Writing a full business plan is a ton of work no doubt. If you are a student it could take 6 months or more to make a full plan. If you aren't seeking funding or don't want to create that full on business plan then what options do you have? I still think you should create a plan, just because it will be incredibly beneficial for your business, but there is a shortened business plan that you can create that will give insights into the industry and business you are looking to run without the time investment of a full plan. This shortened plan is known by many as a preliminary venture analysis. (called a PVA for short) A PVA give you the info needed to create a fairly quick decision on whether or not your business is feasible or if you have a smaller decision that needs to be made such as whether or not a new product line should be launched. A PVA is most comparable to the executive summary part of a full business plan. The big difference between the two is that to make a PVA you will spend a lot less time gathering information and researching. This means it will not have the same depth as an executive summary.
A PVA is quite useful to show to various organizations and to circulate around. It is sort of like a paper version of the Elevator pitch and there are several companies you can send PVA's too that review and circulate them so that you can hopefully find angel investors around the country. For business plan competitions with the right PVA's you can show them off to receive reviews or even funding if its good enough. By making a mini business plan you are saving yourself the time and effort needed to make a full on business plan but still have something concrete and real to show.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
How To Run An Extremely Profitable Online Business Even Without A Website
Running online business involves the application of certain strategies and tools to market your goods, products and services online. To run your online business successfully even without a website involves the usage and application of relevant tools to promote an online business.
To run a successful web business without even a website, you need to use an appropriate email marketing program or auto responder system to market your products and services to prospective customers and buyers.
Join online ezines and forums related to your niche or internet area to be able to understand the tone, theme and needs of subscribers to the ezine or forum groups.
Alternatively you could also start your own ezine or forum online. Understands how ezine publication online business works before going into it. Then request for advertisement from your e-zine group or to a special offers in online forums. Refer your prospect or customers to contact you though your email marketing program or software or auto responder system that you have prepare online message or sales copy of your products to be sent to prospect after they have requested for your information through your auto responder email address.
Auto responder are automated software that sent out message promotion as they are requested or program by a user, it could be instantly when a request is made for the first time or periodically at intervals of days.
Series of messages must be prepared by you to be sent to your prospect. With an auto responder you are adding email contacts of you prospects everyday from your e-zine advert offers, to use and market your products over and over again to the same people. To be successful online using auto responder system, you needs to put a good autoresponder system that has all the features you need to for your promotions online.
To run a successful web business without even a website, you need to use an appropriate email marketing program or auto responder system to market your products and services to prospective customers and buyers.
Join online ezines and forums related to your niche or internet area to be able to understand the tone, theme and needs of subscribers to the ezine or forum groups.
Alternatively you could also start your own ezine or forum online. Understands how ezine publication online business works before going into it. Then request for advertisement from your e-zine group or to a special offers in online forums. Refer your prospect or customers to contact you though your email marketing program or software or auto responder system that you have prepare online message or sales copy of your products to be sent to prospect after they have requested for your information through your auto responder email address.
Auto responder are automated software that sent out message promotion as they are requested or program by a user, it could be instantly when a request is made for the first time or periodically at intervals of days.
Series of messages must be prepared by you to be sent to your prospect. With an auto responder you are adding email contacts of you prospects everyday from your e-zine advert offers, to use and market your products over and over again to the same people. To be successful online using auto responder system, you needs to put a good autoresponder system that has all the features you need to for your promotions online.
Starting a Business - What Steps Should You Take First - Part 2
Question: What is real cost?
A1: Say you are selling a pen and it cost 35 cents you can sell it for $1 and make 65 cents right, WRONG! You have other expense to consider like advertising, bank fees, shipping fees, loan or credit card, rent (store or online) ink, paper and there maybe more. If you are making the item you are selling you must look at the price of all of its parts. Lets look at these a little closer.
If you are making a product for sale you need to take the total cost per part and divide by the number of finished products you can get out of that part. If you are selling glasses and you get 6 in a box at a cost of 6 dollars then the cost is 1 dollar a glass. If you are putting a design on the glass say from a piece of fabric and the fabric cost 2 dollars a yard and you can get 4 glass out of the yard the total cost per glass is 50 cents so your glasses total cost is $1.50 and so on for all parts included in the finished product. You must also figure in the cost discussed below.
ADVERTISING if it cost you a dollar to advertise you need to set a markup of say .01 cents per pen so total cost is now 36 cents if sold at $1 dollar you could make 64 cent per pen but there’s more cost.
BANK FEES if a credit card was used for the purchase you have a charge from the credit card gateway as well as the bank so lets say together the fees for the sale are 35 cents. Now add that to the advertising and pen cost and now your pens total cost is 71 cents. If you sell the pen at $1 dollar you could make 29 cents per pen but there’s more cost. NOTE the bank and gateway charges will vary by dollar amount of transaction.
SHIPPING FEES will be charged to the customer at purchase. This will vary by size, weight, carrier, and shipping zone. If you use a shipping calculator then you are set. If you do not use a shipping calculator you need to set a shipping charge. To find out what to charge if you have the product on hand take it to the shipper you plan to use and find out what it would cost to ship farthest away from you and either charge that as a flat fee for all or find a spot in between your lowest and highest points. Another good way to judge this is by looking at other sites and see what they are charging to ship. If you decide to ship for free this adds onto the your pens cost.
LOAN or CREDIT CARD - If you used a loan or credit card to open the business you need to figure your monthly payment into the cost of your pen. If your payment is $50 a month then you need to figure out a reasonable amount of markup to help offset this cost. If you set a markup of 50 cents per pen your total cost is now $1.21 if you sell it at $1 you have lost 21 cents a pen and you must sell 100 pens to make your payment for the 50 dollar month so you would lose $21 dollars.
RENT - You will pay some sort of rent (website or store) you need to figure out a reasonable amount of markup to help offset this cost. If a website cost $29 dollars a month and you set a markup of 30 cents per pen you must sell 100 pens to make your rent for the month.
INK AND PAPER - If 2 ink cartridges cost you $50 dollars a month and paper cost you $10 dollars a month your total cost is $60 dollars. If you set up a markup of 60 cents per pen you must sell 100 pens to pay for the ink and paper cost for the month.
CAUTION you must be careful to not over price your pen or no one will buy it. A good way to do this is to find like pens and see what they are selling for and make your decision to charge more or less according to what you find.
Question: How do you determine what your real cost is?
I use spread sheets to figure my real cost. Set up a column for advertising, credit card or loan, rent. One sheet should give you monthly cost. So advertising is $1, loan/credit card $50, rent $30, ink and paper $60, so your monthly cost is $141 dollars.
On the next spread sheet put in your figures with your markup figure we decided on above for loan/credit card rent and advertising added to your pens cost. Set up a column for product number, product cost, advertising, credit card or loan, rent, credit card fee and bank fee, ink and paper. So your pen cost 35 cents, advertising .01 cents, credit card fee 18 cents, bank fee 17 cents, loan/credit card 50 cents, rent 30 cents, ink and paper 60 cents so your cost is $2.11 per pen. Just to get to the break even point if you sell your pen at say $2.55 you would need to sell 83 pens. Now I am pretty sure you will be selling more than 1 type of pen so you would spread these figures out over all of the pens. This would make your pens cost cheaper.
I also make another sheet and on this sheet I play with the price of our pen. I use our set price and put in sale prices or discount to see just how much I can put the pen on sale for because everyone likes a bargain and the goal is to sell a lot of pens.
For help on promoting your online business read my other article. Website Promotion Services - for the New Online Business Owner it contains many free and useful tips.
Businesses fail because they did not look at the whole picture. Someone opens a business and thinks just like the first paragraph says that they will make 65 cents a pen, they forget about the little stuff like ink, paper, advertising and other nickel and dime items and these other items can directly affect the profit or loss of your business. That is why you need to figure out your real cost. The example above does not include everything as there will always be something small that will come up.
I’ve worked all my life and figure if I work as hard for myself as I do for other people then I CAN NOT fail. My business is growing and I look forward to quitting my job. P.S writing this article is a free form of advertising while helping others learn how to start a business.
A1: Say you are selling a pen and it cost 35 cents you can sell it for $1 and make 65 cents right, WRONG! You have other expense to consider like advertising, bank fees, shipping fees, loan or credit card, rent (store or online) ink, paper and there maybe more. If you are making the item you are selling you must look at the price of all of its parts. Lets look at these a little closer.
If you are making a product for sale you need to take the total cost per part and divide by the number of finished products you can get out of that part. If you are selling glasses and you get 6 in a box at a cost of 6 dollars then the cost is 1 dollar a glass. If you are putting a design on the glass say from a piece of fabric and the fabric cost 2 dollars a yard and you can get 4 glass out of the yard the total cost per glass is 50 cents so your glasses total cost is $1.50 and so on for all parts included in the finished product. You must also figure in the cost discussed below.
ADVERTISING if it cost you a dollar to advertise you need to set a markup of say .01 cents per pen so total cost is now 36 cents if sold at $1 dollar you could make 64 cent per pen but there’s more cost.
BANK FEES if a credit card was used for the purchase you have a charge from the credit card gateway as well as the bank so lets say together the fees for the sale are 35 cents. Now add that to the advertising and pen cost and now your pens total cost is 71 cents. If you sell the pen at $1 dollar you could make 29 cents per pen but there’s more cost. NOTE the bank and gateway charges will vary by dollar amount of transaction.
SHIPPING FEES will be charged to the customer at purchase. This will vary by size, weight, carrier, and shipping zone. If you use a shipping calculator then you are set. If you do not use a shipping calculator you need to set a shipping charge. To find out what to charge if you have the product on hand take it to the shipper you plan to use and find out what it would cost to ship farthest away from you and either charge that as a flat fee for all or find a spot in between your lowest and highest points. Another good way to judge this is by looking at other sites and see what they are charging to ship. If you decide to ship for free this adds onto the your pens cost.
LOAN or CREDIT CARD - If you used a loan or credit card to open the business you need to figure your monthly payment into the cost of your pen. If your payment is $50 a month then you need to figure out a reasonable amount of markup to help offset this cost. If you set a markup of 50 cents per pen your total cost is now $1.21 if you sell it at $1 you have lost 21 cents a pen and you must sell 100 pens to make your payment for the 50 dollar month so you would lose $21 dollars.
RENT - You will pay some sort of rent (website or store) you need to figure out a reasonable amount of markup to help offset this cost. If a website cost $29 dollars a month and you set a markup of 30 cents per pen you must sell 100 pens to make your rent for the month.
INK AND PAPER - If 2 ink cartridges cost you $50 dollars a month and paper cost you $10 dollars a month your total cost is $60 dollars. If you set up a markup of 60 cents per pen you must sell 100 pens to pay for the ink and paper cost for the month.
CAUTION you must be careful to not over price your pen or no one will buy it. A good way to do this is to find like pens and see what they are selling for and make your decision to charge more or less according to what you find.
Question: How do you determine what your real cost is?
I use spread sheets to figure my real cost. Set up a column for advertising, credit card or loan, rent. One sheet should give you monthly cost. So advertising is $1, loan/credit card $50, rent $30, ink and paper $60, so your monthly cost is $141 dollars.
On the next spread sheet put in your figures with your markup figure we decided on above for loan/credit card rent and advertising added to your pens cost. Set up a column for product number, product cost, advertising, credit card or loan, rent, credit card fee and bank fee, ink and paper. So your pen cost 35 cents, advertising .01 cents, credit card fee 18 cents, bank fee 17 cents, loan/credit card 50 cents, rent 30 cents, ink and paper 60 cents so your cost is $2.11 per pen. Just to get to the break even point if you sell your pen at say $2.55 you would need to sell 83 pens. Now I am pretty sure you will be selling more than 1 type of pen so you would spread these figures out over all of the pens. This would make your pens cost cheaper.
I also make another sheet and on this sheet I play with the price of our pen. I use our set price and put in sale prices or discount to see just how much I can put the pen on sale for because everyone likes a bargain and the goal is to sell a lot of pens.
For help on promoting your online business read my other article. Website Promotion Services - for the New Online Business Owner it contains many free and useful tips.
Businesses fail because they did not look at the whole picture. Someone opens a business and thinks just like the first paragraph says that they will make 65 cents a pen, they forget about the little stuff like ink, paper, advertising and other nickel and dime items and these other items can directly affect the profit or loss of your business. That is why you need to figure out your real cost. The example above does not include everything as there will always be something small that will come up.
I’ve worked all my life and figure if I work as hard for myself as I do for other people then I CAN NOT fail. My business is growing and I look forward to quitting my job. P.S writing this article is a free form of advertising while helping others learn how to start a business.
Starting a Cleaning Business and Successfully Growing It
Many websites will tell you that starting a cleaning business in just a few days is easy, and that you can start a house cleaning business for a very small investment. What they don’t tell you is that finding customers and running the business can be frustrating, time consuming and costly. Most people who start a house cleaning business go out of business within the first six months due to lack of knowledge and preparation. Don’t be one of the failures! Research the industry and know what you are getting into before you invest in starting your own cleaning business.
Here is some professional advice that will help you start your own cleaning business with minimal investment and maximum return:
A professionally designed logo will help to brand your company in the public's mind. Your logo will be printed on business cards, door knockers, letterhead, car signs, etc., so carefully consider the image you want to present, and then choose artwork which will best reflect that image. Visit LogoYes.com to create your own logo for only $99.
