STEP 7: Support Team

I found out that many businesses went bust before they even went fully operational because they did not start right. Starting right can mean the difference between success and failure. It simply means I should have all the tools, information, facilities, contacts, money management and government compliances all fully prepared and organized. The four key professionals who could help me in getting all these logistics organized and put my organization on a path to starting up smartly and cost effectively, are listed below. They will also be instrumental as my business grows.

1. Accountant/Financial Planner – I need a qualified accountant’s expertise to ensure that my cash flow is in good order, expenses are well managed, tax liability is minimized and book-keeping is well organized. In some cases, a financial planner could cover a wider scope than an accountant.

2. Lawyer – An experienced lawyer will ensure that all agreements with my associates, staffs, and third parties are placed under well drafted contracts to protect my personal and business interests.

3. Banker – A banker can be helpful as the business gets running because I may need some financial facilities (i.e. short term loan, credit facility, checking account, treasury management) that can be useful from time to time.

4. Insurance Professional – I need an experienced insurance professional to identify all possible risks that I may encounter and insure all those risks cost effectively. I won’t attempt to cut corners in this segment and land myself into any possible financial liability.

In addition, there are other supports that may be vital to certain types of business. Of course there is a long list of people who can help an entrepreneur along the way depending on the nature of the business. However, I manage to sum up four important supports that all business entrepreneurs should not miss out. The four are listed below:

1. Website Designer or Programmer – These folks could help me build my multi-functional Website that would be the backbone of my entire business if my business depends heavily on online transaction. A web presence is also essential for my company’s brand positioning and customer after sales service.

2. IT Specialist – This kind of consultant could assist me to set up a paperless office system and an effective computer system to minimize office operational expenses. Besides, an IT Specialist could also ensure all business data and client database are well managed, hassle free and accessible.

3. Real estate agent – When owners are venturing into a brick and mortar business model, they definitely need an experienced real estate agent to advise them on the overall cost of leasing or purchasing, location suitability for their particular business, amenities and parking facilities, monthly maintenance and whatever hidden costs.

4. Local business council/association – I would definitely join a local business council or association (usually there is a small joining fee) and find out what kind of support or advisory they could provide. Normally the group members conduct a regular forum or meeting, where members could seek out solutions to many of the existing problems and foreseeable roadblocks. Many of them would have walked through the problems and could share with me some valuable insights.

Before I start my search for any form of assistance and support, it’s crucial to know what I want to accomplish with each of them and prepare a well-defined budget to meet my goals. However, I would be cautious as certain supports may be expensive! Once I hired them, I would work closely with them to attain my business goals in a strict timeline.

Regardless of who I retain, they should be well versed and experienced in the field of business I am involved in. Most importantly, I must be able to trust them, therefore I usually select my service providers through referrals, their years of experience (which is a key factor) and I must be comfortable dealing with them.

*Note: Unproven teories to not be shown to my readers! If you need any small business startup help, feel free to visit my Website

=> To get the complete online business course on
small business startup guide, log on to

http://www.12daysonly.com, and redeem your
BONUS PACKAGE worth US$1,396.00

–
Disclaimer - This article may be freely reprinted in its entirety in any e-zine, newsletter, blog or website. The author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

Dave J, is an E-preneur, NLP-Certified Business Coach and Author. Within a decade, Dave J has served as an advisor to countless small-level to high-level business leaders around the world. Despite such a short span, Dave J has becoming a highly-respected authority on the psychology of business leadership, business startup, management and marketing. His forte is coaching ordinary people to attain professional and financial breakthrough.

STEP 6: Funding

This could be a very important step for businesses that require capital to startup and funding to keep overheads and inventories on track. Finding funding is not difficult. But getting the right funding is crucial. Of course there is a saying that goes, “beggars can’t be choosers”! Nonetheless, startup owners must be smart when seeking funding or it could turn their dream business into a nightmare.

I would normally identify my short term and long term business goals and the kind of business I am planning to launch. Once I finalize my directions, I would then identify which form of financing is right for me.

