“The Best Advice is always free”
Starting a small business requires bucket loads of wisdom. Financial wisdom offered through various media is not always inherently beneficial to the reader and their business.
The foundations for financial excellence are elementary and logical; here is a new perspective on financial insight to starting your small business. Making use of purely scenario planning this illustrated scenario would be a recommendation for all businesses that you intend financing.
The average cost of setting up a franchise and small business in U.S.A. is currently in the $300,000.00 to $ 474 000.00 marks, a sizeable sum taking into consideration the prevailing economic climate and business confidence levels.
Loans or Finance
In order to stimulate the economy, banks are eager to finance new business as this has a long-term stimulus on the economy and contributes to job and wealth creation.
Most individuals do not have the entire capital amount available to finance their new venture and financing becomes the preferred and logical route to market.
Taking into consideration the average price of a new franchise $474 000.00, the average cash portion of financing that particular business would be $ 153 000.00 which includes the initial, cash joining or franchise fee.
This would equate to a financing portion of $321 000.00 or 68% of the initial set-up cost of the business.
From a personal and statistical point of view, the gearing or debt ratio is too high and the minimum recommended debt ratio should never exceed 50%.
Why is gearing so important?
It is nerve-wracking and soul-destroying to build a business for you only to allocate the major share of your income and profits to servicing a loan and the commensurate interest payments. The strain on the cash flow and reserve funds is too great, and the business rapidly becomes a financial risk to the entrepreneur and the banks concerned.
“The Free Advice”
Total Cost
When using the above figures as our reference and benchmark, if the inclusive cost of the business is $474 000.00.
It would be prudent to assume that if shares were offered at $1.00 per share then the business would have 474 000 shares on offer.
Share Distribution
Taking my advice of a 50% gearing or financing ratio, the business when financed by the entrepreneur would allocate to the entrepreneur, 50%(237 000 shares) of the shares currently on offer (The portion he/she has paid cash for)
The remaining 50% of shares on offer would be the right and technical ownership of the banks or financing institution.
The Thinking Motivating This Strategy
As the entrepreneur pays off the loan, their ownership or share-holding increases exponentially.
Goals are easy to set, time and financing permitting the entrepreneur sees his/her goal of 100% ownership as achievable and desirable.
When the bank is essentially a partner in your business the relationship changes, the entrepreneur can take the banks perspective into consideration as they are a valuable share-holder, the logic of having a “you” and “me” approach becomes a …
Women in networking know the power of social contacts and spheres of influence, and how they are integral in creating any movement, supporting any cause or generating new business. Few people, though, have the talent to organize, bring people together, or network with others to get things done. This is a skill, and a highly valuable one. The oftentimes difficult thing in life is to be able to take the talents that we have and to develop them to their fullest. If we can pull that off, not only do we individually benefit, but we help others to realize their own potential at the same time. What’s often missing, however, is a vehicle for those talents to blossom.
Online social networking is a relatively new phenomenon. For those of you with social networking skills, the vehicle for both business and personal growth may be just a steps away. Here are some tips that may generate some new ideas if you are in the market for starting a business.
The power of networking is often underestimated, but in some businesses it is not only important, it is the ONLY thing. Several companies, often called hybrid or network marketing companies rely solely on individual entrepreneurs to build business networks of customers and like-minded business owners. These companies have compensation plans that offer unlimited profits.
If you have a knack for networking and are willing to learn how to social network online, you can develop a business that far exceeds an income that is limited by the hours you exchange for dollars. You can start in a business on the internet with virtually no investment AND advertise it all over the web without paying a cent. Do some homework and think about starting a business online where you can turn your real world social networking talents into a lucrative online social media business.…
In a high tech world where it is virtually possible to survive and run a business over the web without ever leaving your bedroom, does in person, face to face networking still make sense?
Of course some will argue that in person networking is now obsolete and is completely unnecessary. Certainly with social networking and how comfortable people are now with doing business via their mobile devices you could still make great connections purely via the Internet and never have to step foot out of your home. In many ways you could say that it is definitely more cost effective and better time management not to do face to face meetings or attend networking events.
However, in a new business environment dominated by the web and Internet companies it is clear that those who do get out from behind the curtain and embrace real world engagement with other real people can gain a major advantage over the competition. You may have the best prices in world, the coolest outsourcing network set up that allows you to run staff on three different continents, 24 hours a day and the catchiest slogans, but at the end of the day people buy people, not slick websites. If you are the only one out there making a personal connection you could have a major advantage over the competition regardless of price.
