Small Business Trends

Many challenges face small businesses especially as they grow. For this April 13, 2010 edition of the small business roundup at Small Business Trends we look at the vast array of growing pains faced by many small businesses as part of the hard reality of small business ownership plus some tips on facing them and surviving.

Growth Tips

The equity question. Should cash strapped small businesses offer shares in their future? WSJ

10 lessons learned from a recession startup. A founder discusses business strategy for tough times. The Huffington Post

Bureaucracy as business plan? Can filling out government forms really be a good startup exercise? NYTimes.com

How high are your margins? And how does knowing help you to grow your business? Seth Godin’s Blog

What are your business metrics? Your success may depend on finding the right ones and tracking them. A VC

Policy

Would a flat tax help small business? Supporters say a simpler system would lead to growth. National Review Online

Another look at healthcare. Will most of the smallest firms be exempt from mandates? BusinessWeek

What’s the value of the healthcare tax credit? Experts say it will not be enough to help small businesses afford insurance. National Federation of Independent Business

Social Media

Social media fuels new growth. Even more traditional businesses explore online media solutions. NYTimes.com

Building your business with LinkedIn. 10 suggestions from startup guru Guy Kawasaki. Open Forum Small Business

How Twitter will make money. What if any impact does the strategy have on business marketing? Daily Finance

Getting Started

What do franchise buyers want? Part one of this series looks at how to convince them to buy yours. The Franchise King

Startup pitfall. One kind of business startup is particularly at a disadvantage from the big guys. Feld Thoughts

Building your team. The key to business success may come down to who you choose. Inc.com

Got an IT consultant. Why a growing business may need one. smallbiztechnology.com