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Business Start-up Articles
Dr. Mary Waters is The Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to "Business Start-up". You can find complete information on Dr. Mary Waters and her products by visiting Dr. Mary E. Waters.com, WAI Enterprises.
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How Any Woman Can Become Rich - By Dr. Mary E. WatersWorkplace Communication 8 - Cost and Benefits - By Dr. Mary WatersDifferent Small Business Opportunities Available Online - By Dr. Mary Waters- Best Business Advice - How to Find the Perfect Home Based Business for Your Personality - by Submitted on Sep 02, 2009 from Kathi Calahan, Career CoachEntrepreneurs who want to start up a business, even if it’s in a different career field, and work from home should begin by first identifying their top values. This is vital to the success of their business for two reasons. 1. Because your values and your Life’s Work (or purpose) are ...
Views: 1454(5 votes) - Boosting Your Expertise is a Good Way to Build Clientele - by Submitted on Sep 01, 2009 from David JensenA big part of setting up a home-based business involves marketing your business and building a clientele. Your marketing efforts boil down to either an investment in money or time. When starting out, you are likely on a shoestring budget so a good approach is to devote time learning about ...
Views: 1195 - Do You Really Need New Labor Law Posters? - by Submitted on Sep 01, 2009 from Janet AttardIf you run a business and have employees, there are a slew of federal and state labor law notices you're required to post where employees can see them each day. These are often called labor law posters, or compliance posters. They include things like minimum wage laws, the federal USERRA, ...
Views: 5150(1 vote) - Industries Pioneered by Immigrants Prove America Still World’s Center for Opportunity - by Submitted on Aug 31, 2009 from Geoff FickeIndustries Pioneered by Immigrants Prove America Still World’s Center for Opportunity My first job after service in the Marine Corps was with the Revlon Cosmetic Company. Revlon was founded by the iconic business man and fashion arbiter of the day, Charles Revson. The business in the 1940’s, ...
Views: 1457(1 vote) - Are You Ready for Self-Employment? - by Submitted on Aug 30, 2009 from Gail McMeekinAh, the fantasies . . . make your own hours, invent your own rules, choose your own associates, express your creativity, and make unlimited money. These are the dreams of the aspiring self-employed. Yet, if you interview people who have built a profitable business, they will tell you about the ...
Views: 1402(11 votes) - How to Reach the Work at Home Lifestyle - by Submitted on Aug 09, 2011 from Joe ScienceWant to take the day off and play with the kids? Maybe stroll in the park or lay on the beach? The work at home lifestyle is an alluring prospect, but how do you reach it? It all starts with the first step. A good first step towards your financial freedom is to start working at home for ...
Views: 866(2 votes) - Women as Entrepreneurs - by Submitted on Aug 29, 2009 from Barbara WulfIt’s been said that women are the Mothers of Invention. Nothing could be truer as we see an increasing number of women as entrepreneurs in today’s workplace. At a website for entrepreneurial women, www.entwomen.com, they state “a laptop, a bathrobe, and a cup o’Joe – what else do you need?” ...
Views: 1462(2 votes) - Why Students Make Excellent Entrepreneurs - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2009 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke During my many years of lecturing university business school students on entrepreneurial topics I have been pleased, and surprised, at the relatively large numbers willing to take the plunge and pursue new business opportunities. The surprise is that modern students are ...
Views: 1143(5 votes) - Make Your Passion for Fun A Key Part When Seeking New Product Opportunities - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2009 from Geoff FickeMost people lead rather ordinary lives, built around family, job, church and hobbies. This is fine for most. The need to pay the bills leads many to engage in work that is unfulfilling, boring and stifling. That so many people work at energy sapping employment should be a motivating factor in ...
Views: 1013(4 votes) - Do Not Shortchange Funding Needs Too Little Is Worse Than Too Much - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2009 from Geoff FickeThere is an old adage in the funding community: “Investing $1,000,000 to fail is expensive, investing $5,000,000 to succeed is cheap. Investors will respond to funding needs based on real world assumptions. They will be very cautious when assessing a venture’s real funding requirements. ...
Views: 1237(1 vote) - Keep Business Operations and Logistics Simple, Streamlined and Agile - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2009 from Geoff FickeMost of the entrepreneurs we interview in our consulting business have a very unrealistic conception of what excites and disappoints investors. The dream of many inexperienced inventors seeking to fund their opportunity is to build a substantial infrastructure. Their business plan identifies the ...
Views: 1253(1 vote) - Why Are Successful Entrepreneurs So Darn Lucky? - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2009 from Geoff FickeWhat is your definition of the word “luck”? Not the Webster’s Dictionary definition, your definition. Is it being in the right place at the right time? Picking the right dealer in a casino? Turning up at a party where you meet your current wife (could be good or bad luck)? Entrepreneurs seem ...
