Category: Blog

From sole proprietorships and family-run shops to growing companies with hundreds of employees, small businesses play a critical role in innovation, job creation, and economic resilience. To qualify as a small business, a company must meet certain revenue and employee count standards set by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Those standards vary by industry, and meeting them can open up opportunities for funding, government programs, and tax benefits. Small businesses can take on a variety of legal structures, from a partnership to a corporation.

The 33 million small businesses in the United States account for 99.9% of all firms. And while most don’t have paid employees, those that do represent almost half of all private sector employment. Small businesses also drive nearly all net new jobs, and have since 1995.

What’s more, most Americans believe that small businesses are a driving force in the economy, with 86% saying they have positive effects. Moreover, they are more highly rated than any other institution, including the military and churches.

Despite the obstacles, there are many stories of success for small businesses. Whether it was luck, hard work, or connections, these entrepreneurs found ways to overcome the challenges and thrive.

The first step for any startup is market research, and this can be done through desk research (done with directories, online, or through surveys) and field research (sampling a company’s existing customers). The next step is to create a marketing plan and determine what products or services are in demand.

A business merger is a legal process that allows two companies to combine into one entity. This may lead to a variety of commercial outcomes, including cost savings and increased bargaining power with suppliers and customers. However, there are many different kinds of M&A, and the type of deal you pursue will shape everything from integration planning to governance and shareholder dynamics.

For example, M&A can help businesses grow by adding new products or markets to their portfolio. A footwear company, for example, could acquire a manufacturer that offers men’s or women’s clothing, opening up those new markets and potentially boosting revenue streams. This might also allow a company to enter more competitive industries or expand into other geographic locations by merging with or acquiring another firm that already has a strong presence in those areas.

M&A can also be an effective way to address issues like declining revenue or debt management. If your company is struggling, a merger can help you keep your business open and maintain your customer base by allowing the buyer to cover your outstanding debts, saving jobs in the process. In some cases, M&A can even allow a company to avoid bankruptcy, as is often the case with firms that are not particularly financially sound. An attorney can help guide you through this process, and they can assist you with other matters such as disputes with shareholders or liability concerns. To learn more about these and other topics, consider signing up for Forage’s Investment Banking Skills Passport.

News alert is a Google service that monitors the web for new content with your chosen search terms and delivers notifications when those results change. It’s an incredibly useful tool for businesses that want to keep tabs on the latest mentions of their brand, industry keywords, competitors, and products or services.

To set up a news alert, start by creating or logging in to your Google account. Once you’re logged in, visit the news alert page and enter your search topics in the box. You can choose to receive updates as they happen, once a day, or once a week. You can also choose to limit the number of results you receive and change your alert delivery settings, if needed.

When it comes to crafting media alerts, there are some best practices that you should always follow. These tips will help you craft impactful media alerts that resonate with your audience and increase viewer engagement.

Media alerts (also known as media advisories) are one-page announcements of an upcoming event that are intended for journalists only. They’re not to be confused with press releases, which are much more comprehensive and often used directly by reporters for their articles.

While many interviewees cited journalistic gut instinct when discussing how to discern whether an event is push-worthy, there are several other factors that come into play. Learn how to use the following 13 valuable tips when crafting your next media alert.

Amid the excitement, anxiety and high-stakes emotions of election night, rumors and misinformation can get spread fast. Here are some tips from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School experts on recognizing the pitfalls, staying healthy and protecting your mental well-being as the results come in.

The core expectancy-disconfirmation model is that one’s satisfaction with democracy or confidence in the electoral process depends on both their expectations and the nature of the disconfirmation — a surprise outcome will lead to greater happiness, and a less satisfied outcome will lead to lower confidence. A previous study examining post-election perceptions found that the strength of citizens’ post-election satisfaction was tied to their expectations and their understanding of how the vote is counted (Plescia, Blais and Hogstrom 2020).

It’s important to remember that whether or not an election outcome aligns with our hopes and dreams, it is still valid and legitimate. If we are disappointed, it is normal to feel that way, but we should be careful not to let our anger or sadness turn into bitterness towards other people. This will only make the problem worse for ourselves and for our society as a whole.

It’s also important to understand that it can take a while for election results to be certified. For example, in many states, mail-in ballots are counted after polls close and may take longer than votes cast at a traditional polling place. In addition, the state election office will often conduct a process called a canvass that ensures all votes are counted and there are no clerical errors. Only once all of these processes have been completed will the results be certified.

Tech startup focuses on creating technology products and services in fast-paced industries. Their innovations bring advancements to the market, reshaping traditional industries and creating new opportunities. However, launching a successful tech startup requires more than innovation. A strong strategy, dependable investments, and exceptional design are essential elements for success.

Before deciding on the type of business you want to create, it’s important to identify the problem your startup will solve. This can be done by conducting surveys, interviews, and focus groups to understand your target audience’s needs. You can also use industry reports, government databases, and market research platforms to help you analyze your market.

Once you’ve identified your potential customers, you can begin to develop your product. You should consider how your tech startup will differentiate itself from existing competitors. This can be done through innovative product offerings, unique value propositions, and effective marketing strategies. Tech advisors can help non-technical entrepreneurs develop these strategies.

Once you’ve established your product, you can begin to find funding for your tech startup. Many startups rely on venture capital, crowdfunding, or angel investors to finance their growth. Alternatively, you can bootstrap your startup by using personal savings or revenue from the first sales to cover costs. In addition, you should establish a legal structure for your company and take care of any necessary paperwork. By following these steps, you’ll be on your way to launching the next big tech startup.

