Salesforce.com (CRM) provides applications that manage customer information for sales, marketing and customer support. It has a customer base of approximately 85,000 clients. Its service provides sales leads, maintaining customer information and tracking customer interactions.

Intuit (INTU) caters to small businesses with its QuickBooks and TurboTax software. As well, it provides payroll and financial software for small businesses. The company has about 50 million users of its products.

Continue reading Salesforce.com and Intuit Join Forces to Capture Small Business Clients

Salesforce.com and Intuit Join Forces to Capture Small Business Clients originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The past few years have been brutal for small businesses but it looks like things are starting to improve. A report from the National Federation of Independent Business shows that confidence is at a three-year high. There are even more plans to hire employees.

Well, top companies and investors are seeing opportunity. For example, Google (GOOG) Ventures, Salesforce.com (CRM) and Sequoia Capital have announced a $32 million round for HubSpot.

Continue reading Google, Salesforce.com Bet Big on Small Business

Google, Salesforce.com Bet Big on Small Business originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fewer business start-ups are being launched, reports the the Wall Street Journal. The Labor Department said that the number of companies with at least one employee fell by 100,000, or 2%, in the year ended March 31. That was the second worst performance in 18 years -- the worst one was a drop of 3.4% the previous year.

Why are these numbers important? In past recessions small business start-ups were the key to spurring the economy. In the three quarters that ended in March, newly formed companies created only 2.6 million jobs, 15% fewer than in the first three quarters of the last recovery.

Continue reading Fewer Small Business Start-Ups Mean Fewer Jobs

Fewer Small Business Start-Ups Mean Fewer Jobs originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 21 Nov 2010 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Some highly successful businesses are husband-and-wife teams. Or, may even involve the hiring of the kids. Yes, the proverbial family business can be a powerful thing.

What's more, there may be some attractive tax benefits.

But of course, you need to know the rules (which, no doubt, can get complicated). So here are some things to consider:

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Hire Your Spouse or Your Kids?

Entrepreneur's Journal: Hire Your Spouse or Your Kids? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 30 May 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

All in all, there are many advantages to a home business. For example, you have more time to spend with your family, you do not have to deal with aggravating commutes, and there is even the home office tax deduction. If anything, the overall costs should be lower -- making it easier to get traction for your business.

Yet, there are definitely considerable risks, which are often overlooked. But the good news is that smart insurance planning can provide sufficient protection. And the prices are affordable, costing as little as $500 per year.

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Insuring Your Home Business from Disaster

Entrepreneur's Journal: Insuring Your Home Business from Disaster originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 18 Apr 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For large companies, it looks like things are starting to improve. Demand is picking up and it's getting much easier to access financing. Even IPOs are finding buyers.

Yet, when it comes to small businesses, the situation is still tough. In fact, small business confidence has reached an eight-month low, according to the index from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).

A key problem is consumer apathy. Unfortunately, this could last awhile.

Continue reading Small Business Confidence Hits an Eight-Month Low

Small Business Confidence Hits an Eight-Month Low originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Vistaprint Offers a Credit Card -- Personalized, of Course

Vistaprint Offers a Credit Card -- Personalized, of Course originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading In the U.S, the wheels of commerce move swiftly; public policy? Slowly

In the U.S, the wheels of commerce move swiftly; public policy? Slowly originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The numbers:

Dow 10,501.43 +29.93 (0.29%)
S&P 500 1,114.10 +7.69 (0.70%)
Nasdaq 2,212.10 +21.79 (0.99%)

Continue reading Closing bell: a lot of news and nothing to show for it (XOM, XTO, C)

Closing bell: a lot of news and nothing to show for it (XOM, XTO, C) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Unfortunately, when a company cannot pay its debt, the consequences can be severe. In fact, when it comes to bank debt, liquidation may be the only alternative.

However, with the recession, creditors realize that it may make more sense to work things out, especially since there are signs that the economy is making a comeback.

