With the changing global economy and the rising interest in independent employment, the number of people interested in starting a business has increased significantly. It has become more popular to follow trends in entrepreneurship and best practices in creating businesses. If you have been thinking of starting your own business but have uncertainties about what business to start, here are 5 questions to ask before taking the next step.

If you are a huge fan of standup comedy and improv classes, shows at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in NYC are an excellent way to spend an evening or weekend of entertainment filled with laughter. In a digital era in which we are inundated with TV shows and online options to make us laugh, more often than not we forget the power of live standup comedy or the less conventional choice of picking up a book written by the same TV comedians we watch.

It’s valuable to have mentors, advisers or consultants to support your initial business development and guide you through various challenges, from creating a marketing strategy to implementing new technology. Getting the right type of support and the right advisers is key. Often, we come across experts who would point out what we might be doing wrong without providing any specific steps or suggestions for improvement. If you are a mentor, adviser or a consultant to someone else, avoid giving advice that does not create any value for the recipient.

Business meetings at the workplace are not the most desired working engagements. When it comes to business meetings with potential new clients or partners, however, such meetings present new business and career opportunities, as well as the potential to establish exciting new business relationships. Therefore, it’s important not to take such business meetings for granted and to prepare for them in advance. Here are some key tips for preparing for an important business meeting.

1. Learn more about the person/people you plan to have a business meeting with

With traditional employment losing popularity and the increased interest in entrepreneurship, more people take the leap to start a small business. However, low-dollar loans have not been easy to obtain, especially in underserved communities. Not until now. While small business owners still have to meet loan qualifying criteria, the government has made some key changes to the loan application and approval process, which will streamline some of the requirements banks use to grant SBA-backed loans.

Here are the changes you should know as a small business owner: