesses. Understanding key concepts, such as cash flow management, profitability, and budgeting, empowers business owners to make informed decisions. This blog distills essential financial insights tailored for small business owners and entrepreneurs, ensuring you are equipped with practical tools to navigate the complexities […]
June 27, 2024
A few years ago, Adobe said content democratization is changing the business landscape, and this can be a big boost to small businesses. In the past, consumers learned about new products and services through television, radio, and print; today it’s primarily social media platforms. I’m not an expert on social media, but I do use it […]
June 26, 2024
A good workspace is key to the success of any small business. When employees feel good and are into their jobs, they often do more work and stick with their tasks. This happy setting not only makes workers happy, but also helps keep skilled people around. As a small business boss, knowing how to create […]
June 25, 2024
By Barbara Weltman
You have to pay the rent, make payroll, deposit taxes, pay vendors, and more. You want to do this in the most efficient way, meaning you want to minimize fees and your time and effort, while ensuring your payment method is secure. You likely will use various methods for different purposes. For example, in the […]
June 20, 2024
By Barbara Weltman
When you hear “show me the money,” what does it mean? Money might conjure up a vision of piles of U.S. dollar bills or bags of coins, but today money is a very broad term. Understand “money” so you can offer customers a range of payment options and know what they prefer. At the same […]
June 19, 2024
Employees arrive at work aiming to create value for others. However, they also expect their time in the workplace to help sustain and improve their lives. As a small business owner, you want your staff to be safe and feel safe at work. Keep reading to learn key facts about workplace security and what you […]
June 18, 2024
By Barbara Weltman
Taxes and the related chores—recordkeeping, filing, and paying—are perhaps the least favorite things for a business owner to do. Still, they’re unavoidable. Being in business requires you to keep books and records and then report income and expenses to the government. All of this takes considerable time and a lot of effort. Whatever you can […]
June 13, 2024
By Barbara Weltman
There are basically 4 factors that are necessary for business success: a good idea, sufficient capital to start up, hard work, and luck. Which factor most influences the outcome of start-ups? It depends on who you ask. There’s a lot of research on the subject and experts don’t agree on the answer. I would argue […]
June 11, 2024
By Barbara Weltman
Father’s Day is a few days away and this day reminds me of the business lessons I learned from my dad at the dinner table each day while I was growing up. He was a co-owner of a machine shop—a small business—that made parts for such items as telephone equipment, helicopters, and the Minuteman missile. […]
June 6, 2024
By Barbara Weltman
Entrepreneurs may not be content with owning a single business. They may have two or more companies going at the same time. They may own some or all of them by themselves or have co-owners. A 2022 Bank of America survey found that 26% of small business owners had multiple businesses, and of these 58% […]
June 5, 2024
By Miranda Green
While remote work has become the norm due to its benefits of increased productivity and flexibility, there are still challenges companies and organizations must address. Among these are cybersecurity concerns, as 65% of the employers offering remote work face internal and external threats that can lead to data and system breaches. Considering restoring data and […]
June 4, 2024
By Barbara Weltman
With more employees returning to the workplace and the cost of commuting on the rise, employers should consider helping to alleviate the commuting burden. Costs typically run over a $100 a month for public transportation or for driving to work (the average cost for driving is $170 per month). For example, a MetroCard for New York […]
June 3, 2024
By Monica Mendoza
The landscape of vacation rentals has evolved dramatically in recent years, particularly in the wake of the global pandemic. As travel resumes more robustly, the demand for unique, personalized accommodations has surged—recent data from Statista, for instance, projects that the market will generate around $100.30 billion in revenue in 2024. This presents both lucrative opportunities […]
Multimedia
Resources For Your Business
Are You Lucky? This Matters to Business Success
Staying Positive: Why it’s Essential and How to Do It
Inspired Podcasts Interview
Growing Your Business: Expand Your Workforce
Barbara’s Books
By Barbara Weltman
THE COMPREHENSIVE HANDBOOK FOR AMERICAN TAXPAYERS LOOKING FOR EVERY LEGAL TAX DEDUCTION AND CREDIT This edition of this popular book has been fully updated to reflect the latest rulings and laws (including changes from the Inflation Reduction Act and SECURE Act 2.0), allowing you to easily refer to the appropriate deductions and credits for your […]
By Barbara Weltman
COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO SMALL BUSINESS TAX WRITE-OFFS AND STRATEGIES FROM A LEADING NAME IN TAX If you own a small business, this comprehensive guide explains in easy-to-understand terms the essentials of business taxes to prepare you to work better with your CPA or other tax adviser or handle tax responsibilities on your own. Whether you’re […]
By Barbara Weltman
Ideas you’ll use everyday! With only so many hours in the day, it’s impossible to stay on top of key developments and opportunities to help you run your business better and smarter. 500+ Big Ideas for Your Small Business gives you quick access to resources and tips you can use every day. Whether you’re a […]
By Barbara Weltman
