Your Business Plan By Amilu Stewart

There are several steps to consider when you are developing your online business. One important step is the business plan that will be your best resource to achieve your new goal. You will want to consider your background, experience, knowledge and talents that you bring to your new business. These available resources will guide you to find the opportunities that you are seeking.

Your business plan should include the definition of your business, the goals that you wish to achieve and the method of recording your balance sheet and cash flow. As you research the demand for the product or service that your business will provide, you will be able to estimate the start up costs. Then go a step further and anticipate the potential revenues , profits and operating costs.Over estimate your start up costs so that you will not be caught with insufficient funds. This estimation should be based on the sum of the start up costs and operating expenses for the first six months of operation of your new business.

You may want to consider hiring an accountant or book keeper to plan your financial model. It is most important that you have a well conceived accounting and book keeping method from the start both for tax planning and tax reporting. In order to not be audited by the IRS, make certain that you separate your personal expenses and incomes from your business income and expenses. Regular maintenance of a current balance sheet and income statement is a basic requirement. Be certain to keep accurate bank statements to be able to substantiate your records.

Your business plan may want to consider the type of business entity you will be. The quickest way to start a business is with a sole proprietorship, but you are at risk if your business is sued as your personal assets will be at risk. Incorporating your business such as an S corporation or a limited liability corporation will allow you to protect your personal assets in the case of a suit involving your business.

Some of the essential elements of a business plan include the company name, the goals of the business, the mission statement, ownership of the company, start up assets, source of suppliers, and the usage of current technology. It needs to have a description of the industry in which you will be doing business and a good financial plan.

A good resource for the new business owner to develop a business plan is through the Small Business Administration. Through a subdivision called Score they can help write and create a business plan for the new business owner.

How to Strategically Manage Your Business Growth By Lisa Almeida

I had a conversation recently with a business owner who described a universal dilemma that all successful business owners face at one time or another. Here's the scenario.

She took an idea and turned it into a product that people want. She built a business that provides a nice income and allows her to set her work schedule to fit her life. The product is selling well, the production is going smoothly, the revenue is surpassing expenses and she has a comfortable balance between work and family life. So where's the problem? This could easily be described by many people as success.

The dilemma lies in the question that has begun to haunt her - the same question that has plagued entrepreneurs for decades, maybe even centuries: "How do I take my business to the next level without sacrificing the quality of my product or the quality of life that I've created?"

This is no trivial task. In fact, this is exactly the place where many businesses crash and burn. But it doesn't have to be. The truth is that when you reach this point, it's almost like starting your business all over again. Because, in a way, that's exactly what you are doing, with a few important differences.

When you first began, you were at ground zero: no revenue, no customers, no reputation, and so nothing to lose but time and maybe some start-up dough.

But by the time you get to the take-it-to-the-next-phase stage, if you don't navigate the changes well, there's a lot to lose: revenue, customers, reputation, the entire business - and depending on how your business is financed, maybe even your home!

Fear not, you can control all of this with a simple four-letter word and not any of the ones that ran through your mind at the end of the last paragraph. The four-letter word I'm referring to is p-l-a-n.

When the haunting begins, it is time to go back to the same drawing board that got you where you are today. If you've managed to acquire this first level of success in your business, you can acquire the next and the one after that and the one after that and take it as far up the ladder as your desire dictates; but not without an advancement plan and a strategy for each rung.

This doesn't need to be a torturous process. Just return to the basics you employed at ground zero. Begin by asking yourself some strategic questions like:

· What do I love about my business as it is now and want to hold on to?
· What would I like to phase out?
· What do my customers love most about my business?
· Will expansion change or create an additional category of ideal customer?
· Growth affects both revenue and expenses. Based on my industry, can I expect these to adjust proportionately?
· What technological additions should I investigate to make the growth as smooth and easy to manage as possible?
· Do I need to update or implement new systems?

Once you start asking yourself questions like these, they'll start to flow almost on their own. Before long, you'll have a pretty good idea of how much growth you are ready and willing to take on as well as which professionals you'll want to enlist for help along the way. Change is the only constant in life and business, but by applying this simple recipe you'll be in good shape to enter your next phase of gain with minimal pain.

Strategic Thinking - Why Leaders Must Get Involved By Martin Haworth

To make a business progress according to a manager or owner's wishes, there needs to be a conscious effort to build a skillset that includes facilitation, negotiation, creativity, team-building and the ability to work through perceived problems with positivity and good humor. To use strategic thinking exercises, hugely helps to support the likelihood of success rather than disappointment and highlight possible hurdles that will need to be fixed, often before they occur.

Strategic Thinking - What's It All About?

ell, the use of strategic thinking as a tool has the widest of applications. In fact anywhere can benefit from a better understanding of the long term direction of the organization. The clarity generated can make the challenging considerations that are required day to day are focused on the 'bigger picture' outcomes that a strategic overview will provide.

The use of a strategic thinking methodology allows reverse engineering of the future, so that pieces are placed in position regularly, rather than ending up there by chance.

Any business that takes such an ad hoc view of their business will err towards chaos with little forward planning. If you want a recipe for those organizations most likely to be in difficulty, especially in the current climate, then this would most likely be it.

Strategic Thinking - Why Bother?

The key point about strategic thinking is that it provides a solid and researched framework to guide towards planned outcomes that may be some way into the distance. Some of the major organizations in the world have strategic plans or some 50 years in advance. Now, that requires some thinking ahead!

A key point about doing this work is that it will position you much better than others in your market who have taken the shorter term view.

In fact, such strategic thinking work needs a bunch of people who are able to ignore current logic and short-term measures. In the future there will most likely be significantly different scenarios that could easily change the rules of the way we think right now. The best at this factor out as many of the issues likely to lead to failure. That way there are few surprises at all.

This kind of work can, of course, be like speculating on the future, with little clarity about exactly what conditions will be in place - yet it is a vital component of the work.

Simple Strategic Thinking As A Process

Pre-emptive preparation of a business plan is challenging always, mostly when you need to do it with the future to consider. Tactical problem solving is much easier, as the challenges you face daily hit you right in the face each week. This is, by itself, likely to cause you much more difficulty in the long term, without the adequate provision for needs going forward.

Longer term plans need to become part of the way things are done throughout the organization as a culture. Then the activities to be undertaken can become part of the longer term goal. To be this way needs the question to be asked to ensure long-term relevance, as well as solving the problems of today.

