Small Business Labs

JANUARY 28, 2021

How much will a side gig cost you? ." The guide goes on to provide practical and useful information covering everything you need to know to get going on a side gig.    The guide's topics include:   Which side-hustle you should launch? Getting a side hustle started. Don’t forget tax planning.

2021 266

2021 Budget UPS 266

Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 2, 2019

  Taking their place in attracting talent are lower-cost cities and towns, mostly in the sunbelt.  the study also found continued growth of remote workers - again, especially in lower-cost areas of the country.  In addition to finding talent is spreading out across the U.S., This is about 4.7% of the workforce.  

Restaurants 143

Restaurants Collaborate Skills Management 143

Small Business Labs

APRIL 23, 2018

It's one of the world's most expensive real estate markets and has some of the highest labor costs in the U.S.    Driving these discussions are the high cost of air freight relative manufacturing costs.  San Francisco is not a cheap place to locate a business, especially a manufacturing business.

2007 172

2007 Expenses 172

Small Business Labs

AUGUST 15, 2017

But a long emerging trend of moving work to lower cost areas of the U.S. The New York Times article  Hot Spot for Tech Outsourcing: The United States looks at the outsourcing of software development tasks to lower cost U.S. Although lower cost U.S. Although lower cost U.S. to lower cost areas. 

Telecommuting 170

Telecommuting Salary Expenses Time Zones 170

Small Business Labs

AUGUST 6, 2018

There are several drivers of the speed factory trend: Overseas labor costs are rising, making local production more cost competitive. Transportation and logistics costs are also rising. .  Adidas, for example, is using speed factories to quickly get customized sneakers to market.

2007 145

2007 Policies 145

Small Business Labs

APRIL 24, 2017

Companies, entrepreneurs, and inventors can rent time on nearby equipment, be it CNC milling machines, water jets, or laser cutters—any of which can cost from $50,000 to $250,000 apiece to purchase. More broadly, this is another example of shift to variable costs. For the manufacturing firms, this increases their efficiency. 

Collaborate 150

Collaborate Equipment 2016 Purchasing 150

Small Business Labs

APRIL 8, 2021

"  The drivers of these changes, of course, are the steady declines in the cost of renewable energy sources and their increased use. As forecasters we're fascinated that the term "peak oil" now refers to the point in time when global oil demand begins to fall.

2019 239

2019 2014 2021 Agencies 239

Small Business Labs

MARCH 1, 2021

But solar power costs continue to fall, and Texas and California's power failures show that big, highly connected, and complex power systems - which are very efficient when they work - are also prone to very big failures. As the Bloomberg article title implies, going the full solar route is still a bit expensive.

Expenses 260

Expenses Forms 260

Small Business Labs

JULY 9, 2019

  Improvements in outsourced logistics services have reduced the costs and greatly simplified the process of delivering physical products to pretty much any global destination. Collaboration software has reached the level where communicating with remote customers is easy and efficient.

2018 250

2018 2019 2012 Collaborate 250

Small Business Labs

NOVEMBER 21, 2017

Most people we talk to think cost is the main reason people use gig workers.    But as the chart clearly shows, cost issues are well below accessing specialized talent and the small business only having temporary needs. 

Mentoring 182

Mentoring 182

Small Business Labs

OCTOBER 31, 2017

  Also interesting is that reducing cost has fallen to 5th on the challenges list. Because contingent talent is involved in mission-critical work, cost is less of an issue.   BTW, this is not to say cost isn't an issue. For mission-critical talent, cost is not a key issue.

Skills 160

Skills 2018 2017 International 160

Small Business Labs

MAY 24, 2021

   They ranked countries and places by constructing an index based on cost of living, safety, average internet speed, presence of nature and wellness spots, and the number of both relaxing and adventurous activities in each country.

