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Composting in RI: A Ripe Business Opportunity

An alluring new Ocean State business opportunity is on the horizon, in which one man’s trash is decidedly another man’s treasure.

Composting” Business

Start a Business Later in Life

If you’re considering starting a business later in life, it’s not too late! Here are seven reasons it might just be the perfect time.

Launch an “Encore” Business

Prepare & Protect Your Small Business

Advice on ways that business owners can mitigate losses, protect their assets and get back to business as soon as possible.

Protect Your Business

RISBDC Receives ASBDC Accreditation

What it Means and How it Helps us Serve Entrepreneurs and Business Owners

RISBDC Accreditation

How LinkedIn is Useful for Business & How to get Started

LinkedIn & Business

Feeling the Squeeze?

Push Past These Eight Barriers to Small Business Growth

Barriers to Growth

Rhode Island Small Business Health Insurance 101

Are you considering providing small business health insurance? Health insurance is still the number one benefit that employees look for when considering a job?

Health Insurance 101

Our Bilingual Small Business Consultants

We believe small business is for everyone. Our three bilingual business consultants are available to help our Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs launch or expand a small business.

Bilingual Consultants

Is Franchise Ownership Right for You? We can Help!

Are you looking to start a small business in Rhode Island, and considering whether franchise ownership is right for you?

Explore Owning a Franchise

Why Branding is Key to Success

In a competitive small business environment, it’s not enough just to have a phenomenal product or service. Without a compelling and consistent brand, longstanding success will be hard to come by.

Here are 7 Elements of a Strong Brand

Preparing to Meet with a Retail Buyer

Your business is launched, your product is ready! Don’t let lack of preparation stop you from getting it on the shelf. Here are a few steps to make sure you’re ready to sell your wholesale product when you walk in the door to meet with a retail buyer.

Here is how to prepare to meet with a retail buyer

Neglecting Cyber-security Can Destroy Your Small Business

Cybersecurity is a hot topic you shouldn’t put off any longer. If there is an incident, your business, reputation, financial data for you and your customers, can be destroyed in an instant.

Here is Why Neglecting Cybersecurity Can Destroy Your Small Business

10 Things to Do Before Creating Your Business Website

In this digital age, creating a web presence for your small business is a given. Before you start, here are 10 critical steps to build a website that will hit the ground running and immediately begin converting visitors into clients and customers.

Here are tips for creating your business website

Go Global: How to Expand into International Business

Are you ready to go global? If you’re the owner of an established small business that is generally successful and profitable, you may have heard that expanding into international business markets is an easy way to grow.

Here are tips on how to go global.

Eight Graphic Design Tips For Your Small Business Logo

Business idea? Check. Business plan? Check. Business license? Check. Business…logo? Yes, you’re going to need one of those too, before you launch. While it may feel like a small detail in the big list of tasks to complete as a small business owner, your logo will be an instantly recognizable icon and ambassador of your brand and is worth investing time, energy, and dollars into getting right.

Here are tips for creating your small business logo.

Finding the Right Small Business Employees

Hiring employees for your small business can be an exciting, but overwhelming, endeavor. It signifies your business is growing, but it’s no time to rest. Connecting with the right employees, and putting your best foot forward as an employer, take times and care.

Here are eight tips for the hiring process.

Top 10 Growth Tips for Small Business

On March 22, 2017, we celebrated SBDC Day — a day to proclaim the successes of the more than 1,000 SBDCs across the country that fuel small business growth. In honor of the economic development and good jobs small businesses create, we are sharing our top 10 growth tips for small businesses.

Here are the top ten growth tips for a small business.

Seven Tips for Developing a Small Business Intern Program

A good intern program can increase your company’s visibility in the field, position you for positive PR, build mentoring skills in your employees, and promote work in your field, among many other things. Now is the time to build your intern program so that you’re ready to attract top candidates to join your team.

Here are seven tips for developing a killer small business intern program.

11 Elements of a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign

With crowdfunding on the rise, what used to be a novel way to raise money is now a normal, often necessary, part of starting a business. In 2015, crowdfunding supplied more than $34 million to businesses. The reality is that, when comparing the amount of capital raised, crowdfunding is poised to overtake venture capital.

Here are 11 elements of a successful crowdfunding campaign.

8 Steps to Landing a Small Business Loan

Whether you’re applying for your first small business loan, or your 10th, you’ve got to bring proof of your “bankability.” Convincing a bank you’re worth the risk, and dependable enough to pay them back, is a combination of cold, hard, numbers, and “soft stuff,” like your character, level of organization, and how you present yourself.

Here are eight steps to landing the small business loan of your dreams.

7 Common Business Plan Mistakes

Though every small business is unique, many successful ones start with a common foundation: a business plan. Researching and writing a business plan is an important step in laying out the road map your business will travel, and an indispensable step in securing funding for startup costs or growth. Save time and energy by avoiding these common business plan mistakes.

Here are the seven common business plan mistakes.

11 Reasons to Start a Food Business in RI

Starting a food business (or any small business) is a challenging endeavor, and never without risk. But there’s never been a better time to start a food business in Rhode Island. With great food, great culture, and industry-specific support and resources, the Ocean State is committed to — and primed for — innovation and expansion in the food industry.

Here are 11 reasons why you should start a food business in RI now.

Social Media Marketing:Which Platform is Right for your Small Business?

For small businesses, social media marketing offers opportunities unheard of merely a decade ago. Where previous marketing efforts involved one-way communication of your brand’s message to a broad audience, social media marketing leverages the power of sharing and “virality” to interact with current and future customers, to reach target customers far beyond your sphere of influence.

Here are tips for social media marketing.

How SBDCs Meet the Needs of Millennial Entrepreneurs

If you’re a Millennial who’s ever thought about starting your own business, you’re in good company.

Here are tips for Millennial Entrepreneurs.

Is Your Personal Credit Stopping Your Business Dreams? 9 Steps Towards Launch

Have you been dreaming of starting a small business? Before you start a business plan, it’s time to check closer to home: how are your personal finances?

Here are tips for improving your personal credit score.