Measuring day-to-day activities always with the bigger goal in sight ensures longevity and sustainability as well as providing opportunities for the step beyond that of competitors. A view of the long-term issues and opportunities can shape the needs of any business. Only those with the vision and courage to put strategic thinking into the regular consideration will be the successes of next year and the years beyond.

Strategic Thinking - In The End It's For Your Future...

Most usefully, strategic thinking can be a versatile valuable aid to versatile management and provides a 'bigger picture' that simplifies the most complex of business organizational activities processes, as well as creating the environment to encourage the sharing of possibilities for the future.

Strategic thinking is not, per se, a fix, more, it is an ability to at least review the future, yet it is not possible to see how it will end up precisely.

It's the best we can do.

7 Tips To Increase Your Sales And Attract More Buyers For Your Product By Adithya Kasi

These are some simple but yet amazing tips that will help you increase your sales tenfold and attract many buyers. There are many ways of doing this. The most simplest are given below. It is remarkable to see how many people buy your product if you just be a little creative!

Here are some tips on how you can increase you sales :-

1. Use a domain name for your blog that relates to your product so becomes known and "findable." If your ideal domain is already taken, use a version of it such as "YourPRODUCTBlog.com" etc.

2. Continue the branding process for your product by creating a customized logo for the product and putting it in the header of your blog.

3. Participate in the blogosphere: Read and comment on other blogs in your field. This is a prime way to build readership of your blog. It is also a way of getting fresh content for both your blog and for your product.

4. Use your blog to collect names and email addresses of potential customers and clients. Make sure you have a subscription form on the upper corner of your blog, from a service like FeedBlitz.com This service sends automatic email updates of your new blog posts to interested potential buyers/customers.

5. Use a catchy title and a phrase for your product and try to tell the buyer that you cant live without your product and everyday life becomes difficult without your product!

6. Mention the price of your product and the payment method CLEARLY. Many people are unaware of the different types of payment methods.

7. Be user friendly. This means your not doing the customer a favor by selling your product but the customer is doing you a favor by buying YOUR product.

Follow these steps and I'm sure your sales will improve.

Seven Tips For Renewing Your Business By Dhyan Atkinson

For many of us small business owners, these past four years have been very hard. I have clients who were doing well nine years ago with a moderate amount of marketing, who over the past four years have seen those same marketing activities bring in fewer and fewer results. Many small business owners are currently faced with either going out of business or having to start again.

For me, I'm always up for a challenge! I'm always on the "see what else you can do" side of things. I feel a great deal of hope because of this past election and I think with renewed effort, and perhaps a few updated marketing strategies, we all can start rebuilding an economy where cash flows more freely.

If you find yourself with debts up to your ears and few reserves in your savings account but STILL adore what you do for a living and want to continue being self employed, here are seven suggestions for turning your situation around.

1. Now is a great time to reconnect with all the people you know through your business: this means your past, current and potential clients; your business colleagues; people you have met through networking; and perhaps even people you want meet and know. Send them a note that lets them know your doors are still open, that you feel hope for the future, and wish them the best in the coming time of reconstruction. The important thing is to communicate a sense of optimism and to offer a sincere wish that their business does well this coming year. Do it now, before the rush of business holiday cards gets started. Slip in a note about any current offerings for your business. If you have money, send a card. If you don't, send an e-mail.

2. From the list of people to whom you sent your note, select a list of people you are now going to call personally. This is a second touch. When you call, use your basic networking skills. Ask: How are you doing? What's new in your business? Have your target clients changed at all? What would you like me to tell someone I meet who might be a good potential client for you? In addition to keeping you in mind for referrals, is there anything else I can do to help you with your business? Put the other person first and communicate your interest. Then tell them about you and your business. Be sure to ask for what you want. "Do you know anyone who might need my product or service right now?"

3. Give yourself a block of time to reassess your marketing strategies. Keeping in mind that most marketing strategies are more like cultivating a garden than going out and shooting something for dinner, look for some new strategies you can get up and running quickly. Remember, the most effective strategies are those that get you DIRECTLY in front of your target clients or people who can refer them to you. Thus inviting a group of your target clients to come meet with you will be more effective than advertising.

4. This one is a biggie: Make yourself the focal point for a brand-new co-marketing group. Invite 5 to 7 other business owners, who have the same target clients as you do but provide non-competing products or services, to meet with you once a month. You can actually do this by free teleconference which saves everyone time and gas money. Have everyone teach the others about his or her business. Then brainstorm ways in which you can market together to the same clients.

5. If you have been holding back on using any of the up-and-coming marketing strategies, like using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or writing articles on the internet to build your business, now is the time to take a crash course from someone who knows how to do these things and get started.

6. In fact, if you have never hired a business consultant or coach before now, and you have any money at all to invest in yourself as a business owner, now is the time to do it! Getting some professional advice, training, and help can short-cut the amount of time it will take you to turn your business around.

7. Finally, you must find some way to stay positive, motivated, intelligent, clear thinking, generous, and alive! These are qualities we all need right now and those small business owners who can bring them to their business life will become a magnet for clients and referral partners. If you are keeping a good face on when you are in public but feel a dread or fear in private, now is the time to learn how to change the way you think and feel. Really! Learning how to "Change your own mind" is tremendously useful skill, essential in helping you turn any situation around.

I wish you the VERY BEST of luck. May we all begin right now to co-create a better economy and a better world!

Online banking – is it safe to do all your banking online? by David Lynes - Loans4

Over recent years the popularity of online banking in the UK has soared, with many consumers enjoying the benefits of being able to conduct their day to day finances and manage their bank accounts from the comfort and privacy of their own homes. These days, many major banks offer online banking facilities to customers, and some banks even operate solely online, reflecting the popularity of banking online.

With online banking many consumers are able to conduct all sorts of transactions online – in fact, pretty much anything other than physically making deposits or withdrawing cash can be done using an online bank account. You can set up or cancel direct debits or standing orders, transfer money, make one off bill payments, check balances, check statements, order stationery such as cheque books, and more.

But just how safe is online banking? Well, the risk of fraud and theft in relation to online banking was once a major concern amongst consumers, and this resulted in many being reluctant to conduct their banking online some years ago. However, banks now use sophisticated software that minimises the risk to the customer, and this has resulted in more and more people enjoying the benefits of online banking whilst also enjoying peace of mind.

Providing you are sensible and exercise caution with regards to your bank account you will find that doing your banking online can be perfectly safe. However, you need to make sure that you do not put yourself at risk through your own actions. For example, although security amongst online banks has become more sophisticated, so have procedures used by fraudsters, and there are some common scams that you need to look out for.

