Small Biz Advice

WOJTOWICZ: Is small-business ownership for you?

November 30, 2012
Jean Wojtowicz
The horror stories are sobering: Dun & Bradstreet reported earlier this year that businesses with fewer than 20 employees have only a 37 percent chance of surviving four years and just 9 percent will be around 10 years.
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Co-working spaces multiply, giving independent workers options

June 30, 2012
Ellen Kobe
Co-working sites—shared office spaces designed to give entrepreneurs, free-lancers and consultants the tools they need to get the job done as well as the chance to interact with other professionals, sans cubicle—are gaining popularity nationally and, finally, in Indianapolis.
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Mentors give entrepreneurs a business boostRestricted Content

May 26, 2012
Andrea Muirragui Davis
Good mentors can make a world of difference to up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Countless business owners find themselves in need of a gut check from time to time and, these days, mentors are an essential part of their toolkit.
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Satellite training sites give entrepreneurship agency a boostRestricted Content

April 14, 2012
Hayleigh Colombo
Participation at Business Ownership Initiative-led training sessions is up nearly 30 percent so far this year as more Hoosiers start businesses of their own. Executive Director Julie Grice is looking for more counselors and money.
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WOJTOWICZ: Temporary program helps refinance commercial mortgages

February 24, 2012
Jean Wojtowicz
A recent study from Credit Suisse found that over $15 billion of small commercial mortgages (under $5 million) are coming due in the next few years.
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Extras help small firms boost business

January 14, 2012
Andrea Muirragui Davis
Small businesses like KnowSweat Workouts increasingly are adding products and services to keep revenue flowing during tight economic times.
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WOJTOWICZ: Do homework before meeting business lender

December 19, 2011
Jean Wojtowicz
Prepare to talk in detail about your business, the plans you are making and the reasons for expanding before you show the banker the facts and figures.
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WOJTOWICZ: Character always counts—even in loan decisions

September 23, 2011
Jean Wojtowicz
During these difficult times, small-business lenders are looking harder at intangibles—including a borrower’s character.
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WOJTOWICZ: Missed tax payments could affect business loans

July 1, 2011
Jean Wojtowicz
Property tax billing and collection were at their most confusing during the recession, when businesses were experiencing lost revenue, poor projections and, in general, toughing it out as best they could.
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WOJTOWICZ: Relief available for firms with falling real estate values

June 3, 2011
Jean Wojtowicz
New law allows banks to refinance existing real estate and equipment debt through the U.S. Small Business Administration 504 loan program.
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SHEPHERD: Credit cards hurting too many businessesRestricted Content

May 21, 2011
Connie Shepherd
Expensive personal credit undermines credit scores and ultimately the odds of more traditional lending.
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Indianapolis tech experts talk about the local industryRestricted Content

April 9, 2011
In a question-and-answer forum, leaders weigh in on topics ranging from tech transfer to the future of Aprimo.
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Business Ownership Initiative hires executive director

February 15, 2011
Sean Morrison
Julie Grice, a 10-year veteran of the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce and former business owner, began her tenure as executive director of the not-for-profit Business Ownership Initiative of Indiana on Sunday.
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WOJTOWICZ: How to lay your hands on working capital

December 6, 2010
Jean Wojtowicz
Small-business owners looking for working capital would be well-served to do their research in advance and can ask their bankers about several approaches, including financing based on assets.
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INSIDE DISH: Irvington favorite breaks off slice for Greenwood

December 3, 2010
Mason King
Jockamo Watch
                           VideoThe owners of Jockamo Upper Crust Pizza had seen other local eateries sink after expanding. They weighed many risks before pulling the trigger.
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Twitter tool winner of Startup Weekend event

November 15, 2010
The winner, StatsSquared, now will compete against other winners from cities worldwide in an online contest for the overall top prize.
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Latest Startup Weekend offers twist for entrepreneurs

