Do you have a plan for your small business? Many entrepreneurs don’t have a business plan when they start out. They just wing it. While this works for some, it’s really not a good idea for the long term. You should develop a business plan to help guide you in your business direction, kind of like a road map for your business.

Another good reason to have a business plan in place? If you need a loan or investors for your small business lenders will probably want to see a plan for your small business to see where you’re going. They’ll …read more

Have you ever dreamed of starting your own business? Do you want to make a difference in the world by creating a business that has a positive impact? Then let’s look at how you can bring your business dream into fruition.
To assist you in developing your business dream, I thought I would share an acronym that would help you get started. The acronym is D.R.E.A.M. and the meaning is:

Daring. Be daring and don’t be afraid to start your business.
Realistic. Make sure you have realistic goals and objectives incorporated into your business plan.
Enhance. Ask yourself, “will this business enhance someone’s life?”.
Achor. …read more

Hurricane Season officially began June 1, but it really gets going in August and September.  If you live in Florida or anywhere in the Gulf Coast areas, you have probably thought about the obvious protections, getting supplies to board up windows, but don’t forget other ways to protect your business. Even if your business isn’t in the hurricane area, you should still consider protecting your business from natural disasters like floods, tornadoes, snowstorms, and anything that happens in y our area.
Develop a protection and preparedness plan for your small business that includes:
Business Data Protection. Have a physical backup or backup …read more

To enlarge or not to enlarge, that is the question. Busines is going well and you are bursting at the seams.  You are thinking about getting a bigger space, buying a bigger building, leasing that vacant space next to you in the strip mall.  But, don’t be too hasty about expanding.  Expanding your small business could lead you down a road to business problems.
Should This Pizza Restaurant Expand? Our favorite pizza place is a little hole-in-the-wall place where people stand in line for tables and wait hours for a take-out order on the weekends.  Every time we go there, my …read more

Mary Emma Allen asks in her recent post: http://www.homebiznotes.com/which-candidate-will-help-or-hinder-your-home-business/ and Miki Saxon of Leadership Turn comments: “Whether local or Presidential, I’ve gotten to the point that where I believe candidates only stand by what they say as long as it’s expedient. When it’s not, they’ll flop to whatever position gets them reelected.”
While it is good business practice (especially for home businesses) to do a business or economic environment scan (including how candidates will affect business and the economy), at the end of the day the business owner or manager should focus on what is controllable and uncontrollable in his …read more

In the previous article, “A simple plan to start a business for new owners“, I shared a mind map with you that provided a simple view of a business plan. I now want to share with you a simple to do list to help you as a new business owner.
Below are ten (10) basic things that you can do to help get your business started:

Create a business or strategy plan that will help you steer your business in the right direction and allow you to start your business right.
Choose a business legal structure that will benefit your business (for more …read more