One common scam is known as phishing, and this is where you receive an email that appears to be from your bank, asking you to link to the site and enter your account details. This is something that you should never do, as banks will not send out this type of email. If you have any concerns following the receipt of such an email you should either contact your bank by phone or you should log into your bank account through the search engine and never through the email link, otherwise you will be handing your account details to fraudsters on a plate.

Another thing that you should avoid doing is saving your bank details and password details on a computer that is shared, as this gives others access to your details. Even when the computer is not shared it is safer and more secure to make sure that your details are not saved, and to enter them manually each time you log into your bank account.

5 Strategies for Selling in a Tough Market by Gavin Ingham

1. Believe you can and stay positive!

One of the problems with all of this talk about recession is that once people believe there is going to be a recession they start to feel negative about their business prospects and only tend to see what they believe rather than believing what they see. Once you believe that there is going to be a recession you tend to only notice articles, comments and statistics that support your beliefs.

What's more, your negative beliefs quickly affect your outlook and the way that you feel about your business prospects.

If you thought 2008 was going to be a great year for business, your best year yet; how would you feel?

Conversely, if you thought 2008 was going to see a major recession and that it was going to hit you and your business hard; how would you feel?

Mighty different huh? And remember, nothing's changed here other than your belief. Having a positive and supportive belief structure is essential if you want to succeed in any market but it is vitally essential if you want to keep on selling in a tough one.

Having a winning belief system does not mean that you need to be deluded however! In the middle of the darkest recession you don't want to have your eyes shut! But you have to understand that in a downturn clients want to partner with the best companies. Suppliers that they can rely on. Suppliers that support them. Suppliers who are going to be around tomorrow. And if your competitors struggle, that means more sales and more business for you.

2. Get proactive

You need to be more proactive. Much more proactive. You need to do more marketing and more selling. You need to attend more events and do more networking. You need to do more promotion and more canvassing. You need to increase your sales activities, maybe dramatically.

In a recession many companies cut their sales activites. They figure, "If we're not going to sell anything, what's the point?" Many individual salespeople do this too.

Cut your activity, cut your sales. You're a living, breathing, self-fulfilling prophecy! You believe there is not much business out there, so you feel negative. That in turn affects your activity and your activity destroys your sales results.

Even if there is not as much business out there, then you need to be more active, more focused and more targeted. If your competitors are easing off a little, now is the time to up the anti and grab your share of the market. Even if there is a blip, you will be strongly placed when activity picks up.

One of my friends went down to our local estate agent this week to put his house on the market. He was told that maybe he should wait as he might not get the price he wants right now. They told him the market was quiet and that might not be able to sell the house at all. Better to wait for the market to pick up. I walked past their offices later on that day. They were all sitting, chatting and drinking coffee. They were probably moaning about what a bad year it's going to be. If I's have been in that office, I'd have taken my mates house on and I'd have been on the phone drumming up some viewings. 50 calls, 100, calls, 500 calls... Whatever it takes. I'd have found someone.

Talk about killing your own market! If you see less business then you need to do more sales and marketing, not less. That's common sense.

3. Sharpen your sales skills

If a workman needs a spade and a farmer needs a horse; a boxer needs a defence and a chef needs a recipe; what do salespeople need? The answer's obvious - it's sales skills.

Most salespeople do not spend enough time working on improving their sales skills and techniques. Sales training and development is not something that many salespeople spend their time on out of choice. Perhaps they can get away with this in a booming marrket when sales are easy. Perhaps not. But things will always change if the market tightens. Sales success will go to the salesperson who really understands why people buy and can help people make the right business decisions. Salespeople of this calibre stand to benefit from possible changes ahead because there will be more business for them as their competition falls by the wayside.

Sales will not go to the journeyman salesperson, the mediocre wannabee or the 9-5 order taker. Salespeople like these could well be in for a rough time.

When did you last read a sales training book on selling? How many sales training audios have you listened to over the last month? How many sales training seminars have you atteneded in the last 6 months? For 80% of salespeople reading this, the answer is zero.

4. Improve your service and focus on relationships

As I write this many companies will be working out how to cut corners. They will try to save money by tinkering with their business offerings. They will try and eek extra profits out of their clients by cutting the bells and whistles from their offerings. This is not a good idea. A Swiss cow with no bells is just a cow and no-one would send postcards of them home!

If business is tight you want to be wowing your clients with the best service that they have ever had, from you or from any of your competitors. You need to be going the extra mile. If a recession bites many companies will try and discount to survive. They probably won't (survive), but you don't want your clients going to them as they try to keep their heads above water! You need to "lock in" your existing clients now so that they won't even think about going anywhere else.

Spend time with your clients. Build stronger relationships with your clients. Make sure you truly understand them, their concerns and their businesses. Find ways to help them and add value over and above what they could have ever expected.

5. Leverage your efforts

In a soft market many salespeople only chase the easy stuff. They don't chase the tough stuff. They're doing ok, they don't have to. They're making sales right?

Wrong.

Most salespeople have all sorts of opportunities which they squander every day and every month because there are seemingly easier things that they can be doing. This is particularly true in an industry or a company where leads have been relatively easy to come by, where sales targets are relatively soft (I could tell you which industries but I'm not going to) or where salespeople are overpaid so don't crave the business (again, I'll keep this to myself!).

In a tough market you must leverage all of your efforts. This is basic sales 101 and should be stuff that you do every day anyway... Here are just a few ideas.

Always ask for referrals. Referrals are great business but most salespeople do not ask for them because clients often say no. Learn how to ask for a referral properly and then build asking for a referral into your sales process and ask for one every time.

Upsell and cross-sell. Whether though laziness, lack of knowledge or lack of ability many salespeople sit on accounts where there is so much more business than they are currently leveraging. Extending your business with existing clients will not only make you more money, it will also strengthen your relationships with and value to them and their businesses.

Contact dormant accounts. Most companies have hundreds if not thousands of "dormant" accounts. There may be multiple reasons for this from changing business practises to fall-outs with the client. Dormant clients may well be redeemable and may have been "lost" purely because someone forgot to ring them or a salesperson moved on. Get in touch with them!

Follow up on all leads. I recently contacted 5 health insurance companies over the web. Only one replied. You should not be burning leads like this in any market. Follow up on all leads professionally using a proven sales system like the ones I teach in my sales training seminars and programmes and you will close more business. New business is the lifeblood of any business in any market.

