Smoothing out and maintaining cash-flow is a huge, ongoing task as a small business owner. If your business is seasonal and/or service-oriented, managing cash-flow will be an even greater challenge.

As a small business owner, you know that every penny counts. From one-time startup costs and buying new equipment to recurring rent and utilities, operating a small business can be expensive. Even more so when you end up overpaying on taxes.

Whether you are a startup entrepreneur or the owner of an established company, boosting efficiency is always a priority. The possibility of saving time, money, and resources while still achieving the same results is always an attractive idea.

Just before Christmas, CNBC released an economic survey revealing that a majority of the U.S. population was optimistic about the economy – the first time in over a decade. The growth the economy experienced over the last year is expected to continue.

According to the University of Scranton research, more than 40 percent of American’s make New Year’s resolutions. Despite good intentions, just 8 percent of these individuals go on to achieve their New Year’s goals.

Company culture is the personality of your business and defines the daily environment in which your employees work. Forming a positive company culture is the cornerstone of any successful, thriving business.

Between 1978 and 2012, the number of businesses less than a year old declined as a share of all companies by a startling 44 percent. Some business leaders referred to the situation as the slow death of American entrepreneurship.

When you receive your business’ monthly financial statements, your focus more than likely goes straight to the bottom line of the income statement. After assessing your business’ profits, your gaze then shifts to the cash account on the balance sheet.

The cyclical nature of running a business sometimes requires borrowing money to meet a business’ short-term needs or goals. Whether you need funds to launch your startup or to expand your established small business, every business owner will experience their share of financial ups and downs.

Of the many challenges involved in running a small business, money management is one of the toughest, most time consuming aspects. Getting your customers to pay their invoices on time has proven to be one of the most difficult challenges. Slow payments can seriously hurt your business’ cash-flow.