Being a small business owner is sometimes lonely proposition. You're the person in charge of everything. From open to close, from income to expenses. Everyone looks to you for answers. Where do you turn for answers or advice? 

There are many times you're going to find yourself in need of advice for a specific situation. The following are people you can turn to for help and counsel when needed:

Spouse: Even though you might want to keep your business separate from your personal life, it mixes. Your spouse is someone you can turn to for advice on your small business. Now, they might not know the ins and outs of your business, but they know you. They know how you've dealt with things in the past and they have different recollections than you. 

Photo Credit: Lali Masriera

USA Today is up today with an article on the top trends of 2008. They only have five posted at this time, but more will follow later. The author, Steve Strauss, takes great pains to explain these are not predictions, but trends:

This is not a predictions column but a trends column. Predictions are inherently speculative, trends are not. New trends are forces that are already occurring, but which may be flying a bit under your radar.

Good enough for me.

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Everyone who works a corporate job has fanciful thoughts of walking away and starting their own small business. If you look at recent economic trends, many people aren't choosing to do this, but are forced. Before you make that leap you need to consider a number of factors to determine whether you should do it or not.

Corporate jobs can be stifling, but most times people look towards a small business to increase their incomes. Those who make the leap to full time small businesses don't consider everything involved. 

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There is a great article from Chicago's Daily Herald that talks about New Years Resolutions for small business owners. It's a great list and one that we should all look at. I'm going to run through a few of them that I consider to be the most important. 

Large financial purchases: You need to ensure your accountant is with you throughout the process. In small businesses your accountant is a team member. Before you commit a large amount of money to something make sure the accountant is in the loop. This helps you do two things: 1) Make sure you are spending the money properly and 2) Ensures that you take advantage of any tax or other benefits.

Photo Credit: Hilde Vanstraelen

With the holiday season ending, we're seeing more and more reports of small businesses donating goods and/or services to groups in their communities. An interesting article from the Kansas City Star looks at one small business' effort to donate blankets to a local community agency. 

There are a few things to consider if you are going to make a donation on your small business' behalf:

1. Good or services. Will you donate goods or services? The choice can have tax implications depending on the amount you intend to donate and the manner of the donation. Consult with your accountant to learn the most effective way to choose. Keep in mind that if you decide to donate your own goods there might be a public relations backlash. This happens if you are doing it as more of a marketing campaign than a real donation. For instance, in the article the company supplying the blankets is myubby.com, and they are in the blanket business. 
2. Owner or team effort. Is the owner making the decision or is the whole team. Sometimes it's a good idea to consider bringing your employee's and team member's opinions into the mix. If the organization you're considering donating to doesn't align with their values you might alienate them.
3. Need. You should due your homework and ensure the donation is needed and wanted by the organization you're targeting. An example of not making sure the need exists is with computers. Many schools will decline offers of computers based on age.
4. Cost of delivery. How much is it going to cost to transport the donated goods? If you want to ship items to the military overseas have you considered the cost? It might be easier to cut a check.

Donating, even if it's not during the holidays, is a wonderful idea for small businesses. Make sure you do your homework first so you don't run into issues. 

Photo Credit: Burcin Muftuoglu