Pedro Hernandez

Consumers have nothing but options when it comes to reviewing their personal credit scores. For small business owners, however, getting a clear picture of how credit rating agencies view their business can be a challenge. After applying for a car loan or home mortgage, entrepreneurs may come away from the process thinking that funding their […]

Small and midsized businesses (SMBs) are in a personnel pinch. Even the most well-intentioned entrepreneur, particularly if she heads up a tech firm, can find it tough to match the benefits packages and perks provided by deep-pocketed corporations. Retaining sought-after professionals becomes a challenge when they are enticed by grass that’s alluringly greener on the […]

Accounting software specialist Sage has some worrying news for small business owners. Their accountants are failing to keep up with the times. Sage’s survey (PDF) of 264 accountants in the U.S. found that just 10 percent of respondents leverage the cloud or online services to collaborate or share information with their clients. That’s right, in an […]

Most small and midsized businesses (SMBs) are swimming in financial data, but not all of them take steps to safeguard it, according to the 2014 State of Risk report (registration required) from Chicago-based IT security services provider Trustwave. The company surveyed 476 IT and security professionals, three-quarters of which work at SMBs (up to 1,000 employees). Respondents originate […]

If you expect your employees to work together, why should your business software get a pass? Collaborative teams are critical to running a successful business, whether it’s ecommerce, brick-and-mortar, a small shop or a retail empire. Like a well-oiled machine, once those teams get into a rhythm, rewarding outcomes are practically assured. Unfortunately, many small […]

Many shoppers may not realize it, but there’s a good chance that their ecommerce transactions with small and midsized business (SMB) merchants this holiday are powered by Ecwid. So, what exactly is Ecwid? First, the San Diego-based company’s name is not just a random bundle of letters, Jim O’Hara, president of Ecwid, assured Small Business […]

Cisco brings enterprise-grade collaboration to small and midsized businesses (SMBs). The computer networking company recently unveiled a new offering—called the Cisco Business Edition 6000S (BE6000S)—for organizations with 25 to 150 users. Set for an early 2015 release, and based on Cisco’s 2921 Integrated Services Router (ISR), the solution bundles secure small business network routing, voice, video and […]

GridVision, a small and midsized business (SMB) IT specialist, has launched a new software-as-a-service (SaaS) tool that helps companies spend less time maintaining their IT environments and more time serving their customers. When it comes to IT management, small business owners have two choices. They can either pay IT experts a tidy sum to keep […]

Figure 2: The Dell Venue 11 Pro 700 tablet shown (left to right) on its own, with an optional keyboard, and with an optional docking station. Processor options boil down to a dual-core 2.0 GHz (5Y10a) or a 2.6 GHz (vPro 5Y70) Intel Core M processor, both with 4 MB of cache. Other configuration options […]

On Nov. 29, while big box stores recuperate from the Black Friday madness that descended on them the day before, it’s the small business community’s time to shine—and give those cash registers a workout. If last year’s results are any indication, local shop owners have much to look forward to during the Thanksgiving weekend, according […]

Small and midsized businesses (SMBs) have embraced the so-called “bring your own device” (BYOD) trend, but many are ignoring the security lessons of the past. Smartphones and tablets are a common sight in small shops and offices, a sign that small business owners are hip to the business-enhancing benefits of mobile productivity. Unfortunately, they’re also […]

GoDaddy has launched a new product that takes the complexity out of setting up an online shop. Online Store, a plain-English branding exercise that recalls the company’s Get Paid online payments solution, is part of GoDaddy’s plan to help small businesses of all stripes participate in the Internet economy. And the current ecommerce landscape could use […]