This is optimistic — how many of us can control our tax bills? We don’t have a lot of control over how the authorities tax us, but having said that, there are legal steps which can be taken to reduce income taxes. What I am talking about today is incorporating…

Some businesses will give a customer a discount if they pay their bill before the due date. I have seen a discount of 2% if the bill is paid in ten days. This is a discount anyone should take because that is an interest rate of 6% a month, a…

One option when you are trying to increase your sales, is to offer credit to your customers. If you already offer credit, then you might consider lengthening your terms. If people used to have 30 days to pay, if you then offer them 45 days, will they buy more. This…

The way you handle debt affects your profitability. Lack of financing can mean you are not able to increase your revenue because you can’t buy the products you need to sell. Interest and penalties are expenses which lower your profits. There also is a clear trade-off between the amount of…

When a business owner accepts a quote from a client, they are making a commitment to get the work done. …

Are you working in your business because you need the money? If so, then the business you are choosing to run must make enough money to provide you with the lifestyle you want. If you do not need to make money, then there is no reason for you to be…

Sometimes customers are buying a different item than what the business thinks they are selling. One of things I sell are tax returns. However, I believe that my clients actually buy peace of mind. They can’t tell if I am offering a quality personal tax return. All they can figure…

A loyalty program is a system which involves trading personal information for a discount on a product. A typical system is the punch card. You register, giving up your name, email address and maybe some demographic info, like your gender and age and in return you get your 10th cup…

Overhead is all the costs which do not directly apply to a particular job. Examples include loan payments, insurance and rent. Overhead needs to be paid just like job costs but it may not be as visible when you are doing quotes. Story Owen quotes his jobs by figuring out…