As money comes in many forms, let me tackle the available options to fund any kind of business:

* Oneself
* Debt Financing
* Grants
* Friends and Family
* Venture Capitalists

Oneself
First of all, I believe startup owners should look no further to find the funding they need i.e. savings, emergency accounts, credit cards, equity pulled from their home, extra cash from downgrading their car, etc. The upsides are owners get to maintain full control over their businesses, no equity holders to pay off if they made it big and there is no responsibility to report to anyone.Nonetheless, if the business fails, they will face a lot of personal debts, high interest to pay off that could burden their monthly expenses and it limits the growth of their business (especially when they need more outlets or inventories for strategic growth).

Debt Financing
It refers to traditional bank loans. The lending process is inherently a tough one, but it’s also a system that has been the catalyst of success for many small-and-medium-scale business startups. The advantage of debt financing is owners don’t have to give up part of their business equity or control. Besides, they have instant access of capital when they need most throughout their business operation.
The core disadvantage - not many “new kids on the block” will qualify for bank loans because it typically goes for business with 2-5 years of history. Moreover, personal collateral is usually required to obtain any bank loan and if they failed to pay the loan they may end up filing for bankruptcy.

Government Grants
Grant is a very subjective form of funding because its source usually comes from government. Different governments at different times would launch different funding programs, but they all share one commonality; it is free money program designed to fuel the innovative fires of small businesses, and typically target specific groups or types of businesses. Of course the greatest advantage of getting a grant is owners need not payback even if the business failed.Then again, the competition is stiff for grants as there is a high level of rigid red tape to be complied with and the usage of the grant (after being approved) are usually well defined.

Friends and Family
Just like it describes, a simple and direct way to raise capital in exchange for equity or as a loan to be repaid. The good side of borrowing from friends and family is, it’s less hassle, quicker and has less contractual obligations. The bad sides are the fund size is limited and the consequence of losing their money could lead to a sour relationship.

Venture Capitalists
They are made of individuals or organizations with large amounts of capital to invest in your business in expectation for higher returns. Getting investment from venture capitalists is equally as demanding as borrowing from the bank. They are demanding because they only invest in established companies. They usually get involved in the company’s decision making, and they must have an aggressive exit strategy to sell the business. Usually, they prefer a fast growing company i.e. Internet-based company.

Nevertheless, the upsides of venture capitalists’ funding are they can provide owners with powerful networks or contacts and owners need not payback if the business failed because they have big reservoir of money for owners to tap into.

*Note: Unproven teories to not be shown to my readers! If you need any small business startup help, feel free to visit my Website

=> To get the complete online business course on
small business startup guide, log on to

http://www.12daysonly.com, and redeem your
BONUS PACKAGE worth US$1,396.00

–
Disclaimer - This article may be freely reprinted in its entirety in any e-zine, newsletter, blog or website. The author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

Dave J, is an E-preneur, NLP-Certified Business Coach and Author. Within a decade, Dave J has served as an advisor to countless small-level to high-level business leaders around the world. Despite such a short span, Dave J has becoming a highly-respected authority on the psychology of business leadership, business startup, management and marketing. His forte is coaching ordinary people to attain professional and financial breakthrough.

STEP 5: Create Key Assets

I definitely would not startup a business without any key asset. But it doesn’t stop here. My key assets are only as good as my ability to protect them, especially when intellectual property is concerned.

I have summarized five key assets that are crucial to all businesses - regardless of its nature:

* Website
* Trademarks
* Copyrights
* Patents
* Confidential Agreements
Website
As we live in the world of information, businesses are turning to the Internet for retailing opportunities, marketing and servicing. Every business should have a Website regardless how big or small the operation and the key to establishing a Website is securing a domain name i.e. www.yourbusinessname.com or www.yourbrand.com. Once a domain name is established, anyone can create their own Website using DIY software or engage a Website designer to get the job done.

Trademarks
My brand name, logo, and any other symbol that distinguishes my company or goods from others are classified as my trademarks. Trademark is one of the most important business assets I’ll ever own. I need to register my trademark with the local authority to ensure that I am the official owner of the mark, which gives me the sole exclusive rights to use the trademark.

Copyrights
A copyright grants me the exclusive legal rights to my creative work, which can include anything from literary or Website content to artistic compositions. I need to file a copyright with the local authority before I reserve the rights. Once granted, it prevents others from copying, performing or using my work without my permission. Don’t confuse copyright with trademark. Trademark is used only to protect intellectual property such as company names, brands, logos and symbols.

