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Government Benefits, Grants, and Financial Aid

Benefits.gov can help you identify grants, loans, financial aid, and other benefits from the U.S. government for which you may be eligible and tell you how and where to apply. When looking for financial assistance, remember that there are differences between grants and loans. You are required to pay back a loan, often with interest. You are not required to pay back a grant, but there are very few grants available to individuals. Most grants are awarded to universities, researchers, cities, states, counties, and non-profit organizations. You can search for these type of grants on Grants.gov .

The Small Business Advocate. July 2012

Vol: 31, No: 5 The July edition of The Small Business Advocate focuses on research. The Office of Advocacy’s 2012 round of economic research RFQs are announced in its pages, and Chief Counsel Winslow Sargeant discusses the history and successful record of the 30-year-old Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. Also includes are news about a new online information series, Small Business Facts, developments surrounding the complex issue of “Incorporation by Reference” of industry standards

Mobile Apps for all Business Types

"Partnerpedia, a leading provider of enterprise application store and marketplace solutions, today released findings from its Corporate Mobile App Strategy Survey. Respondents included executives in IT, sales, and marketing, and offered insight into the various approaches and opportunities to procure mobile apps." Large and Small Businesses Reveal Mobile App Strategies

Time Management Tips

"Time is a resource that must be utilized wisely in order for professional and personal goals to be achieved. Goal setting is one of the best ways to make sure time is managed in a manner designed to reach success. A recent video article posted on the online source inc.com highlighted five great time management techniques that are easily understood and employed. The video was created by Scott Gerber. Leadership development within an organization must account for time management work with all leaders. Again, goal setting is the key to effective time management for any successful leader." Time Management: 5 Useful Tips

Common Social Marketing Mistakes and Solutions

"Unfortunately, the whole B2B/social media relationship isn’t without its own set of growing pains as well. Which is, naturally, to be expected; as exemplified by the aforementioned cat videos and pop stars, figuring out exactly how your business ought to engage on these platforms isn’t perfectly intuitive, nor have these channels been around quite long enough for their to be a widespread, well-established protocol. As a result, a great many businesses are not only failing to maximize the benefit of being present on social media, but they might also be hurting themselves." Here are a few common mistakes in B2B social marketing and how you can avoid them: B2B Social Marketing Mistakes You're Probably Making

TAM, SAM and SOM

Here is a great article from the Up and Coming Blog by Bplans. Having viewed several business plans over the years, a common (and very important) item missing from most plans is a breakdown of the company’s TAM, SAM and SOM in the marketing section of their plan. Wondering what these acronyms mean? Well you’re not alone – many entrepreneurs are not familiar with these terms. Here’s a quick explanation of what they mean, followed by an example: TAM, SAM and SOM - huh??

Why and How to Beef Up Your Business Credit Score

From SBA : Do you know your business credit score? Feel unnerved about relying on your personal credit score for business transactions? As a business owner, taking steps to separate your personal and business finances is a smart strategy. Obviously, this means implementing a strategy to build good credit in your company’s name. What is Business Credit? Business credit is much like your own personal credit score – it’s a proxy for your business’ ability to repay its debts. When you start a business, this type of credit may not be at the top of your agenda. But as you plan to expand and grow, establishing good business credit will be helpful if you decide to apply for a business loan. Who Monitors Your Credit? Business credit, also known as trade credit, is the single largest source of lending and is monitored by business credit bureaus. These bureaus gather data on trade credit transactions and produce business credit reports for the benefit of credit issuers. Credit is measur