“It’s a hobby, not a business.” It’s a criticism we hear often in the Shark Tank. The words can sting, especially if you’re working day and night to make your business succeed. How do you lead a business beyond a hobby? Hobby vs. Booming Business When you love what you’re doing, you don’t mind working […]

It’s time to roll up your sleeves. Running a business requires you to wear many hats. From book keeping, prospecting via phone, blogging to promote your business and managing employees, you will learn many new skills during your career. Successful entrepreneurs are people who are able to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing environment. […]

Taking a business from initial idea to successful company takes a lot of hard work and alternative financing options. In the early days, you don’t have a proven concept so you bootstrap enough money to get your idea up and running. You spend endless hours of sweat equity to get a working prototype together. Sales […]

Shark Tank is full of business and finance lessons. Do you study the show in preparation for your chance in front of the Sharks, knowing any day now you’ll get the call back from producers? While it’s always important to dream, stay focused on the practical lessons learned so you can move your business to […]

SEO can be a valuable tool when starting a business. After watching Shark Tank, you’ve been seriously bitten by the entrepreneurial bug. You’ve always wanted to start your own business but can’t figure out the “big idea.” You spend hours brainstorming product and service ideas that fulfill unmet consumer needs. You finally have your “Eureka!” […]

SCORE  BIG BOX STORE ORDERS If you want to land big box store orders, you need to land a meeting. Your product has been tested and you’ve proven there’s a demand, now you have to convince retailers to carry it. The process varies depending on the big box retailer. Following are examples of three different retailers […]

Shark Tank entrepreneurs dream about getting their product picked up by a “big box” retailer. Who wouldn’t? It’s a huge opportunity to get their product in the hands of new customers nationwide. Just like entrepreneurs prep before going into the Tank, it’s imperative to make sure your product is ready for the big box world […]

Small businesses win and lose every week in the Shark Tank. It’s extraordinarily reflective of the small business industry where companies start and fail every day. Poor management, sales or marketing can all contribute. But what happens when thriving businesses fail? Cash flow happens, or rather lack of it. It’s vitally important to track where […]

It’s always exciting to follow the success of a Shark Tank funded business. This week’s show profiled Nicole Townend of Teddy Needs A Bath ®, now available in over 450 Babies R Us stores nationwide. Sales are on track to hit $1,000,000 over the next 12 months. Originally, Nicole’s deal with Mark Cuban included $100,000 […]

This week I asked Dan Casey, our finance expert, some common questions from small business owners and entrepreneurs. If you’re an entrepreneur or small business owner and have a financial question for Dan, leave a comment. He’ll try and answer them in the coming weeks. What is an alternative finance company? An alternative finance company […]

This week’s business financing article gives entrepreneurs tips to improve the bottom line when working with suppliers. Many factors go into growing a business and reducing your overhead is certainly one of them. Obtaining the best prices from your suppliers starts with knowing how to negotiate. Here six simple, yet effective negotiating tips to help […]

How do you decide whether your business needs equity or purchase order financing? This week we are showcasing Kane & Couture to help illustrate which may be best for your business’ growth. Let’s start by reviewing factors that can impact how “financeable” Kane & Couture is: Scalability – Kane & Couture is using a contract […]

Sweet Ballz was a big hit on the Shark Tank season premier; so big in fact that their website crashed and was down all week! When you connect with 7  million viewers, you better be prepared for server crushing traffic. They apologized to their “fans”  on their Facebook Page yesterday: We would like to apologize […]

If you are an entrepreneur looking to start or grow a small business, your first challenge is small business financing. Often a business has so much potential, but how do you take it to the next level? Knowing and understanding the options for financing small business growth can make all the difference between becoming stagnant […]

Purchase order financing is a commonly used financial tool for small business owners who receive a large order but lack the cash on hand to fulfill it. Many Shark Tank entrepreneurs use this form of financing. Michael Tseng, the creator of the Plate Topper, was a good example of a business that needed purchase order […]