How to Write a Business Plan

Check out this great step-by-step guide to writing your business plan. It is easy to follow and emphasizes the information you should highlight in each section of your plan. Once you have a good foundation in place call and set-up an appointment with the Small Business Development Center at Winthrop University for a review of your business plan.  

How to Create a Google Plus Page for Your Small Business

Google Plus is the second largest social networking site behind Facebook. It is also an interactive identity service that allows you to selectively share data. With Google Plus you can personalize your search results because it pulls related-public content from all Google Plus users.  It is an extension of Google as a search engine, but also serves as a collection of social products including news-feeds, recommendation engines, video chat, and friend management services. Many businesses benefit from Google Plus and like that it integrates with cloud products such as Calendar, Documents, and Reader. It also enhances many online properties like Gmail and YouTube comments. To get started on your business’s Google Plus profile today follow the instructions on the following link.  

For instructions on how to create your business Google Plus Page click the link: http://smallbiztrends.com/2013/06/create-a-google-plus-page.html?inf_contact_key=6d5ef90009df4161f7a16b61bdbaacf10e2a67e88b4a0fc163e5a1cf14c4e096

Small Business & Self-Employed Tax Center

We recently stumbled across a pretty valuable tool for small business owners. Below you will find a link for the IRS' Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center. Links for the Corporation and Partnership Tax Centers are also listed. 

The Centers provide tips and tricks for things that usually concern business owners such as how to apply for an EIN and detailed information about employment taxes.

Check out the IRS Tax Center's for any of your tax concerns!

Small Businesses:http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed

Corporations: http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Corporations

Partnerships: http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Partnerships

Ever wondered if you should classify a worker as an employee or contractor? Here is flowchart that help you solve this problem.

"new webinars that aim to educate and train entrepreneurs for business success"

The Small Business Administration has introduced two new webinars that aim to educate and train entrepreneurs for business success.These free online seminars come with an outline of the main topics from each session. Each webinar is thirty minutes in duration. Read more about what each webinar has to offer below.   

Buying a Small Business- Wondering whether you should buy a business instead of starting a business? In this new webinar you will uncover the advantages and disadvantages of buying an existing business and learn about some resources that can help you make that important decision.

Finding and Attracting Investors- If you need help finding the right investor for your small business then this seminar is right for you. This online course walks you through how investors affect your business. The SBA understands that you are busy and has designed this self-pace training that is convenient for your busy lifestyle. So dive in and learn about investors, outside financing, and where to find one that is suitable to your business needs. 

What Happens in an Internet Minute?

We all know that the internet has changed the way we do business, but have you ever considered how much can happen in an "internet minute"? 

Originally posted at:  http://scoop.intel.com/

How to Design Office Spaces to Attract and Retain Great Talent

It’s no secret: Beautiful office spaces work wonders when impressing new clients or investors. But innovative work-spaces play another vital role in a corporations success — attracting talent.

When your top candidates walk into your work-space, they will immediately judge the environment. The importance of a well-designed office continues during employment because a well-designed office dramatically improve employee innovation, morale, and even retention.

Jeff Chaitman, a workplace design expert and vice president of IdeaPaint, was quoted as saying "The most dynamic work-spaces I have seen all contain a number of common threads tying them together that transcend mere placement of office furniture and a fully stocked kitchen”.

Dana Manciagli of the Charlotte Business Journal listed 3 tips for maximizing office space design:

1. Create Work Environment Choice: The average square foot of space per worker has declined throughout the years and is expected to approach 100 by 2017 (it was 225 in 2010!). But this decrease in personal space doesn't mean that the overall amount of office space is decreasing. Actually, many companies use that reclaimed space to create diverse work environments that employees love, allowing them to have more flexibility in where they work, think, create, and engage with colleagues.
2. Give Everyone a Seat at the Table: Good ideas can come from anyone, from upper management to interns and new hires. Chaitman said offices that maintain open workspaces foster more democratic brainstorming meetings and therefore capitalize on the employee knowledge base.“The access these employees have to managers, specifically the variety of access they have to them, creates unique relationships between new hires and veterans that forge a strong professional bond and creates a sense of empowerment that keeps them engaged day after day,” said Chaitman.
3. Keep Them Coming Back: At the end of the day, work is just that. On average, we spend one-third of our day at work. But that doesn't have to be a negative Chaitman explained that a well-designed workplace can inspire employees on a daily basis instead of deflating them. When asked about the benefits of innovative workplace design, Chaitman stated “The result is a workplace employees want to go to on a daily basis, Companies of all shapes and sizes, from Apple to Zappos, are realizing the benefits of great office design. The common thread throughout is a boost in innovation and creative thinking, employee retention, and overall engagement.”

The full article can be viewed at: http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/how-to/human-resources/2014/05/how-to-design-office-spaces-to-attract-and-retain.html?page=all