So there we are, 5 tips to help you to sell in a recssion. This year may well prove to be an interesting year for some businesses and individuals. Some of this will be down to the market itself. Much of it will be down to you and how you react and respond to what might be a challenging year.

Here's my prediction for the year...

There will be winners and there will be losers. Which are you going to be?

Copyright (c) 2008 Gavin Ingham

Set Yourself Free With Debt Management Help by Gracie Bishop

In the days of consumerism the tendency towards spending money has increased. Taking debts for maintaining an upfront lifestyle is no longer considered a sin. Instead focus has shifted to debt management help which controls debts to a manageable level and ultimately eliminates them.

Debt management help aims at effectively controlling spending habits through debt counseling and involves in eliminating debts forever giving borrowers the chance to start afresh. One of the many reasons of increased spending habits is the use of credit card which allows one to buy now and pay later. The user keeps on using it and awakes only when a huge bill reaches him.

Credit cards have unusually high interest rates which ultimately multiplies the total amount repayable. Add to it the fines of defaults; the picture becomes even grimmer. So the first step in debt management is to reduce the number of credit cards and control their usage.

For borrowers indebted to more than two creditors with debts amounting to more than £5000, debt consolidation loans offer a viable solution. Here all the loans are purged into a single loan. The borrower has to make a single payment to a single lender. The interest rate of debt consolidation loan is lower than the combined rate of multiple loans. This reduces the total amount of the loan to be repaid.

Borrowers can employ many agencies offering debt management help. They give professional advice to manage debts. Sometimes they negotiate with creditors to waive off high interest rates. They play advisory and active role in helping people in eliminating debts and improving their credit scores. An improved credit score enables borrowers in taking loans in future.

The greatest help, however, lies with the borrower himself. He has to make a budget and stick to it religiously. Control spending habits and then take debt management help to eliminate bigger debts.

Set Yourself Free From Debts With A Debt Consolidation Loan by Gracie Bishop

When there are so many opportunities to get money through loans available easily, then it is pretty much expected to see that debts are created for borrowers with an equal ease. The reasons for this may be numerous but the point lies in getting rid of them. So to remove these debts, it is easier that the borrower takes a debt consolidation loan for the purpose.

Through this loan, the borrowers can take up money for their purpose of removal of debts. This can be done by the repayment of the debts that are pending on them. The borrowers can use this opportunity for removal of their debts if they amount up to more than £5000 with two or more lenders.

This loan can be taken up by the borrowers in the secured as well as the unsecured form. It totally depends upon the amount that is owed by the borrower to the lenders. If the debts of the borrower amount up to £25000, he can take up the unsecured form of the loan. For this, the borrower does not have to pledge any asset with the lender. The money is obtained collateral-free and has to be repaid through monthly installments in a term of 6 months to 10 years.

If however, the borrower has debts more than an amount of £75000, then he has to pledge an asset like his car or house with the lenders to get the secured form of the loans. This form of money is required to be repaid to the lenders in a term of 5-25 years. The rate of interest for this form is however lower than the unsecured form due to attachment of collateral with the loan deal which assures the retrieval of the loan amount. Lower rates can be obtained with the help of online research and comparison.

With a debt consolidation loan, the borrowers can easily get the money that they need to repay all their prior dues. Financial issues can be easily stabilized through this way.

Is It Possible To Create An Impossible Business? by: Jonathan Haryanto

Consultants, coaches, and other service professionals often start a business believing that all they need to do is charge a "reasonable" fee and sell "enough" of their time. Consultants hope to get an edge by claiming to be the fastest, best, or most experienced.

Tired superlatives in proposal include: Most, Superior, Best, Maximum, Optimal, Minimum, Fastest, Unsurpassed, Shortest, Unrivaled, Easiest, Highest, Least, Unique, clients routinely ignore such claims as unproven hype.

Nothing is intrinsically wrong with any of the preceding words, and we all use them in spoken and written communication (for example, "This is the fastest way to do that.") But in proposals, they are suspect, and you should use them sparingly, if at all. It's easy to think that any business can be successful if you work hard enough, but there are many situations where this just isn't so. But unless you do the math to prove or disprove your assumptions, you may be creating a business that can never succeed. Here's what can happen:

*Impossible Business #1 *Nancy was selling her services as an image consultant to individuals who wanted an updated or more professional look. She charged $75 per hour, which she thought was the most anyone would realistically pay to work with her. In most cases, she traveled to a client's home or went shopping with her client.

Including travel time and lunch meant that Nancy could only make two appointments in one day. The average appointment was two hours long. So the maximum amount Nancy could earn in one day turned out to be $300. But in order to earn that amount five days per week, Nancy would have to schedule ten different clients, all of whose schedules were able to adapt to whatever times she had available.

This was hopelessly unrealistic. Even if Nancy had been able to make the scheduling work, when would she have had the time to do the marketing required to land that many clients? It turned out that the maximum Nancy could really earn using this model was about $750 per week. After paying her taxes, she couldn't even cover her monthly living expenses

*Impossible Business #2 *Tom is a student who works as a software consultant for midsize company._ _ . He typically charged $80 per hour, and when he landed a contract, it often consisted of 25-100 billable hours.

Because Tom's earning capacity was so high and he disliked marketing, he spent a lot of money on marketing himself indirectly. He purchased display ads in industry journals and directories, mailed expensive brochures to large lists of prospects, paid to exhibit at trade shows, and hired a telemarketer to prospect for him. Tom also worked on contracts that came through agencies, who often took 25-35% of his earnings as their percentage.

Tom is earning as much as $90,000 per year, but he was losing about $15,000 per year in agency commissions, and spending $25,000 per year on marketing. In return for all his hard work, he was earning considerably less than he had at his last job.

*Making the Impossible Possible *New consultants, coaches, and other professionals almost always overestimate how much they can earn and underestimate the amount of time and money required to successfully market themselves. They also forget that they will have to cover not only their living costs and business expenses, but pay self-employment tax, buy their own health insurance, provide for their own retirement, and allow for unpaid vacation and sick time.

If Nancy or Tom had taken the time to sit down with a calculator before starting out in business, they would have quickly discovered that they were on the wrong track. But both of these businesses were able to be rescued.

Molly began selling her time by the day instead of by the hour. She offered her clients a full-day package that consisted of a wardrobe review and consultation in the morning and a shopping trip in the afternoon. By charging $400 per day and scheduling three clients per week, she could earn more than double than she did previously.

