July 7, 2009, 12:13 pm

Ready to sell? How to price your business

Your true net profit is the number that potential buyers will want to know.

Susie Pemberton, Centralia, Mo.
I live in a small town and own a child care facility. My gross income in 2008 was $126,134. Someone’s interested in buying it, and they’re waiting for me to give them a price. I understand that I need to “adjust” my expense report for 2008, but I’m not sure what to use for a multiplier. I’ve been in business for six years, and can see room for expansion in the future. How do I name my price?

Read more…

Comment  (8) Digg
May 21, 2009, 2:33 pm

What to pay the boss’s bosses

How much should you pay your company directors? First, take a hard look at what skills they’ll need to guide your business.

Paul Dzera, MGBD, New York City
What would you recommend for determining board of directors’ fee levels (annual retainer, board meeting fees, committee meeting fees, etc.), both in cash and stock options? I have a small public company with revenues of about $30 million. To date, I have reviewed the Director Compensation Report available through the National Association of Corporate Directors, but their “smaller” company information is for companies with revenues ranging from $50 million to $500 million.

Read more…

Comment  (1) Digg
April 14, 2009, 9:00 am

Business triage: Kill what’s ailing

Some sales aren’t worth winning. If parts of your company are successful and others aren’t, it’s time to purge.

Sharron Stankiewicz, Ohio
I own three hearing aid businesses, all listed under the same corporate name but located in different areas. Two of them are going bust. Can I get out of my lease and still keep the one successful business running? What could the landlord do if I simply walked away from those leases where the businesses are failing?

Read more…

Comment  (0) Digg
March 30, 2009, 6:14 pm

My landlord wants rent on a broken lease!

Sorry, it’s legal, and you may even have to pay more than just the rent.

Richard Barker, Aprizona Florist, Covington, Ga.
Our business went south, and as a result we had to break our lease. Less than 30 days later, the landlord rented the space to a new tenant. Six months after that, we were served with papers demanding $12,000, which is the remaining rent on the lease. Is it legal for the landlord to collect rent from both new and old tenants?

Read more…

Comment  (1) Digg
March 27, 2009, 11:11 am

How to get inventory when you’re low on cash

For retailers that don’t want the overhead of stockpiling merchandise, drop shipping can be a cost-saving option.

Mike, Queens, NY
I started a home-based wholesaling business six months ago and got four credit cards totaling $18,000. I was scammed out of $10,000 and invested another $4,000 into a Web site and advertising. Now my cards are almost maxed out, and I need the cash or credit to purchase merchandise. Business people tell me it takes a few years before turning a profit, but I’ve worked like the devil these past six months to finally get the contacts and deals I’ve been searching for, only now I don’t have the cash or the credit. Is there anything I can do?

Read more…

Comment  (7) Digg
February 18, 2009, 10:09 am

Write-offs for work travel

Want to write off the cost of meals while you’re traveling? Here’s a rundown on what to deduct, and how.

Donna, Rome, N.Y.
My boss is an electrician and is working 4 hours away from his office. Can all his meals be deducted while away from his home office?

Read more…

Comment  (3) Digg
February 2, 2009, 6:34 pm

Cash incentives to go green

Environmentally friendly practices can help your business grow – and grants and low-interest loans are available to help.

John, Lynnwood, Wash.
“I’m looking to make my auto detail shop very green. Are there any government grants that I could get to convert everything to the greenest detail shop you’ve ever seen?”

Read more…

Comment  (2) Digg
January 29, 2009, 6:28 pm

Business grants: Sorting out the scams

Grants for small companies are almost as rare as unicorns. Here’s how to protect yourself against fraud.

Adriana Matteo, Warwick, R.I.
I’d like to start a small business and need a grant to start. How do I go about it and who do I need to contact? Everything seems to be a scam, but I know there are grants out there for young women who want to start a business.

Read more…

Comment  (10) Digg
January 26, 2009, 7:32 pm

Tech upgrades: What pays off, what doesn’t

Looking to sell your business? Some technology investments are worth the cost.

DC Kirstein, Softcare Computer Consulting Co., Pittsburgh
Do you have any articles that link updating your company’s technology and selling your business? I believe that simply improving a company’s technology can help increase its resale value. Is this true?

Read more…

Comment  (1) Digg
January 22, 2009, 8:02 pm

When to get tough with a deadbeat client

Expert tips for picking clients wisely and getting paid on time.

Denise Haney, Orem, Utah
How can I get our clients to pay up? There’s a fine balance between getting our money and losing them as clients – but when invoices are past 100 days, isn’t it time to get tough?

Read more…

Comment  (4) Digg
CNNMoney.com Comment Policy: CNNMoney.com encourages you to add a comment to this discussion. You may not post any unlawful, threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic or other material that would violate the law. Please note that CNNMoney.com may edit comments for clarity or to keep out questionable or off-topic material. All comments should be relevant to the post and remain respectful of other authors and commenters. By submitting your comment, you hereby give CNNMoney.com the right, but not the obligation, to post, air, edit, exhibit, telecast, cablecast, webcast, re-use, publish, reproduce, use, license, print, distribute or otherwise use your comment(s) and accompanying personal identifying information via all forms of media now known or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity. CNNMoney.com Privacy Statement.
Features
  • tina_ames.04.jpg
    In a tough economy, more business owners are bartering for the stuff they need. More
  • patrick_environmental_sign.04.jpg
    In Oregon, the Recovery Act is paying for a local small business to protect nearby communities from wildfires.  More
  • bird.04.jpg
    Smart entrepreneurs are now doing deals in 140 characters or less on Twitter. More
  • wolkar_drug_customer.04.jpg
    As more customers choose - or are forced - to fill prescriptions by mail, independent pharmacies are struggling to survive.  More
  • michael_bajorek.04.jpg
    A Texas hospitality company considers where to invest and where to cut back to weather the recession.  More
  • ccolsen_cold_one.04.jpg
    How 7 innovative companies are inspiring workers and boosting the bottom line. More
  • sweating.04.jpg
    42 startups duked it out in the world's most lucrative business plan competition. We trailed one team to the bitter end.  More
Ask a Question



© 2009 Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2009 BigCharts.com Inc. All rights reserved. Please see our Terms of Use.
MarketWatch, the MarketWatch logo, and BigCharts are registered trademarks of MarketWatch, Inc.
Intraday data provided by Interactive Data Real-Time Services and subject to the Terms of Use.
Intraday data is at least 20-minutes delayed. All times are ET.
Historical, current end-of-day data, and splits data provided by Interactive Data Pricing and Reference Data.
Fundamental data provided by Morningstar, Inc..
SEC Filings data provided by Edgar Online Inc..
Earnings data provided by FactSet CallStreet, LLC.
Powered by WordPress.com.