Get to Know your Target Market(s)

chalk written out asking who's your audience with chalk

You already know your products and services, but how well do you know your customers and prospects? Marketers have a name for them: your target(s). They’re the people you sell to—or plan to. They’re the people you think about first when designing your offers, your marketing and advertising campaigns, your entire business, really. So it…

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Reopening your business post-pandemic closure

white open sign on window

All 50 states have started allowing some businesses to reopen, with limitations, after the coronavirus pandemic. For most businesses, particularly those that serve the public and have a physical presence, reopening will be a slow and careful process. Local and state requirements vary widely, so it’s essential to check in with those authorities for guidance.…

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Beef up your pitching skills

blue post-it note with marker that prints "unique selling proposition"

In today’s economic climate, everybody is trying to drum up business. If you own or run a small business, pitching new business is probably not far from the top of your agenda anyway. So there’s never a bad time to take a good look at your whole relationship with sales. Whether you employ 499 or…

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Small Business COVID-19 relief is here – Pango CARES to help

woman frowing on couch holding up a "help" sign with paper work around

On Friday, March 27, the president signed the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act into law, providing a wide range of urgently needed financial relief across many vulnerable economic sectors. Most notably for small business owners, the package includes low-interest loans (4 percent or less) to help small businesses (those with…

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Cybersecurity best practices

person's hands holding a phone with screen showing username and password protection screen

If you think cybersecurity is a concern for other people, think again. The FBI’s Internet Crime Report estimated the total cost of cyberattacks at $2.7 billion in 2018, the most recent year for which data is available. That represents a lot of damage to a lot of bottom lines. Meanwhile, a recent Small Business Administration…

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Controlling for risk of failure

paper airplane with the shadow of an airplane under it

If you’re uncomfortable with risk, entrepreneurship might not be for you. Building a business from scratch based on nothing but a good idea is inherently risky. Despite extensive planning, there’s so much that can go wrong. You can minimize risks but cannot eliminate them. Whether you’re investing in a brand-name franchise or developing a unique…

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Qualities you’ll need to succeed as an entrepreneur

close up of woman employee smiling and flipping over the open sign on a window

If you’re looking to do well in a small business venture, three types of qualities can help you. One type is beyond your control, including your age and level of experience in the relevant fields. Another type takes years, maybe decades, to acquire. An education or a support network would fall into this category. But…

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Assessing your profitability

two little boys dressed in buisness suits with money all around them with an excited expression

If you were starting an accounting or finance business, you could assess your company’s profitability on your own. But others might need a little help. Most entrepreneurs have significantly more practical knowledge about their own field than about number-crunching. That’s not usually a problem: you can retain subject matter experts to advise you on mission-critical…

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How should you structure your business?

man looking down at a sign he is holding that prints "how do I start?"

It’s the same question faced by all entrepreneurs when they first start out: How should the business be structured? And if you’re thinking about forming a business entity, it’s one of the first decisions you’ll face too.At the state and federal levels, businesses are subject to regulations that affect how they are formed, how they…

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