You do need to be careful about budget when getting out and doing in person networking. If you aren’t watching the bottom line it is easy to blow a lot of money and time on unprofitable meetings, not to mention gas, fancy restaurants, bar tabs for entertaining and more. However, when people are able to put a face to a name they are much more likely to bite on big ticket sales items, forge new strategic partnerships and sign checks much faster, all which can mean much bigger profit margins and taking your business to the next level much faster than you thought possible.
So, yes in person networking definitely still makes sense in a lot of industries. Be sensible about it, but if you block out even a couple hours a week to attend networking functions at the Chamber of Commerce, put together mastermind luncheons or even hang out with the right crowd you will find it can have a huge positive impact on your business and enable great growth. Worst case scenario, getting out will at least provide a better balance in your life and open the door to new inspiration for fueling your venture to new highs.…
The primary purpose of starting a business (at least in most cases) is to make money, and lots of it. Entrepreneurs pick a business idea they are sure will be popular, with product and service features they know will be irresistible to consumers. Their thoughts are filled with how many customers they need to meet their projections, how much traffic they need to draw, and how the operations can be streamlined. They are sure that once they have all the details worked out, the customers will show up in droves.
Very often, this confidence in their venture spills over into their marketing materials such that the messages they deliver are misfocused on how great the business, products or services are. Unfortunately, this classic approach is no longer effective. Today’s consumers are more knowledgeable and savvy than ever they are far more concerned with what your product can do for them. The new adage for defining marketing efforts must be Ask not what your customer can do for you, but what your business can do for your customers!
Every bit of your marketing effort, from the website to personal sales to follow-up contact, must be completely customer-centric. Everything you think about your venture needs to start and end with your target market. They don’t care what you need, what you want, or how you feel. They only want to know what your products or services are going to do for them. Just remember, it’s not about you, it’s all about the customer.
Define your venture’s marketing messages by the benefits your customers will receive by doing business with you. Know the features of your products, but reframe those into direct benefits for your customers. People want to know how your product will make them better, happier, more attractive, or solve some other problem in their world. For example, a mobile oil-change service has the feature of “oil changes at your home or office.” Better to focus on the benefit of “saves you time and keeps your car on the road.”
Identify your venture’s USPs (Unique Selling Propositions), or what makes your business stand out over the competition. Three separate USPs are good, especially if each of the three targets the primary needs of different market segments. Of course, to define your USPs as benefits rather than features, you will need to know your target markets inside and out, in order to define the benefit that will draw them in.
One way to improve your marketing messages is to personalize the appeals. Use testimonials from satisfied customers and anecdotes about situations that your products improved. Emotional appeals are much stronger than factual appeal, regardless of the audience. Of course, the facts and statistics about your product should be available, but a laundry list of data isn’t likely to sway too many consumers.
Focus on showing customers what your products will do for them and how it will make their lives better. We are all pummeled by hundreds of marketing messages each day …
What is the one thing you must have that will compensate for all other problems, short comings and obstacles you will face in your journey to start your business? Persistence is the only quality you really need to make it through everything else.
It is very simple but that is all it will take. You can be very smart but if you give up too soon you won’t get there. You can have a great idea but if you let negative events cause you to quit you aren’t going to get there.
Lots of people who don’t consider themselves especially smart or gifted or even hard working have achieved their goals just by doggedly moving forward no matter what kind of problem cropped up. Other people who seemingly had everything going for them failed because they decided they couldn’t or didn’t want to follow through to the end.
The key to staying persistent is to know exactly what the end goal is and then break down the steps to get there into small and manageable steps so you can complete each one in sequence and always know you are moving closer to your goal. If you simply resolve not to quit until you complete each step and then always resolve to move on to the next step once you’ve completed the one before you will find it impossible to stop and the path forward will always be clear so that all you will have to do is continue to make a little progress towards your next intermediate goal each day until you reach the very end.
I guarantee that if you are persistent and always look for a solution to whatever problem comes up and refuse to quit until you have gotten what you want then eventually you will get there. It won’t always be easy and it won’t always be smooth but eventually you will get to the end result.
I also promise that wishful thinking and planning without taking action will never result in you achieving the goal. It just doesn’t work that way and there is no reason to expect an exception in your case.
Many people are disappointed to find out there really isn’t a trick or secret that will simply give them everything they want without any work but those people will always be disappointed and complaining that life isn’t fair and that things are too hard. That’s fine.
I think they are wrong, though. What could be fairer than rewarding the people who are willing to do the most and keep at it after others quit with ultimate success?
If you want you can have it no matter what point you are starting from and what point you are aiming at. All it takes is not quitting even when quitting seems like the best option and a lot easier than continuing.