The stock market is where investors can buy and sell shares in publicly-traded companies. A share represents a ownership stake in a company; as a shareholder you get one vote per share owned (unless there are multiple classes of shares with different voting rights). The stock market is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and individual state securities departments. Market participants include individuals, financial institutions (e.g., mutual funds, pension funds, insurance companies and banks) and public corporations trading in their own shares. Robo-advisors that automatically invest for individuals are also a growing part of the stock market.

The primary role of the stock market is to help companies raise money by offering their shares for sale and providing an opportunity for investors to gain wealth over the long term through capital growth and dividends. The stock market is also used as a way to monitor the health of the economy and can be viewed as a barometer of consumer sentiment.

Buying and selling stocks is done by placing a trade through an intermediary such as a broker or an online self-directed investing platform. The days of energetic trading floors and paper trades through postal dealing slips are mostly gone – most trading is now done electronically, with orders being added to an electronic order book where they are matched by market makers at the bid or ask price that each investor is willing to pay or sell at. Traders can buy and sell shares during all hours of the day, and even when markets are closed with digital self-directed platforms that process trades during extended trading periods before and after the regular market day.

A country’s inflation rate is a measure of how fast prices are rising in the goods and services it consumes. Inflation reduces the purchasing power of money and can also distort relative prices, wages, and rates of return on investments. Understanding and managing inflation is key to fostering a healthy economy.

When a country’s inflation rate is low or steady, people have more spending power. That means businesses can sell more of their products, which leads to higher economic growth and jobs. And when companies generate more goods and services, workers earn more in wages, which they can then spend or invest. Inflation that is too high or unpredictable can lead to people hoarding commodities and other non-perishable items for the future. This can cause shortages in the availability of some goods and can raise prices for everyone.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates the nation’s inflation rate by tracking prices in a ‘basket’ of goods and services, including everyday items such as bread and bus tickets and bigger purchases like a new car or a vacation. The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index published by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis is a more comprehensive measure that takes into account more categories, such as healthcare costs, and is weighted by data gathered from regular business surveys.

The high inflation that swept the world in early 2021 can be traced to a variety of factors, including supply chain disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic and higher-than-expected energy and raw materials prices. These are examples of demand-pull inflation, which is when consumer demand for goods and services rises faster than the economy’s ability to produce them.

Story development is the process of taking a kernel of an idea or concept and turning it into a full-fledged story. The goal is to create a narrative that captivates readers and conveys a meaningful message or experience. There are many steps involved in developing a story, including character and plot development, writing and editing, and creating an effective setting and time period.

Developing a story begins with the exposition, where you establish your protagonist’s normal life before their world is disrupted by the inciting incident that initiates the plot. Here, you also introduce key supporting characters and set the scene for the conflict that will drive the narrative.

As the story progresses, you develop obstacles for your protagonist through rising action, which builds up tension and complicates their plot goals. In the midpoint, you can introduce a major turning point that shifts the story’s direction and intensifies the conflict. The climax is where the culmination of all your protagonist’s trials and tribulations come to a head and reveals their fate.

Developing a story can be difficult, but it’s possible to craft a compelling tale with the right tools and techniques. Take your time, and don’t be afraid to seek out feedback from friends and peers. As you continue to practice, it will become easier to craft a captivating story. Whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, these story elements will help you craft a narrative that captures readers’ attention and conveys your intended message.

Editorial is a type of article that expresses the writer’s opinions and perspectives. It can be a critique, an argument, or a call for action. It can also be a story that honors someone or something. It is a key component of the news media. Editorials are a powerful tool for stimulating societal advancements, as they can highlight issues, bring them to the forefront of the public, and inspire collective action.

When writing an editorial, it is important to choose a topic that is relevant and timely to your audience’s interests. You should then create a clear thesis statement to guide your work. In addition, it is essential to develop a compelling title that reflects the theme of your editorial.

A well-written editorial must begin with a strong hook, which is a sentence that captures the reader’s attention and motivates them to continue reading. It should also include a leading paragraph that supports the hook and further elaborates on the subject. Additionally, an editorial should incorporate one or two graphs to stress the staff’s side of the argument. These graphs should be accompanied by direct quotes from key sources to strengthen the argument and add credibility.

A fair-minded staff must be able to disarm opponents by acknowledging their opinions and arguments, without falling into the trap of “slander.” It is best to present the opposing viewpoints first, so readers can compare arguments objectively. Then, staff should argue why their viewpoint is more persuasive. Finally, a good editorial must conclude with a strong statement or call to action.

Political campaigns provide an opportunity for people to gain hands-on experience in promoting ideas and influence policymaking. They offer prospective staffers, especially college students and mid-level professionals, a fast track to a meaningful career in politics. However, it’s important to choose a campaign that fits your interests and broader career goals.

For example, if you are interested in working at the federal level on technology policy, it might make more sense to prioritize campaigns for candidates seeking to advance specific legislative initiatives and who share your partisan orientation. Campaign experience is also highly valuable for careers in lobbying, issue advocacy, and other politics-adjacent fields.

A successful campaign depends on a deep understanding of the voters and prospective donors the candidate is trying to reach. This includes estimating voter turnout by using past election results, then determining how many votes the candidate needs to win in order to meet their goal. Depending on the partisan split in the district, a campaign may prioritize voters by creating groups of undecideds, swing voters, Democratic voters who only vote during presidential elections, and other groups.

Campaigns for US House and Senate seats are often more organized than state legislative races. Both Democrats and Republicans have programs to organize the protection of incumbents and recruit challengers for open seats. As a result, these campaigns tend to have more staff and a greater level of professionalization than some state legislative races. In addition, campaigns for these seats decide party control of the relevant branch of government and set many high-profile policy debates.