Decide what you will charge for your services. Research the local market to determine what your competitors charge. You must remain within the local standards, and you can undercut your competition slightly; however, if you charge significantly less than the competition, you may end up with less money and more work than you care for. Your growth must be contained so that you can add employees as you need them without raising prices and thereby losing customers. Also, if you have more jobs than you can handle you may not be servicing the homes well, and this is certainly not good for business.
Advertise in the "services" section of the classified in your local newspapers. Keep it short, and ad your logo if you can afford to. Your ad might read “Quality housecleaning with integrity. Call ###-#### for a free estimate.”
Place an ad in the house cleaning section of your local yellow pages. Research all of your local phone books and notice which ads catch your eye. A good bet is a “knock-out” ad with at least 2 colors. A “knock-out” removes the yellow background and leaves a crisp, attention grabbing white field among all the yellow ads. For a lesser cost you may list your company in the yellow pages free listing column with a knock-out and color. Make this ad a minimum of four 4 lines, with color. In addition to the yellow pages books, consider pay-per-click advertising with YellowPages.com. This will assure that your business listing is shown before all of the alphabetized free listings.
If you have lots of time but little money, then hand delivering a marketing piece may be an option. Your choices are door hangers, brochures or postcards. We suggest that you use either brochures or postcards rather than door hangers because you can use them as handouts and also as mailing pieces. Why purchase boxes of door hangers which in two months you will not have time to deliver, if you are running the business correctly? You can develop your own brochure or postcard using Microsoft Publisher, or you can purchase a pre-designed template, and print the pieces in-house or have them printed at a local print shop or copy center.
When your business starts growing and hand delivery is no longer an option, then direct mail postcards are the most economical and effective advertising tool. You’ll need to purchase a mailing list unless you plan to create your own. We have found that DirectoryStore.com has the best prices on Hill Donnelly directories, the most up-to-date and accurate lists available. You can use labels or merge the postcards with your mailing list and have them copied at a local office store or printer with a high speed/high quality copier. Insist on seeing a sample from the copier before you have the job completed. You MUST deliver high quality postcards in order to make the best impression on your prospects. Flimsy paper with lopsided print, ink rubbing off and jagged edges is not the professional image that will make your prospects eager to call.
Be prepared for business with professional business forms and letters. You should have: a sales script memorized to perfection whether you do in-home estimates or estimates by phone; cleaning fee estimate calculator; fee estimate letters; follow-up letters for quotes not booked; new customer letters stating hourly fees for cleaning services and payment policies; a customer database and accounting system; information sheets listing vital details for each customer; cleaning service checklist form to leave with customers after each service; and customer survey forms for every new customer to complete and return.
Magnetic car signs are a great advertising tool which can be made by a local sign maker for $25 to $50 a set, plus an initial set-up fee. Be certain that your signs fit on both compact and full size cars, and that you use no more than three colors. When designing your signs keep in mind that bold lettering and brief wording works best. Remember to include your logo for name branding.
Purchase cleaning supplies at your local discount center, grocery and dollar stores. Either store or brand name household cleaning products will work, however, compare percentage of the active cleaning ingredients. Consider paying a few cents more for the better brand in order to lessen time spent scrubbing. Avoid products containing bleach as it can cause damage to carpets and counters.
Commercial grade vacuums will last much longer than home quality. We have found that Royal brand commercial vacuums, crafted with die-cast aluminum, are the lightest and longest lasting available anywhere, and they out clean the competition. Available in several models, Royal Commercial Vacuums come with a lifetime warranty on the motor housing, fan casing and nozzle. Visit VacLand.com for the best prices, reputable salespeople and 2 - 5 day nationwide shipping.
Your own website is a luxury that is worth the expense when you can afford it. Be certain to add your website address to all business documents, and to all of your advertising. The website should have an online estimate form and customer testimonials.
When you’re ready to hire employees be certain you have your employment application, employee policies handbook, cleaning procedures manual, warning certificates and all of the appropriate human resources paperwork. With strict policies and procedures to follow, your employees will know that they are working for a professionally run company, and therefore will be less likely to take advantage of you. Also, you will need to keep employee files containing tax paperwork and employment history including a record of verbal and written warnings. To obtain the appropriate tax documents for employees contact your accountant or local state employment office.
Before You Start a House Cleaning Business:
Obtain your federal tax ID; local & state business licenses; bonding insurance, and liability insurance. When you hire employees you will also need worker's compensation insurance. The Small Business Administration is a great source of information for start-up paperwork, business plan templates and links to other informative websites. http://sba.gov/starting_business/startup/guide.html
The Internal Revenue Service has a website which offers a wealth of information for small businesses. You'll find start-up guides, information on tax credits and business deductions, advice on record keeping and choosing an accounting method, employee tax issues, and more. The most up-to-date tax information is available through the site, as well as forms, publications and instructions for filing taxes. http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/index.html
State tax information can be found at http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/link/forms.html which provides links to the Department of Revenue for every state.
Other Webites You Should Visit:
Cleaning Business Forms and More: http://www.MaidDocs.com - MaidDocs provides free information for cleaning service businesses, both start-up and established. With the MaidDocs system you can successfully start a cleaning business without a franchise, and keep it growing strong. MaidDocs offers a complete cleaning business system, or an economical start up package which includes a cleaning fee estimate calculator; lists of resources; a full color tri-fold customizable brochure, and over a dozen customizable forms and customer letters. There is also a complete Employee Package which includes a guide to hiring and managing cleaning business employees, an employee handbook and cleaning procedures manual; performance reviews and warnings; and a payroll template.
Business Law: http://www.businesslaw.gov - Complying with business laws and regulations can be a burden. To help small businesses overcome this, the Small Business Administration (sba.gov) in cooperation with multiple Federal agencies developed BusinessLaw.gov, an online resource designed to provide legal and regulatory information. Topics covered on this site range from choosing a business structure to hiring an attorney. The site also provides links to federal, state and local agencies.
Employment Law: http://www.dol.gov/asp/programs/EmpLawGuide - This guide describes the statutes and regulations administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) that affect businesses and workers. The guide is designed mainly for those needing "hands-on" information to develop wage, benefit, safety and health, and nondiscrimination policies for businesses in general industry.
Here is some professional advice that will help you start your own cleaning business with minimal investment and maximum return:
A professionally designed logo will help to brand your company in the public's mind. Your logo will be printed on business cards, door knockers, letterhead, car signs, etc., so carefully consider the image you want to present, and then choose artwork which will best reflect that image. Visit LogoYes.com to create your own logo for only $99.
Decide what you will charge for your services. Research the local market to determine what your competitors charge. You must remain within the local standards, and you can undercut your competition slightly; however, if you charge significantly less than the competition, you may end up with less money and more work than you care for. Your growth must be contained so that you can add employees as you need them without raising prices and thereby losing customers. Also, if you have more jobs than you can handle you may not be servicing the homes well, and this is certainly not good for business.
Advertise in the "services" section of the classified in your local newspapers. Keep it short, and ad your logo if you can afford to. Your ad might read “Quality housecleaning with integrity. Call ###-#### for a free estimate.”
Place an ad in the house cleaning section of your local yellow pages. Research all of your local phone books and notice which ads catch your eye. A good bet is a “knock-out” ad with at least 2 colors. A “knock-out” removes the yellow background and leaves a crisp, attention grabbing white field among all the yellow ads. For a lesser cost you may list your company in the yellow pages free listing column with a knock-out and color. Make this ad a minimum of four 4 lines, with color. In addition to the yellow pages books, consider pay-per-click advertising with YellowPages.com. This will assure that your business listing is shown before all of the alphabetized free listings.
If you have lots of time but little money, then hand delivering a marketing piece may be an option. Your choices are door hangers, brochures or postcards. We suggest that you use either brochures or postcards rather than door hangers because you can use them as handouts and also as mailing pieces. Why purchase boxes of door hangers which in two months you will not have time to deliver, if you are running the business correctly? You can develop your own brochure or postcard using Microsoft Publisher, or you can purchase a pre-designed template, and print the pieces in-house or have them printed at a local print shop or copy center.
When your business starts growing and hand delivery is no longer an option, then direct mail postcards are the most economical and effective advertising tool. You’ll need to purchase a mailing list unless you plan to create your own. We have found that DirectoryStore.com has the best prices on Hill Donnelly directories, the most up-to-date and accurate lists available. You can use labels or merge the postcards with your mailing list and have them copied at a local office store or printer with a high speed/high quality copier. Insist on seeing a sample from the copier before you have the job completed. You MUST deliver high quality postcards in order to make the best impression on your prospects. Flimsy paper with lopsided print, ink rubbing off and jagged edges is not the professional image that will make your prospects eager to call.
Be prepared for business with professional business forms and letters. You should have: a sales script memorized to perfection whether you do in-home estimates or estimates by phone; cleaning fee estimate calculator; fee estimate letters; follow-up letters for quotes not booked; new customer letters stating hourly fees for cleaning services and payment policies; a customer database and accounting system; information sheets listing vital details for each customer; cleaning service checklist form to leave with customers after each service; and customer survey forms for every new customer to complete and return.
Magnetic car signs are a great advertising tool which can be made by a local sign maker for $25 to $50 a set, plus an initial set-up fee. Be certain that your signs fit on both compact and full size cars, and that you use no more than three colors. When designing your signs keep in mind that bold lettering and brief wording works best. Remember to include your logo for name branding.
Purchase cleaning supplies at your local discount center, grocery and dollar stores. Either store or brand name household cleaning products will work, however, compare percentage of the active cleaning ingredients. Consider paying a few cents more for the better brand in order to lessen time spent scrubbing. Avoid products containing bleach as it can cause damage to carpets and counters.
Commercial grade vacuums will last much longer than home quality. We have found that Royal brand commercial vacuums, crafted with die-cast aluminum, are the lightest and longest lasting available anywhere, and they out clean the competition. Available in several models, Royal Commercial Vacuums come with a lifetime warranty on the motor housing, fan casing and nozzle. Visit VacLand.com for the best prices, reputable salespeople and 2 - 5 day nationwide shipping.
Your own website is a luxury that is worth the expense when you can afford it. Be certain to add your website address to all business documents, and to all of your advertising. The website should have an online estimate form and customer testimonials.
When you’re ready to hire employees be certain you have your employment application, employee policies handbook, cleaning procedures manual, warning certificates and all of the appropriate human resources paperwork. With strict policies and procedures to follow, your employees will know that they are working for a professionally run company, and therefore will be less likely to take advantage of you. Also, you will need to keep employee files containing tax paperwork and employment history including a record of verbal and written warnings. To obtain the appropriate tax documents for employees contact your accountant or local state employment office.
Before You Start a House Cleaning Business:
Obtain your federal tax ID; local & state business licenses; bonding insurance, and liability insurance. When you hire employees you will also need worker's compensation insurance. The Small Business Administration is a great source of information for start-up paperwork, business plan templates and links to other informative websites. http://sba.gov/starting_business/startup/guide.html
The Internal Revenue Service has a website which offers a wealth of information for small businesses. You'll find start-up guides, information on tax credits and business deductions, advice on record keeping and choosing an accounting method, employee tax issues, and more. The most up-to-date tax information is available through the site, as well as forms, publications and instructions for filing taxes. http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/index.html
State tax information can be found at http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/link/forms.html which provides links to the Department of Revenue for every state.
Other Webites You Should Visit:
Cleaning Business Forms and More: http://www.MaidDocs.com - MaidDocs provides free information for cleaning service businesses, both start-up and established. With the MaidDocs system you can successfully start a cleaning business without a franchise, and keep it growing strong. MaidDocs offers a complete cleaning business system, or an economical start up package which includes a cleaning fee estimate calculator; lists of resources; a full color tri-fold customizable brochure, and over a dozen customizable forms and customer letters. There is also a complete Employee Package which includes a guide to hiring and managing cleaning business employees, an employee handbook and cleaning procedures manual; performance reviews and warnings; and a payroll template.
Business Law: http://www.businesslaw.gov - Complying with business laws and regulations can be a burden. To help small businesses overcome this, the Small Business Administration (sba.gov) in cooperation with multiple Federal agencies developed BusinessLaw.gov, an online resource designed to provide legal and regulatory information. Topics covered on this site range from choosing a business structure to hiring an attorney. The site also provides links to federal, state and local agencies.
Employment Law: http://www.dol.gov/asp/programs/EmpLawGuide - This guide describes the statutes and regulations administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) that affect businesses and workers. The guide is designed mainly for those needing "hands-on" information to develop wage, benefit, safety and health, and nondiscrimination policies for businesses in general industry.
Finding Business Resources
There are all kinds of business related information readily available in various websites. Everyday millions of web pages are updated in internet related to small scale businesses. Entrepreneurs seems to search all kind of information through yahoo or Google and solve their problem in minutes.
A few years ago, businessmen have to depend on books and from the teachings that they have learned from their business degrees to learn of business resources that they can use to manage and boost the growth of their businesses. Liquidating the profits of the business, for example, needs some knowledge in accounting. With the introduction of the computers and related technologies, however, business resources for entrepreneurs become more readily available. A number of online business resources and tools, for example, are now available for any businessman who wishes to take advantage of business resources to improve the sales and profits of his business.
Important functions in a business organization such as preparing the payroll and accounting items for sale also becomes much easier given the number of business resources and tools that can be downloaded or used through the world wide web.
