Business Information and Resources

Sound business principles make the difference between success and failure, burnout and growth. Real resources help you get started right, and keep going strong.

Systems For Success
How to build successful patterns to make business more efficient, and training more successful. Includes issues of automation, and assessment.

Financial Management
BookKeeping, Taxes, Spreadsheets, Budgeting, Inventory

Risk Reduction
Keeping risks reasonable for where your business is. Learn what increases risk factors.

Licensing and Regulations
How to find out what your state requires. Which businesses need special licenses.

Marketing and Promotion
How to market your business, suggestions for effectively getting your name out there and bringing in paying customers.*

Finding Help from the Pros
Resources for getting mentor help, financial assistance, writing a business plan, more.

The Importance of Niches
Finding a niche can mean the difference between success and failure. How to find YOUR niche.

The Personal Touch
Automation has its place, but for small businesses, the greatest selling tool you have is YOU. How to make your personality and distinctive style your greatest advantage.

Hiring Employees
The rules change when you have to hire. Options for hiring, and legal implications.

See Also:

Shoestring Startups
Special resources for people who are starting on nothing. Step by step instructional tutorials in printable form, for creating business cards, logos, choosing a name, drop shipping, creating a website, form templates, and tons more practical resources!

Finding Work that Works
Getting off to the right start by assessing your needs at the outset.

Choosing Right to Begin With

Choosing a business that works with your family and way of life, as well as being a viable business in the beginning is the most important thing to do first. Success later is absolutely dependent on a wise choice in the beginning.

Starting Out in a Way that Works

Some people have money to start with. Others do not. You have to give SOME money, and the less you put in, the more time you must commit to compensate. Lots of money in will not guarantee success though, so you need to know when to spend and when not to, even if you do have it to spend. You can start a business on very little, but it will take more time to get going. There are many strategies for keeping initial costs down, and they are not generally explained in available business resources. We do cover them here though, and include our own experiences of what can work, and the pitfalls for the unwary.

Finding Help

There are a lot of books out there on starting a business, and plenty of people willing to tell you that they have the key to doing so. Most of them just want your money, and don't much care about how they get it, or what happens to you after they do. We offer advice on what books are worth the money, and what government resources really do help startup businesses.

Systems For Success

Once you get it right, you want to keep getting it right. Organizing systems for accomplishing needed tasks in your business is one key to success, and a major way to avoid burnout. It also lays the groundwork for training an assistant, even if it is one of your children. Additionally, successful business systems work in the home too, to keep it running smoothly around the heavy demands on your time.

Keeping Risks Reasonable

Sometimes you need to risk, sometimes not. And the risk involved in your efforts will be different than mine. There are some guidelines that help you know when you should risk and when you should not. They are dependent on your family, community, marketing avenues, and product lines.

Market Well

Use a variety of marketing techniques. Don't depend on a single effort to market your product. If you are going to sell online, then print business cards anyway and put your URL on them. Hand them out everywhere. If you have a store, set up a little website also, it helps to make your business more legitimate in the minds of your customers. Register a website, and market it in other ways. Print a catalog, then run a classified ad to give copies away. Be creative!

Observe the Legal Details

Make sure that you find out what regulations you need to adhere to for your chosen line of work. Be sure you set up your business in a legal manner, according to the requirements of your state. Get a business license if needed, register your business, get a sales tax license, etc. You don't want a mistake here to sideline you before you really get off the ground.