Patents
Assuming I start a business because I have a creative yet “best-selling” idea and I want to turn it into a commercial success. Therefore I should quickly protect my invention so I can have a head start. The best way to protect it is to get a patent on it. A patent is a legal property right granted by the government of the country I want to trade in, to the inventor to have the sole exclusive rights to exclude others from using, manufacturing or selling the invention for a limited time. In the United States, a patent will last for 20 years in exchange for public disclosure of the invention when the patent is granted.

Confidential Agreements
They are legal documents that allow me to keep my company’s secret once I have exposed them to my staffs, business associates, or any authorities. The documents will legally disallow them to disclose such information to the public indefinitely. For this reason, it’s important that I get the relevant parties to sign the agreement before disclosing any information to them.

*Note: Unproven teories to not be shown to my readers! If you need any small business startup help, feel free to visit my Website

–
Disclaimer - This article may be freely reprinted in its entirety in any e-zine, newsletter, blog or website. The author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

Dave J, is an E-preneur, NLP-Certified Business Coach and Author. Within a decade, Dave J has served as an advisor to countless small-level to high-level business leaders around the world. Despite such a short span, Dave J has becoming a highly-respected authority on the psychology of business leadership, business startup, management and marketing. His forte is coaching ordinary people to attain professional and financial breakthrough.

=> To get the complete online business course on
small business startup guide, log on to
http://www.12daysonly.com , and redeem your
BONUS PACKAGE worth US$1,396.00

STEP 4: Organizational Structure

This is the step where I need to select an organization structure that best fits my business model. I personally find there is no “best” structure for all businesses. However, I normally prefer to select one that provides me with high autonomy and low tax liability. Again, this will also depend on the national, federal or local tax structure for each business entity in the country or state I conduct my business.

Before setting up my company, I would do insight research on all the options available for my particular business model, particularly the advantages and disadvantages of each formation, paying special attention to the tax implication and government formalities as well as red tape in the location or country where I operate. I never assume all countries are similar.

Let’s take a look at four common forms of business ownership:

1. Sole proprietor

2. Partnership

3. Corporation

4. Limited Liability Company

Before selecting the form of business, I always find it best to work closely with a lawyer or a financial planner to ensure I have the right information, compliance and resources that allow me to make the right choice.Sole Proprietor

This is a very popular form of business in many countries (i.e. America, Canada, UK, India, Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, etc.) because so little is needed to set up a sole proprietorship. Apart from local business licenses, there are minimal government fees and paperwork. It is instant, cost effective and minimal (or even zero) compliant requirements by local authorities.

On the other hand, there is also considerable risk to consider. The owner’s personal assets are vulnerable to creditors and other liabilities. Sole proprietorship doesn’t get the advantage of certain tax breaks that are reserved for Corporation or Limited Liability Company.

In short, this form of business is very ideal for home based business that has no massive inventory or a high number of staffs.Partnership

Similar to sole proprietorship, this form is very easy to set up and maintain, requiring minimal government fee and paperwork. The initial setup cost and maintenance fees to run a partnership are very low. Moreover, no capital is required to form a partnership. Each partner is not required to raise any capital to start this form of business.

On the downside, each partner is required to account full responsibility for all the company’s debts. If one of the partners defaults on a company loan, creditors can actually go after your personal assets and belongings. Besides that, capital raising is also very limited in a partnership. Just like sole proprietorship, partnership doesn’t get much tax incentives.Corporation

There are a few types of corporations available depending on the location or country the owners conduct business. However, most corporations (in many countries) share similar characteristics.

The key advantage of incorporating a business is that it shields equity holders (owners) of the company from personal liability. In other words, if business hits hard times, creditors cannot go after the owners’ personal assets to make up for any company debts. Yet, most creditors nowadays would require the owners of the corporation to guarantee the shortfalls if the company goes under. Besides that, a corporation offers significant tax savings (usually not extended to sole proprietorship or partnership), greater business flexibility, company name protection and better opportunity to raise capital via venture capitalist or financial institution.

Bear in mind that corporations are not cheap to set up. It requires some initial set up fees and certain amount of regular maintenance. With a corporation, you have to keep a proper set of financial records, audited by a certified accountant. Depending on where the business is conducted, some government or local authority would require a minimum set of compliance and would also require regular fees to be paid.

