Business problems and their solutions are as varied as the kinds of businesses in existence. There are some issues, however, that every business faces. Whatever your business concerns, we can provide the help you need.

Whether you are starting a business or operating a going concern, we can help you select the proper organizational structure and help you secure adequate financing. We will work with you and your banker, lawyer, insurance agent, and other advisors to solve your business problems.

We can assist you with loan applications, pricing, credit policies, cash flow concerns, cost controls, and other management issues. We will gladly assist you in reviewing your operations to see what you might do to be more profitable.

What makes a business successful?

Never stop investigating ways to improve all areas of your business. The astute businessperson will seek information to assist him or her in making the changes necessary to stay profitable in a competitive business world.

Here are some ideas that could improve your profits:

• Do your homework.
  Before you start a new business, be sure the community can support such a business. Some areas are not large enough to warrant certain specialty shops. A bicycle shop, for example, may take a population base of 50,000 people to make it profitable. A grocery store, on the other hand, can be profitable in a town of only a few thousand.
• Carefully review business proposals.
  Business deals and special franchises which sound too good to be true usually are. We will gladly assist you in reviewing any business purchase or business proposal.
• Enlist the services of professionals.
  Accountants, bankers, insurance agents and lawyers can help you solve your business problems. These professionals handle a variety of business problems every day. They make excellent sounding boards for proposed transactions.
• Check reasons for incorporating.
  Don't incorporate your business without first checking the long-range tax and nontax considerations. There are many small corporations that would have been better off operating in some other legal form.
• Make payroll deposits on time.
  Some businesses receive penalties for late payroll tax deposits. To avoid such problems, don't sign payroll checks unless the first check in the stack is the payroll deposit to your bank. This may have you paying deposits earlier than required, but you will not be receiving penalties.
• Listen to your customers.
  You are not only selling products or services, you are selling customer satisfaction. Satisfied customers return to spend more money and are likely to refer new customers to you.
• Strive to retain customers.
  It is estimated to cost ten times as much to acquire a new customer as it does to retain a current customer through good customer service.
• Don't make yourself indispensable.
  If your company runs well now in your absence, it will run well in the event of your disability or death. If you are currently indispensable, start training people now. One of the most rewarding forms of retirement is to own your own company and to be absent as much as you like.