She also began offering a monthly one-day image workshop as a way of bringing in more income while giving prospective clients a chance to experience her work. The workshop became her main source of new clients, and marketing the workshop turned out to be easier than marketing her personal services.

Tom learned how to market himself less expensively through networking, speaking, and writing articles. Instead of buying booths at trade shows, he was showcased there as a presenter, and spent time networking with the other attendees. The same publications where he used to run ads now ran his articles. Rather than paying a telemarketer, he started picking up the lunch tab for people he thought could refer him some business.

As a result, his expenses for marketing and commissions dropped from $35,000 per year to $15,000. At the same time, his income rose to $125,000 per year, because as his visibility and reputation grew, his services were more in demand and he could command higher rates.

If earning a decent living as a self-employed professional sometimes seems impossible to you, start asking how it could be possible. What can you change about how you are marketing yourself, how much you are charging, and how you are packaging your services? While it could be that success will come if you just work a little harder, it's more likely that you first need to start working a little differently

Economic Recession Strategy - How To Keep Your Business Alive During Economic Recession by Michael Seriosa

You may be in Mail Order, Direct Mail, E-Mail/E-Zine Marketing, or you may be a local merchant with 150 employees; whatever the case-you've got to know how to keep your business alive during economic recessions.

Long before the cash flow in a business, large or small, starts to tighten up, the money management of that business has to be run as a "tight ship." Some of the things you can and should do include protecting yourself from expenditures made on sudden impulse.

We've all bought merchandise or services we really didn't need simply because we were in the mood, or perhaps in response to the flam-boyancy of the advertising or the persuasiveness of the salesperson.

Then we sort of "wake up" a couple of days later and find that we've committed hundreds of dollars of business funds for something that's not essential to the success of our own business, when really pressing items had been eagerly waiting for those dollars.

If you are incorporated, you can eliminate these "impulse purchases" by including in your by-laws a clause that states: "All purchasing decisions over (a certain amount) are contingent upon approval by the board of directors."

This will force you to consider any "impulse purchases" of serious cost, and may even be a reminder in the case of smaller purchases.

If your business is a partnership, you can state, when faced with a buying decision, that all purchases are contingent upon the approval of a third party. In reality, the third party can be your partner, one of your department heads, or even one of your suppliers.

If your business is a sole proprietorship, you don't have much to worry about really, because as an individual you have three days to think about your purchase, and then to nullify that purchase if you think you don't really need it or can't afford it.

While you may think you cannot afford it, be sure that you don't "short-change" yourself on professional services. This would apply especially during a time of emergency.

Anytime you commit yourself and move ahead without completely investigating all the angles, and preparing yourself for all the contingencies that may arise, you're skating on thin ice.

Regardless of the costs involved, it always pays off in the long run to seek out the advice of experienced professionals before embarking on a plan that could ruin you.

1244 Stock Category Advantages-

As an example, an experienced business consultant can fill you in on the 1244 stock advantages. Getting eligibility for the 1244 stock category is a very simple process, but one with tremendous benefits to your business.

The 1244 stock encourages investors to put equity capital into your business because in the event of a loss, amounts up to the entire sum of the investment can be written off in the current year.

Without the "1244" classification, any losses would have to be spread over several years, and this, of course, would greatly lessen the attractiveness of your company's stock. Any business owner who has not filed the 1244 corporation has in effect cut himself off from 90 percent of his prospective investors.

Getting “Hard-Nosed”-

Particularly when sales are down, you must be "hard-nosed" with people trying to sell you luxuries for your business. When business is booming, you undoubtedly will allow sales people to show you new models of equipment or a new line of supplies; but when your business is down, skip the entertaining frills and concentrate on the basics.

Great care must be taken however, to maintain courtesy and allow these sellers to consider you a friend and call back at another time.

Your company's books should reflect your way of thinking, and whoever maintains them should generate information according to your policies.

Thus, you should hire an outside accountant or accounting firm to figure your return on your investment, as well as the turnover on your accounts receivable and inventory. Such an audit or survey should focus in depth on any or every item within the financial statement that merits special attention.

In this way, you'll probably uncover any potential financial problems before they become readily apparent, and certainly before they could get out of hand.

Further Considerations-

Many small companies set up advisory boards of outside professional people. These are sometimes known as Power Circles, and once in place, the business always benefits, especially in times of short operating capital.

Such an advisory board or power circle should include an attorney, a certified public accountant, civic club leaders, owners or managers of businesses similar to yours, and retired executives.

Setting up such an advisory board of directors is really quite easy, because most people you ask will be honored to serve. Once your board is set up, you should meet once a month and present material for review.

Each meeting should be a discussion of your business problems and an input from your advisers relative to possible solutions.

These members of your board of advisers should offer you advice as well as alternatives, and provide you with objectivity. No formal decisions need to be made either at your board meeting, or as a result of them, but you should be able to gain a great deal from the suggestions you hear.

You will find that most of your customers have the money to pay at least some of what they owe you immediately.

To keep them current, and the number of accounts receivable in your files to a minimum, you should call them on the phone and ask for some kind of explanation why they're falling behind.

If you develop such a habit as part of your operating procedure, you'll find your invoices will magically be drawn to the front of their piles of bills to pay.

While maintaining a congenial and courteous attitude, don't hesitant, or too much of a "nice guy" when it comes to collecting money.

Building the Strength of Your Stay Power-

Something else that's a very good business practice, but which few business owners do is to methodically build a credit rating with their local banks.

Particularly when you have a good cash flow, you should borrow $100 to $1,000 from your banks every 90 days or so. Simply borrow the money, and place it in an interest bearing account, and then pay it all back at least a month or so before it's due.

By doing this, you will increase the borrowing power of your signature, and strengthen your ability to obtain needed financing on short notice.

This is a kind of business leverage that will be of great value to you if or whenever your cash position becomes less favorable.

By all means, join your industry's trade associations. Most of these organizations have a wealth of information available on everything from details on your competitors to average industry sales figures, new products, services, and trends.

If you are given a membership certificate or wall plaque, you should display these conspicuously on your office wall. Customers like to see such "seals of approval" and feel additional confidence in your business when they see them.

Often Overlooked-

If at all possible, you should have your spouse work in the business with you for at least three or four weeks per year.

The important thing is that if for any reason you are not available to run the business, your spouse will be familiar with certain people and situations about your business.

