Business Contents Archive

Needing a General Contractor license even if work is subbed out to a company with said license?

I have a property preservation/maintenance company. We recently landed Freddie Mac as a client and we have everything they require except for a general contractor's license and an EPA paint license. They're saying I need both, but I'm trying to make the case that because we sub everything out and are a services-based business, our self-performers (contractors we hire) are required to have said licensure. We've worked with a bunch of clients that didn't require these licenses from us. However they do require everything else (and we have everything else (insurance, agreements/contractors agreements, w9, etc...)). Curious to get your guys' input. At the end of the day it's up to the company obviously, but thought my reasoning was sound... Maybe not...

Why are people weird about background checks?

We are a small healthcare company and had an issue with a recently hired administrative employee stealing and just being generally bad with patient care. On our next hire to replace this employee we are considering to start doing background checks but I don’t know what the best resource is. I checked this forum and almost every post asking for how to do a background check ended up with people indignantly asking why even perform one? Is there a reason not to check on an employee’s previous history?

Need help choosing a new small business PC

Hi, I need helping choosing a new PC for my small business. I’m a Mac guy, but my partner prefers windows. We would like to stay with Lenovo, but trying to decide what to go with. I’m not looking for an all-in-one. We’re not using it for anything crazy. Mostly Microsoft Office and web browsing. Anything specific I should look for or stay away from? Like I said, I’m a Mac guy, so it’s been a while since I’ve looked at a PC. Thanks

Looking for advice on making a CRM in Excel.

Hi, I run my own business with different clients and suppliers. I’m still too small for a CRM like Salesforce, so I was wondering if anyone could point me to some good templates or guides for building my own.

How can I grow my cleaning business and reach new clients?

After starting my Cleaning company 9 years ago in Toronto I finally have few independent clients enough that I make a good wage for myself. But I am now looking to expand, so far the buildings I clean are only Businesses, and I work myself with 2 employees. However I would like to expand into the residential cleaning markets. I have tried advertising everywhere I can think of, I have a website, my business is located on Google with whichever clients we have as well as family and friends leaving 5 star reviews (about 14 so far), business cards, I put up signs, I posted ads on Facebook, and Kijiji, and recently started an Instagram account. However I have gained almost no business the past year of having all of these. How can I grow my business and reach new clients. Any help would be appreciated.

Thinking about starting my second business

I own a small moving company that is currently on autopilot my partner handles most of the day to day at this point I am more of a silent partner/owner. I am kindof bored and looking to start another business. I am a lot more wise now and believe I could make due without a lot of the mistakes I made on the first one. Anyone know anything about dumpster rentals? I am thinking about playing with that. I want to assume any real money would come with numbers due to the lower start up cost. But I know a lot of realestate investors and home flippers that rent them out all the time and would love to capitalize

How do you streamline your business processes? What software/platforms do you use?

I’m curious how y’all streamline your processes to maximize your time. I’m starting an HR Consultancy business and for the foreseeable future, I’ll be on my own. I hate using tons of softwares to get me where I need to be. I’m looking for an all in one project management, CMS, bookkeeping software. Does this exist?

Sole Owner Llc, vs Partnership Llc, vs employee in an Llc

Trying to figure out the proper sturcture to registering an llc to reduce the amount of taxes we would pay. I am forming one with my spouse. Is it better to register the llc as a sole member with one of us, a sole memeber with one of us and the other "employed" recieving a salary, or just having an llc where we are both members and share the profits. Would be registered in NY if that has an effect on the answer.

Advice for rate to charge for 'House-Call' based Tech Support business

Hi All, I'm looking to create a Tech Support business that focuses on elderly and less-tech savvy people that includes me (only employee) driving to a residence and teaching, fixing, and assisting in tech related issues. I would like to know if there are similar businesses that perform similar tasks and what the recommended rate would be per hour, or if it should be a flat rate. I plan to cover gas and driving expenses for now but unsure if I should do anything before I have an official business registered. I'm pretty new to this stuff and this kind of work has been suggested to me since I'm just trying to make ends meet with another job. ​ Let me know if you have advice or any good resources I could look into to get this up and running. Thanks!

My small video game studio may run out of money in the next three months. What should I do to change the situation?

First: we can't have an investor because the market is currently dropping and the gaming industry bubble popped recently. Second: we are working on a solid PC project but to deliver a demo we would need much more money to finish. Third: we were forced by the situation to postpone all the contracting work so our development FTE shrank by a lot. We applied for a few government grants but the chances are rather low due to the high demand and low money pool. Also, the decision process may take up to 3 months. I think I lost perspective and I honestly don't see other options than waiting or going bankrupt. I'd appreciate any help.

Just launched!

Hello everyone! I recently started my own small business focused on premium health and wellness products, from vitamins and supplements to gourmet foods and snacks. As a small business owner, I know the importance of community support and I would really appreciate any help or feedback from you all. Check out our website [https://suneth.us/](https://suneth.us/) and let me know what you think! Thank you so much for your time and support. #smallbusinessowner #healthylifestyle #communitysupport

ERC credit

Curious to see if there are any small businesses in the US that are either unfamiliar with or haven’t claimed their ERC tax credit?

Can a LLC with two partners (not married) and no employees do a solo 401k?

I currently have a company where I am the partner. There is also a general partner. Are we able to open solo 401k? Thanks.

Hey I need clips of people reviewing/ unboxing my product

So I need to get some videos of preferably creators/people using unboxing and promoting my product (a sort of plushie/pillow) to make actual decent tiktok ads that might actually have a chance at becoming proftable. I have tried looking for influencers on tiktok and instagram, but I dont need an influencer to post anything so I feel it will justy cost me for nothing, i just need the video for myself of someone(preferably a young girl) who knows what theyre doing on camera while having theyre permission to use their content for tiktok ads of course. Im quite lost at the moment as I see no logical place to go next for this, any help is appreciated

Inventory management system recommendations

Hi all, I'm in search for an inventory management system for a smallish warehouse-style business. I'm new to the world of IMS so I'm coming here to get some suggestions on which system to go for. I'm looking for a system that mainly has barcode scanning/categorization capabilities. It will be mainly be used for sorting and keeping track of items, and doesn't need to connect to a shopify site or anything similar. Most sales are unique products without extensive stock and will be made through facebook marketplace/ebay. Any recommendations?