SmallBusinessNewz

Business Plan Part 1: Executive Summary

The Executive Summary is the first section of a business plan and is usually the first part to be read. However, it should be written last. As strange as that sounds, it is actually easier to summarize the details of the other sections after you've written them.   

What's Needed in a Business Plan?

For many people a business plan is one of those things that you know you need to do but have trouble making yourself do it. Writing a business plan does take a lot of time, but it doesn't have to be difficult.

Toll-Free Numbers Work For Some Small Businesses

Clubs that have cover charges do okay, and people pay thousands of dollars to sit with celebrities and presidential candidates.  Consumers don't want contacting you to cost them, however, so toll-free phone numbers are something small businesses might want to get.

Small Business Optimism Rises

August is a nice month.  Temperatures seem more bearable, kids are going back to school, and, at least this year, the economic outlook of small business owners is heading up.

Website Content Tips

Henry James was an excellent writer.  Even when his stories centered on less than exciting subjects, the rich language made everything worthwhile.  But if you emulate his style on a business website, potential customers will probably wander away, and Jon Wuebben has some tips about what might be more effective.

Study: A Focus On Family May Boost Business

In Lexington, Kentucky, every television commercial for a certain furniture shop and at least one car dealer features the owners' families.  The relatives are bad actors and not particularly pretty people.  However, it turns out that this focus on family might be a good way to boost business.

Credit Cards Being Used Instead Of Banks

There are only so many sources of in-the-clear money: jobs, parents, perhaps plasma donation centers . . . .  Loans are pretty hard to get, too, and it seems that many small business owners are embracing credit cards after getting turned down by banks.

Retirement Rush May Pose Problem

There are several advantages to having a lot of employees who are roughly the same age.  They may have similar interests, lifestyles, and ways of thinking that'll make for a more friendly and cohesive environment.  Unfortunately, they might all retire at the same time, too.

Fraud A Big Problem For Small Businesses

Large companies are often blessed with large safety nets.  Small companies tend to operate on the opposite side of the scale.  Be extra careful, then, as a report from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners indicates that small businesses are being hit hard by fraud.

Taking The Measure Of Success

Everyone wants to profit from their small business work, but the definition of 'profit' may vary from person to person.