You will therefore find the internet a very useful source of different business resources and tools if you are looking for for your company. Never underestimate the importance of learning from your business colleagues though and the value of reading materials such as books and magazines that can provide you with business resources information that you can use. Many businessmen also learn of better business resources by enrolling in business degrees.
A few years ago, businessmen have to depend on books and from the teachings that they have learned from their business degrees to learn of business resources that they can use to manage and boost the growth of their businesses. Liquidating the profits of the business, for example, needs some knowledge in accounting. With the introduction of the computers and related technologies, however, business resources for entrepreneurs become more readily available. A number of online business resources and tools, for example, are now available for any businessman who wishes to take advantage of business resources to improve the sales and profits of his business.
Important functions in a business organization such as preparing the payroll and accounting items for sale also becomes much easier given the number of business resources and tools that can be downloaded or used through the world wide web.
You will therefore find the internet a very useful source of different business resources and tools if you are looking for for your company. Never underestimate the importance of learning from your business colleagues though and the value of reading materials such as books and magazines that can provide you with business resources information that you can use. Many businessmen also learn of better business resources by enrolling in business degrees.
Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship
Owning a successful business is no longer reserved for a lucky few. It is because there are some rules followed by those successful business people in making the business people to climb the richness ladder with assurance and comfort ability although any business is about risking and that the higher the risk the higher the reward or profit.
When you want to startup a business you first must have an idea, example of business ideas are like opening up a hairdresser, opens a salon, a shop and much. Generally, people do make huge mistake. Just because they are thinking about the job and not the business. Only because you are a good chef does not mean you know how to run a restaurant. More important, it does not mean a restaurant would be successful in your market. So you have to clearly assess and evaluate your business idea before implementing it.
Business wise you have to make sure that what you are going to produce Is it a product or service they have fallen in love with. Again, just because you love something does not mean a profitable business will come of it. This is especially true for first-time entrepreneurs. Learning how to run a business is hard enough; you don’t need to make it any harder by doing something you love rather than something customers love paying you a good profit for or producing what you want instead of what they want.
There are some guidelines on how you are sure that your intriguing idea is also something from which you can truly make a profit? There are three essential considerations one has to bear in mind.
Make sure the product or service has a repeat buy. This is by far the most important aspect of long-term business success. You have to have a product or service that people will keep buying. It is better and more profitable, in my opinion, to have a pool cleaning company than a pool building company. Put another way, a business owner should focus on getting a customer once, but making a profit from that person for a very long time.
Be certain you have a high profit margin.
There are very few companies that can compete long term on a "we are cheaper" marketing platform. In any new business, you need to watch your cash flow--and if you are trying to work with low profit margins and make gains in volume, you will need to have a high level of working capital to keep you running through the lean profits early on. Having a higher margin is extremely important when you are growing a business so you can self-finance your growth.
Build a strong support team because a good idea is not enough. The idea counts most, yet a quality idea must still have a great team of people behind it to give it wings. Time after time, when people bring me a business investment proposal or an idea they want to take to market, I ask them who is on their team and they respond with something crazy like, “Oh, we have not hired anyone yet.” Get a board of advisers. Get a team of professional accountants, coaches, lawyers and bankers. A great team will greatly improve the chances for success of any business.
Now if I were going into business today, to be sure of the market what would I choose? I would start with one premise and some hot industries. Here the premise is, you do not make money panning for gold, and you make money selling pans. Get in the way of a buying frenzy, and you will be a success. Therefore the fastest way to make a restaurant profitable is not by having a great chef and great decor or big buildings it is by attracting a starving crowd with money so that they can eat the food in exchange for their money.
In other words look for an idea you can take national or, even better, global at some stage. Although it might be fun and a challenge to establish yourself locally right now, but eventually you’ll want to build something much bigger for the future and also expand you business.
When you want to startup a business you first must have an idea, example of business ideas are like opening up a hairdresser, opens a salon, a shop and much. Generally, people do make huge mistake. Just because they are thinking about the job and not the business. Only because you are a good chef does not mean you know how to run a restaurant. More important, it does not mean a restaurant would be successful in your market. So you have to clearly assess and evaluate your business idea before implementing it.
Business wise you have to make sure that what you are going to produce Is it a product or service they have fallen in love with. Again, just because you love something does not mean a profitable business will come of it. This is especially true for first-time entrepreneurs. Learning how to run a business is hard enough; you don’t need to make it any harder by doing something you love rather than something customers love paying you a good profit for or producing what you want instead of what they want.
There are some guidelines on how you are sure that your intriguing idea is also something from which you can truly make a profit? There are three essential considerations one has to bear in mind.
Make sure the product or service has a repeat buy. This is by far the most important aspect of long-term business success. You have to have a product or service that people will keep buying. It is better and more profitable, in my opinion, to have a pool cleaning company than a pool building company. Put another way, a business owner should focus on getting a customer once, but making a profit from that person for a very long time.
Be certain you have a high profit margin.
There are very few companies that can compete long term on a "we are cheaper" marketing platform. In any new business, you need to watch your cash flow--and if you are trying to work with low profit margins and make gains in volume, you will need to have a high level of working capital to keep you running through the lean profits early on. Having a higher margin is extremely important when you are growing a business so you can self-finance your growth.
Build a strong support team because a good idea is not enough. The idea counts most, yet a quality idea must still have a great team of people behind it to give it wings. Time after time, when people bring me a business investment proposal or an idea they want to take to market, I ask them who is on their team and they respond with something crazy like, “Oh, we have not hired anyone yet.” Get a board of advisers. Get a team of professional accountants, coaches, lawyers and bankers. A great team will greatly improve the chances for success of any business.
Now if I were going into business today, to be sure of the market what would I choose? I would start with one premise and some hot industries. Here the premise is, you do not make money panning for gold, and you make money selling pans. Get in the way of a buying frenzy, and you will be a success. Therefore the fastest way to make a restaurant profitable is not by having a great chef and great decor or big buildings it is by attracting a starving crowd with money so that they can eat the food in exchange for their money.
In other words look for an idea you can take national or, even better, global at some stage. Although it might be fun and a challenge to establish yourself locally right now, but eventually you’ll want to build something much bigger for the future and also expand you business.
IT Consulting in Micro Small Businesses
Small business is a hot market for IT consulting. There are different sizes of small businesses and they all have different IT consulting needs. In this article you'll learn some items you should be familiar with in order to provide IT consulting to these businesses.
Micro Small Businesses Defined
Micro small businesses are companies that have anywhere from 1-10 computers; windows based in most cases. Usually these companies employ 1-10 people. Revenue (in U.S. dollars) will typically be anywhere from $100,000 up to about a million or so.
The big differentiator in micro small businesses from others, as far as IT consulting is concerned, is that they have no dedicated server yet. They may be running a peer to peer system and that’s the major reason they are bringing you in there.
Don't have a “crisis of confidence”. Many people, when first entering IT consulting are not sure if their skills are strong enough. But most people will find that they are at least capable of working with at least micro small businesses as a starting point.
Micro Small Business: What Hardware You Need for IT Consulting
You need to know about basic desktop PC support, notebooks, PDAs like palm based PDAs and windows cd based PDAs, printers, how to set up servers and dial up modems, DSL, cable modems a little bit about how to set up surge protection, data line protection, and entry level battery back up units.
Software Requirements for Micro Business IT Consulting
You need to be reasonably familiar with the most popular desktop and notebook operating systems out there. But mainly just the basic Microsoft Windows flavors on the desktop and the desktop’s of notebooks and a little bit on PDAs.
Micro businesses are also looking for a lot of very heavy desktop office automation applications support, basic PC support, basic notebook support, the whole Microsoft Office family, Intuits Quickbooks the accounting software is very popular, the Best Software’s ACT software for management is also really popular.
Micro Small Businesses Defined
Micro small businesses are companies that have anywhere from 1-10 computers; windows based in most cases. Usually these companies employ 1-10 people. Revenue (in U.S. dollars) will typically be anywhere from $100,000 up to about a million or so.
The big differentiator in micro small businesses from others, as far as IT consulting is concerned, is that they have no dedicated server yet. They may be running a peer to peer system and that’s the major reason they are bringing you in there.
Don't have a “crisis of confidence”. Many people, when first entering IT consulting are not sure if their skills are strong enough. But most people will find that they are at least capable of working with at least micro small businesses as a starting point.
Micro Small Business: What Hardware You Need for IT Consulting
You need to know about basic desktop PC support, notebooks, PDAs like palm based PDAs and windows cd based PDAs, printers, how to set up servers and dial up modems, DSL, cable modems a little bit about how to set up surge protection, data line protection, and entry level battery back up units.
Software Requirements for Micro Business IT Consulting
You need to be reasonably familiar with the most popular desktop and notebook operating systems out there. But mainly just the basic Microsoft Windows flavors on the desktop and the desktop’s of notebooks and a little bit on PDAs.
Micro businesses are also looking for a lot of very heavy desktop office automation applications support, basic PC support, basic notebook support, the whole Microsoft Office family, Intuits Quickbooks the accounting software is very popular, the Best Software’s ACT software for management is also really popular.
Is Your Business Making You Sick?
He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything." -Arabian Proverb
We all know that we're supposed to keep up with our fitness and nutrition regimen. Or perhaps we don't quite have a routine, but we know the basics and do our best.
However, when you're in the midst of starting your own business, related pressures and demands might seem overwhelming, leaving you no free time for your family, let alone yourself. But remember: without your health through and after this process, your business can not thrive. It's YOUR business and without you, it's on its own.
To make it easy, we've compiled key tips for preventing yourself from getting to that stage. What's key about these is that they are not major life changes, but rather, small things to remember for your daily life that can make all the difference.
1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress reducer.
2. Boost Your Nutrition Quotient
People often confuse dieting with nutrition. Your body needs to have nutrients replaced, whether through foods being eaten or supplements. Do you remember what you learned in elementary school about the four major food groups? As adult, eating balanced meals from these groups still applies. It is important to remove the ?junk food? from your diet and stick with healthy foods. If you do not like certain things such as fruits or vegetables, be sure you are taking a supplement to get the nutrients needed.
3. Quit Smoking
Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. I don't think we need to write a lot here, but know that without cigarettes, you could be breathing a whole lot easier!
4. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a positive outlook on life. Even if there's not a lot of time in your day - especially during this startup period - try and set aside ten minutes to breathe deeply, meditate or read some inspiring passages from a favorite book. It can shift your brain to having positive thoughts for the day in all aspects of your life.
5. Sleep!
With all you have to do, sleep might be the first thing to go. Not so fast. Sleep really affects health. During sleep, your body is resting and recovering from all the work is has done throughout the day. Your serotonin levels are brought back in line, your muscles relax, and mind is allowed to clear itself in preparation for the next day. If you are not getting the proper amount of sleep, you will notice it in a physical way. Usually six to eight hours is the general rule.
And when all is said and done, don't forget the power of laughter. The medical field has proven that laughter actually works with your body toward good health. The truth is, when you laugh, several positive things happen. Your muscles relax; stress hormone product is reduced; you forget about pain; your body's immune system is improved; high-blood pressure is lowered; the heart and lungs are strengthened; and overall, you feel better.
We all know that we're supposed to keep up with our fitness and nutrition regimen. Or perhaps we don't quite have a routine, but we know the basics and do our best.
However, when you're in the midst of starting your own business, related pressures and demands might seem overwhelming, leaving you no free time for your family, let alone yourself. But remember: without your health through and after this process, your business can not thrive. It's YOUR business and without you, it's on its own.
To make it easy, we've compiled key tips for preventing yourself from getting to that stage. What's key about these is that they are not major life changes, but rather, small things to remember for your daily life that can make all the difference.
1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress reducer.
2. Boost Your Nutrition Quotient
People often confuse dieting with nutrition. Your body needs to have nutrients replaced, whether through foods being eaten or supplements. Do you remember what you learned in elementary school about the four major food groups? As adult, eating balanced meals from these groups still applies. It is important to remove the ?junk food? from your diet and stick with healthy foods. If you do not like certain things such as fruits or vegetables, be sure you are taking a supplement to get the nutrients needed.
3. Quit Smoking
Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. I don't think we need to write a lot here, but know that without cigarettes, you could be breathing a whole lot easier!
4. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a positive outlook on life. Even if there's not a lot of time in your day - especially during this startup period - try and set aside ten minutes to breathe deeply, meditate or read some inspiring passages from a favorite book. It can shift your brain to having positive thoughts for the day in all aspects of your life.
5. Sleep!
With all you have to do, sleep might be the first thing to go. Not so fast. Sleep really affects health. During sleep, your body is resting and recovering from all the work is has done throughout the day. Your serotonin levels are brought back in line, your muscles relax, and mind is allowed to clear itself in preparation for the next day. If you are not getting the proper amount of sleep, you will notice it in a physical way. Usually six to eight hours is the general rule.
And when all is said and done, don't forget the power of laughter. The medical field has proven that laughter actually works with your body toward good health. The truth is, when you laugh, several positive things happen. Your muscles relax; stress hormone product is reduced; you forget about pain; your body's immune system is improved; high-blood pressure is lowered; the heart and lungs are strengthened; and overall, you feel better.
Is Your Business Making You Sick?