These people should include your attorney, accountant, any advisors or consultants, creditors and your major suppliers. The long-term advantages of having your spouse work four weeks per year in your business with you will greatly outweigh the short-term inconvenience.

Many couples share responsibility and time entirely, which is in most cases even more desirable. Whenever you can, and as often as you need it, take advantage of whatever free business counseling is available.

The Small Business Administration published many excellent booklets, checklist and brochures on quite a large variety of businesses.

These publications are available through the U.S. Government Printing Office. Most local universities, and many private organizations hold seminars at minimal cost, and often without charge. You should also take advantage of the services offered by your bank and local library.

The important thing about running a small business is to know the direction in which you're heading...to know on a day-to-day basis your progress in that very direction [your dynamic Business/Marketing Plan]

Be aware of what your competitors are doing and practice good money management at all times. All this will prepare you to recognize potential problems before they arise. In order to survive with a small business, regardless of the economic climate, it is essential to surround yourself with smart people, and practice sound business management at all times.

The Misconception About Business In The Summer-

Whoever started the nasty rumor that Mail Order business is very slow during the months of July and August is dead wrong. In case you are new to the world of Mail Order you are likely to believe this rumor.

The sad part is that a lot of people in the business really believe it! Why do they believe it? Because they have been told by someone else and the rumor was considered "gospel" - so that someone told someone else and so on- sound familiar?!?

What people don't realize is that there is no foundation to this rumor. The only reason the mail order business MAY slow down in the summer months is because of the nature of the product being sold. Try selling winter clothes in July!

Some people will go so far as to stop advertising during the summer months because they are convinced they won't get any sales. Because of the drop in revenue for publishers, due to this line of thinking-

Everybody suffers and they keep the rumor alive and true. Only people believing this lie are making it happen.

Tips for Prescribing a Future for Your Business by dele Sommers

Are you wondering what the future holds for your business? Whether you want to predict your future or prescribe an outcome of your choosing, you'll have plenty of company!

Throughout history, we humans have tried many ways to predict the future, from reading palms to stargazing. Today, we refer to these as descriptive methods when we attempt to describe objectively what the future will be or could be.

On the other hand, prescriptive methods focus on determining what the future should be. These techniques can help us clarify our preferences and values so we can create a vision of what we would like to see in our lives, businesses, or communities.

Once we understand what we would like the future to represent, we're better able to take the actions required to implement it. Ideally, that future will align with our passions, gifts, and what we (or our companies) can really be the best at doing. This article suggests a two-stage process for achieving that goal.

First, Identify Your "Hedgehog Concept"

So, what can you be the best in the world (or at least in your community) at doing? This thought-provoking reflection is one of many from Jim Collins' "Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't."

Collins' team examined 1,435 companies to see which ones made substantial gains in profitability and sustained those improvements over 15 years or more. Since the 1970s, only 11 companies had risen from mediocrity to greatness and stayed there -- topping many other prosperous firms that lacked the same staying power.

Of eight characteristics these companies shared, all held an unshakable adherence to becoming the best in the world at whatever they did. Each company committed to doing only those things and nothing else. That sometimes meant dropping their core businesses to pursue other things at which they could become the best in the world.

Collins and his team coined the term "hedgehog concept" to reflect a single-minded determination and focus that, similar to that of the hedgehog animal, attempts to do only one thing really well, such as curl up and roll. A hedgehog concept actually represents the intersection of three areas:

1) What you're most passionate about
2) An understanding of what you could be the best at doing, and
3) A metric that drives your economic engine and helps you measure results.

Keep in mind that according to Collins, this concept is not a goal, strategy, or plan, but an understanding of what you can and can't be the best at doing. Until you develop your hedgehog concept, you won't know your true vision, mission, or purpose.

Next, Define Your "Business Success Criteria"

Do you have a crystal clear idea of the types of business undertakings that align with your gifts, talents, passions, and strengths? In that same context, have you thought about whether your business can be the very best in the world at doing those things?

If the answers are "yes," you are in an excellent position to choose the ventures that can give you the greatest satisfaction and results.

If you're not yet totally clear about the answers to these questions, developing a set of "business success criteria" can enable you to select worthwhile endeavors with much deeper insight, and thus set the conditions for successfully pursuing them. A hedgehog concept thereby represents part of the formula you can devise to identify and choose among your very best options.

Why is this so important? It's not uncommon for people to wander into businesses, projects, and professions opportunistically, which means that they often select the next available and convenient thing that comes along. At times, this may be necessary for financial reasons. But unless we understand our underlying success criteria, we might not recognize the options that truly fuel and inspire us -- those that are best suited to our passions and strengths.

Some of your criteria could be practical considerations, and others more lofty ideals. But all of your criteria will be essential to achieving balance, fulfillment, prosperity, and higher contribution in your life.

In conclusion, a set of carefully crafted success criteria fueled by a potent hedgehog concept provides an unbeatable strategic advantage, and an excellent direction-finder for prescribing your future!

How to Successfully Navigate Your Business through an Economic Downturn by Terry H Hill

An economic downturn is a phase of the business cycle in which the economy as a whole is in decline.This phase basically marks the end of the period of growth in the business cycle. Economic downturns are characterized by decreased levels of consumer purchases (especially of durable goods) and, subsequently, reduced levels of production by businesses.

While economic downturns are admittedly difficult, and are formidable obstacles to small businesses that are trying to survive and grow, an economic downturn can open up opportunities. A well-managed company can realize the opportunity to gain market share by taking customers away from their competitors. Resourceful entrepreneurs capture the available opportunities, from an economic downturn, by developing alternate methods of doing business that were never implemented during a prior growth period.

The challenge of successfully navigating your business through an economic downturn lies in the realignment of your business with current economic realities. Specifically, you, as the business owner, need to renew a focus on your core clients/customers, reduce your operating expenses, conserve cash, and manage more proactively, rather than reactively, is paramount.

Here are best practices that will help you to successfully navigate your business through an economic downturn:

Goals:

The primary goal of any business owner is to survive the current economic downturn and to develop a leaner, more cost-effective and more efficient operation. The secondary goal is to grow the business even during this current economic downturn.

Objectives:

• Conserve cash.

• Protect assets.

• Reduce costs.

• Improve efficiencies.

• Grow customer base.

Required Action:

• Do not panic… History shows that economic downturns do not last forever. Remain calm and act in a rational manner as you refocus your attention on resizing your company to the current economic conditions.