So, if you're behind on your debt payments, there certainly steps you can take to work things out. Have a look:

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Smart ways to renegotiate with your creditors

Entrepreneur's Journal: Smart ways to renegotiate with your creditors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There are certainly many advantages to getting a franchise. You receive leverage from higher marketing dollars, an existing platform that increases the speed to market, a brand, and helpful techniques and systems to improve success.

Great, huh? Well, as with any investment, there are risks. And, you need to get a sense of these before acquiring a franchise.

This means conducting an extensive due diligence. So, here are some tips:

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: The hidden dangers of getting a franchise

Entrepreneur's Journal: The hidden dangers of getting a franchise originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I recently talked to someone who wanted to start a business. He said, "But there is something I don't like to do: sales. It's something I'm really not good at."

Well, I said to him, "You better learn fast."

Sales is critical for any successful business owner. In fact, it is more than just about nabbing customers. It's also about hiring, forming partnerships, and even courting the media.

And, in the current economic environment, sales is perhaps even more important. After all, who wants to part with his or her money right now?

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Becoming a sales pro

Entrepreneur's Journal: Becoming a sales pro originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

One of the best ways for your business to get exposure and credibility is through public relations. Yet, hiring a PR firm can be expensive, easily running $5,000 to $10,000 per month.

Despite this, it's possible to do PR on your own. Keep in mind that a key to success is having an active and passionate founder or CEO who makes media relations a priority. This has been the case with many great leaders, such as Howard Schultz at Starbucks (NYSE: SBUX) and Marc Benioff at Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM).

So, let's take a look at some of the steps you can take to improve your PR.

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Getting buzz by doing your own PR

Entrepreneur's Journal: Getting buzz by doing your own PR originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nike's (NYSE: NKE) "swoosh" logo is incredibly powerful and captures the essense of the company. Interestingly enough, back in 1971 Carolyn Davidson designed the logo for a mere $35 (for more stories about logos, check out the LogoBlog).

So of course, your company's logo is critical -- in terms of branding, getting customers, and presenting the right image. And, the good news is that there are many affordable options to get a top-notch one.

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Putting together a fancy logo for your business

Entrepreneur's Journal: Putting together a fancy logo for your business originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you take a look at a book on microeconomics, you'll see a section on bartering. Generally, it will say that the process is fairly inefficient. Hey, that's why societies have invented currencies, right?

This is all true. Yet, for those who are trying to run a business, bartering may be a good thing. Perhaps the biggest reason is that it saves on cash. It also can be a great way to build relationships and perhaps even get new customers.

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Save some bucks with bartering

Entrepreneur's Journal: Save some bucks with bartering originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With small businesses and consumers feeling the heat, the expectations for Intuit's (NASDAQ: INTU) second quarter results were certainly tempered. But the company was able to pull off a nice performance, with earnings of $85 million, or $0.26 per share. Revenues fell by 5.3% to $791 million.

Intuit is preparing for a protracted slowdown. On the earnings conference call, CEO Brad Smith said the current environment is the "new normal."

The fact is that Intuit has a diversified revenue base, so some of its units showed nice gains. There was a spike in revenues from the online TurboTax franchise. There was also strength in the payroll segment. Still, there was noticeable weakness in products like QuickBooks, Real Estate Solutions, and Quicken.

Continue reading Intuit (INTU) has a panacea for hard times?

Intuit (INTU) has a panacea for hard times? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A recent piece in The Wall Street Journal had a grim headline: "Extinction Threatens Yellow Pages Publishers." As should be no surprise, consumers are moving away from traditional yellow-pages and instead using the internet, going to places like Google (NASDAQ: GOOG). In fact, it looks like spending on yellow pages advertising will plunge by 39% over the next four years, according to research from Borrell Associates.

This makes it all the more important that you have a strong web presence.

These days, there are good hosting services, such as Web.com, that help you take care of the basics. But it can be expensive to add dynamic elements to your website. Often, it means hiring a web consultant.