He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything." -Arabian Proverb
We all know that we're supposed to keep up with our fitness and nutrition regimen. Or perhaps we don't quite have a routine, but we know the basics and do our best.
However, when you're in the midst of starting your own business, related pressures and demands might seem overwhelming, leaving you no free time for your family, let alone yourself. But remember: without your health through and after this process, your business can not thrive. It's YOUR business and without you, it's on its own.
To make it easy, we've compiled key tips for preventing yourself from getting to that stage. What's key about these is that they are not major life changes, but rather, small things to remember for your daily life that can make all the difference.
1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress reducer.
2. Boost Your Nutrition Quotient
People often confuse dieting with nutrition. Your body needs to have nutrients replaced, whether through foods being eaten or supplements. Do you remember what you learned in elementary school about the four major food groups? As adult, eating balanced meals from these groups still applies. It is important to remove the ?junk food? from your diet and stick with healthy foods. If you do not like certain things such as fruits or vegetables, be sure you are taking a supplement to get the nutrients needed.
3. Quit Smoking
Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. I don't think we need to write a lot here, but know that without cigarettes, you could be breathing a whole lot easier!
4. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a positive outlook on life. Even if there's not a lot of time in your day - especially during this startup period - try and set aside ten minutes to breathe deeply, meditate or read some inspiring passages from a favorite book. It can shift your brain to having positive thoughts for the day in all aspects of your life.
5. Sleep!
With all you have to do, sleep might be the first thing to go. Not so fast. Sleep really affects health. During sleep, your body is resting and recovering from all the work is has done throughout the day. Your serotonin levels are brought back in line, your muscles relax, and mind is allowed to clear itself in preparation for the next day. If you are not getting the proper amount of sleep, you will notice it in a physical way. Usually six to eight hours is the general rule.
And when all is said and done, don't forget the power of laughter. The medical field has proven that laughter actually works with your body toward good health. The truth is, when you laugh, several positive things happen. Your muscles relax; stress hormone product is reduced; you forget about pain; your body's immune system is improved; high-blood pressure is lowered; the heart and lungs are strengthened; and overall, you feel better.
So why wait? Remember, your business needs you, so taking care of yourself is your first business imperative.
We all know that we're supposed to keep up with our fitness and nutrition regimen. Or perhaps we don't quite have a routine, but we know the basics and do our best.
However, when you're in the midst of starting your own business, related pressures and demands might seem overwhelming, leaving you no free time for your family, let alone yourself. But remember: without your health through and after this process, your business can not thrive. It's YOUR business and without you, it's on its own.
To make it easy, we've compiled key tips for preventing yourself from getting to that stage. What's key about these is that they are not major life changes, but rather, small things to remember for your daily life that can make all the difference.
1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress reducer.
2. Boost Your Nutrition Quotient
People often confuse dieting with nutrition. Your body needs to have nutrients replaced, whether through foods being eaten or supplements. Do you remember what you learned in elementary school about the four major food groups? As adult, eating balanced meals from these groups still applies. It is important to remove the ?junk food? from your diet and stick with healthy foods. If you do not like certain things such as fruits or vegetables, be sure you are taking a supplement to get the nutrients needed.
3. Quit Smoking
Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. I don't think we need to write a lot here, but know that without cigarettes, you could be breathing a whole lot easier!
4. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a positive outlook on life. Even if there's not a lot of time in your day - especially during this startup period - try and set aside ten minutes to breathe deeply, meditate or read some inspiring passages from a favorite book. It can shift your brain to having positive thoughts for the day in all aspects of your life.
5. Sleep!
With all you have to do, sleep might be the first thing to go. Not so fast. Sleep really affects health. During sleep, your body is resting and recovering from all the work is has done throughout the day. Your serotonin levels are brought back in line, your muscles relax, and mind is allowed to clear itself in preparation for the next day. If you are not getting the proper amount of sleep, you will notice it in a physical way. Usually six to eight hours is the general rule.
And when all is said and done, don't forget the power of laughter. The medical field has proven that laughter actually works with your body toward good health. The truth is, when you laugh, several positive things happen. Your muscles relax; stress hormone product is reduced; you forget about pain; your body's immune system is improved; high-blood pressure is lowered; the heart and lungs are strengthened; and overall, you feel better.
So why wait? Remember, your business needs you, so taking care of yourself is your first business imperative.
Internet Business Ideas - You Need Your Own Domain Name To Survive Online
There are so many reasons why having your own domain name will make the world of difference for your online home business success, so let’s have a look at some of them now.
By having your own domain name means you have total freedom as well as complete control over your online home business. Nobody can dictate to you what you can put on your site and you do not have to answer to anybody.
Your chance of success online is increased one hundred fold because with your own domain name and website you are not restricted at all. Affiliate links are restricted in many areas on the internet.
Learning html and optimizing your website for the search engines is one of the most important things you need to learn how to do if you want to appear on the first page of Google. By having your own domain name and website you have full access to your own source code and so you can select your keywords and optimize your website.
Another huge advantage is that when you choose your actual domain name you can incorporate your main keyword into the domain name which will give you an edge over your competition in the search engine rankings.
You will be able to add fresh content to your website e.g. you own articles, which again will put you in favour of Google and the other search engines.
You will be able to pick and choose what products or affiliate programs you wish to promote, nobody can dictate to you what programs you have to join.
Adding a free newsletter to your website which your visitors can subscribe to is a great way to build your list and you can install an auto-responder to take care of the follow-ups.
By installing a stat counter on your website that records inter alia the number of unique visitors, where they came from, what keywords they used, what page they entered your site on and left will give you invaluable information.
Using the Google tools such as Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools provides very valuable information and you will be able to install the Google code on your website to take advantage of them.
You can project your own personality into your website with design, colour, wording, graphics etc. The list is endless.
Exchanging links with other websites is now possible with your own domain. You could exchange links manually or install link exchange software. You will be able to host you own images instead of linking to a banner on an affiliate site. This not only ensures that your images always open on your website but will decrease the load time of your web page.
You will be free to add slide in adverts or pop ups to your website. You can add new pages to your website as and when you want as well as easily cloak your affiliate links and create sub domains. Monetizing your website with the use of Adsense or other forms of advertising will also be possible.
For special occasions throughout the year, e.g. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Mother’s Day, you will be able to decorate your site for the occasion and offer specials.
As you can see from the above the advantages of having your own domain name and website are numerous and endless and yet so vital to your success online.
By having your own domain name means you have total freedom as well as complete control over your online home business. Nobody can dictate to you what you can put on your site and you do not have to answer to anybody.
Your chance of success online is increased one hundred fold because with your own domain name and website you are not restricted at all. Affiliate links are restricted in many areas on the internet.
Learning html and optimizing your website for the search engines is one of the most important things you need to learn how to do if you want to appear on the first page of Google. By having your own domain name and website you have full access to your own source code and so you can select your keywords and optimize your website.
Another huge advantage is that when you choose your actual domain name you can incorporate your main keyword into the domain name which will give you an edge over your competition in the search engine rankings.
You will be able to add fresh content to your website e.g. you own articles, which again will put you in favour of Google and the other search engines.
You will be able to pick and choose what products or affiliate programs you wish to promote, nobody can dictate to you what programs you have to join.
Adding a free newsletter to your website which your visitors can subscribe to is a great way to build your list and you can install an auto-responder to take care of the follow-ups.
By installing a stat counter on your website that records inter alia the number of unique visitors, where they came from, what keywords they used, what page they entered your site on and left will give you invaluable information.
Using the Google tools such as Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools provides very valuable information and you will be able to install the Google code on your website to take advantage of them.
You can project your own personality into your website with design, colour, wording, graphics etc. The list is endless.
Exchanging links with other websites is now possible with your own domain. You could exchange links manually or install link exchange software. You will be able to host you own images instead of linking to a banner on an affiliate site. This not only ensures that your images always open on your website but will decrease the load time of your web page.
You will be free to add slide in adverts or pop ups to your website. You can add new pages to your website as and when you want as well as easily cloak your affiliate links and create sub domains. Monetizing your website with the use of Adsense or other forms of advertising will also be possible.
For special occasions throughout the year, e.g. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Mother’s Day, you will be able to decorate your site for the occasion and offer specials.
As you can see from the above the advantages of having your own domain name and website are numerous and endless and yet so vital to your success online.
Where Do Great Ideas Come From?
At a Photo Club meeting I attended recently, the President made a comment on another meeting he had attended, where someone in the audience asked the presenter where to find good subjects to photograph. The presenter in question started giving specifics instead of identifying the core issues in question, Attitude and Perspective.
Clients often ask me the same question about ideas, “Where or how does one come up with a good idea for a business or service, for a new product to develop or a theme for an ad?” Oddly enough, the answer is the same; it depends on your attitude and perspective because inspiration is everywhere. Everywhere around you, there are clues to great ideas but you have to be receptive to see or hear them. Once you are open to really listening and observing, you tend to notice things you weren’t aware of in the past. It’s sometimes uncomfortable to look at the world around you and respond to it differently than others do, but it can be very rewarding.
Is the world around you a place of abundance and opportunity or a difficult barren place? Do you think of life as a constant struggle or an adventure?
Take a look at www.MixZup.com. This retail concept is an idea that originated in a three-year-old’s mind. The important point is that Julia’s mother Lynne was someone who did not patronize her daughter by saying, “Isn’t that cute.” and then telling her to put on socks that match. She really listened to her daughter, considered the factors that prompted Julia to express her individualism by wearing socks that do not match and recognized it as an opportunity. Children, with their ability to think outside of the limitations most of us have developed and placed on ourselves as adults, are great at coming up with innovative, unconventional ideas.
To get back to the example of the photographer; often businesses tell me they need photos and their son, daughter, or spouse has an expensive camera…that's great, but it’s not about the equipment. It’s about the eye behind the camera and the ability to be open to recognising a great shot.
It doesn’t matter how much business training or ability you have if you use it as an excuse to stop listening and observing. If you close your eyes and ears to the opportunities around you, you are limiting your life, not just your business opportunites.
How many successful businesses would never have gotten off the ground if the owner considered the fact that they had no business experience or no money?
Today, make a decision to think of business as a series of adventures and ideas waiting to be implemented.
“First Ponder, Then Dare”
Clients often ask me the same question about ideas, “Where or how does one come up with a good idea for a business or service, for a new product to develop or a theme for an ad?” Oddly enough, the answer is the same; it depends on your attitude and perspective because inspiration is everywhere. Everywhere around you, there are clues to great ideas but you have to be receptive to see or hear them. Once you are open to really listening and observing, you tend to notice things you weren’t aware of in the past. It’s sometimes uncomfortable to look at the world around you and respond to it differently than others do, but it can be very rewarding.
Is the world around you a place of abundance and opportunity or a difficult barren place? Do you think of life as a constant struggle or an adventure?
Take a look at www.MixZup.com. This retail concept is an idea that originated in a three-year-old’s mind. The important point is that Julia’s mother Lynne was someone who did not patronize her daughter by saying, “Isn’t that cute.” and then telling her to put on socks that match. She really listened to her daughter, considered the factors that prompted Julia to express her individualism by wearing socks that do not match and recognized it as an opportunity. Children, with their ability to think outside of the limitations most of us have developed and placed on ourselves as adults, are great at coming up with innovative, unconventional ideas.
To get back to the example of the photographer; often businesses tell me they need photos and their son, daughter, or spouse has an expensive camera…that's great, but it’s not about the equipment. It’s about the eye behind the camera and the ability to be open to recognising a great shot.
It doesn’t matter how much business training or ability you have if you use it as an excuse to stop listening and observing. If you close your eyes and ears to the opportunities around you, you are limiting your life, not just your business opportunites.
How many successful businesses would never have gotten off the ground if the owner considered the fact that they had no business experience or no money?
Today, make a decision to think of business as a series of adventures and ideas waiting to be implemented.
“First Ponder, Then Dare”
Home Based Online Business Ideas
Everyday people are brainstorming for home based online business ideas and you may be one of them. Future entrepreneurs are searching for the most effective means of generating a full-time income online. About 95% of those people fail because they lack hard work, advertising and promoting their business.
There are hundreds of home based online business ideas to choose from. If you want to earn really big, you need to invest time and hard work in promoting your products. The competition is very high and customers are getting wiser everyday.
The best internet home based business ideas won't work if you don't prepare.
Being a future Internet Entrepreneur, you should plan how your site will be. This is the first thing your customers see. They won't see you, but they will see your site. You should plan from the domain name to the design, the content and later on, the ads.
Successful Internet Marketers with quality content web sites are usually the ones who prosper online because content improves traffic to the site. To be successful, you need web sites rich in content with relevant keywords and the right information about your product. You can prosper with many internet home based business ideas.
You also must be willing to learn and educate yourself so you can improve your marketing strategies. Don't be like the 90% that fail because they didn't grow in the business and was only concerned about earning big quickly. If you want long term success, take time to learn the ins and outs of the business. Also, study the wants and needs of your customers.
More importantly, DON"T GIVE UP!!! Don't get disappointed if your first attempts don't pay off. Millions of people are only attracted to the possibility of "getting rich quick" without carefully understanding every aspect of the business. They quickly assume that all home based online business ideas are scams when they don't get the instant results and quit. And that's why a lot of them fail.
Don't expect to get rich quickly. Simply work on your advertising strategies and be patient. You will never know how much you can get if you don't persevere. Believe that all home based online business ideas are profitable. You just need to know how to advertise and promote them.