There is one option that a corporation possesses - that allow owners to sell their shares of stock to the public (known as public listed corporation). Then this will involve higher startup capital (usually runs into the millions), more legal and meticulous accounting compliances to adhere to.Limited Liability Company

As for many new entrepreneurs, choosing a business structure comes down to liability protection, low startup costing, tax savings and convenience. This form of business requires fewer formalities and less on-going paperwork than corporations while offering the same personal liability protection and tax flexibility. Just as with a corporation, the company name is protected, and the other members of the company are shielded from creditors and other company liabilities such as lawsuits. A limited liability company only requires the owners to keep minimal company records, and there is no limit to the number of equity owners.

Nonetheless, this form of business is dissolved when a member dies or undergoes bankruptcy. In comparison to sole proprietorship or partnership, it has more paperwork and complexity to set up and to be maintained.

Disclaimer - This article may be freely reprinted in its entirety in any e-zine, newsletter, blog or website. The author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

Dave J, is an E-preneur, NLP-Certified Business Coach and Author. Within a decade, Dave J has served as an advisor to countless small-level to high-level business leaders around the world. Despite such a short span, Dave J has becoming a highly-respected authority on the psychology of business leadership, business startup, management and marketing. His forte is coaching ordinary people to attain professional and financial breakthrough.

*Note: Unproven theories to not be shown to my readers! If you need any small business startup help, feel free to visit my Website

=> To get the complete online business course on small business startup guide, log on to http://www.12daysonly.com, and redeem your
BONUS PACKAGE worth US$1,396.00

STEP 3: Prepare a Business Plan

Once I have done all the preparations, I would start creating a detailed business plan - a document that will provide the priorities, strategies, agenda and sanity I’ll need to startup my business.

In my experience and observation of the business world, the “activity” of creating a business plan is as valuable as the end product itself. Just remember that the most important audience for a business plan is ME. I am accountable for all the statements, claims, statistics and facts. So if I try to “twist” the figure, I am actually lying to myself!

The business plan can also aid me as a tool to generate interest from financiers, venture capitalists, staffs, suppliers and strategic associates.

Regardless of the structure or format of my business plan, I will ensure that my business planning must contain answers for the following twelve questions:

1. What’s my business idea?

2. How does my idea address consumers’ needs/wants?

3. What business model suits me best?

4. What’s unique about my business idea over the rivals?

5. What is the market opportunity and potential?

6. What is my role and responsibility?

7. Who are the key staffs or workers (skip if I do not have any)?

8. What price will the customer pay and how will they buy?

9. How much money do I need to start and run the business?

10. What’s the source of my capital?

11. How will I measure the success of my business?

12. What are my key milestones?

While preparing my business plan, I would cover all the elements of a business plan shown in DAY 3. Just for your study aims, I have attached a sample business plan at the end of this section.

I must ensure that my business plan is concise and neatly formatted (i.e. Microsoft Word document for the bulk of the plan, with any financial documents as attached spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel), and need not include fancy graphics, flowery language or photos. The easier I make it to read, the better.

Alternatively, there are occasions I work better with business plan templates and wizards. Hence, I would search online as there are many business planning software packages available that only cost in the neighborhood of $100, as well as a few free online business plan templates. I would normally spend some time searching for the right software or templates to aid me in constructing my business plan.

Disclaimer - This article may be freely reprinted in its entirety in any e-zine, newsletter, blog or website. The author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

Dave J, is an E-preneur, NLP-Certified Business Coach and Author. Within a decade, Dave J has served as an advisor to countless small-level to high-level business leaders around the world. Despite such a short span, Dave J has becoming a highly-respected authority on the psychology of business leadership, business startup, management and marketing. His forte is coaching ordinary people to attain professional and financial breakthrough.

*Note: Unproven theories to not be shown to my readers! If you need any small business startup help, feel free to visit my Website

=> To get the complete online business course on small business startup guide, log on to http://www.12daysonly.com, and redeem your
BONUS PACKAGE worth US$1,396.00

STEP 2: Business Model

Once I have selected the kind of business I want to do, I would brainstorm how to run the business. In today’s technology, there are many business models to choose from i.e. part time or full time, at home or totally mobile, online or brick and mortar business.

