The Stellar Communicator

Business owners can't manage what they can't measure. In small-business finance, this adage can be especially true when managing your accounts receivable. Effective management of accounts receivable means knowing where your cash flow is coming from and keeping careful track of who owes your business money. That can require a strategic approach to regularly collecting what your business is owed, which can be crucial for achieving financial success in business. Here's how to develop one that can lead to sustained prosperity for your small business.

Succession planning is not a onetime event, like many small-business owners think it is. It's a long game that can require a focused plan to execute over a period of years, perhaps decades. In a multigenerational family business, especially with different branches in the family, this can be complex. There can be multiple considerations and many people to involve, from other family members to various professionals. You can aim to have the process well-documented to minimize complications when it’s time to execute the plan. Here are some tips to help make your multigenerational family business plan.

Employee retention is vital to the success of every Canadian small business. When talented employees leave, it disrupts operations and hurts productivity—seriously affecting the bottom line. That's why proactive retention strategies are key to nurturing an engaged, thriving workforce. Here's what they are and how to implement them.

Maintaining healthy cash flow is essential for small-business success, since it helps you verify the correct amount of money flowing into and out of your business. The cash-flow definition is the measure of the money coming in and going out of your business over a specific period. It tracks the cash receipts and cash payments for your company. It's important you calculate this correctly and maintain a positive balance on your cash-flow statement. Here's how to generate, maintain, and measure your business cash flow.

Business owners typically can't manage what they can't measure. Better cash-flow management can start with examining three primary sources: operations, investing, and financing. These three sources align with the main sections in a company's cash-flow statement, an essential document for understanding a business's financial health. What are they and how do you generate them? (This story is part of a major SEO refresh Amex is doing, and for which I'm writing multiple stories using my business finance, research skills, and SEO expertise.)

Disorganization can overwhelm many small-business owners, and they rarely know how to overcome the problem, leading to a cluttered mind and substantially reduced productivity. To help potentially unlock new dimensions for profitability and long-term success, consider looking at your space and time management practices. Organizing your calendar, your inbox, your office space, and your company culture may help lead to a more productive, profitable company. Three experts tell you how.

A common question business owners have about getting business loan financing is “what is a reasonable amount to ask for a business loan?” Answering this question requires understanding the challenges associated with getting a business loan. When you’re borrowing money for your business, it’s not just about securing funds. It's about strategically aligning your business’s financial needs with your business's growth trajectory and operational demands. Here's how to do that.

For small business owners looking to expand their enterprise, getting a business loan may be a crucial first step. However, getting a business loan without a personal guarantee can be hard, especially for startups lacking strong business credit. Read my latest story on American Express Business Insights about business loans with no personal guarantees, what they are, and how to get them.

This is an area where I have intense interest and experience. I pitched this story to American Express, along with another on the subject, and both got accepted. Here's a summary: Working together as a family can be intense, especially when traditionalists, baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z all work in a business. Family relationships in any context can be trying and being in business together may complicate things further. Here's how to manage those relationships and develop family unity to successful manage your family business for long-term success.

In Not only can operating in your Zone of Genius lead to more profitability, but it can also mean more fulfillment and less exhaustion. Functioning in your Zone of Genius can improve your mental health and business and personal relationships, too. That's because your Zone of Genius is the talent or area of native knowledge that comes to you so naturally, you perform it effortlessly and, usually, happily for hours at a time. Here's how to learn yours and operate in it--or them, since you might have more than one. (Image: Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels)

In 2022, Incfile, a business services provider, surveyed over 2,000 business owners, consultants, and freelancers across 13 industries and found that 20% of small-business owners are experiencing poor mental health. The survey also found nearly 65% of small-business owners have experienced anxiety and over 50% suffered from depression. This story provides SBOs guidance on how to address their own mental health challenges and those experienced by employees.

If you’re like most small-business owners, you may have gone into business because you’re passionate about the product or service you sell, and how it helps your target customer. While you may want to generate the highest revenue possible, you may prioritize excellence in serving your customers over managing business finances optimally. So, having high revenue doesn't mean you're experiencing small business financial wellness. Read this story to understand what that truly is and the strategies you must implement and concepts you must understand for achieving that position in your enterprise. [About the project: This story is pillar content, which broadly overviews the aspects of small business financial wellness 101. Linked are the supporting pieces on the specific small business finance topics I wrote about broadly in this pillar piece. It required an extensive understanding of small business financial concepts to write this piece, which I have.]

Sometimes economic events happen that are out of your control, which may cause financial challenges that lead to business loss. Perhaps you lose your biggest customer or a business decision you make doesn't turn out well. This blog post shows you what steps you can make to turn your business around.

No matter what your business does, it’s essential you build relationships with a dedicated network of financial advisors. They help you operate, develop, and grow your business so you can focus on serving your customers while avoiding financial missteps. But which do you need and when do you need them? Use the guidance in this blog post to learn the right way to build your financial advisor network.

A high volume of sales may make you feel profitable, but that’s not the same as having a strong cash flow. After all, you can appear profitable at certain times, but be in the red in others. It’s only by proactively balancing how you manage your cash flow—revenue, expenditures and profits—that you have cash to maintain business operations consistently. That allows you to take advantage of opportunities to invest in growth. Here's how to achieve that balance.

Women own over 43% of small businesses in the U.S., but only 25% seek financing. Those who qualify often receive less money and pay higher interest rates. Our experts reviewed the best business loans for women from Backd, National Funding, Bluevine and others to help you get funded. [About the Project: As an expert reviewer for this website, I substantially rewrote and updated this content, which was the equivalent of 13-15 pages of text. I used my expertise in SEO, small business development and lending, and U.S. politics and economics to provide editorial direction. The senior editor on this project, an SEO expert, said the end product met his high SEO standards for content. Click my name in the review to see why this website made me an expert.] Image: Amina Filkins on Pexels

National Funding has a "No-Risk" application, which means interested borrowers can check on funding without it impacting their personal credit scores. Its flexible loan terms and amounts make it ideal for businesses small and large. [About the Project: As an expert reviewer for this website, I substantially rewrote and updated this content, which was the equivalent of 12 pages of text. I used my expertise in SEO, small business development and lending, and U.S. politics and economics to provide editorial direction for this content. The senior editor on this project, an SEO expert, said the end product met his high SEO standards for content. Click my name in the review to see why this website made me an expert.] Image: Kampus Productions on Pexels

You have many things to consider as a hair or nail salon contractor working under a salon booth rental agreement. You only get paid based on the number of clients you service as an independent contractor, so making your revenue stream consistent is important. But there are plenty of other aspects of business operations to think through, too, and business insurance is one of them. Here's what to consider.

Owning a farm can be a high-stakes enterprise, and you can't afford any event that would harm your business, especially flooded land. Inland flooding is one of the biggest risks to Americans. A lot of people don't think they necessarily need flood insurance but if you're near a river, a creek and you all of a sudden have intense rainfall, there's a flood risk. Even when your farm isn't on the Gulf coast, seriously flooded farms can happen. That's why it's important your farm has flood insurance. Here's what to consider.

If you want to know how well you're really operating your business, you'll need to know your business's working capital, also known as net working capital. It's a moment of truth for your company's financial health—telling you the difference between what you owe and what your business owns. Plus, it's one of the most important numbers lenders often rely on to decide if your company is worth financing. We've broken it down to make it super simple to compute.