Your GPS to Get You Where You Want to Go in Your Business Do you enjoy driving and being your own boss with flexible work options? Are you looking for a part-time (or full-time) activity that earns good money? Maybe you’ve already discovered that there are great opportunities for making money with your car. Or, […]
By Barbara Weltman
A Step-By-Step Road Map–with Checklists–to Get You Started Up, Profitable, and Successful Whether you want to start up a part-time home-based business or jump in full throttle and work on it full time, you need a start-up guide. A road map! Home-Based Business Start-Up Guide will help you chart your course to work-from-home success. Written […]
What every self-employed person needs to know about their taxes! If you’re self-employed, chances are the majority of your time is spent finding new customers or clients, servicing existing ones, and handling each and every aspect of your business. Freelancers, independent contractors, gig economy participants, and other individuals working for themselves need to be aware […]
By Barbara Weltman and Harvey Bezozi
Created for Uber and Lyft drivers as their GPS — to help them get where they want to go in their business, safely and securely. Note: This e-Book has been updated with a new title and revised content (shown). Do you enjoy driving and being your own boss with flexible work options? Are you looking […]
By Barbara Weltman
Presenting a recently-launched, updated, paperback edition! Barbara Weltman takes an inspired look in Smooth Failing at the hard lessons learned when things go wrong. Through extensive interviews with entrepreneurs whose ventures failed for a variety of reasons — some stunningly unexpected, some painfully inevitable — Weltman gleans valuable insights about the small mistakes that can lead to large scale catastrophe. Smooth Failing seeks to save readers from similar disaster — while empowering those who are learning from failures and adversity to bounce back stronger and wiser on the often rocky road to success.
By Barbara Weltman and Jerry Silberman
12 surefire ways for your business to survive and thrive! Owning a small business can be a fulfilling and financially rewarding experience, but to be successful, you must know what to do while the business is up and running, and, most importantly, what to do when the business runs into trouble. This book is definitely […]
By Barbara Weltman
As Vicki Raeburn of Dun & Bradstreet notes in the forward, “…the successful creation of credit by small business has a significant effect on one of the most important business drivers, namely cash flow. … [This book has] the information needed to understand and build business credit.”
Testimonials
You help me become better informed and to feel better connected to other small businesses even if just through knowing we’re all seeing your newsletter and paying attention to the same concerns.
– Sally
Barbara’s newsletter and the information she shares are always useful and topical. Always an excellent newsletter from you, Barbara!
– Bob Benowitz
I love the simplicity of your articles. — Marie
– Marie Porolniczak, CB
Jim Blasingame, Host of The Small Business Advocate Show, and author of the award-winning books, “The 3rd Ingredient,” and “The Age of the Customer” says: “At a time when working from home is becoming the norm, why wouldn’t right now be a perfect time to start a home-based business? If you’re still with me, here’s the next logical question: Why wouldn’t you want to learn how to do that from someone who was home-based before it was cool? Someone who was making being home-based look good before technology made it easy.
Well, that person is my friend, Barbara Weltman, and she’s put all of her experience, wisdom and perspective in a new book, “Home-Based Business Start-up Guide.” It’s a by-the-numbers tutorial on how to launch a successful home-based business.
Let Barbara help you get your home-based business going with her book, and all of the other awesome resources she produces in support of small businesses. She’s the best.” — Jim
– Jim Blasingame, Host of The Small Business Advocate Show
I love your ideas of the day! They have become an instrumental part of my learning!
– Gina Bertoletti
You should sign up for the “Idea of the Day®” by Barbara Weltman. This will give you great tips and help you with your daily business needs. She writes every article with consummate skill.
– Lesley
As a tax attorney and small business specialist, Barbara has a lot of great information to share. Barbara, your blogs contain information that everyone can use! Your newly-expanded ebook, “175+ Big Ideas for Small Business” ebook has lots of great recommendations for small business owners.
– Lisa Rubenfeld
For a small business owner, the information [in your book] is absolutely one of the best I’ve come across! Thanks so much for the break-down of information.
– Michelle Joe
I just wanted to reach out and give you a very big, truly heartfelt “thank you” for all the work that you do to help small business owners grow and succeed.
More specifically, I wanted to offer you some praise for your blog posts and Idea of the Day®. My email inbox gets so very cluttered. And honestly, on most days I will do a wholesale delete of many, many messages. But I literally stop and specifically look for your name and your small business Idea of the Day®. I don’t want to miss it! In fact, I look forward to reading it daily (even on weekends!) because I know I’m going to learn something new that saves me money, time or just adds to my professional knowledge in a way that helps me help others too.
So thank you, thank you, thank you for your efforts!
– Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach
Thank you for finding this important information. Getting your daily email is like getting an MBA in small business.
– J. S. Budnik
“Thank you, Barbara Weltman, for all of your articles and tax advice to small business owners! All the best.”