2021 167

2021 2020 167

Small Business Labs

NOVEMBER 1, 2018

But bigger issues include is it doesn't factor in other cost of livings (rent, etc.), it doesn't include support programs like food stamps or the earned income tax credit and it assumes the cost of living is same everywhere in the U.S. Due to these problems, the supplemental poverty measure was developed in 2010.

2017 133

2017 Budget 2016 2011 133

Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 30, 2020

  Improvements in outsourced logistics services have reduced the costs and greatly simplified the process of delivering physical products to pretty much any global destination. Collaboration software has reached the level where communicating with remote customers is easy and efficient.

2020 257

2020 2011 Collaborate International 257

Small Business Labs

JANUARY 24, 2019

There have been multiple studies showing accountants add value relative to the cost for their small business clients.  This raises the question why don't the other 40% use outside accountants?    The study chart below shows the answers given by the survey respondents. After all, we could use a bit less stress.

Stress 190

Stress 190

Small Business Labs

MARCH 25, 2021

If an analyst or consulting firm produced this report, it would cost thousands of dollars.  . #7,We've long thought our standard productivity measures don't capture knowledge work properly.    The shift to hybrid models will likely lead to new, more effective measures.   It also wouldn't be as well written.  

AT&T 219

AT&T 219

Small Business Labs

JULY 27, 2017

. The food is also grown close to population centers, so it's delivered fresher and with lower supply chain costs.    But the various indoor food startups are all claiming they can deliver their indoor food for the same cost, or even cheaper, than outdoor grown organic food.

Environment 150

Environment 150

Small Business Labs

MARCH 8, 2018

This means rideshare drivers have different cost structures. So using a set of average costs - as the MIT study and our study did - also leads to imprecise results. Combining these two factors means any findings using surveys to get revenue and averages for the cost data are going to have large margins of error.

Expenses 155

Expenses Policies AT&T Confidence 155

Small Business Labs

NOVEMBER 13, 2018

Glocalization  refers to the integration of local differences in the cost and availability of skills to a standardized global structure that enables their use. This is also referred to as geoarbitrage, which is tapping into lower cost labor from lower cost countries. per hour.

2018 147

2018 Suppliers 2008 Collaborate 147

Small Business Labs

JULY 13, 2017

  These services take advantage of lightweight business infrastructures, reduce capital requirements and turn fixed costs into variable costs.    This combination cuts overall costs and increases efficiency. And in the long run, efficiency wins.

2017 133

2017 2016 2021 UPS 133

Small Business Labs

SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

For a price tag of only $12, this was an attractive deal to fans who were not located in Colorado or could not pay the $60 cost of a normal ticket. The camera panned to all different angles of the unique concert venue: up close on stage, to bird’s-eye views of the dancing audience.

Social Media 161

Social Media 2020 UPS 161

Small Business Labs

JULY 23, 2019

Simply put, workers up and down the income ladder are finding that their compensation simply doesn’t keep up with rising costs, especially of education, health care, and housing.  Nor are the reasons behind the growing number of Americans with side gigs.

2019 114

2019 Health Skills UPS 114

Small Business Labs

JUNE 12, 2018

The article stresses how much lower the cost of doing business - and living - is in the Midwest. As we pointed out in the Venture Beat article  Tech companies are choosing the Midwest as costs of outsourcing rise , larger firms are also moving tech jobs to Midwest.  And that's certainly a strong draw.

2010 134

2010 Stress AT&T UPS 134

Small Business Labs

JUNE 29, 2020

 This means revenue shortfalls have to be met with cost-cutting. According to the National League of Cities (NLC) , 65% of cities are being forced to delay or cancel capital spending and infrastructure projects due to COVID-19.      Unlike the federal government, most U.S.

Budget 264

Budget Agencies Expenses Travel 264

Small Business Labs

FEBRUARY 7, 2017

  And the primary reason Nimbus hires gig workers is not to cut costs. In addition to hiring gig workers, Nimbus uses contract lab space, partnerships, cloud based technology and outsourcing to keep their fixed costs down and business flexibility up.  The WSJ article focused on companies doing this to cut costs. 