So the only question that remains is are you going to start and once you start are you going to finish? Many already …
A recent article provided by stated that one of the most common traits that all billionaires share is the ability to crunch numbers. But what does this mean exactly? After all, everyone has taken math in school or can use a calculator. So, why aren’t more people wealthy?
Surprisingly, many people go into business without taking the time to really sit down and analyze what it’s going to take to make a profit in the business that they have chosen. Many simply decide to rent or lease a property, stock inventory, open the doors and hope for the best. While this scenario may work for some, it’s best to make a study of several factors that determine to a large measure the chances of any commercial success. Here are some tips on how you can “crunch the numbers” for your particular business and succeed.
Billionaire investors often buy commercial buildings, shopping malls, luxury hotels, trade in stocks and commodities, and invest in hedge funds. When they enter a trade or buy a property, they already have made an in-depth study of the numbers that factor into such a transaction or deal. What are the traffic patterns, for example, that pass by a particular corner, the buying habits of the clientele, the average salaries of people who live in the area, the cultural composition of the neighborhood, the nature of the competition, etc.? Crunching the numbers can give a real indication of the potential success or failure of any enterprise. Put the odds, in other words, as much in your favor as possible. Be smart when you enter the business waters, because once you dive in, there’s no turning back.
If you’re on the verge of starting a new business venture, then you must have ideas swimming about in your head, just waiting to be taken advantage of. But with too many ideas, and with no distinct place to start, things might go awry. You need a systematic, planned approach when it comes to starting a business, one in which your short term and long term goals are clearly underlined, and will be practical, effective and will work. It’s not as hard as people make it out to be. If you have your business goals planned out, then all you have to do is follow these plans step by step, one at a time. Starting something in a well organized manner always pays off.
Some Guidelines Follow:
– First and foremost comes your table of contents, where every little detail, starting from your mission statement, to the services you provide and the products you sell, the current number of people employed, and information regarding market research, could be organized and set out clearly.
– Attachments and appendix materials are important since your business plans might be reviewed by investors and partners, and can also boost your online business planning strategy. Therefore, it is recommended you collect them.
– What helps more than anything is creating a list of essential points and topics. This will go a long way in lending a sense of oneness to your business plans as well as help create a map of sorts with which it’ll become easy to review or go over everything. And if you’re not certain as to what the exact starting point might be, this becomes all the more useful and effective as organizing things become a snap.
– Assignment of projects and tasks for each section can prove to be extremely helpful, as each point in the to-do list you have made is further broken down into even more accessible and practical steps. This way, it becomes so much more easy to keep a track of everything at every moment.
– Grammar, spelling mistakes might not sound as an important point to consider, but they are. In fact, you would not want first impressions which would have otherwise been perfectly great go awry thanks to some stupid grammar mistakes. This is also the case with errors based on facts. Do a complete check to see if you’ve missed out on anything and to refine the end product and make it suitable.
– An executive summarizing of your small business is a pretty useful step, primarily because your entire plan is shortened and made to read and be understood in an accessible and easy fashion. Later on, if you need to look over your objectives, instead of going through all of them, you could just browse through the summary itself. Basic points and subjects could also be included.
– Sometimes, it helps to have a third person perspective. Your strategies and your plans should be kept strictly confidential, but if you do …
Are you tired of trying to impress your Boss? Or are you becoming frustrated of not being able to voice out your creative ideas? Have you constantly wondered how it is to be free from all the work related stress that you encounter everyday but are afraid that you might be broke if you lose your job?
Well, worry no more because there is certainly a way for you to enjoy your life without having to worry about things like deadlines and irate bosses. Start your home based business today!
Here are 5 ideas for businesses from home that you could probably try.
Online Shop
With the demand for online shops these days, you won’t have so much difficulty in trying to look for clients. More and more people feel that it is easier for them to do their shopping online simply because it is more convenient for them. This is especially true to those with busy work schedules.
You would only need a reliable internet connection and a little capital for you to start business. You don’t exactly have to sell brand new items; rather, you can buy and sell online. There are a lot of options that you can choose from when you venture into this business to start from home.
Computer Specialist
Being computer literate can take you very far these days too. Like starting an online shop, this type of business venture is brought about by people relying on computers for their convenience. Because of this, any problem or assistance that they may need is very in demand.
Computers are people’s partner in their daily lives and most are busy with their hectic schedules. So being a computer specialist is one of the most in demand home based businesses to run nowadays.
Events Planner
If you are creative and patient enough to plan details, then being an events planner is just the perfect job for you. You can enjoy being in this job while you earn. This is also perfect because most people nowadays love to enjoy parties and events without having to bother about details.