Views: 1533(2 votes) - How to Choose a Recession Proof Business - by Submitted on Sep 03, 2009 from Terry UnrauMany people are trying to figure out how to choose a recession proof business in today’s economy. They want to know what products they can sell, make money and have their business grow. The key to understanding how to create a successful recession proof business is to understand what a product ...
Views: 652(1 vote) - Strategic Alliance - The Underused Option - by Submitted on Aug 24, 2009 from Geoff FickeYou are an entrepreneurial inventor with marvelous ideas in your area of expertise. The ability to create models, prototypes and concepts flows easily from your fertile brain. Nevertheless, all you have to show for your creative efforts is a garage full of dead end stuff, despite all of your ...
Views: 1092(2 votes) - Which Business Structure Is Best For Your New Enterprise? - by Submitted on Aug 24, 2009 from Geoff FickeThe type of business structure you organize for your new enterprise is greatly determined by your personality, realities, needs and experience. Millions of people in the United States never enter into any type of formal business structure. This includes the bulk of the black or underground ...
Views: 1426(1 vote) - I Can’t Find Funding. Is My Idea Dead? No, Consider a Campaign to License! - by Submitted on Aug 24, 2009 from Geoff FickeMost inexperienced entrepreneurs are unaware of the many options and alternative strategies available to push a new idea or invention to market. The most common approach they seek to implement is a classic funding round. When this avenue fails, and with overwhelming frequency it does, the idea ...
Views: 1748(1 vote) - The Business Model Must Be Innovative and Flexible - by Submitted on Aug 24, 2009 from Geoff FickeWhat does the following list of companies have in common? A&P Hudson Motor Car Co. Montgomery Ward TWA Horn and Hardart Studebaker Indian Motorcycle Bonwit Teller Woolworth Bethlehem Steel Polaroid LTV These Companies were successful, recognizable brands in their respective ...
Views: 1255(1 vote) - Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Trade Secrets Protect Your Invention! - by Submitted on Aug 23, 2009 from Geoff FickePatent numbers are issued sequentially, beginning with the number one. Patent number one was issued to Samuel Hopkins on July 31, 1790. It took 75 years for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to issue patent number 1,000,000. Patent number 7,000,000 was issued February 14, ...
Views: 1933(3 votes) - Organize the Business Structure That Is Right for Your New Enterprise - by Submitted on Aug 23, 2009 from Geoff FickeEvery business requires a structure that will withstand necessary legal and governmental scrutiny. The choice of how to organize a new enterprise should be made based on the needs and capacity of the owner(s) to maintain and detail the records, history and finances of the business. Many ...
Views: 2756(3 votes) - Make Your Business Plan Read Like An Action Novel - You Are Guaranteed to Receive A Stronger Response - by Submitted on Aug 22, 2009 from Geoff FickeLet’s face it, nobody confuses writing or reading a Business Plan with a Bruce Willis action movie or a Tom Clancy novel. A Business Plan is a serious presentation that details an economic opportunity being offered for funding, licensing or sales consideration. Detail, research, financials and ...
Views: 1074(1 vote) - How to Drive Tons Of Free Traffic to Your Websites - by Submitted on Aug 22, 2009 from Kyle NortonWith the competitiveness of online business, driving traffic to your website now becomes a life or death matter. Some people may opt to pay for search engines to expose their site, if you do it is good if you can do it properly. Otherwise, they may be costly. Many inexperienced new online ...
Views: 1335(3 votes) - A Strong Sales Model Underlies Every Assumption In a Business Plan - by Submitted on Aug 21, 2009 from Geoff FickeOne of the most difficult tasks a new prospective entrepreneur faces is the construction of a Sales Model. Many books devoted to instruction for writing a business plan devote little or no attention to this vital exercise. The knowledge needed to assemble a quantified, qualified and clearly ...
Views: 2175(1 vote) - Pay It Forward - Help a Woman Entrepreneur Succeed - by Submitted on Aug 21, 2009 from Constance DrewRemember the movie, Pay It Forward that was released in 2000 starring Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment? It is the story about a young boy who attempts to make the world a better place after his teacher gives his students an assignment to come up with an idea to do just that. ...
Views: 1213(1 vote) - What Makes an Entrepreneur Different - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2009 from Geoff FickeStudies indicate that entrepreneurs are born, not made. As a serial entrepreneur myself, having worked with dozens of successful entrepreneurs, I can confirm that this is a truism. No two are exactly alike, but they are different from those who fail, or worse, never try. I am often asked what ...