There are hundreds of home based online business ideas to choose from. If you want to earn really big, you need to invest time and hard work in promoting your products. The competition is very high and customers are getting wiser everyday.
The best internet home based business ideas won't work if you don't prepare.
Being a future Internet Entrepreneur, you should plan how your site will be. This is the first thing your customers see. They won't see you, but they will see your site. You should plan from the domain name to the design, the content and later on, the ads.
Successful Internet Marketers with quality content web sites are usually the ones who prosper online because content improves traffic to the site. To be successful, you need web sites rich in content with relevant keywords and the right information about your product. You can prosper with many internet home based business ideas.
You also must be willing to learn and educate yourself so you can improve your marketing strategies. Don't be like the 90% that fail because they didn't grow in the business and was only concerned about earning big quickly. If you want long term success, take time to learn the ins and outs of the business. Also, study the wants and needs of your customers.
More importantly, DON"T GIVE UP!!! Don't get disappointed if your first attempts don't pay off. Millions of people are only attracted to the possibility of "getting rich quick" without carefully understanding every aspect of the business. They quickly assume that all home based online business ideas are scams when they don't get the instant results and quit. And that's why a lot of them fail.
Don't expect to get rich quickly. Simply work on your advertising strategies and be patient. You will never know how much you can get if you don't persevere. Believe that all home based online business ideas are profitable. You just need to know how to advertise and promote them.
The "Why" Of How To Start A Business From Home
Julia has a small daughter, Laura. Every morning on the way to her teaching job, Julia drops Laura off at day care. Julia remembers her mother spending the day with her when she was Laura's age. She hurts each morning as she leaves her daughter, even though she loves her job teaching. She would love to spend more time with her family.
Mark is sitting at his desk late at night. Spread before him on the table are the month's bills. He is trying to decide which of the bills he can pay this month. There is more month than he has paycheck. He longs to get out of debt.
Sophia is working 60 hours every week at her job, 10 hours a day, 6 days a week. While she loves her work and is well paid, she dreams of having time to pursue her dream of owning her own business and being her own boss.
Robert and Mary are celebrating their 50th birthdays this year. They have been frugal their entire married life. They have put their children through college. They have paid down the loan on their house. They are looking forward to retirement in a few years. However, despite their savings and frugal lifestyle, their retirement income is limited. They long to be able to have a better lifestyle, having worked hard to earn the right to enjoy their retirement days.
Brad loves his wife, Ann. She has had two beautiful boys with him, Jack and Al. They are now 5 and 7. Ann works full time as a production assistant and earns about $40,000 per year. Brad has a good job with an air conditioning company and makes about $60,000 per year. Between their two incomes, they are able to make their budget but neither of them can spend the time with the family they would like. Brad would love for Ann to be able to stay home and be a full time mother. Brad would also like to able to spend more time with his boys, coaching their teams, and being able to attend all of their games instead of working the late shift. They worry about how they can pay for college.
Victor is a busy attorney. He has made it in his profession and is able to charge a high hourly rate for his work. He is able to keep a constant stream of clients coming in the door. He works long hours but is paid well. Unfortunately, he is also spending most of what he makes. Very little has been set aside for retirement. He is trading his hours for dollars but if he does not put in the hours, he does not get paid.
These scenarios are the "why" of starting a business. Whether you want to:
spend more time with your family
allow a parent to stay home with children
get out of debt
pay for your children's or grandchildren's education
have a retirement income plan
Be your own boss
control your time
have a better lifestyle
provide a safety net
escape the rat race
provide funds for investment
To obtain these benefits, one needs money. The business is the means to the end. What is important is what one can get with the money - that is the dream.
One has to bear in mind that a business is a tool to get the money needed to get that dream. Just like an electric drill is the tool one needs to put the hole in the wall to hang the picture that you want to see.
The tool to obtain the money is in the business system you choose.
In almost thirty years of law practice, James Montgomery has been giving advice to clients on how mortgages work, how compound interest can make one rich, and how to develop extra cash flow for investing in real estate or another similar investment. During my career, he has been a lawyer, banker, business owner, real estate investor, and marketer.
Mark is sitting at his desk late at night. Spread before him on the table are the month's bills. He is trying to decide which of the bills he can pay this month. There is more month than he has paycheck. He longs to get out of debt.
Sophia is working 60 hours every week at her job, 10 hours a day, 6 days a week. While she loves her work and is well paid, she dreams of having time to pursue her dream of owning her own business and being her own boss.
Robert and Mary are celebrating their 50th birthdays this year. They have been frugal their entire married life. They have put their children through college. They have paid down the loan on their house. They are looking forward to retirement in a few years. However, despite their savings and frugal lifestyle, their retirement income is limited. They long to be able to have a better lifestyle, having worked hard to earn the right to enjoy their retirement days.
Brad loves his wife, Ann. She has had two beautiful boys with him, Jack and Al. They are now 5 and 7. Ann works full time as a production assistant and earns about $40,000 per year. Brad has a good job with an air conditioning company and makes about $60,000 per year. Between their two incomes, they are able to make their budget but neither of them can spend the time with the family they would like. Brad would love for Ann to be able to stay home and be a full time mother. Brad would also like to able to spend more time with his boys, coaching their teams, and being able to attend all of their games instead of working the late shift. They worry about how they can pay for college.
Victor is a busy attorney. He has made it in his profession and is able to charge a high hourly rate for his work. He is able to keep a constant stream of clients coming in the door. He works long hours but is paid well. Unfortunately, he is also spending most of what he makes. Very little has been set aside for retirement. He is trading his hours for dollars but if he does not put in the hours, he does not get paid.
These scenarios are the "why" of starting a business. Whether you want to:
spend more time with your family
allow a parent to stay home with children
get out of debt
pay for your children's or grandchildren's education
have a retirement income plan
Be your own boss
control your time
have a better lifestyle
provide a safety net
escape the rat race
provide funds for investment
To obtain these benefits, one needs money. The business is the means to the end. What is important is what one can get with the money - that is the dream.
One has to bear in mind that a business is a tool to get the money needed to get that dream. Just like an electric drill is the tool one needs to put the hole in the wall to hang the picture that you want to see.
The tool to obtain the money is in the business system you choose.
In almost thirty years of law practice, James Montgomery has been giving advice to clients on how mortgages work, how compound interest can make one rich, and how to develop extra cash flow for investing in real estate or another similar investment. During my career, he has been a lawyer, banker, business owner, real estate investor, and marketer.
The Parenting Business: What Parenting has Taught You About Starting and Running a New Business
Sure, you can bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan, but who is going to unload the dishwasher and find a clean one? The ideal that was “working Mom, the woman who can have it all” has been exposed for what it is and left most of us with “there’s got to be another way”. But can you ditch the 9 to 5 for the freedom of working from home AND do the Mommy thing? You know there are ways to make money from home, but what can you really do? Are you qualified or just kidding yourself?
Just what have you learned throughout formula and diapers that you wouldn’t have learned while getting your MBA? You mean somewhere between the training pants and training wheels I acquired the skills to become a “captain of industry”? Can you please explain just what exactly I could proudly display on my resume besides, “lives on no sleep” or “tells an awesome bedtime story” that would help me to get ahead?
Would it surprise you to know that some of the key elements to starting a new business are the same things you do every day?
When you start a new business, you need:
Courage
The complete disregard for potential disaster is what got you this far in parenting! Think about it; if anyone really thought about what could have gone wrong just to this point, they would have talked themselves out of it. Common sense and logic have the unique ability to steer us through possible dangers, and if we let them, talk us out of magical opportunities. If you were really afraid of showing up with egg on your face at some point, you never would have had kids. Now that’s the pioneering spirit which will help “talk you into” starting a new business. Did you think you’d be a perfect parent? Were you nervous? A little scared, but totally excited? Did you have a passionate desire to start a family? The same passion can be used to create a successful business; and you’ve got it.
Stamina
Anyone who can survive through nursing a child during a childhood disease or a bad cold or colic, has the energy to be a CEO. I remember staying up 4 nights in a row when my daughter had the chicken pox thinking, “I should get a promotion for this.” How many all-nighters have you pulled since you first came home from the hospital with your child? How many times has it just been sheer determination that kept you awake in the car on the way home from work? And then you get dinner on the table! Starting a business will require that kind of tireless determination, especially in the beginning. Sometimes you’ve got to hunker down and just get the task done, that’s the difference between you (a success) and the other guy (who will close up shop). Just the will to get it done automatically starts you on the path to success; and you’ve shown that you’ve been able to do one thing, sometimes the most important thing in business – hang in there.
Focus
Sure, you might not know at any given moment what’s in your checking account, where your car keys are, where you dropped off the dry-cleaning or what that guy who keeps talking to you at work name is but when it comes to your child, you’ve got laser-like focus. You know what they’re doing, where there are, what they’re feeling and why 24 hours a day. You’ve read every article, every book, taken them to the right classes, heck, there for a while you even stopped talking like an adult and every syllable was a mimic of their babble! No one could ever say you haven’t been completely focused since the day they were born. You changed priorities, schedules, habits and your lifestyle. Remember when you first started changing diapers? You were such a bumbling novice, right? Now you’re like a diaper-changing machine. You did one thing, you did it well and you repeated it. A business will flourish and prosper with that kind of focus.
Balance
As the founder and owner of a new business, on any given day you will start a new advertising campaign, streamline the accounting system, make several cold calls for new business and then go to a networking meeting in order to grow your list of contacts. That’s all? Hey, as parents, that might actually be a nice relaxing day! In this juggling performance entitled “having it all”, you know the priorities and you’re multi-tasking from the moment you wake up! You can pack a nutritious lunch while changing schedules while folding laundry while planning dinner. Balancing multiple tasks comes naturally to women (especially mothers), which makes the balance required to prioritize and meet multiple goals simultaneously a breeze. Why not use some of that creativity toward a business?
Patience
There are some days when your child wakes up wild. We don’t know why, if it’s too much sugar or the full moon or a “stage”, all we know is that occasionally, some days you’ve just got to wait and hope they knock it off soon. There are some days when you start your new business that you’ll spend a lot of time waiting. You’re waiting for responses to that new direct mail piece, waiting for the phone to ring, waiting for the check in the mail. This is where many new businesses quit and go home; they don’t have the patience. They expected instant results and now they’re going to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Parenting has taught you though, waiting it out doesn’t mean in you’re in the wrong place, you’re just open and ready for the right opportunity.
So be confident! There are some wonderful opportunities out there for you, and if you think you can start a new business, you most certainly have the “right stuff” to get it done.
Just what have you learned throughout formula and diapers that you wouldn’t have learned while getting your MBA? You mean somewhere between the training pants and training wheels I acquired the skills to become a “captain of industry”? Can you please explain just what exactly I could proudly display on my resume besides, “lives on no sleep” or “tells an awesome bedtime story” that would help me to get ahead?
Would it surprise you to know that some of the key elements to starting a new business are the same things you do every day?
When you start a new business, you need:
Courage
The complete disregard for potential disaster is what got you this far in parenting! Think about it; if anyone really thought about what could have gone wrong just to this point, they would have talked themselves out of it. Common sense and logic have the unique ability to steer us through possible dangers, and if we let them, talk us out of magical opportunities. If you were really afraid of showing up with egg on your face at some point, you never would have had kids. Now that’s the pioneering spirit which will help “talk you into” starting a new business. Did you think you’d be a perfect parent? Were you nervous? A little scared, but totally excited? Did you have a passionate desire to start a family? The same passion can be used to create a successful business; and you’ve got it.
Stamina
Anyone who can survive through nursing a child during a childhood disease or a bad cold or colic, has the energy to be a CEO. I remember staying up 4 nights in a row when my daughter had the chicken pox thinking, “I should get a promotion for this.” How many all-nighters have you pulled since you first came home from the hospital with your child? How many times has it just been sheer determination that kept you awake in the car on the way home from work? And then you get dinner on the table! Starting a business will require that kind of tireless determination, especially in the beginning. Sometimes you’ve got to hunker down and just get the task done, that’s the difference between you (a success) and the other guy (who will close up shop). Just the will to get it done automatically starts you on the path to success; and you’ve shown that you’ve been able to do one thing, sometimes the most important thing in business – hang in there.
Focus
Sure, you might not know at any given moment what’s in your checking account, where your car keys are, where you dropped off the dry-cleaning or what that guy who keeps talking to you at work name is but when it comes to your child, you’ve got laser-like focus. You know what they’re doing, where there are, what they’re feeling and why 24 hours a day. You’ve read every article, every book, taken them to the right classes, heck, there for a while you even stopped talking like an adult and every syllable was a mimic of their babble! No one could ever say you haven’t been completely focused since the day they were born. You changed priorities, schedules, habits and your lifestyle. Remember when you first started changing diapers? You were such a bumbling novice, right? Now you’re like a diaper-changing machine. You did one thing, you did it well and you repeated it. A business will flourish and prosper with that kind of focus.
Balance
As the founder and owner of a new business, on any given day you will start a new advertising campaign, streamline the accounting system, make several cold calls for new business and then go to a networking meeting in order to grow your list of contacts. That’s all? Hey, as parents, that might actually be a nice relaxing day! In this juggling performance entitled “having it all”, you know the priorities and you’re multi-tasking from the moment you wake up! You can pack a nutritious lunch while changing schedules while folding laundry while planning dinner. Balancing multiple tasks comes naturally to women (especially mothers), which makes the balance required to prioritize and meet multiple goals simultaneously a breeze. Why not use some of that creativity toward a business?