But the key is to choose a business model that fits into My Ultimate Plan. I do this to make sure that I spend the right number of days each month, take the right level of risk, investment wise and attaining the level of satisfaction that I want.

First thing first: How much time do I want to devote to my business?

If I only have three days to spare in a week, I cannot start and run a business full time. I will need to do it part time, to adapt my business to time consuming obligations that I already have, such as my day job, parenting responsibilities or other activities that would refrain me from doing it full time.

Once I have determined whether I would do the business full time or part time, I will need to identify the right type of business models to fit into my current situation.

I have complied six common business models here:

1. Home based

2. Brick and mortar

3. E-commerce

4. Franchising

5. Licensing a product

6. Multilevel marketing

Home based

Using the latest technology, anyone can create a legitimate and competitive business from home. In fact, this is the cheapest and fastest way to start an enterprise. It can be run full time or part time, Internet or non-Internet based.

Brick and Mortar

It simply means a business with a physical location outside the home, either leased premises or purchased. It involves a dedicated facility, whether retail, wholesale, service or manufacturing. This model usually involves relatively high capital.

E-commerce

There is no foot traffic in this business model. All the customers will purchase online, from A to Z of the transaction. The owner can sell and service the product/service through an Internet portal capable of collecting payment. This can apply to business that sells directly to customers or to other businesses.

Franchising

This model refers to buying a successful business model, which makes the buyer the “franchisee”. Usually, there will be a franchise fee upfront and a portion of the revenues over time to be paid to the franchisor. Everything the franchisee needs to know on starting and running the business is provided by the franchisor, including the equipment and sometimes, goods and services.

Licensing the Product

Any designer, expert, innovator or anyone creative enough to conceive a product or invention that people would buy but do not want to run the business, can still take advantage of a great product idea or invention by licensing it to another company that has the entire infrastructure in place to effectively manufacture, market and sell it.

Multilevel Marketing (MLM)

This is another business that could be started instantly and with low startup cost. However, to excel in MLM, one must have traits of perseverance and determination. MLM is a marketing and distribution structure. People at the top sell to those below them, who in turn sell to those under them. The higher one achieves in the structure, the more income one derives. Anyone chooses this model must be cautious before deciding to jump into the bandwagon as some MLM attracts its members using “greed tactics”!

Whichever option it may be, I would definitely do some research on its pro’s and con’s as well as the level of suitability to the kind of business I am going to venture into.

Disclaimer - This article may be freely reprinted in its entirety in any e-zine, newsletter, blog or website. The author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

Dave J, is an E-preneur, NLP-Certified Business Coach and Author. Within a decade, Dave J has served as an advisor to countless small-level to high-level business leaders around the world. Despite such a short span, Dave J has becoming a highly-respected authority on the psychology of business leadership, business startup, management and marketing. His forte is coaching ordinary people to attain professional and financial breakthrough.

*Note: Unproven theories to not be shown to my readers! If you need any small business startup help, feel free to visit my Website

=> To get the complete online business course on small business startup guide, log on to http://www.12daysonly.com, and redeem your
BONUS PACKAGE worth US$1,396.00

Have you heard of Vilfredo Pareto? 2006 was the 100th anniversary of his statement that 80% of Italy’s wealth was owned by only 20% of the people. This became Pareto’s Distribution or what we think of now as an 80-20 rule. You’re probably familiar with some rule-of-thumb statements: 80% of the work is done by 20% of the employees, 80% of your revenue is generated by 20% of your customers, 80% of your problems come from 20% of your employees/customers, and so on. We accept these as fact, but we would be hard pressed to prove them. We do, however, know from our experience that they are fairly accurate. If you know it, why not use it?

Let’s assume that 20% of your customers provide 80% of your revenue. That’s the positive side of the business. On the negative side, it’s probably also true that 20% of your customers are responsible for 80% of your unprofitable work and company effort. If this applies to your business, doesn’t it make sense to spend more of your time and effort cultivating the good 20% of your customers and firing the bad 20%? Better yet, send them to your competition and go find more great customers. Increasing your market share is only good when it generates greater profits for you and results in stronger cashflow.