• Focus on what YOU can control… Don’t let the media's rhetoric concerning recessions and economic slowdown deter you from achieving business success. It´s a trap! Why? Because the condition of the economy is beyond your control. Surviving economic downturns requires a focus on what you can control, i.e. your relevant business activities.

• Communicate, communicate, and communicate! Beware of the pitfall of trying to do too much on your own. It is a difficult task indeed to survive and to grow your business solely with your own efforts. Solicit ideas and seek the help of other people (your employees, suppliers, lenders, customers, and advisors). Communicate honestly and consistently. Effective two-way communication is the key.

• Negotiate, negotiate, and negotiate! The value of a strong negotiation skill set cannot be overstated. Negotiating better deals and contracts is an absolute must for realigning and resizing your company to the current economic conditions. The key to success is not only knowing how to develop a win-win approach in negotiations with all parties, but also keeping in mind the fact that you want a favorable outcome for yourself too.

Recommended Best Practice Activities:

The Nuts and Bolts… The following list of recommended best practice activities is critical for your business' survival and for its growth during an economic downturn. The actual financial health of your particular business, at the outset of the economic downturn, will dictate the priority and urgency of the implementation of the following best practice activities.

1. Diligently monitor your cash flow: Forecast your cash flow monthly to ensure that expenses and planned expenditures are in line with accounts receivable. Include cash flow statements into your monthly financial reporting. Project cash requirements three-to- six months in advance. The key is to know how to monitor, protect, control, and put cash to work.

2. Carefully convert your inventories: Convert excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory items into cash. Consider returning excess and slow-moving items back to the suppliers. Close-out or inventory reduction sales work well to resize your inventory. Also, consider narrowing your product offerings. Well-timed order placement helps to reduce excess inventory levels and occasional material shortages. The key is to reduce the amount of your inventory without losing sales.

3. Timely collection of your accounts receivable: This asset should be converted to cash as quickly as possible. Offer prompt payment discounts to encourage timely payments. Make changes in the terms of sale for slow paying customers (i.e. changing net 30 day terms to COD). Invoicing is an important part of your cash flow management. The first rule of invoicing is to do it as soon as possible after products are shipped and/or after services are delivered. Place an emphasis on reducing billing errors. Most customers delay payments because an invoice had errors, and therefore, will not pay until they receive a corrected copy. Email or fax your invoices to save on mailing time. Post the payments that you have received and make deposits more frequently. The key is to develop an efficient collection system that generates timely payments and one that gives you advance warning of problems.

4. Re-focus your attention on your existing clients/customers: Make customer satisfaction your priority. A regular review of your customers' buying history and frequency of purchases can reveal some interesting facts about your customers' buying habits. Consider signing long-term contracts with your core clients/customers which will add to your security. Offer a discount for upfront cash payments. The key is to do what it takes to keep your current customers loyal.

5. Re-negotiate with your suppliers, lenders, and landlord:

i) Suppliers: Always keep your negotiations on the level of need, saying that your company has reviewed its cost structure and has determined that it needs to lower supplier costs. . Tell the supplier that you value the relationship you have developed, but that you need to receive a cost reduction immediately. Ask your supplier for a lower material price, a longer payment cycle, and the elimination of finance charges. Also, see if you can buy material from them on a consignment basis. In return for their price concessions, be willing to agree to a long-term contract. Explore the idea of bartering as a form of payment.

ii) Lenders: Everything in business finance is negotiable and your relationship with a bank is no exception. The first step to successful renegotiations is to convince your lenders that you can ultimately pay off the renegotiated loan. You must point out to your lenders why it would be in their best interest to agree to a new arrangement. Showing them your business plan and your action plan that includes your cost-savings initiatives, along with "the how" and "the when" of the implementation of your plan is the best way to achieve this goal. Explain to them that you will need their cooperation to insure that you can survive, as well as, grow your business during the economic downturn. Negotiated items include: the rate of interest, the required security to cover the loan, and the beginning date for repayment. A beginning date for repayment could be immediate, within several months or as long as a year. The key is to realize that your lender will work with you, but that frequent and continual communications with them is critical.

iii) Landlord: Meet with your landlord. Explain your need to have them extend the term of your lease at a reduced cost. Make sure you have a clause in the lease agreement that entitles you to have the right to sublet any or all of the leased space.

6. Re-evaluate your staffing requirements: This is a very critical area. Salaries/wages are a major expense of doing business. Therefore, any reduction in the hours worked through work schedule changes, short-term layoffs or permanent layoffs has an immediate cost saving benefit. Most companies ramped up hiring new employees in the good times, only to find that they are currently overstaffed due to slow sales during the economic downturn. In terms of down-sizing your staff, be very careful not to reduce your staff to a level that forces you to skimp on customer service and quality. Consider the use of part-timers or the current trend of outsourcing certain functions to independent contractors.

7. Shop for better insurances rates: Get quotations from other insurance agents for comparable coverage to determine whether or not your present insurance carrier is competitive. Also, consider revising your coverage to reduce premium costs. The key is to have the right balance-to be adequately insured, but not under or over insured.

8. Re-evaluate your advertising: Contrary to the other cost-cutting initiatives, evaluate the possibility of increasing your advertising expenditures. This tactic realizes the advantage of the reduced "noise" and congestion (fewer advertisers) in the marketplace. The downturn period a great opportunity to increase brand awareness and create additional demand for your product/service offerings.

9. Seek the help of outside advisors: The use of an advisory board comprised of your CPA, attorney, and business consultant offers you objectivity and provides you with professional advice and guidance. Their collective experience in working with similar situations in past economic downturns is invaluable.

10. Review your other expenses: Target an across-the-board cost-cutting initiative of 10-15%. Attempt to eliminate unnecessary expenses. Tightening your belt in order to weather the downturn makes practical, financial sense.

Proactively managing your business through an economic downturn is an enormous challenge and is critical for your survival. However, through well-planned initiatives, an economic downturn can create tremendous opportunity for your company to gain greater market share. In order to take advantage of this growth opportunity, you must act quickly to implement the above best business practices to continue realigning and resizing your company to the current economic conditions.

How To Write A Successful Business Plan by Jason Kay

Whether you are planning to start a brand-new business, expand an existing company, or get financing for a business venture, you will need to write a business plan. A business plan not only lends your business a sense of credibility, but also helps you to cover all your bases, increasing your chances of success.

Although writing a business plan can be a lengthy, intimidating project, it is not necessarily difficult. Here is an overview of how to write a successful business plan.