Views: 1647(1 vote) - Bootstrapping Your Way to Success - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2009 from Geoff FickeThere is no more accurate American descriptive phrase of the rags to riches success then: “He pulled himself up by his bootstraps”. The pioneers, backwoodsmen, cowboys, whalers and other prototypical American hero classes all possessed an air of courage, self-reliance, and belief that they could ...
Views: 1339(1 vote) - We Plan Exact Vacation Routes But Often Start a New Business with No Road Map - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2009 from Geoff FickeSeneca “The Younger”, the great ancient Roman philosopher famously observed, “If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable”. The intent of his words is clear. Knowing where you want to go is the essential prelude to planning how to get there. Unfortunately, many people ...
Views: 1033(2 votes) - Are Your Financial Projections Believable? - by Submitted on Aug 19, 2009 from Burke FranklinMany people think a set of financial projections is a business plan. Wrong. Experienced business people know that no matter how honest and forthright your financial projection is, it cannot present the full picture. To achieve credibility for your financial projections, be prepared to ...
Views: 1476(1 vote) - Use Affinity Licensing to Jump Start New Product Sales - by Submitted on Aug 19, 2009 from Geoff FickeI recently met a bank executive who had been laid off in a corporate downsizing. The man was understandably concerned about his and his family’s future. He lived in an area that was experiencing exceptionally stark economic circumstances. This gentleman had received a modest severance package, ...
Views: 1187(1 vote) - 5 Helpful Tips When Hiring Freelance IT Help - by Submitted on Aug 19, 2009 from John ChiltonI recently finished creating my latest website, and since I am a designer, not a coder, I often find the need to seek the services of a freelance IT professional. There are several good sites out there that can easily help you find the help your looking for. There are quality professionals ...
Views: 1374(1 vote) - How to Start Your Own Virtual Online Store - by Submitted on Aug 19, 2009 from Constance DrewYou have done your homework and decided that you are ready to become a business owner. You have an extra room in your home that would make a perfect office. You begin researching the recommended home based businesses and find that the Women Entrepreneur has an article on 5 low-cost businesses to ...
Views: 3748(4 votes) - How to Determine if a Home Based Business is Right for You - by Submitted on Aug 19, 2009 from Constance DrewYou have recently been laid off from your job of 5 years. You have been emailing cover letters and resumes at a hare's pace, but receiving responses at the speed of a turtle. You begin to think about other options and you remember Cousin Susie who runs who own floral designing business from ...
Views: 1200(4 votes) - Differentiation for a Small Brand Is Essential - Consider Organic Tea - by Submitted on Aug 17, 2009 from Geoff FickeRecently my marketing consulting firm was approached by the owners of a young organic tea company seeking guidance in piercing the retail product distribution channel. The entrepreneur’s behind the venture were hard working, passionate and fully committed; both personally and financially. They ...
Views: 1339(2 votes) - Persistence Pays Off For Driven Product Marketers and Inventors of WD-40 - by Submitted on Aug 15, 2009 from Geoff FickePersistence Pays Off For Driven Product Marketers and Inventors of WD-40 Along with duct tape, probably the most common product handymen keep in the garage for tackling household chores and repairs is the ubiquitous lubricant spray WD-40. I am a mechanical klutz. But when something needs ...
Views: 1531(1 vote) - Basic Foundational Elements for Starting Your Own Lucrative Business: Part 2 - by Submitted on Aug 14, 2009 from Paul LloydMindset, Knowledge and Vision Part 2 If you have not read the first part of this article, I suggest that you do so, in order for this trilogy to make sense. This is the second part of a three-part article aimed at cutting out the nonsense and helping you to make the right decisions and ...
Views: 638(2 votes) - The 2009 Stimulus Package: What’s in it for My Small Business? - by Submitted on Aug 14, 2009 from Michael CappsWe’ve all heard about it: the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the ARRA. But what exactly is it, and how can it help your small business? To begin with, the ARRA is essentially a $787 billion dollar bill passed in February 2009 by President Obama in order to ...
Views: 812(1 vote) - Business Planning and Business Plans: What’s The Big Deal? - by Submitted on Aug 14, 2009 from Michael CappsWhether you are a veteran business owner, have recently begun your own venture, or are still in the dreaming stages, you have invariably spent many hours thinking about and envisioning your organization. While it is always exciting to try to realize your dream in your mind and to project that ...
Views: 859(2 votes) - Business 101: What Do I Need to Start My Own? - by Submitted on Aug 11, 2009 from Robin HardyStarting your own business today is much easier than it was say 10 years ago. It used to be all about physical location, in some case today it is still location. However, most of us can start a business right from the comfort of our living rooms. With the invention of the World Wide Web we ...
