Category: Business Tips
Starting a Business: Common Mistakes Influencers Make
The “Don’ts” of Starting a New Business for Creators 55% of adults in the United States have, or will start, a business in their life. The most powerful motivating factor behind this surprising statistic is the appeal of financial freedom and the ability to-be your own boss. Content creators are more motivated than ever to […]
The Future of the Creator Economy
Intro The “creator economy”-most people would be a bit confused if anyone tried to explain that “creator” is actually a job. Mike Bienstock-CEO of the Semaphore Faily of Companies- focuses on the Creator Economy in his LinkedIn post “Still think the Creator Economy is Child’s Play?” In his LinkedIn post Mike suggests that “Personal Brand […]
Licensing 101: The Basics of Product Licensing
Have you ever imagined how your product can break into the big retail stores and reach more fans? Enter Semaphore Premier Licensing. We have experts that can help you navigate through this long and tedious process. Let’s start with the basics – what is product licensing? We interviewed our “in-house” expert, Scott MacDonald, COO of […]
Business Scams – A Learning Series Lesson 6: Phishing
INTRODUCTION Confidential AND sensitive information is the holy grail for cyber scammers. Passwords, bank account numbers, and other monetary info are what they’re after, and phishing is a quick and easy way to reel it in. What is phishing? It’s not a misspelled form of fishing-but it’s related to the concept of baiting or tricking […]
Business Scams – A Learning Series Lesson 5: Fraudulent Billing Scams
INTRODUCTION If you have a business, your business receives invoices for gear you buy, things you rent, and services you contract. Your business produces invoices for services you provide, or products you sell. Your business might get multiple invoices for the same product or service; and If your business does any transactions with the federal, […]
Business Scams – A Learning Series Lesson 4: Government Agency Imposters
INTRODUCTION “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” said the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. However, these scammers are not from the government, and they are not here to help. They are here to rip you off. HOW THE SCAM […]
Cyber Security Insurance for Business Owners
Intro According to a report from IBM, Security Data breaches in the US cost businesses an average of more than $4 million per incident. If that sounds scary, you are not wrong to be afraid. Data breaches strike both large enterprises and smaller businesses as well. Small businesses are targeted mainly because they are easier […]
Minding the GAAP
Introduction McDonalds founder Ray Kroc once said, “It’s easy to have principles when you’re rich. The important thing is to have principles when you’re poor.” Small Business owners know that if they don’t have principles, they can soon wind up bankrupt and that their number one job is to protect their business by establishing a strong […]
The Gen Z Guide to Taxes and Money
Introduction Do you remember Aesop’s fable The Ants and the Grasshopper? There’s a lot we can learn from a Greek writer who lived nearly 3,000 years ago. If you’re not familiar with the story, the basics are: The Ants work hard all summer and put away food for the winter. The Grasshopper is busy making […]
Business Scams – A Learning Series – Lesson 3: Tech Support Scams
INTRODUCTION Most of our businesses are dependent on computers to operate. Whether you’re a solopreneur with a laptop or you have a dozen networked devices, you and your business most likely depend on a computer. As Bill Gates famously said, “Information technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven. I don’t think anybody can talk meaningfully […]