Business Information for Entrepreneurs by an Entrepreneur

Good Corporate Culture for Small Business

A healthy corporate culture for any organization — even your small business - is something that promotes teamwork and encourages employees to help the business succeed.

Having a positive corporate culture is a particularly important asset for a small business. A healthy company culture increases the commitment as well as the productivity of your employees, whereas a bad corporate culture can lead to exactly the opposite outcome - ultimately contributing to the failure your business.

Developing a Positive Corporate Culture

Important though it may be, developing and maintaining a positive corporate culture can be especially difficult for most small business owners. In the beginning, most entrepreneurs have to take on a great deal of responsibility, and are in sole charge of all decision making. As the company begins to grow and the number of employees increases, the management style must also change.

The control-all style of business must change to one of shared responsibility. In a positive corporate culture, employees feel that they are a part of the team. This gives them the drive to work for the success of your company, and gives them satisfaction when the company succeeds. In turn, the quality of the products and services that are offered by your company will significantly improve.

The beginning of a good corporate culture for your small business begins at the top -with you! You must be able to share your vision for the future of your company. As a small business owner, you must remember that your behavior and attitude will set the standard for the entire company. Treat all your employees equally; hire workers who are likely to treat clients and other employees well; and discuss company problems realistically.

Good corporate culture for your small business must be carefully cultivated and maintained to enhance its growth and chances for success.

Expand Your Knowledge Base Using Audio Books

Most people in the business world today would like to improve their business skills either through reading or taking a course, but really don't have the time to devote to it. That is exactly why it may be a great idea to expand your business knowledge with business audio books.

Business audio books are usually narrated by people who have been successful in business themselves, and can be an ideal tool for you to get new business ideas. Using a business audiobook to grow your business is like consulting with, and gaining knowledge from, a business expert.

The Advantages

More than 90 million Americans drive to work everyday alone, not counting the ones who commute by other forms of transportation. The average commute can be as long as an hour each way. That is an immense amount of time that can be spent on improving and growing your business. Audiobooks can give you useful information on improving your sales, building communication and people skills that are essential for business, marketing, better customer service, and so much more - all in the time you would normally waste going from one place to another.

An ever-increasing number of cars now come with a built-in MP3 player, and most people these days own an ipod. As a result, it has become much easier to listen to business audiobooks while you go about your day. You can listen to a range of business audio resources, like business audiobooks, seminars, lectures and podcasts.

Business audiobooks can truly help you to grow your business, and your career, by simply listening to them in your spare time and applying what you learn.

Choosing a State to Incorporate Your Small Business

For legal reasons, if you have a small business, you should probably incorporate. But where should you incorporate your business?

Choosing the right state to incorporate your small business can be one of the biggest decisions you will ever make. There are basically two options: incorporating your small business in your home state, (the state where it is located and where it operates); or incorporating in another state. You are not required to incorporate your business in the state where you operate, and you are perfectly free to choose a different state.

Unless you live in one of the states that have no corporate income tax on profits, no state annual franchise tax, no annual personal income tax, and have more protection and flexibility like Delaware, Nevada or Wyoming, it might be worthwhile to consider incorporating your small business out of state.

However, there are distinct advantages to choosing to incorporate your small business in your home state.

Building a Local Presence

You obviously have a local presence in your home state, the state where you operate and do business. If you want to incorporate out of state, you have to build a local presence and find someone in that state willing to act as your legal representative. Although you can hire a registered agent to represent your company, these agents often charge substantial fees, usually represent hundreds of other corporations, and may not have the time and attention to look after your interests.

There are often special taxes and franchise fees associated with incorporating your small business out of state, and they can be confusing. Although some states have tax laws that are advantageous to businesses, you might lose home state advantage by having to operate as a foreign corporation - which may include extra yearly franchise fees and additional income taxes.

In addition, incorporating in a different state may become a downright nuisance if you are ever sued. You would then need to hire an attorney from, as well as defend yourself and your small business in the state of incorporation. This may result in additional expenses, such as travel time for court appearances.

When you're choosing a state to incorporate your small business, get advice from a CPA or tax attorney before you make a final decision.