Maybe it’s not 20% of your workforce that does most of the work, but I’m sure you have some who contribute more than others. Remember, your competition is always looking for good employees, so keep yours. What are you doing to reward the producers and weed out the employees who are costing you money instead of generating profits? If they don’t fit in their present position, create one where they do or help them get the skills they need to succeed. Most employees want to do a good job. They appreciate knowing what’s expected of them and getting honest feedback on their performance. When they’re doing a great job, show your appreciation.

The rule applies to you too! 80% of your success is based on 20% of your effort. Many business leaders and managers wind up spinning their wheels working in their business doing tasks that don’t contribute to the bottom line. As a coach, I recommend that business owners spend at least 15 minutes a day working “on” their business instead of “in” their business - thinking about the things that would make their business more successful, more profitable and more fun. One day a week make it a half hour. One day a month make it 2 hours. And, one day a quarter devote the entire day. Go out and ask your customers what you could do better. How much more successful could you be if, instead of working on the things that take up your valuable time and don’t generate results, you focused on the things that could truly make a difference to your business and life?

Dave Ferguson is a coach and the owner of Lake County Business Coaching, Inc., a coaching firm dedicated to helping people in business become extraordinary, to realize their dreams by achieving their goals. More information is available at http://www.LakeCountyBusinessCoaching.com

There has been a building wave of interest in The Secret, the video produced by Rhonda Byrne and first released in March of 2006. I think those of us who have seen it would agree that it’s a compelling presentation.

The “Law” is that your focused desire for a result will allow forces in the universe to drive that result to you. According to Wikipedia, William Walker Atkinson first used the phrase “law of attraction” in this sense about a hundred years ago. The actual inspiration for Rhonda Byrne’s video was reading in 2004 the book The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Waddles, first published in 1910.

As a coach, I hesitate to criticize anything that results in success. But, you don’t need an advanced physics degree to understand the “Law of Attraction”. In fact, you have probably been using the principles your entire life without being conscious of it. The Reticular Activating System, RAS, is the ability of your subconscious to recognize connections once your consciousness has focused on an idea. Think of those times when you have lost something. You know it is merely misplaced, but after diligently searching you finally give up. Hours later, for some unexplained reason, you suddenly remember where you put the object. Your subconscious had been working the entire time to sift through information until a connection could be established. RAS, combined with the power of positive thinking, is the practical explanation for the results people experience.

This is how I describe it to clients: Imagine your dream, your ultimate goal. It’s a thought in your mind, sometime in the future. It’s almost as though it is at end of a long corridor. Each day you are moving closer to it. People with extreme focus will eventually reach their goal. This is the power of positive thinking. But, if you also open your mind to everything associated with that goal, you will soon discover that as you move down that corridor you will notice many doorways. Some are just storage closets filled with the accumulated baggage of life. But others are doorways to unexpected possibilities. Because your mind is open to those possibilities, you realize the connections to your goals and you can seize upon the opportunities they present. It is through these unanticipated possibilities that you begin to live your dreams. These possibilities create new possibilities. They make possible what appeared at first to be impossible.

Desiring a result is not enough. Think of it as “The Law of AttrACTION”!

Dave Ferguson is a coach and the owner of Lake County Business Coaching, Inc., a coaching firm dedicated to helping people in business become extraordinary, to realize their dreams by achieving their goals. More information is available at http://www.LakeCountyBusinessCoaching.com.

Starting up a small business is really a testing time for any entrepreneur; one has to undergo a lot of stress full with so much to do in so less a time. The initial phase before starting up a business is also characterized by toiling under pressure to find out what is right and what is wrong.

The major issue of concern before starting up any small business is the availability of right resources. Do you have the right kind of guidance? Do you have enough small business information? What is the source of your information?

Internet is one of the best resources for searching for small business information. You can also get some practical information on ‘how to start your home business’ and can also search for some small business opportunities that suit your taste and budget.

However, the best thing would be to visit a small business information center. You can also find out about the addresses of some government based small business information centers and administrations.

There are many local Business Information Centers which provide the small business owners and the prospective entrepreneurs with important information. The small business centers also provide contacts for state regulatory requirements for people wanting to start up small businesses.

The primary objective of any small business information center is to facilitate sustainable small business development. You also find information about licenses and permits you need to obtain and maintain in order to run your business smoothly.

