Merchant Cash Advance Blog

Many businesses grow in a natural, organic way from a hobby into a business, some into very successful full time businesses. Sometimes you start doing something because it's fun and you enjoy it, then friends and family start asking you to do it for them. Soon, word gets around and you have a nice side income. But turning a hobby into a profitable business takes intentional planning and investment. Here are some steps to take if you want to turn your hobby into a business.

Every business needs recurring customers.  These are the people that fuel your bottom line and serve as walking advertisements for your company. You want to get to know your customer base so you can provide them the type of service they are looking for.  Suggestions from your customers can be a great way to improve your business model and make sure you are gearing your business plan to satisfy your target audience.

Owning and operating a salon gives you the power to help people look and feel their best on a daily basis. If you are lucky you can be very successful with a steady clientele. If your business is experiencing an unfortunate decline, you may have lagging sales, high staff turnover or low profitability. It is important to seek out strategies which help you increase salon revenue and attract new customers. To achieve this goal, here are 5 best practices to help your business soar.

Small businesses are always looking for ways to bring in new customers and show appreciation for their current client base.  One way to accomplish this goal is with a giveaway campaign.  The buzz caused by a big ticket item could bring in potential customers that you never thought to market to.  Smaller, company branded items, can be a great way to spread the word about your business.  These types of promotions can be aligned with company anniversaries, special events in your community and can even be a great way to team up with a local charity.  Determining what to promote can be challenging, here are some of the top giveaway ideas to help increase revenue and expand your customer base. 

Owning and operating a restaurant can be one of the most joyous and frustrating types of businesses to run. The National Restaurant Association reports that sales from the restaurant industry top $709 billion but that increase in sales is only about 1.5% when adjusted for inflation. This means that there is plenty of financial opportunity available but you must ensure that you have a rock solid marketing and advertising plan in place to be successful. If you want to surpass the average increase in sales figures, you must be willing to think outside the box and make sure that your income does more than just exceed your operating expenses.