Small Business Strategies & Ideas That Work!Business Know-how Blog.

  f you’re like millions of Americans, you dream of starting your own business. But of course, there are dozens of obstacles that may keep you from actually doing that. You might not have enough motivation, for example, or time to actually see the work through; or you might not even have a solid idea to begin with -- yet. But where most people get stopped cold is their realization that it takes  money  to start a business -- money they don’t have. Still, consider: There are loans, grants, and other fundraising options, like crowdfunding, available to get you what you need; so money is  not  a good excuse not to start a business. And, beyond that, there are certain types of businesses you can start with almost no cash. What it takes to start a business Your first step is to explore what it takes to formally “start” a business, and which of those items cost money. Planning.  You’ll need to come up with a business plan a...

 Many contracts require that businesses hold some type of insurance coverage, such as professional liability insurance. For most small business owners, landing a big client is a dream – until they find out the contract requires them to have  commercial insurance  they don't already have. That can force them to scramble for coverage or wave goodbye to an opportunity. Requiring coverage like  professional liability insurance  in a contract might seem like an overreach, but it's actually a fairly common practice. Andrew Legrand, founder of cloud-based law firm Spera Law Group, says business owners often require insurance in their contracts because they do not want to carry all the liability if there is a lawsuit. "Most plaintiffs' attorneys are going to zero in on the party with the most insurance because they know that party will either sell or have the means to pay a judgment against them," Legrand says. "If someone you were working with does not have insuranc...

 If you own a home in Sandpoint, ID, a good home insurance policy is essential. We offer area homeowners numerous home insurance options in our policy offerings at The Insurance Shop USA. Owning a home is a major financial goal for many consumers. However, being a homeowner can also create some challenges. Home insurance can in many cases allow homeowners to overcome these problems by offering financial protections. The following are three big problems homeowners can avoid by having the right home insurance policy. Suffering an enormous financial loss because of a lawsuit Homeowners are subject to lawsuits. If an injury takes place on their property, they could be held liable. Home insurance will cover any legal defense or settlement costs in the event of an accident on a policy holder’s property.  Having no place to stay after a disaster destroys your property One of the many benefits of home insurance is coverage for temporary shelter if an accident damages a policy hol...

What is Square Up? If you’re a small business owner looking for an easy way to accept credit card payments, you may have heard of a company called Square Up.  If you’re a small business owner looking for an easy way to accept credit card payments, you may have heard of a company called Square Up. Square Up — as their domain implies — or just Square as they’re more commonly called. They started as a payment processing service that tried to disrupt traditional credit card processing by giving anyone the ability to quickly and easily accept credit cards.   They’re best known for their square, white credit card reader dongle that plugs into the headphone jack of a mobile device like an iPhone or Android phone. Square has since tried to expand from this simple service to offering a more robust point of sale system that can be used by retail and food service businesses.Square; Solutios and Tools to grow your Business Square hit the market in 2010 and disrupted the merchant serv...