Collaborate 100

Collaborate Skills AT&T UPS 100

Small Business Labs

NOVEMBER 26, 2019

This even though many of the costs of coal (pollution, worker health problems, etc.) .  Coal generation, as the chart below shows, has been rapidly declining since it's peak year in 2010. Simply put, coal is not economically competitive with other sources. are not included in its price.

2021 143

2021 Environment 2010 Health 143

Small Business Labs

SEPTEMBER 18, 2017

Over time as costs come down, the new technology spreads to broader use in lower cost and value applications. Almost all new technologies start out being used in high value applications. This is because, generally speaking, new technologies are expensive. Like pizza delivery. 

Medical 145

Medical 2018 2016 Expenses 145

Small Business Labs

SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

  Way back in 2003, contract labor was only about 20% of the labor costs of sole proprietors. .  Over the same period, spending on salaries and wages (meaning traditional employees) rose from $73.7 billion to $90.9 billion, an increase of 23%.  By 2010 it has risen to 31%. And in 2016 it reached 39%. 

2003 183

2003 2016 Temping Salary 183

Small Business Labs

SEPTEMBER 14, 2020

Chamber of Commerce article The K-Shaped Recovery and the Cost of Inaction.  The K-shape is driven, in part, because industries that employ high percentages of low and moderate wage jobs are not recovering as quickly as other industries. The chart below is from the U.S.

AT&T 215

AT&T 215

Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 17, 2018

  Technology is lowering the costs of serving niche markets and making artisans able to compete with even the largest of firms.   The Internet and online marketing has made it much easier to find or be found by people interested in buying niche products.      3.    BTW, so is Etsy.

2008 216

2008 UPS 216

Small Business Labs

MAY 15, 2018

The report also points out that while cost is still important, "it's no longer the principal driver for using an external workforce. The report chart above (click to enlarge) illustrates this and shows that the companies surveyed are spending about the same amount on external service providers and external independent workers.

2018 184

2018 Agencies Management 184

Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 16, 2019

BTW, we find the Quartz premium membership service to be well worth its cost. Esports is an excellent example of how technology is creating societal change – and new businesses and opportunities. We particularly like their weekly subject briefings, like this one on esports. 

2019 130

2019 Training 130

Small Business Labs

APRIL 11, 2019

This is due in part to podcasting's low production and distribution costs. .  Podcasting is interesting to us here at Small Business Labs because it's yet another example of small businesses and even individuals successfully competing with large corporations. 

2019 183

2019 2018 AT&T 183

Small Business Labs

APRIL 8, 2018

The entrepreneurs said they located their businesses in Duluth because it's a great place to live (they must like winter), has a talented workforce and relative to big cities, low costs. We've pointed out in the past that  tech firms are starting to move jobs to the Midwest for these same reasons.

Restaurants 200

Restaurants 200

Small Business Labs

MAY 17, 2018

Their costs also vary because they drive different types of vehicles and pay different amounts for gas, oil, maintenance, insurance and taxes (all of which tend to vary by geography).   It's also important to note that many drivers aren't focused on maximizing their after-cost earnings per hour. 

Expenses 150

Expenses AT&T Purchasing Confidence 150

Small Business Labs

JULY 18, 2016

The first is cost. As the Wall Street Journal article Revival of Universal Basic Income Proposal Ignores Needs of Labor Force points out, giving all adult Americans $10,000 a year would cost about $2.4 kids to the program would, of course, raise theses costs substantially.  Adding roughly 100 million U.S.

Budget 100

Budget Policies 100

Small Business Labs

JUNE 11, 2019

As the study chart below shows, "3 in 10 working Americans with a side hustle say they need the extra income to help cover the cost of regular living expenses." " So as Bankrate points out, even though we have a strong economy a lot Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and just getting by.

Expenses 119

Expenses 119