– Shane Madigan
I follow your blog religiously for the great tips you provide. I love the new look. It makes me smile to see that your blog got an update. Thanks for providing such useful information.
– Lee Drozak
She has been an advocate, public speaker, and resource for small business news since the release of her first book, J.K. Lasser’s Tax Deductions for Small Business, in 1995. Since then she has run her website, her Big Ideas for Small Business® newsletter, and her blog, not to mention written over a dozen books. Ms. Weltman is on this list twice because for many business owners, it is easier to scroll through her Twitter feed for trending topics and news events than search her website. However, if you don’t take a minute to read her newsletters or blog — you’re missing out.
– Meredith Wood, Fundera Ledger
Barbara Weltman is one smart cookie – I follow her on Twitter, and her content is always interesting and informative.
– An eBay Radio listener – purplejaime1976
It’s BRIEF, concise and timely. Funny, I do a quick scan of my bloated mail box, quickly deleting what I feel is a time waster. But I NEVER delete Idea of the Day® until I’ve first opened it. Both you and Napoleon Hill’s Thought for the day ALWAYS get read. You’re in terrific company. Thanks.
– Don Aronowitz
You help me become better informed and to feel better connected to other small businesses even if just through knowing we’re all seeing your newsletter and paying attention to the same concerns.
– Sally
Barbara’s newsletter and the information she shares are always useful and topical. Always an excellent newsletter from you, Barbara!
– Bob Benowitz
I love the simplicity of your articles. — Marie
– Marie Porolniczak, CB
Jim Blasingame, Host of The Small Business Advocate Show, and author of the award-winning books, “The 3rd Ingredient,” and “The Age of the Customer” says: “At a time when working from home is becoming the norm, why wouldn’t right now be a perfect time to start a home-based business? If you’re still with me, here’s the next logical question: Why wouldn’t you want to learn how to do that from someone who was home-based before it was cool? Someone who was making being home-based look good before technology made it easy.
Well, that person is my friend, Barbara Weltman, and she’s put all of her experience, wisdom and perspective in a new book, “Home-Based Business Start-up Guide.” It’s a by-the-numbers tutorial on how to launch a successful home-based business.
Let Barbara help you get your home-based business going with her book, and all of the other awesome resources she produces in support of small businesses. She’s the best.” — Jim
– Jim Blasingame, Host of The Small Business Advocate Show
I love your ideas of the day! They have become an instrumental part of my learning!
– Gina Bertoletti
You should sign up for the “Idea of the Day®” by Barbara Weltman. This will give you great tips and help you with your daily business needs. She writes every article with consummate skill.
– Lesley
As a tax attorney and small business specialist, Barbara has a lot of great information to share. Barbara, your blogs contain information that everyone can use! Your newly-expanded ebook, “175+ Big Ideas for Small Business” ebook has lots of great recommendations for small business owners.
– Lisa Rubenfeld
For a small business owner, the information [in your book] is absolutely one of the best I’ve come across! Thanks so much for the break-down of information.
– Michelle Joe
I just wanted to reach out and give you a very big, truly heartfelt “thank you” for all the work that you do to help small business owners grow and succeed.
More specifically, I wanted to offer you some praise for your blog posts and Idea of the Day®. My email inbox gets so very cluttered. And honestly, on most days I will do a wholesale delete of many, many messages. But I literally stop and specifically look for your name and your small business Idea of the Day®. I don’t want to miss it! In fact, I look forward to reading it daily (even on weekends!) because I know I’m going to learn something new that saves me money, time or just adds to my professional knowledge in a way that helps me help others too.
So thank you, thank you, thank you for your efforts!
– Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach
Thank you for finding this important information. Getting your daily email is like getting an MBA in small business.
– J. S. Budnik
“Thank you, Barbara Weltman, for all of your articles and tax advice to small business owners! All the best.”
– Shane Madigan
I follow your blog religiously for the great tips you provide. I love the new look. It makes me smile to see that your blog got an update. Thanks for providing such useful information.
– Lee Drozak
She has been an advocate, public speaker, and resource for small business news since the release of her first book, J.K. Lasser’s Tax Deductions for Small Business, in 1995. Since then she has run her website, her Big Ideas for Small Business® newsletter, and her blog, not to mention written over a dozen books. Ms. Weltman is on this list twice because for many business owners, it is easier to scroll through her Twitter feed for trending topics and news events than search her website. However, if you don’t take a minute to read her newsletters or blog — you’re missing out.
– Meredith Wood, Fundera Ledger
Barbara Weltman is one smart cookie – I follow her on Twitter, and her content is always interesting and informative.
– An eBay Radio listener – purplejaime1976
It’s BRIEF, concise and timely. Funny, I do a quick scan of my bloated mail box, quickly deleting what I feel is a time waster. But I NEVER delete Idea of the Day® until I’ve first opened it. Both you and Napoleon Hill’s Thought for the day ALWAYS get read. You’re in terrific company. Thanks.
– Don Aronowitz
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