Experian®, a global information services company, has undertaken a comprehensive study that examines the payment behavior of the small-business owner in relation to the current mortgage crisis.

The study found that business owners with a severe mortgage delinquency were more likely to pay their business obligations instead of their mortgage.

Experian’s research showed that because of deteriorating equity, high mortgage payments and limited refinancing options, business...

Rob

You will have no doubt read about the usefulness of keeping a notebook handy at all times for capturing ideas which mysteriously float into your mind.

I always carry a small notebook with me, small enough to fit into my pocket. Like many people I find ideas and thoughts popping up all the time (especially ideas for this part of my weekly newsletter). Inspirations flash by and very quickly they are gone. To capture those thoughts I immediately write them down.

It doesn’t...

Rob

The worst of the decline in start up business numbers is expected to be over by the end of the year, according to Barclays estimates. The figures reveal an expected 380,000 businesses to start up during 2008 (2007: 430,000), as well as an SME market better financially prepared to weather the economic downturn.

“We believe most of the downward adjustment will have occurred by the end of the year, and a lot of the fall has already occurred,” said Nic Bayley, Head of Product for Barclays...

Rob

If you've been running AdSense ads on your site for quite a while I’m sure by now you feel that you aren't making as much cash as you could; in 99.99% of cases you're right! Most people feel frustrated that they cannot generate the revenues they expected and have to make do with less than $1 a day (if you are lucky). This lower than expected income is down to traffic levels as well as poor click through rates.

There are many ways to turn traffic into AdSense traffic and here is a...

Rob

Is your business challenging you enough? This may seem like a strange question but it’s a serious one.

As with anything in life there has to be an element of challenge to make life interesting and fun. Without challenge, life becomes boring, predictable and mundane. The same can happen to your business.

To keep yourself and ultimately your business on top form, you have to set yourself challenging objectives or targets.

• Set ambitious cold calling goals
• Set

...

Rob