Views: 1180(2 votes) - Basic Foundational Elements for Starting Your Own Lucrative Business - by Submitted on Aug 11, 2009 from Paul LloydMindset, Knowledge and Vision Part 1 If you want to learn about starting a legitimate business online, then read this article all the way to the end. You've accessed encyclopedias of information about starting, growing and maintaining a legitimate online business. You're suffering from ...
Views: 862 - How to Start Your Own Business and Find Success - Even Under Recession - by Submitted on Aug 11, 2009 from Tom PeperWith the Global economic slowdown, a career progress is a hard thing to come by. You will be well aware that many renowned companied have stopped employ intake. Infact many employees have lost their jobs because of this economic slowdown. Hence it is high time to look for alternative sources of ...
Views: 718(2 votes) - How Do The Proposed Health Care Reforms Affect Small Business Owners? - by Submitted on Aug 10, 2009 from Tom KellyIf you’ve been paying attention to the news at all lately, the big topic of conversation is the new proposed healthcare legislation, or “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009”. This bill is 1018 pages long, and will completely change the healthcare system in the United States if and ...
Views: 1581(2 votes) - The Ten Commandments for Entrepreneurs - by Submitted on Aug 10, 2009 from Geoff FickeI am often asked by aspiring entrepreneurs for tips that are essential to being successful in launching a new commercial venture. Below I have assembled the big 10, something like the 10 Commandments, only for entrepreneurial success. The items covered below are not negotiable in the process of ...
Views: 3047(3 votes) - Where Does the Money Come From? - by Submitted on Aug 10, 2009 from Geoff FickeFact: In 2005 over 500,000 new business incorporations were organized in the United States. Fact: Of these 500,000 new businesses less than 1,000 received venture capital funding. There are vastly more entrepreneurs seeking start-up funding than there are available funding sources and ...
Views: 1435(3 votes) - Is Now the Best Time to Start a New Business? - by Submitted on Aug 10, 2009 from Geoff FickeI am often asked if these are good times for new enterprise opportunities? Should I wait? Is the economy down? Is it a good funding market? Is competition too intense? These, and dozens more stated concerns are nothing more than self-imposed hurdles to movement. Now is the best time in ...
Views: 1303(4 votes) - Planning For Home Based Business Success - by Submitted on Aug 10, 2009 from David AlichToday's society wants us to believe that we need to be doing something 24/7, 365 or we will fail. Can you say burnout! This is probably the number 1 reason a lot of people are turning to home based businesses. Without having an online business myself, I would not be able to get my kids to their ...
Views: 1684(1 vote) - 5 Tips for a Successful SBA Loan - by Submitted on Aug 09, 2009 from Andrew RogersonThere are five critical areas an SBA lender considers in detail when deciding whether to underwrite an SBA loan. These five areas are Cash-flow, collateral, credit, management experience and liquidity. If you plan to apply for an SBA loan make sure you consider each of these areas. You don’t ...
Views: 1799(1 vote) - The Most Common Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make And Why Markets Tolerate No Shortcuts - by Submitted on Aug 07, 2009 from Geoff FickeThe question I receive more often than any other is: “What is the mistake you most frequently observe inventors or entrepreneurs making?” The answer is an easy one. Most unsuccessful entrepreneurs try to get to market by taking shortcuts. We live in a commercial maelstrom. The marketplace is ...
Views: 1320(1 vote) - What Is a Business Plan? And Why Do I Need One? - by Submitted on Aug 07, 2009 from Geoff FickeFor many entrepreneurs the creation of a business plan is the biggest hurdle in the development process of their fledgling enterprise. There is a mystery, almost a dread in many people when discussion of a business plan requirement is first broached. They conceptualize a boring, dry, painful ...
Views: 1109(1 vote) - What is a Business Model? - by Submitted on Aug 07, 2009 from Geoff FickeDuring the 1990’s a number of examples of new business terminology cane into vogue. Among these was the term Business Model. The usage of this term has become so capricious that the original definitions and intent of these two words has been diminished and confused. In essence, the Business ...
Views: 1100 - 3 Great eBusiness Ideas for Building a Profitable Website - by Submitted on Aug 06, 2009 from Sue DolanA great ebusiness idea is by far the ultimate key to success when building a profitable website. When researching options for the best and most profitable website ideas one place to turn to is Google. Google has many, many hidden treasures. Using the powerful tools available from Google to ...
Views: 3477(5 votes) - Is an Invention Service Company the Solution? Very Few Inventors Ever See Successful Results - by Submitted on Aug 05, 2009 from Geoff FickeEvery television viewer has seen the infomercial spot showing the forlorn, wanna-be inventor, crushed, their idea being successfully marketed by another party. He did not get a patent. The answer offered in the commercial, contact an Invention Submission Company, get a patent, market your ...
Views: 1169(1 vote)