From Creation to Evolution
A rising market paints over inexperience and masks many mistakes, which today's market is starting to reveal. It's not just enough to be young and energet... Read more
Basic Accounting
Recent Basic Accounting Articles
How Can Your Group Shine (Especially During Tough Times) ?
There's a certain type of small-business owner or small-enterprise leader who stands out among the grow-at-any-cost organizations, those "maximum profit f... Read more
The Pita Principle
Just how low can you go when bootstrapping your start-up? The founders of Stacy's Pita Chip Co. can tell you. Read more
Cost-Control Diet
Trim financial fat from your business's expenses. Read more
Measuring Returns on IT Investments: Some Tools and Techniques
Laptop computers could make a sales force more productive, but they also cost more than desktop PCs. Should a company buy laptops for its salespeople? Sof... Read more
Strategies and Processes for a Changing Economy
The sky is falling! Batten down the hatches! Cut back on everything. The economy is coming to a complete stop. HOLD IT! Do you really want to throw all of... Read more
Financial Strategies: The Best of Inc. Magazine
When it comes to questions about business finance, Jill Andresky F... Read more
Building a Business Beyond Now
The last few years have provided an interesting climate for young businesses. Those high-flying times of active investments with big capital brought about... Read more
The Earnings Management Crackdown
The SEC is cracking down hard on corporate earnings management ? but is your board? Everything from abuse of special charges to stuffing the sales pipelin... Read more
Track Your Critical Numbers
In the April 2001 issue of Inc. magazine, you can read the story of Fred LeFranc -... Read more
Global Trade, Zero Angst
International trade without the stress. Read more
Cover Your Assets
Can your company's creditors touch your home or your car? Not if you plan well in advance. Read more
Ten Years From Now, Will Retiring Baby Boomers Cause a Stock Market Meltdown?
Baby boomers are often seen as a herd, rushing together from trend to trend. In the ' 80s and ' 90s they got a taste for stocks, helping to drive the grea... Read more
How Employees Value (Often Incorrectly) Their Stock Options
One of the more intriguing changes in executive and employee compensation is the increase in the use of stock options. Although much of the discussion abo... Read more
Why Real Estate Is Strong Even In A Weak Economy
When the U.S. economy went through a recession during the late 1980s and early 1990s, commercial real estate hit the pits. An explosion of construction du... Read more
Handling Commuting Costs: Employer and Employee Perspectives
Generally the cost of commuting to and from work is not deductible by an employee. However, certain payments by employers-called qualified transportation ... Read more
Putting Your Company on the Block
When you put your company on the block, potential buyers may urge you to sell them your company's assets rather than its stock. Your decision can have seriou... Read more
The Right Price
Too many new entrepreneurs harm their own prospects by underpricing their goods and services. But if those company owners just take the time to think, they c... Read more
A Closet Full of Cash
Think you have to burn through all your funding to develop your brand? Not true, according to Fashionmall.com CEO Ben Narasin, who believes in spending money... Read more
The Theory Economy
How is it that the markets can value a company at $11 million when its total cash holdings are over $35 million? Read more
Give Credit to the Small-Business Owner
Nick Ypsilantis, CEO of AccuFile, has learned to live on a relatively small line of credit while minimizing debt. Read more
Follow the Big Guys
Currency fluctuations can jeopardize cash flow or profitability in companies of any size. If your company is potentially at risk, consider currency hedging. Read more
Simplified Rules for Required Minimum Distributions
Proposed Treasury regulations released in mid-January [ 2001] greatly simplify computations for required minimum distributions (RMDs) from qualified retir... Read more
Are You Ready for the Major Leagues?
Is your small company ready to do business with the big boys? One researcher has concluded that many are ill equipped to perform in the big leagues. Take thi... Read more
Accounting Associations
Industry-specific associations can help you research hard-to-find details about the industry you're in and often offer valuable networking opportunities w... Read more
Getting Ahead in a Slowing Economy
This isn't a column I want to write -- or you want to read. I'd like to be writing about predictions of another year of a booming economy, giving you advi... Read more
The Failure Myth
Every new entrepreneur has likely heard the warning, "Four out of every five new businesses fail." There's just one problem -- it's not true. Here are few si... Read more
How are training costs calculated?
The costs of learning may be difficult to decipher without an all-inclusive cost analysis system. Many trainers perpetually defend their approach through ... Read more
What to Discuss at Year-End Board Meetings
Before the end of the fiscal year (e.g., December 31 for calendar-year corporations), boards of directors of small corporations should meet to discuss a w... Read more
The South Shall Ride Again
This motorcycle maker has a powerful vision for his company. And he's dragging his supporters along -- whether they like it or not. Read more
Estate Planning
Despite a presidential veto, the "death tax" is still a hot political issue in 2000. What's a small-business person to do? Read more
What should I do when a partner is lax about keeping the books?
Starting a Business mentors Paul and Sarah Edwards respond to the following question from an inc.com user: My partner is reliab... Read more
Tax Consequences of Taking Equity
If you're thinking about taking equity instead of cash as payment for services, consider this. Robyn Sachs's $28 million advertising and public rel... Read more
Do Due Diligence before Taking Equity
How do you determine whether to take a chance on a customer by accepting stock or stock options as part of your fee? The same way you'd judge any potentia... Read more
Taking Equity: How Much? How Often?
In her first stock-for-services deal, Sandra Gassman, CEO of MarketingFuel Inc., in New York City, took only 25% of MarketFuel's fee in cash, 75% in equit... Read more