You can read articles or e-learning websites about new ideas that you could probably incorporate into your own business to add originality and variety.
Arts and Crafts
In starting this kind of business, you also will need to invest a little capital and a lot of your creativity. It actually depends on you and your budget planning on how big you want your arts and crafts business. There are a lot of retail shops that you can supply your products or if you can, you can put up your own shop at home where you can display your artworks.
With the increase in the demand to see beauty and creativity these days, you will be able to attract people with your talent while earning the bucks. Isn’t that a fun way to earn?
Family Restaurant
This is also becoming a common business to start from home. Who wouldn’t want to …
Starting a business is an invigorating experience. Taking a new idea and converting it into viable business proposition is exciting as well as demanding. Working out a marketing strategy and selling to the first potential customers contains enough highs and lows to fill your experience bank for a decade. If it wasn’t exciting and challenging we wouldn’t be doing it would we? And especially in the early days when we’re often working long hours for next to nothing.
Probably the only thought we give to money at first is the amount we hope to make! Yet it’s that lack of attention to the detail of the business finances that trips up so many entrepreneurs. If money isn’t controlled, measured and accounted for accurately then even – maybe especially – growing businesses hit the cash flow buffers long before they reach the point of being profitable. So, if you don’t take care over the boring financials and find a good accountant to help you, then your dreams may end up accounting (pun intended) for nothing.
So make sure you think about how to keep your financial records before you start. Ask for advice and set up a system that works in your business, both to enable the VAT returns and annual accounts to be prepared as well as to ensure you can keep a check on the numbers – who owes you money, who needs paying and how much profit you are making. It’s almost always a mistake to leave this until the business has been trading for a while. We are talking about ensuring that crucial information is regularly available so why not have it from the start, particularly as it will cost you more to sort out the mess later on.
If the business is small and likely to remain so then you may be able to run it on a spreadsheet. But beware of just creating one yourself. Any accountant will tell you horror stories of spreadsheets that have been deeply flawed and often dangerously so. If you are going to use a spreadsheet then make sure it has been thoroughly tested and accurate in what it reports. If it’s just a list of entries with no categorization then it will be of limited or no value.
Accounting packages come in all sizes and cost but they all tend to do the same thing. In the end they have to be easy to use (or you won’t) and easily readable by whoever is completing your accounts. Make sure you test it properly before you purchase and get a professional viewpoint on its suitability for your business. There are plenty of good online packages too which are worth checking out.
Good, professional tax and accounting advice at the start of the business ought to be able to save you money initially and set you on the right course with effective systems to provide you with the information you need to know exactly where your business is and to plan …
It’s very simple. Let’s just put it this way and I’ll use myself as an example. When I was a little kid, Bruce Lee was the man. With Bruce came a flood of Kung-Fu movies. So guess what I wanted to be? That’s right, Mr Kung-Fu fighter. Being born and raised in the mean streets of the Bronx (New York City) I did have plenty of practice, I also did join a few martial arts schools in my neighborhood. However, most of my fighting skills were learned in the streets and I did get very good with my hands, so I thought.
As I grew older, now an adult, this passion for the martial arts remained deep inside of me. So I joined another local karate school. On Friday evenings we would put on the fighting gear and I would do very well against the other white belts in my class. On one weekend, the Dojo (Karate school) had a special class and a bunch of blacks from New Jersey, upstate New York and Connecticut would visit, train and fight with our Dojo. So my teacher allows me to join this event. All I can say is that it was like getting beat up by every great fighter that you can think of. The bottom line is that I thought that I was going to float like a butterfly, but instead I saw butterflies and stars doing circles around my head. It took me five years of training, hard training, before I could stand up to these men and women.
Question, what belt are you? When it comes down to the internet online business world. How much do you know? The reason I ask this is because many of us come in with unreal expectations. Fueled by the people that are getting us involved in these home based businesses. And you can’t blame them. They’re just doing their jobs. Does a car sales person care about how good you can drive? No, his job is to sell you a car.
So, if you think that just because you can type a million words a minute or that you’re a great sales person. That you’re going to be an overnight success. Wrong, I don’t think so. Because just like me at the Dojo, I had to train long and hard, five, six and even seven days a week. Even though I thought I knew how to fight. I was dead wrong. It took me five years and a whole bunch of lumps to achieved my first degree Black Belt. And that was just the beginning.
Black Belts, Internet Marketing, starting a business it all takes a lot of work, dedication and perseverance to achieve success in whatever it is that you want to do.…