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
Basic Accounting
Recent Basic Accounting Articles
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
Should I track weekly sales data or will monthly data be enough?
Offices & Operations mentor Charles Bodenstab responds: The answer to this question is directly related to the nature of your busine... Read more
Equity Issues at a Glance
If you're thinking about taking equity instead of cash as payment for services, here's a checklist of things to consider. Taxes: I... Read more
Help! I Need Somebody
Were there any obstacles that would keep her from increasing sales? Maybe. Pat was doing all her business in New York City, and it looked... Read more
Cough It Up!
What? You just finished a million-dollar project for a Fortune 1000 corporation? Congratulations! Say, when do you get paid? (Pause.) Oh...<... Read more
Defining Key Financial Ratios
Corresponding to figures from your financial statements, ratios make relationships in your business more understandable. A ratio is only a shorthand note:... Read more
Compensation
Compensation is not the cut-and-dry subject it used to be. Once you had to worry only about an employee's base salary or, at most, a base salary and comm... Read more
Cash Management Basics
Cash is your business's lifeblood. Managed well, your company remains healthy and strong. Managed poorly, your company goes into cardiac arrest. I... Read more
CEO's Regret #4: Not Going to College
Behind every successful CEO probably lurks at least one major regret. The best, or the luckiest, CEOs learn from their mistakes and get an opportunity to ... Read more
Making Goliath Pay
Just because big companies have deep pockets doesn't mean they pay on time. Several Inc. 500 CEOs offer advice on how to play ball with the big boys... Read more
Top Billing
Steve Ransom thought collections were sheer torture. The CEO of $3.2 million, 30-employee Ransom Environmental, in Newburyport, Mass., never found it easy... Read more
The Art of Cash Management
Tips on understanding and implementing cash management strategies. Includes how to maximize cash flow, assess your current cash position, and evaluate invest... Read more
Hot Tip: Invoicing Customers
For John Mills, founder of $200,000, five-employee Mills Group Multimedia, a Web-site developer in Cypress, Calif., cash flow can be a huge problem. Most ... Read more
In a Former Life: Anne Beiler
Anne Beiler
Present life: Founder of Auntie Anne's, the nation's largest franchisor of pretzel shops.
Where the Money Is
Venture capitalists are awash with cash. Are start-ups getting more of it? Plus: How three untrendy companies have managed to get VC investments. Read more
A Network of Her Own
Women who are entrepreneurs have always found it tougher to raise money than their male counterparts have. New kinds of support and a new breed of investor a... Read more
What can I do if my customers are taking too long to pay?
Offices & Operations mentor Charles J. Bodenstab responds: There is no magical answer to this classic lament. An article I once wr... Read more
Should I try to get around a payment policy I find discriminatory?
Ethics in Business mentor Jeffrey L. Seglin answers the following question from an inc.com visitor: I am a consultant that works... Read more
Outsourcing Bookkeeping
An entrepreneur of a fast-growing company wonders when it's the right time to graduate to a big-time accounting firm. Read more
Five Severe Warning Signs of Cash-Flow Problems
Keep an eye on your cash flow, and look out for these warning signs that could signify problems: Decreased liquidity: running out of working c... Read more
How can I create a reliable cash flow budget?
Finance & Capital mentor Stephen King responds: Cash flow forecasting and the reporting of actual cash flow results are two critical... Read more
Revisit Your Method of Accounting
The accounting method used by your business governs the timing of reporting income and expenses. The two main methods are the cash method and the accrual ... Read more
Bug Your Broker
Vigilance lowers insurance costs Insurance costs are a nuisance for every small-business owner. Last summer they made Keith Alper ... Read more
The Boom in Employee Ownership
Inc. gets the scoop on the effects of stock options from Corey Rosen, cofounder of the National Center for Employee Ownership. Read more
Book Value
Reviews of four business books -- two wildly different takes on the state of shareholder value, one about why consumers rule now more than ever, and one on h... Read more
Best Practices: Manage Cash Flow
Cash flow management is a process that involves collecting payments, controlling disbursements, covering shortfalls, forecasting cash needs, investing idl... Read more
Private Lives
Coutts Consulting Group , a U.K.-based career management firm, is part of a growing trend among smaller publicly held ... Read more