What to Include in Your Business Plan

Your business plan needs to demonstrate that you have thoroughly considered all aspects of running your business. To that end, the standard business plan has nine major sections, covering everything from your business’s mission statement to a detailed financial analysis.

Executive Summary

The first – and most important – section of your business plan is the executive summary. This section is so important that it should literally be the first thing the reader sees – even before the table of contents! However, it should also be written last, as you’ll have a better understanding of the overall message of your business plan after you’ve researched and written the other sections.

One of the most important parts of the executive summary is the mission statement. The mission statement is only three or four sentences long, but it should pack the most punch out of everything else in your business plan: Those four sentences are responsible for not only defining your business, but also capturing the interest of your reader.

The rest of your executive summary should fill in the important details that the mission statement glosses over. For instance, your executive summary should include a short history of the business, including founder profiles and start date; a current snapshot, listing locations, numbers of employees, and products or services offered; and a summary of future plans and goals.

This section is a candidate for a bulleted format, which allows you to list main points in a manner that is easy to scan. Avoid using too much detail – remember, this section is a summary. A page or two is usually sufficient for an executive summary.

Market Analysis

The next section of your business plan focuses on market analysis. In order to show that your business has a reasonable chance for success, you will need to thoroughly research the industry and the market you intend to sell to. No bank or investor is going to back a doomed venture, so this section is sure to fall under especially close scrutiny if you are looking for financing.

Your market analysis should describe your industry, including the size, growth rate, and trends that could affect the industry. This section should also describe your target market – that is, the type or group of customers that your company intends to serve. The description of your target market should include detail such as:

• Distinguishing characteristics
• The needs your company or product line will meet
• What media and/or marketing methods you’ll use to reach them
• What percentage of your target market you expect to be able to wrest away from your competitors

In addition, your market analysis should include the results of any market tests you have done, and an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors.

Company Description

After your market analysis, your business plan will need to include a description of your company. This section should describe:

• The nature of your business
• The needs of the market
• How your business will meet these needs
• Your target market, including specific individuals and/or organizations
• The factors that set you apart from your competition and make you likely to succeed

Although some of these things overlap with the previous section, they are still necessary parts of your company description. Each section of your business plan should have the ability to stand on its own if need be. In other words, the company description should thoroughly describe your company, even if certain aspects are covered in other sections.

Organization and Management

Once you have described the nature and purpose of your company, you will need to explain your staff setup. This section should include:

• The division of labor – how company processes are divided among the staff
• The management hierarchy
• Profiles of the company’s owner(s), management personnel, and the Board of Directors
• Employee incentives, such as salary, benefits packages, and bonuses

This goal of this section is to demonstrate not only good organization within the company, but also the ability to create loyalty in your employees. Long-term employees minimize human resource costs and increase a business’s chances for success, so banks and investors will want to see that you have an effective system in place for maintaining your staff.

Marketing and Sales Management

The purpose of the marketing and sales section of your business plan is to outline your strategies for marketing your products or services. This section also plans for company growth by describing how the growth could take place.

The section should describe your company’s:

• Marketing methods
• Distributions methods
• Type of sales force
• Sales activities
• Growth strategies

Product or Services

Following the marketing section of your business plan, you will need a section focusing on the product or services your business offers. This is more than a simple description of your product or services, though. You will also need to include:

• The specific benefits your product or service offers customers
• The specific needs of the market, and how your product will meet them
• The advantages your product has over your competitors
• Any copyright, trade secret, or patent information pertaining to your product
• Where any new products or services are in the research and development process
• Current industry research that you could use in the development of products and services

Funding Request

Only once you have described your business from head to toe are you ready to detail your funding needs. This section should include everything a bank or investor needs in order to understand what type of funding you want:

• How much money you need now
• How much money you think you will need over the next five years
• How the money you borrow will be used
• How long you will need funding
• What type of funding you want (i.e. loans, investors, etc.)
• Any other terms you want the funding arrangement to include

Financials

The financials section in your business plan supports your request for outside funding. This section provides an analysis of your company’s prospective financial success. The section also details your company’s financial track record for the past three to five years, unless you are seeking financing for a startup business.

The financials section should include:

• Company income statements for prior years
• Balance sheets for prior years
• Cash flow statements for prior years
• Forecasted company income statements
• Forecasted balance sheets
• Forecasted cash flow statements
• Projections for the next five years – every month or quarter for the first year, with longer intervals for the remaining years
• Collateral you can use to secure a loan

The financials section is a great place to include visuals such as graphs, particularly if you predict a positive trend in your projected financials. A graph allows the reader to quickly take in this information, and may do a better job of encouraging a bank or investor to finance your business. However, be sure that the amount of financing you are requesting is in keeping with your projected financials – no matter how impressive your projections are, if you are asking for more money than is warranted, no bank or investor will give it to you.

Appendices

The appendix is the final section in your business plan. Essentially, this is where you put all of the information that doesn’t fit in the other eight sections, but that someone – particularly a bank or investor – might need to see.

For instance, the market analysis section of your business plan may list the results of market studies you have done as part of your market research. Rather than listing the details of the studies in that section, where they will appear cumbersome and detract from the flow of your business plan, you can provide this information in an appendix.

Other information that should be relegated to an appendix includes:

• Credit histories for both you and your business
• Letters of reference
• References that have bearing on your company and your product or service, such as magazines or books on the topic
• Company licenses and patents
• Copies of contracts, leases, and other legal documents
• Resumes of your top managers
• Names of business consultants, such as your accountant and attorney

Writing a Successful Business Plan

Despite the quantity of information contained in your business plan, it should be laid out in a format that is easy to read. Just like with any piece of business writing, it is important to craft your business plan with your intended audience in mind – and the bankers, investors, and other busy professionals who will read your business plan almost certainly won’t have time to read a tedious document with long-winded paragraphs and large blocks of text.

Business plans for startup companies and company expansions are typically between twenty to forty pages long, but formatting actually accounts for a lot of this length. A strong business plan uses bullet points throughout to break up long sections and highlight its main points. Visuals such as tables and charts are also used to quickly relay specific information, such as trends in sales and other financial information. These techniques ensure that the reader can skim the business plan quickly and efficiently.

Think of your audience as only having fifteen minutes to spend on each business plan that comes across their desks. In that fifteen minutes, you not only have to relay your most important points, but also convince the reader that your business venture merits a financial investment. Your best bet is a well-researched business plan, with an organized, easy-to-read format and clear, confident prose.