Small business information you need before starting up a business:

• Information for obtaining the necessary licenses and permits

• Availability of different financing options for your short term or long term goals

• Information on some copyright and trademark issues.

• Information on how you can get some guidance from external sources.

Some of the organizations that can help you to set up small businesses are the following:

Small Business Administration (SBA)

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business owners. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin Islands and Guam.

There are many SBA programs and services which support your small business. You can also get SBA-backed loans and find government contracting opportunities. SBA also provides disaster assistance and training programs to help your business succeed.

There are around 25 million strong small businesses providing strength to America’s economy. Despite their immense contribution to the economy, small businesses are heavily burdened by the costs of government regulation and excessive paperwork.

Office of Advocacy within the U.S Small Business Administration helps to reduce the burdens that federal policies impose on small firms and maximize the benefits small businesses receive from the government. It encourages policies that support the development and growth of American small business.

http://www.sba.gov/services/index.html

Small Business Development Centers

The Offices of Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) provide variety of services to prospective and existing small business owners. You can get one-stop assistance, guidance and information at its easily accessible branch locations. As a cooperative effort of the private sector, the educational community and federal, state and local governments the main aim of this center to strengthen the network of training and counseling services.

Women’s Business Center
Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) represent a national network of more than 100 educational resource centersdesigned to assist women start and grow small businesses. WBCs operate with the mission to level the playing fieldfor women entrepreneurs, who still face unique obstacles in the world of business.

Online Women’s Business Center

The Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO) assists women in setting up small businesses. The assistance is provided irrespective of their social or financial disadvantage, race, ethnicity or business background. OWBO and the Online Women’s Business Center are integral components of Entrepreneurial Development’s network of training and counseling services.

Whenever you decide to setup a small business visit the sites described above to get hold of some authentic information. You can also find addresses of some local business information and development centers where you can go and discuss various issues related to your business.

We at Mysuccessgateway.com also help you to provide most practical information for setting up of your small business. Send us an e-mail if you need more information on a small business of your interest.

Adorna Mathew is a business life coach and a free lancing business consultant with an experience of around 15 years. She regularly contributes articles on upcoming businesses in various magazines and newspapers.

I was having a discussion with a banker friend of mine who suggested that businesses that were successful were good at identifying and hiring high quality people. I disagreed. Ouch! That is totally against the grain of conventional wisdom, right? Not really.

More important than hiring high quality people is establishing solid and proven processes that make your business work. Take a look at McDonalds. This business is successful, not because of the quality of the people, but because of the quality of the processes that the people follow. This is why over 75% of franchise businesses succeed while 90% of start-ups fail.

So what is the lesson here? As a small business owner, you should focus your attention on defining what works and what doesn’t in your business. Measure your activities to a point, so when asked, you will know exactly how long it takes for the fries to cook, when to flip the burger and exactly how much secret sauce to put on the bun. If you have defined your business processes to this level, all you need are employees willing to follow your rules. The rest will be automatic.

That’s not to say that you should hire just anybody. On the contrary, as you grow you will want to hire people that are loyal, trustworthy, innovative, and talented. These people will become the backbone of your company. In the beginning, however, what you need are technicians, workers who can free up your time so you can work on growing the business.

In the early days, the secret is loyalty. Employees that are willing to follow your rules are more valuable than experts that think their experiences will contribute to your success. If you have done your homework, you already know what works and what doesn’t. Hire those who are willing to follow and your profits will be better than those who pay a premium for the experts.

To Your Success -

Do you want to break into the lucrative Internet sales market but don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on web design and promotion? We have an Internet Coaching Program that includes every thing you need to get started. For a free, no obligation consultation, go to:

http://rgs-wsite.com/

For information on developing your Business Plan go to http://rgs-bplan.com/

Rick Stephens is a recognized business advisor and consultant. He specializes in working with small to mid-sized business owners to strengthen their business processes and ultimately grow their business. Rick has been accredited by the Institute for Independent Business, an International accrediting body for senior executives.

Rick holds an MBA from the LeTourneau University located in Longview, Texas.

Rick Stephens is the Principle Advisor of the Consulting firm RG Stephens & Associates located in Plano, Texas. Rick offers business owners the opportunity to meet confidentially to discuss any business issue they may be experiencing. His initial meeting is always free and without obligation. Call 972-578-7895.