November 9, 2010
Scott Olson
Unlike past events in Indianapolis, this one features a panel of judges who will select a winning business idea, enabling a team to compete in a global online contest against other winners from cities worldwide.
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WOJTOWICZ: Be careful when locking in low loan rate

August 27, 2010
Jean Wojtowicz
This may be a golden opportunity for small-business owners to lock in a low rate to finance expansion. But make sure you understand the loan agreement.
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LEADING QUESTIONS: Small-biz tips from finance whiz

May 26, 2010
Mason King
Wojtowicz_WatchVideoJean Wojtowicz, whose firm has helped fund more than 1,200 Indiana companies, recommends the "front-page test," looking seriously at expanding, and pulling the trigger quickly on toxic employees.
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LEADING QUESTIONS: Small biz whiz talks taking risks

May 5, 2010
Mason King
LQ_Ball_WatchVideoMarketing pro Lorraine Ball suggests a test for when it's time to ditch the corporate gig, plus tips for networking and public speaking.
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McCLANAHAN: Does e-mail boost or bust productivity?

April 9, 2010
CJ McClanahan
The more I deal with e-mail, the more I believe that, despite these extremely valuable benefits, e-mail is hurting our ability to effectively grow our businesses.
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MARKETING: Do you know what keeps your customer up at night?Restricted Content

December 26, 2009
Lorraine Ball
As the year winds down, it is a great time to think about your marketing plan and budget for 2010. For small-business owners, this is particularly important, because we do not have the marketing budgets of large firms.
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WOJTOWICZ: Is it time to buy rather than lease space?Restricted Content

November 28, 2009
Jean Wojtowicz
Buying a building for your business is still possible in a tight lending market, but bankers will review real estate purchases carefully.
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LEADERSHIP: Use objective measures to evaluate employeesRestricted Content

October 24, 2009
CJ McClanahan
To improve the productivity of your management team, it’s critical to have an objective plan for measuring performance. That means clear job descriptions, goals, and key performance indicators to track progress.
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MARKETING: Why Discount Tire gets my vote, again and againRestricted Content

August 29, 2009
Lorraine Ball
There are plenty of “low-tech” companies exploring ways to build social media into their marketing strategies with outstanding results.
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  1. "And the success of the Indiana GOP to not allow an expansion of Medicaid had nothing to do with Indiana hospitals' financial woes? Fixed that for you; editorial bias rebalanced. Seriously, there are so many things wrong with Obamacare that the only way one can view it as a success is to assume that it was designed to fail our way into a government single payor healthcare system. The system is complex, creates huge regulatory burdens and overhead and yet still does not have adequate means to control escalating health care costs. But then when you elect a 10th grade math drop out with no quantitative reasoning skills to be President of one of the world's most important economies in troubled times, you can't really be surprised by blatant stupidity.

  2. No NIMBYs here to chase off a decent development. We don't need tons of parking and we'd happily play the role of host to a downtown Whole Foods.

  3. Whatever you do, don't change a single thing about Broad Ripple. I want it to look just like it did in the late '70s, with 30% of the north side of Broad Ripple Avenue burned out and plenty of places to park. That's right Broad Ripple, NEVER CHANGE. Let the world pass you by, don't improve your empty, abandoned lots full of weeds. Someday someone will want to film a zombie movie here.

  4. Hollywood could step in and make a movie about the history about this forlorn series. It could be a full celebrity cast of characters. WOW. http://www.advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2013/02/indiana-taxpayers-forced-to-pay-for.html

  5. This shouldn't come as a shock to many. Austin is a great city, and Indy needs to take some notes. Austin invests in decent transit options, has a highly educated workforce, embraces a creative class, and --despite being the state capital-- is not micromanaged by rural and suburban legislators. Want Indy to grow? Invest in the city (i.e. spend money). Raise taxes a bit, and use the money to improve education. And keep the state legislature out of Indy the other 9 months of the year.

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