Patience
There are some days when your child wakes up wild. We don’t know why, if it’s too much sugar or the full moon or a “stage”, all we know is that occasionally, some days you’ve just got to wait and hope they knock it off soon. There are some days when you start your new business that you’ll spend a lot of time waiting. You’re waiting for responses to that new direct mail piece, waiting for the phone to ring, waiting for the check in the mail. This is where many new businesses quit and go home; they don’t have the patience. They expected instant results and now they’re going to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Parenting has taught you though, waiting it out doesn’t mean in you’re in the wrong place, you’re just open and ready for the right opportunity.
So be confident! There are some wonderful opportunities out there for you, and if you think you can start a new business, you most certainly have the “right stuff” to get it done.
How To Prepare A Business Plan That Guarantees Big Profits
It is always said "If you Fail to Plan, you Plan to Fail"
Success in business comes as a result of planning. You have to have a detailed, written plan that shows what the ultimate goal is, the reason for the goal, and each milestone that must be passed in order to reach your goal.
A business plan is written definition of, and operational plan for achieving your goal. You need a complete but success tool in order to define your basic product, income objectives and specific operating procedures. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BUSINESS PLAN to attract investors, obtain financing and hold onto the confidence of your creditors, particularly in times of cash flow shortages--in this instance, the amount of money you have on hand compared with the expenses that must be met.
Aside from an overall directional policy for the production, sales effort and profit goals of your product--your basic "travel guide" to business success--the most important purpose your business plan will serve, will be the basis or foundation of any financial proposals you submit. Many entrepreneurs are under the mistaken impression that a business plan is the same as a financial proposal, or that a financial proposal constitutes a business plan. This is just a misunderstanding of the uses of these two separate and different business success aids.
The business plan is a long range "map" to guide your business to the goal you've set for it. The plan details the what, why, where, how and when, of your business--the success planning of your company.
Your financial proposal is a request for money based upon your business plan--your business history and objectives.
Understand the differences. They are closely related, but they are not interchangeable.
Writing and putting together a "winning" business plan takes study, research and time, so don't try to do it all in just one or two days.
The easiest way to start with a loose leaf notebook, plenty of paper, pencils, pencil sharpener, and several erasers. Once you get your mind "in gear" and begin thinking about your business plan, "10,000 thoughts and ideas per minute" will begin racing thru your mind...So, it's a good idea when you aren't actually working on your business plan, to carry a pocket notebook and jot down those business ideas as they come to you--ideas for sales promotion, recruiting distributors, and any other thoughts on how to operate and/or build your business.
Later, when you're actually working on your business plan, you can take out this "idea notebook" evaluate your ideas, rework them, refine them, and integrate them into the overall "big picture" of your business plan.
The best business plans for even the smallest businesses run 25 to 30 pages or more, so you'll need to "title" each page and arrange the different aspects of your business plan into "chapters." The format should pretty much run as follows:
Title Page Statement of Purpose Table of Contents Business Description Market Analysis Competition Business Location Management Current Financial Records Explanation of Plans For Growth Projected Profit & Loss/Operating Figures Explanation of Financing for Growth Documentation Summary of Business & Outlook for The Future Listing of Business & personal References
This is a logical organization of the information every business plan should cover. I'll explain each of these chapters titles in greater detail, but first, let me elaborate upon the reasons for proper organization of your business plan.
Having a set of "questions to answer" about your business forces you to take an objective and critical look at your ideas. Putting it all down on paper allows you to change, erase and refine everything to function in the manner of a smoothly oiled machine. You'll be able to spot weakness and strengthen them before they develop into major problems. Overall, you'll be developing an operating manual for your business--a valuable tool which will keep your business on track, and guide you in the profitable management of your business.
Because it's your idea, and your business, it's very important that YOU do the planning. This is YOUR business plan, so YOU develop it, and put it all down on paper just the way YOU want it to read. Seek out the advice of other people; talk with, listen to, and observe, other people running similar businesses; enlist the advice of your accountant and attorney--but at the bottom line, don't ever forget it has to be YOUR BUSINESS PLAN!
Remember too, that statistics show the greatest causes of business failure to be poor management and lack of planning--without a plan by which to operate, no one can manage; and without a direction in which to aim its efforts, no business can attain any real success.
On the very first page, which is the title page, put down the name of your business-ABC ACTION--with your business address underneath. Now, skip a couple of lines, and write it all in capital letters: PRINCIPAL OWNER--followed by your name if you're the principal owner. On your finished report, you would want to center this information on the page, with the words "principal owner" off-set to the left about five spaces.
Examples: ABC ACTION 1234 SW 5th Ave. Anywhere, USA 00000
PRINCIPAL OWNER: Your Name
That's all you'll have on this page except the page number -1-
Following your title page is the page for your statement purpose. This should be a simple statement of your primary business function, such as: We are a service business engaged in the business of selling business success manuals and other information by mail.
The title of the page should be in all capital letters across the top of the page, centered on your final draft--skip a few lines and write the statement of purpose. This should be direct, clear and short--never more than (2) sentences in length.
Then you should skip a few lines, and from the left hand margin of the paper, write out a sub-heading in all capital letters, such as: EXPLANATION OF PURPOSE.
From, and within this sub-heading you can briefly explain your statement of purpose, such as: Our surveys have found most entrepreneurs to be "sadly" lacking in basic information that will enable them to achieve success. This market is estimated at more than a 100 million persons, with at least half of these people actively "searching" for sources that provide the kind of information they want, and need.
With our business, advertising and publishing experience, it is our goal to capture at least half of this market of information seekers, with our publication. MONEY MAKING MAGIC! Our market research indicates we can achieve this goal and realize a profit of $1,000,000 per year within the next 5 years...
The above example is generally the way you should write your "explanation of purpose," and in subtle definition, why you need an explanation. Point to remember: Keep it short. Very few business purpose explanations justify more than a half page long.
Next comes your table of contents page. Don't really worry about this until you've got the entire plan completed and ready for final typing. It's a good idea though, to list the subject (chapter titles) as I have, and then check off each one as you complete that part of your plan.
By having a list of the points you want to cover, you'll also be able to skip around and work on each phase of your business plan as an idea or the interest in organizing that particular phase, stimulates you. In other words, you won't have to make your thinking or your planning conform to the chronological order of the "chapters" of your business plan--another reason for the loose leaf notebook.
In describing your business, it's best to begin where your statement purpose leaves off. Describe your product, the production process, who has responsibility for what, and most importantly, what makes your product or service unique--what gives it an edge in your market. You can briefly summarize your business beginnings, present position and potential for future success, as well.
Next, describe the buyers you're trying to reach--why they need and want or will buy your product--and the results of any tests or surveys you may have conducted. Once you've defined your market, go on to explain how you intend to reach that market--how you'll these prospects to your product or service and induce them to buy. You might want to break this chapter down into sections such as..publicity and promotions, advertising plans, direct sales force, and dealer/distributor programs. Each section would then be an outline of your plans and policies.
Moving into the next chapter on competition, identify who your competitors are--their weakness and strong points--explain how you intend to capitalize on those weaknesses and match or better the strong points. Talk to as many of your "indirect" competitors as possible--those operating in different cities and states.
One of the easiest ways of gathering a lot of useful information about your competitors is by developing a series of survey questions and sending these questionnaires out to each of them. Later on, you might want to compile the answers to these questionnaires into some form of directory or report on this type of business.
It's also advisable to contact the trade associations and publications serving your proposed type of business. For information on trade associations and specific trade publications, visit your public library, and after explaining what you want ask for the librarian's help.
The chapter on management should be an elaboration on the people operating the business. Those people that actually run the business, their job, titles, duties, responsibilities and background resume's. It's important that you "paint" a strong picture of your top management people because the people coming to work for you or investing in your business, will be "investing in these people" as much as your product ideas. Individual tenacity, mature judgement under fire, and innovative problem-solving have "won over" more people than all the AAA Credit Ratings and astronomical sales figures put together.
People becoming involved with any new venture want to know that the person in charge--the guy running the business knows what he's doing, will not lose his cool when problems arise, and has what it takes to make money for all of them> After showing the "muscle" of this person, go on to outline the other key positions within your business; who the persons are you've selected to handle those jobs and the sources as well as availability of any help you might need.
If you've been in business of any kind scale, the next chapter is a picture of your financial status--a review of your operating costs and income from the business to date. Generally, this is a listing of your profit & loss statements for the six months, plus copies of your business income tax records for each of the previous three years the business has been an entity.
The chapter on the explanation of your plans for the future growth of your business is just that--an explanation of how you plan to keep your business growing--a detailed guide of what you're going to do, and how you're going to increase your profits. These plans should show your goals for the coming year, two years, and three years. By breaking your objectives down into annual milestones, your plan will be accepted as more realistic and be more understandable as a part of your ultimate success.
Following this explanation, you'll need to itemize the projected cost and income figures of your three year plan. I'll take a lot of research, an undoubtedly a good deal of erasing, but it's very important that you list these figures based upon thorough investigation. You may have to adjust some of your plans downward, but once you've got these two chapters on paper, your whole business plan will fall into line and begin to make sense. You'll have a precise "map" of where you're headed, how much it's going to cost, when you can expect to start making money, and how much.
Now that you know where you're going, how much it's going to cost and how long it's going to be before you begin to recoup your investment, you're ready to talk about how and where you're going to get the money to finance your journey. Unless you're independently wealthy, you'll want to use this chapter to list the possibilities and alternatives. Make a list of friends you can approach, and perhaps induce to put up some money as silent partners. Make a list of those people you might be able to sell as stockholders in your company--in many cases you can sell up to $300,000 worth of stock on a "private issue" basis without filing papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Check with a corporate or tax attorney in your area for more details. Make a list of relatives and friends that might help you with an outright loan to furnish money for the development of your business.
Then search out and make a list of venture capital organizations. Visit the Small Business Administration office in your area--pick up the loan application papers they have--read them, study them, and even fill them out on a preliminary basis--and finally, check the costs, determine which business publications would be best to advertise in, if you were to advertise for a partner or investor, and write an ad you'd want to use if you did decide to advertise for monetary help.
With listing of all the options available to your needs, all that's left is the arranging of these options in the order you would want to use them when the time come to ask for money. When you're researching these money sources, you'll save time by noting the "contact" deal with when you want money, and whenever possible, by developing a working relationship with these people.
If your documentation section, you should have a credit report on yourself. Use the Yellow Pages or check at the credit department in your bank for the nearest credit reporting office. When you get your credit report, look it over and take whatever steps are necessary to eliminate any negative comments. Once these have been taken care of, ask for a revised copy of your report and include a copy of that in your business plan.
If you own any patents or copyrights, include copies of these. Any licenses to use someone else's patent or copyright should also be included. If you own the distribution, wholesale or exclusive sales rights to a product, include copies of this documentation. You should also include copies of any leases, special agreements or other legal papers that might be pertinent to your business.
In conclusion, write out a brief, overall summary of your business- when the business was started, the purpose of the business, what makes your business different, how you're going to gain a profitable share of the market, and your expected success during the coming 5 years..
The last page of your business plan is a "courtesy page" listing the names, addresses and phone numbers of personal and business references--persons who have known you closely for the past five years or longer--and companies or firms you've had business or credit dealings with during the past five years.
And, that's it--your complete business plan. Before you send it out for formal typing, read it over once a day for a week or ten days. Take care of any changes or corrections, and then have it reviewed by an attorney and then, an accountant. It would also be a good idea to have it reviewed by a business consultant serving the business community to which your business will be related. After these reviews, and any last-minute changes you want to make, I'll be ready for formal typing.
Type and print the entire plan on ordinary white bond paper. Make sure you proof-read it against the original. Check for any corrections and typographical errors--then one more time--read it through for clarity and the perfection you want of it.
Now you're ready to have it printed and published for whatever use you have planned for it--distribution amongst your partners or stockholders as the business plan for putting together a winning financial proposal, or as a business operating manual.
Take it to a quality printer in your area, and have three copies printed. Don't settle for photo-copying..Have it printed!
Photo-copying leaves a slight film on the paper, and will detract from the overall professionalism of your business plan, when presented to someone you're trying to impress. So, after going to all this work to put together properly, go all the way and have it duplicated properly.
Next, stop by a stationery store, variety store or even a dime store, and pick up an ordinary, inexpensive bind-in theme cover for each copy of your business plan. Have the holes punched in the pages of your business report to fit these binders and then slip each copy into a binder of its own.
Now, you can relax, take a break and feel good about yourself..You have a complete and detailed business plan with which to operate a successful business of your own. A plan you can use as a basis for any financing proposal you may want to submit..And a precise road-map for the attainment of real success...
You just complete one of the important steps to fulfill of all your dreams of success.
Success in business comes as a result of planning. You have to have a detailed, written plan that shows what the ultimate goal is, the reason for the goal, and each milestone that must be passed in order to reach your goal.
A business plan is written definition of, and operational plan for achieving your goal. You need a complete but success tool in order to define your basic product, income objectives and specific operating procedures. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BUSINESS PLAN to attract investors, obtain financing and hold onto the confidence of your creditors, particularly in times of cash flow shortages--in this instance, the amount of money you have on hand compared with the expenses that must be met.
