Tough Love: 5 Hard Truths About Starting A Business

Checkworks-Pinterest-Blog-Post-02Owning your own business is a noble dream. Everywhere you turn, you’ll read some success story of an entrepreneur who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and is now living the dream of being their own boss.

And while that is a great ideal to strive for, that doesn’t change the fact that starting a business is hard. And we mean REALLY hard.

So while everyone loves a success story, it’s unwise to go into your endeavor thinking that you’re just going to jump right into the black. So prepare yourself from a little tough love from the school of reality.

Because the truth is…

Continue reading →

The Pros and Cons of Buying a Franchise

SAMARA RUSSIA - AUGUST 30 2014: Burger King fast food restaurant in hypermarket Ambar. It is the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the world

 

By Jurissa Ayala

Buying a franchise is one of the best ways to start and run a successful business. The most visible examples of thriving franchises are in the fast food industry (Burger King, KFC, etc.), but there are numerous strong franchise businesses in almost every other market space, from plumbing to child care to management consulting. The initial investment varies as well, from tens of thousands of dollars for some personal services businesses to millions for national restaurant and hotel brands. While each franchise is a unique opportunity, before you buy a franchise consider these general pros and cons.

Continue reading →

3 Common Financial Mistakes Businesses Make and How To Avoid Them

 

Female Stall Holder At Farmers Fresh Food Market

Starting a business is exciting.  Suddenly, you are pursuing your dream and hoping to make money in the process.  But according to Bloomberg, eight out of ten entrepreneurs who start businesses fail in the first 18-months.  What can be done to prevent your own failure?  Here are three major pitfalls business owners find themselves in.

Continue reading →

Have You Overlooked These Two Powerful Marketing Tools? Part II: Social Media

MILAN, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 14, 2014: Logotypes of famous Internet social media and social network brand's like Facebook Twitter Linkedin YouTube Google Plus Myspace and Pinterest printed on hanged tags.

 

By MJ Plaster

In Part I, we looked at blogs as a tool to engage and inspire your audience and to build trust. Part II covers an honest look at social media, its demographics, uses and best practices. Overlook these two powerful marketing tools at your peril because the ROI is significant in keeping your base and expanding it.
Continue reading →

Have You Overlooked These Two Powerful Marketing Tools? Part I: Blogging

Checkworks-Pinterest-Blog-Post-12

By MJ Plaster

Back in the Dark Ages of the 20th century, customers knew merchants and did business with those they knew and trusted. Big-box stores such as Wal-Mart, big-box services such as H&R Block and online retailers such as Amazon offer little opportunity for you to get to know them. Their sheer size and impact make customers comfortable, but the typical business doesn’t have that advantage. People want to connect, especially with online providers. Connection builds trust, and people will do business with you if they trust you. If you want to bring customers into your fold with minimal expense, read on to find out what no longer works, and what two powerful marketing tools can engage your customers.
Continue reading →

CheckWorks: The Story of Real-Life Pioneers

D3V_4171

CheckWorks began blazing trails in the bank printing business four years after the end of World War I when Aloysius J. (Al) Uniack Sr. emigrated from Canada and made California his home. When epic advances have been made in check printing, the Uniacks have been at the epicenter of the innovations. First Al Sr., then his sons and now his granddaughter, carry the banner of innovation into the future. Join us as we journey through history with the Uniack family.

Continue reading →

Everything You Need to Know About Job Hunting Service Scams

Internet Theft - a man wearing a balaclava looking at computer screen using magnifying glass

By: Jurissa Ayala

What is a job hunting service scam — and how does it harm both employers and employees? Job hunting service scams operate like recruitment or staffing agencies, claiming to place job seekers with prospective employers. Occasionally job hunting services may actually be able to arrange interviews and even procure a job for a job hunter, but it will always come at a considerable and unnecessary cost.

Continue reading →

Impressionism: The Movement of Rebel Artists

oil paints and paint brushes on a palette

By Jurissa Ayala

In 2008, a private art collector paid $80 million for a painting by Impressionistic artist, Claude Monet. A few years earlier, $78.1 million was handed over for an original painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a peer of Monet. Pretty impressive considering Monet, Renoir and their cohorts could not sell their work for even $1 back in their upstart years.

In Paris, in the late 1870s when the Impressionism Movement began, the artists were even prohibited from displaying their work at official art exhibitions. The critics claimed the paintings were “sketch-like” and “unfinished.” One critic called one of Monet’s paintings “just an impression.” Today, those sketch-like, unfinished impressions fetch millions and millions of dollars at art auctions and are on display in some of the most famous museums in the world.

Continue reading →