But there are alternatives. Take Caspio, which provides a web-based system that makes it easy to create your own web applications. Its latest offering is called the "Website Marketing Suite." With it, you can add such capabilities as:

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Taking your website to the next level

Entrepreneur's Journal: Taking your website to the next level originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There are no headlines when a restaurant cuts ten people or the local print shop cuts five. If fees fall at a doctor's office, the receptionist may have to leave.

By most estimates, small businesses, those with under 100 workers, employ 50% of the American workforce. While the announcements of banks and car companies cutting tens of thousand of employees make the front page, the economy may be hurting more by the declining revenue and credit crisis at firms no one has ever heard of.

According to Reuters, "Wall Street's pain is rippling through U.S. small businesses, as bankers who once pulled in million-dollar bonuses lose their jobs and cut back spending on everything from parties to home improvements."

This may point to the fact that the bailout is being aimed in the wrong direction. While $700 billion may help large financial firms and may even be used to save tens of thousands of people from home foreclosures, there is nothing concrete being done by the federal government to help the small business owner.

What could be done? For starters, The Small Business Administration, a federal agency, should be assigned some of the $700 billion Paulson package. Credit-worthy companies should have access to that in the form of loans. Doing this would require far more people than the SBA has, so it would need to be done through the banking system. Banks should be given financial incentives to lend money provided by the fund.

The government is overlooking one of the most critical parts of the economy. In doing so, it is almost certainly helping unemployment push above 7%.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 24/7 Wall St.

Hidden layoffs: Small businesses start to cut originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's been "shock and awe" for the financial system over the past few months. Even seemingly invincible companies like GE (NYSE: GE) and Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) have not been immune. As a result, there has been a tremendous deflation of equity values across the globe.

Unfortunately, the game has also changed for your business. It's much more difficult to get debt or equity financing, and it may even be impossible, at least for now. Customers are having difficulties paying invoices. And, as for finding new customers, this is particularly tough.

So, in light of everything, what is the value of your business? Well, keep in mind that, for the most part, the value of a business is dependent on its cash flow. So long as this remains strong and long-lasting, you are likely to weather the storm. If anything, you could be in a nice position to capitalize on the situation, such as by buying companies, hiring employees and in making new investments.

But this is the rare exception. In fact, even some of the growth darlings are having issues. For example, the data service, VCExperts.com, has recently launched a new offering - called the Valuation Ticker - that provides valuations of venture-backed companies. Essentially, the system compares private companies to public indexes, such as the NASDAQ and S&P 500. Here's a look at a sample, with valuations over the last ten months:

• Facebook: $12.4B (12/31/2007), $6.9B (10/31/08) -- 44%
• Slide: $545.2M (12/31/07), $376.6M (10/31/08) -- 31%
• Yardbarker: $18.1M (03/03/2008), $14.2M (10/31/08) -- 22%
• Going: $21.9M (5/07/08), $15.2M (10/31/08) -- 31%

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: What is your business worth after the financial panic?

Entrepreneur's Journal: What is your business worth after the financial panic? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This week, I received a number of calls from friends and family about the incredible events in the financial markets. I've tried to be optimistic, but it wasn't easy. Every day, there seemed to be a new avalanche of bad news.

So what does this all mean for your business?

Well, I think it's critically important to be careful and conservative. Basically, assume the following:

• It's going to take longer to raise capital -- and the terms will be tougher.
• It's going to take longer to get customers.
• Oh, and customers will take longer to pay you (and that's assuming they actually do pay you).

In other words, you need to find ways to manage your cash flow. You can use some nifty online tools, such as NetBooks. There are also some great books on the topic, like Tim Berry's The Plan-As-You-Go Business Plan.

And another thing: Be sure to focus on your existing customers. In tough times, it can be easy to lose them. And, of course, it's always expensive to get new customers.

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: What does the financial meltdown mean for your business?

Entrepreneur's Journal: What does the financial meltdown mean for your business? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 21 Sep 2008 18:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.