Aside from an overall directional policy for the production, sales effort and profit goals of your product--your basic "travel guide" to business success--the most important purpose your business plan will serve, will be the basis or foundation of any financial proposals you submit. Many entrepreneurs are under the mistaken impression that a business plan is the same as a financial proposal, or that a financial proposal constitutes a business plan. This is just a misunderstanding of the uses of these two separate and different business success aids.
The business plan is a long range "map" to guide your business to the goal you've set for it. The plan details the what, why, where, how and when, of your business--the success planning of your company.
Your financial proposal is a request for money based upon your business plan--your business history and objectives.
Understand the differences. They are closely related, but they are not interchangeable.
Writing and putting together a "winning" business plan takes study, research and time, so don't try to do it all in just one or two days.
The easiest way to start with a loose leaf notebook, plenty of paper, pencils, pencil sharpener, and several erasers. Once you get your mind "in gear" and begin thinking about your business plan, "10,000 thoughts and ideas per minute" will begin racing thru your mind...So, it's a good idea when you aren't actually working on your business plan, to carry a pocket notebook and jot down those business ideas as they come to you--ideas for sales promotion, recruiting distributors, and any other thoughts on how to operate and/or build your business.
Later, when you're actually working on your business plan, you can take out this "idea notebook" evaluate your ideas, rework them, refine them, and integrate them into the overall "big picture" of your business plan.
The best business plans for even the smallest businesses run 25 to 30 pages or more, so you'll need to "title" each page and arrange the different aspects of your business plan into "chapters." The format should pretty much run as follows:
Title Page Statement of Purpose Table of Contents Business Description Market Analysis Competition Business Location Management Current Financial Records Explanation of Plans For Growth Projected Profit & Loss/Operating Figures Explanation of Financing for Growth Documentation Summary of Business & Outlook for The Future Listing of Business & personal References
This is a logical organization of the information every business plan should cover. I'll explain each of these chapters titles in greater detail, but first, let me elaborate upon the reasons for proper organization of your business plan.
Having a set of "questions to answer" about your business forces you to take an objective and critical look at your ideas. Putting it all down on paper allows you to change, erase and refine everything to function in the manner of a smoothly oiled machine. You'll be able to spot weakness and strengthen them before they develop into major problems. Overall, you'll be developing an operating manual for your business--a valuable tool which will keep your business on track, and guide you in the profitable management of your business.
Because it's your idea, and your business, it's very important that YOU do the planning. This is YOUR business plan, so YOU develop it, and put it all down on paper just the way YOU want it to read. Seek out the advice of other people; talk with, listen to, and observe, other people running similar businesses; enlist the advice of your accountant and attorney--but at the bottom line, don't ever forget it has to be YOUR BUSINESS PLAN!
Remember too, that statistics show the greatest causes of business failure to be poor management and lack of planning--without a plan by which to operate, no one can manage; and without a direction in which to aim its efforts, no business can attain any real success.
On the very first page, which is the title page, put down the name of your business-ABC ACTION--with your business address underneath. Now, skip a couple of lines, and write it all in capital letters: PRINCIPAL OWNER--followed by your name if you're the principal owner. On your finished report, you would want to center this information on the page, with the words "principal owner" off-set to the left about five spaces.
Examples: ABC ACTION 1234 SW 5th Ave. Anywhere, USA 00000
PRINCIPAL OWNER: Your Name
That's all you'll have on this page except the page number -1-
Following your title page is the page for your statement purpose. This should be a simple statement of your primary business function, such as: We are a service business engaged in the business of selling business success manuals and other information by mail.
The title of the page should be in all capital letters across the top of the page, centered on your final draft--skip a few lines and write the statement of purpose. This should be direct, clear and short--never more than (2) sentences in length.
Then you should skip a few lines, and from the left hand margin of the paper, write out a sub-heading in all capital letters, such as: EXPLANATION OF PURPOSE.
From, and within this sub-heading you can briefly explain your statement of purpose, such as: Our surveys have found most entrepreneurs to be "sadly" lacking in basic information that will enable them to achieve success. This market is estimated at more than a 100 million persons, with at least half of these people actively "searching" for sources that provide the kind of information they want, and need.
With our business, advertising and publishing experience, it is our goal to capture at least half of this market of information seekers, with our publication. MONEY MAKING MAGIC! Our market research indicates we can achieve this goal and realize a profit of $1,000,000 per year within the next 5 years...
The above example is generally the way you should write your "explanation of purpose," and in subtle definition, why you need an explanation. Point to remember: Keep it short. Very few business purpose explanations justify more than a half page long.
Next comes your table of contents page. Don't really worry about this until you've got the entire plan completed and ready for final typing. It's a good idea though, to list the subject (chapter titles) as I have, and then check off each one as you complete that part of your plan.
By having a list of the points you want to cover, you'll also be able to skip around and work on each phase of your business plan as an idea or the interest in organizing that particular phase, stimulates you. In other words, you won't have to make your thinking or your planning conform to the chronological order of the "chapters" of your business plan--another reason for the loose leaf notebook.
In describing your business, it's best to begin where your statement purpose leaves off. Describe your product, the production process, who has responsibility for what, and most importantly, what makes your product or service unique--what gives it an edge in your market. You can briefly summarize your business beginnings, present position and potential for future success, as well.
Next, describe the buyers you're trying to reach--why they need and want or will buy your product--and the results of any tests or surveys you may have conducted. Once you've defined your market, go on to explain how you intend to reach that market--how you'll these prospects to your product or service and induce them to buy. You might want to break this chapter down into sections such as..publicity and promotions, advertising plans, direct sales force, and dealer/distributor programs. Each section would then be an outline of your plans and policies.
Moving into the next chapter on competition, identify who your competitors are--their weakness and strong points--explain how you intend to capitalize on those weaknesses and match or better the strong points. Talk to as many of your "indirect" competitors as possible--those operating in different cities and states.
One of the easiest ways of gathering a lot of useful information about your competitors is by developing a series of survey questions and sending these questionnaires out to each of them. Later on, you might want to compile the answers to these questionnaires into some form of directory or report on this type of business.
It's also advisable to contact the trade associations and publications serving your proposed type of business. For information on trade associations and specific trade publications, visit your public library, and after explaining what you want ask for the librarian's help.
The chapter on management should be an elaboration on the people operating the business. Those people that actually run the business, their job, titles, duties, responsibilities and background resume's. It's important that you "paint" a strong picture of your top management people because the people coming to work for you or investing in your business, will be "investing in these people" as much as your product ideas. Individual tenacity, mature judgement under fire, and innovative problem-solving have "won over" more people than all the AAA Credit Ratings and astronomical sales figures put together.
People becoming involved with any new venture want to know that the person in charge--the guy running the business knows what he's doing, will not lose his cool when problems arise, and has what it takes to make money for all of them> After showing the "muscle" of this person, go on to outline the other key positions within your business; who the persons are you've selected to handle those jobs and the sources as well as availability of any help you might need.
If you've been in business of any kind scale, the next chapter is a picture of your financial status--a review of your operating costs and income from the business to date. Generally, this is a listing of your profit & loss statements for the six months, plus copies of your business income tax records for each of the previous three years the business has been an entity.
The chapter on the explanation of your plans for the future growth of your business is just that--an explanation of how you plan to keep your business growing--a detailed guide of what you're going to do, and how you're going to increase your profits. These plans should show your goals for the coming year, two years, and three years. By breaking your objectives down into annual milestones, your plan will be accepted as more realistic and be more understandable as a part of your ultimate success.
Following this explanation, you'll need to itemize the projected cost and income figures of your three year plan. I'll take a lot of research, an undoubtedly a good deal of erasing, but it's very important that you list these figures based upon thorough investigation. You may have to adjust some of your plans downward, but once you've got these two chapters on paper, your whole business plan will fall into line and begin to make sense. You'll have a precise "map" of where you're headed, how much it's going to cost, when you can expect to start making money, and how much.
Now that you know where you're going, how much it's going to cost and how long it's going to be before you begin to recoup your investment, you're ready to talk about how and where you're going to get the money to finance your journey. Unless you're independently wealthy, you'll want to use this chapter to list the possibilities and alternatives. Make a list of friends you can approach, and perhaps induce to put up some money as silent partners. Make a list of those people you might be able to sell as stockholders in your company--in many cases you can sell up to $300,000 worth of stock on a "private issue" basis without filing papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Check with a corporate or tax attorney in your area for more details. Make a list of relatives and friends that might help you with an outright loan to furnish money for the development of your business.
Then search out and make a list of venture capital organizations. Visit the Small Business Administration office in your area--pick up the loan application papers they have--read them, study them, and even fill them out on a preliminary basis--and finally, check the costs, determine which business publications would be best to advertise in, if you were to advertise for a partner or investor, and write an ad you'd want to use if you did decide to advertise for monetary help.
With listing of all the options available to your needs, all that's left is the arranging of these options in the order you would want to use them when the time come to ask for money. When you're researching these money sources, you'll save time by noting the "contact" deal with when you want money, and whenever possible, by developing a working relationship with these people.
If your documentation section, you should have a credit report on yourself. Use the Yellow Pages or check at the credit department in your bank for the nearest credit reporting office. When you get your credit report, look it over and take whatever steps are necessary to eliminate any negative comments. Once these have been taken care of, ask for a revised copy of your report and include a copy of that in your business plan.
If you own any patents or copyrights, include copies of these. Any licenses to use someone else's patent or copyright should also be included. If you own the distribution, wholesale or exclusive sales rights to a product, include copies of this documentation. You should also include copies of any leases, special agreements or other legal papers that might be pertinent to your business.
In conclusion, write out a brief, overall summary of your business- when the business was started, the purpose of the business, what makes your business different, how you're going to gain a profitable share of the market, and your expected success during the coming 5 years..
The last page of your business plan is a "courtesy page" listing the names, addresses and phone numbers of personal and business references--persons who have known you closely for the past five years or longer--and companies or firms you've had business or credit dealings with during the past five years.
And, that's it--your complete business plan. Before you send it out for formal typing, read it over once a day for a week or ten days. Take care of any changes or corrections, and then have it reviewed by an attorney and then, an accountant. It would also be a good idea to have it reviewed by a business consultant serving the business community to which your business will be related. After these reviews, and any last-minute changes you want to make, I'll be ready for formal typing.
Type and print the entire plan on ordinary white bond paper. Make sure you proof-read it against the original. Check for any corrections and typographical errors--then one more time--read it through for clarity and the perfection you want of it.
Now you're ready to have it printed and published for whatever use you have planned for it--distribution amongst your partners or stockholders as the business plan for putting together a winning financial proposal, or as a business operating manual.
Take it to a quality printer in your area, and have three copies printed. Don't settle for photo-copying..Have it printed!
Photo-copying leaves a slight film on the paper, and will detract from the overall professionalism of your business plan, when presented to someone you're trying to impress. So, after going to all this work to put together properly, go all the way and have it duplicated properly.
Next, stop by a stationery store, variety store or even a dime store, and pick up an ordinary, inexpensive bind-in theme cover for each copy of your business plan. Have the holes punched in the pages of your business report to fit these binders and then slip each copy into a binder of its own.
Now, you can relax, take a break and feel good about yourself..You have a complete and detailed business plan with which to operate a successful business of your own. A plan you can use as a basis for any financing proposal you may want to submit..And a precise road-map for the attainment of real success...
You just complete one of the important steps to fulfill of all your dreams of success.
Start-up Loans – For Potential Entrepreneurs
It is a universally known fact that starting up a business is not a piece of cake. So, what does a new business endeavour - big or small - requires? A unique business idea and dynamic plans to begin with. However, the key ingredient is strong capital funding. Hence, proper distribution and intelligent management of the key component becomes mandatory.
Ones personal savings are typically not sufficient to meet the endless start-up business requirements. This is when the start-up loans come into the picture for purchases like office premises/plant, business equipments/machinery, office infrastructure and other business resources to start-up a new business of your own. Though, primarily designed for new ventures, people avail them for business expansions too.
Like most of the other loans, start-up loans too are available in secured and unsecured forms. Generally, all know that a secured start-up loan can only be availed by pledging something substantial as collateral, whereas an unsecured start-up loan guarantees credit without any security.
Lenders are very forthcoming when one selects a secured option, as it is a very safe deal for them. It gives them the right to take possession of the pledged collateral, if the borrower fails to pay back as decided. Hence, in return, they offer low interest rates, negotiable repayment terms and good loan clauses. This is a wise choice for those starters who have a bigger monetary requirement and are not in a rush, as the time consuming property evaluation slows down the entire process.
For short-term or urgent needs borrowers usually prefer the unsecured type, as the absence of time consuming property evaluation procedure speeds up the entire process. Besides, it is the only alternative for those are unable or unwilling to pledge something valuable as collateral. Though interest rates are high and terms more or less fixed, the risk of collateral repossession is missing.
The rate of interest, when one opts for a secured option, depends upon the market value of the pledged collateral. The higher the value, the lower the rate of interest. But, when one opts for an unsecured option, his past credit records and current ability to repay act as the deciding factors.
Ones personal savings are typically not sufficient to meet the endless start-up business requirements. This is when the start-up loans come into the picture for purchases like office premises/plant, business equipments/machinery, office infrastructure and other business resources to start-up a new business of your own. Though, primarily designed for new ventures, people avail them for business expansions too.
Like most of the other loans, start-up loans too are available in secured and unsecured forms. Generally, all know that a secured start-up loan can only be availed by pledging something substantial as collateral, whereas an unsecured start-up loan guarantees credit without any security.
Lenders are very forthcoming when one selects a secured option, as it is a very safe deal for them. It gives them the right to take possession of the pledged collateral, if the borrower fails to pay back as decided. Hence, in return, they offer low interest rates, negotiable repayment terms and good loan clauses. This is a wise choice for those starters who have a bigger monetary requirement and are not in a rush, as the time consuming property evaluation slows down the entire process.
For short-term or urgent needs borrowers usually prefer the unsecured type, as the absence of time consuming property evaluation procedure speeds up the entire process. Besides, it is the only alternative for those are unable or unwilling to pledge something valuable as collateral. Though interest rates are high and terms more or less fixed, the risk of collateral repossession is missing.
The rate of interest, when one opts for a secured option, depends upon the market value of the pledged collateral. The higher the value, the lower the rate of interest. But, when one opts for an unsecured option, his past credit records and current ability to repay act as the deciding factors.
Estimating Costs For Starting Your Own Pet Business
In the United States alone, over sixty percent of all households have at least one pet, and people are literally spending billions of dollars each and every year on their beloved animals, whether they are covered with fur, feathers, or scales. For this reason alone, the pet business, in a variety of aspects, is booming more than ever before. If you've considered trying your hand in the business world by beginning your own pet related venture, you're probably most concerned about start up costs, which will, of course, primarily depend on the type of business you're considering.
Some of the ideas for starting your own pet business include starting a doggie daycare, offering dog training or grooming services, becoming a dog walker or a pet-sitter, making your own pet treats, opening a pet food store, or if you have an artistic side, you could create portraits of pets. Obviously, the more supplies you need or overhead you'll have, the more funds you will need to get your business off the ground and running.
Luckily, most pet related ventures like dog training rely more upon know-how rather than actual supplies, and the business end of your company can easily be conducted right from home. Depending on the type of training you'll be specializing in, you can plan on needing things such as leashes, books and training materials for reference, plenty of dog treats, as well as money dedicated toward marketing efforts.
Thanks to the internet, you can easily advertise your business for free on any number of classified sites that don't charge for posting your information including a link to your website, which you can also get for free until you earn some revenue.
Pet-sitting is slowly but surely becoming a lucrative business, especially when two-income households are the norm and people need someone to care for their pets during the day, or during vacation time. Pet-sitters often offer additional services including watering plants, poop-scooping, and bringing the mail for extra fees, none of which require any money spent on your part, unless of course you never travel without your own personal pooper-scooper.
Start up costs for pet-sitting are relatively low, including advertising, which we know can be done completely free of charge, and all you'll really need to pay for are your transportation costs to and from jobs and incidentals like paper for receipts or invoices.
If you do have the funds available for start up costs, or can get them through a small business loan, credit card, or some other means, you may want to consider starting your own upscale pet product company or a pet food business. Since the supplies you would need for both can be purchased at wholesale prices in bulk, with the right marketing skills it's very possible to turn your small business into a rather lucrative venture in a short amount of time.
Also, since either of these ideas can be done entirely online through a website without the need to worry about rent, and paying the fees for your own site and web hosting just can't compare to what it would be to rent an entire office or building to do business from. Perhaps the most expensive cost when it comes to starting your own pet business is the insurance needed if you will be pet-sitting or dog training, or the fee to become bonded. Insurance costs will vary by company as well as the number of clients you have.
Being bonded, meaning that an insurance company has put in writing that you are trustworthy, will definitely attract more customers as it tells them you are a serious professional. Don't forget to keep careful records of all expenses so when it comes time for tax season, you can write it all off as business related deductibles.
Some of the ideas for starting your own pet business include starting a doggie daycare, offering dog training or grooming services, becoming a dog walker or a pet-sitter, making your own pet treats, opening a pet food store, or if you have an artistic side, you could create portraits of pets. Obviously, the more supplies you need or overhead you'll have, the more funds you will need to get your business off the ground and running.
Luckily, most pet related ventures like dog training rely more upon know-how rather than actual supplies, and the business end of your company can easily be conducted right from home. Depending on the type of training you'll be specializing in, you can plan on needing things such as leashes, books and training materials for reference, plenty of dog treats, as well as money dedicated toward marketing efforts.
Thanks to the internet, you can easily advertise your business for free on any number of classified sites that don't charge for posting your information including a link to your website, which you can also get for free until you earn some revenue.
Pet-sitting is slowly but surely becoming a lucrative business, especially when two-income households are the norm and people need someone to care for their pets during the day, or during vacation time. Pet-sitters often offer additional services including watering plants, poop-scooping, and bringing the mail for extra fees, none of which require any money spent on your part, unless of course you never travel without your own personal pooper-scooper.
Start up costs for pet-sitting are relatively low, including advertising, which we know can be done completely free of charge, and all you'll really need to pay for are your transportation costs to and from jobs and incidentals like paper for receipts or invoices.
If you do have the funds available for start up costs, or can get them through a small business loan, credit card, or some other means, you may want to consider starting your own upscale pet product company or a pet food business. Since the supplies you would need for both can be purchased at wholesale prices in bulk, with the right marketing skills it's very possible to turn your small business into a rather lucrative venture in a short amount of time.
Also, since either of these ideas can be done entirely online through a website without the need to worry about rent, and paying the fees for your own site and web hosting just can't compare to what it would be to rent an entire office or building to do business from. Perhaps the most expensive cost when it comes to starting your own pet business is the insurance needed if you will be pet-sitting or dog training, or the fee to become bonded. Insurance costs will vary by company as well as the number of clients you have.
Being bonded, meaning that an insurance company has put in writing that you are trustworthy, will definitely attract more customers as it tells them you are a serious professional. Don't forget to keep careful records of all expenses so when it comes time for tax season, you can write it all off as business related deductibles.
Business Improvement In Practice And Process: How Small Businesses Get Ahead Of Their Competitors
Recently I met some business coaches for a self-run seminar on business improvement. Our aim was to explore how we help SME clients to improve their businesses, contrasting and comparing our approaches. As we shared our client experiences, we noticed there were basic four approaches that we follow with variations to suit a specific small business:
Moore’s Law
Gordan Moore noticed that there are trends in technology: IT hardware performance doubles every two years; the price of technology halves as the cumulative sales double; and the number of World Wide Web pages doubles every nine months.
If you look out for the market trends that will impact your products and services, you can focus your business improvement efforts where the trends will help you to improve what you offer your customers.
Kaizan
Kaizan groups break down your business processes into components that you can monitor for performance. Within the measurements, the group seek instances of best performance that if adopted generally could improve the performance of the whole business.
You could extend this by seeking out best practices not just in your own company by in your suppliers and customers. When you have found how other do a process quicker, cheaper and to a better standard, you apply this benchmark to improve your own performance.
Continuous improvements
Total Quality Management looks for annual improvements using the skills and insights of your whole team. Small groups focus on a specific process, explore how it works, collect ideas to try out and then adopt the changes that improve the process.
Thus you could target specific areas that you want to change this year and encourage your staff to suggest improvements. Each suggestion is treated as an experiment run as a project (with a fixed goal, fixed start and end dates, a cost and effort budget and open reporting). Where the improvement is shown to be effective, it then becomes part of the accepted practice.
Groves corollary
Andy Groves believed "only the paranoid survive" so he created competitive pressures on his company before his competitors did.
In this approach, you watch your competitors constantly, check their performance levels, assess their products and improve before they do. A success is when you recognise new opportunities and develop the capability to exploit it before others do.
The key message that we picked up from our coaching meeting is that to leave your competitors behind, you need to invest effort and energy into improving your business.
The method that suits particular clients will depend on the people involved – whether they prefer to generate their own changes, be inspired by the achievements of others or watch what is happening in other businesses and industries.
So the final question is "How will you go forward?"
Moore’s Law
Gordan Moore noticed that there are trends in technology: IT hardware performance doubles every two years; the price of technology halves as the cumulative sales double; and the number of World Wide Web pages doubles every nine months.
If you look out for the market trends that will impact your products and services, you can focus your business improvement efforts where the trends will help you to improve what you offer your customers.
Kaizan
Kaizan groups break down your business processes into components that you can monitor for performance. Within the measurements, the group seek instances of best performance that if adopted generally could improve the performance of the whole business.
You could extend this by seeking out best practices not just in your own company by in your suppliers and customers. When you have found how other do a process quicker, cheaper and to a better standard, you apply this benchmark to improve your own performance.
Continuous improvements
Total Quality Management looks for annual improvements using the skills and insights of your whole team. Small groups focus on a specific process, explore how it works, collect ideas to try out and then adopt the changes that improve the process.
Thus you could target specific areas that you want to change this year and encourage your staff to suggest improvements. Each suggestion is treated as an experiment run as a project (with a fixed goal, fixed start and end dates, a cost and effort budget and open reporting). Where the improvement is shown to be effective, it then becomes part of the accepted practice.
Groves corollary
Andy Groves believed "only the paranoid survive" so he created competitive pressures on his company before his competitors did.
In this approach, you watch your competitors constantly, check their performance levels, assess their products and improve before they do. A success is when you recognise new opportunities and develop the capability to exploit it before others do.
The key message that we picked up from our coaching meeting is that to leave your competitors behind, you need to invest effort and energy into improving your business.
The method that suits particular clients will depend on the people involved – whether they prefer to generate their own changes, be inspired by the achievements of others or watch what is happening in other businesses and industries.
So the final question is "How will you go forward?"
Small Business Bookkeeping Services - Starting Your Business
Providing small business bookkeeping services is rapidly becoming a financially viable option, specifically in the US. There are a plethora of companies looking to outsource their bookkeeping, creating a demand for such services. This demand is most evident online, and some basic testing on Google will reveal this. For example today the term 'bookkeeping services' has over 3000 searches a month on Google in the US alone. The most important aspect to analyze of any small business is the Return On Investment (ROI). This essentially means the money you are going to make in relation to the money you will have to spend in your business.
If you are seriously considering providing small business bookkeeping services, there is no doubt it will be in your best interests to start working from home, with an online presence only initially. Obviously you can plan to expand and move the business into a physical office space, and move forward as it grows; however initially starting small with the least amount of outgoings will serve you well.
Many will be asking why providing small business bookkeeping services could be a financially viable option. Think of it this way, the services you will be providing are crucial to the successful and legal operation of any business, so your services will be in demand, always. Learning the specifics of small business bookkeeping need not be an obstacle. If you are good with Mathematics, and are reasonable at managing your own finances, then chances are you will be successful at providing small business bookkeeping services.
Every business needs their bookkeeping taken care of. It is such a crucial aspect of their business- for legal reasons as well as future success. Small businesses will often favor outsourcing their bookkeeping, as it allows them to concentrate on growing their business and dealing with aspects which are crucial to their survival- it is for this reason your small business bookkeeping services will be in such demand. The feel good aspect of providing such services is that you will be intrinsically important in the growing of your client's businesses, and appropriately rewarded no doubt. A basic knowledge of bookkeeping, motivation and discipline is all one will require for initial success.
In terms of qualification, obviously if you have an Accounting Major or are Business Graduate it is going to place you in better steed. You will be able to use your qualification as a backbone to the services you are going to provide. Don't be despondent if you lack these qualifications, as there are currently many short course and diploma options available which will arm you will all the knowledge you will need to commence providing your If you are serious about starting a successful business today, then this could be the option for you. Do the research online, and find your target in terms of potential clientele. Start your business from home with an online presence, and plan for growth as success comes. Whatever your business goals, providing small business bookkeeping services is a great option.
If you are seriously considering providing small business bookkeeping services, there is no doubt it will be in your best interests to start working from home, with an online presence only initially. Obviously you can plan to expand and move the business into a physical office space, and move forward as it grows; however initially starting small with the least amount of outgoings will serve you well.
Many will be asking why providing small business bookkeeping services could be a financially viable option. Think of it this way, the services you will be providing are crucial to the successful and legal operation of any business, so your services will be in demand, always. Learning the specifics of small business bookkeeping need not be an obstacle. If you are good with Mathematics, and are reasonable at managing your own finances, then chances are you will be successful at providing small business bookkeeping services.
Every business needs their bookkeeping taken care of. It is such a crucial aspect of their business- for legal reasons as well as future success. Small businesses will often favor outsourcing their bookkeeping, as it allows them to concentrate on growing their business and dealing with aspects which are crucial to their survival- it is for this reason your small business bookkeeping services will be in such demand. The feel good aspect of providing such services is that you will be intrinsically important in the growing of your client's businesses, and appropriately rewarded no doubt. A basic knowledge of bookkeeping, motivation and discipline is all one will require for initial success.
In terms of qualification, obviously if you have an Accounting Major or are Business Graduate it is going to place you in better steed. You will be able to use your qualification as a backbone to the services you are going to provide. Don't be despondent if you lack these qualifications, as there are currently many short course and diploma options available which will arm you will all the knowledge you will need to commence providing your If you are serious about starting a successful business today, then this could be the option for you. Do the research online, and find your target in terms of potential clientele. Start your business from home with an online presence, and plan for growth as success comes. Whatever your business goals, providing small business bookkeeping services is a great option.
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