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Certainly small business micro loan information is
important to helping you succeed in your business. Here are some
resources to help you along the way:
Are You Ready To Start Your Own Business? The 4 Key Questions You Must Ask
By Deanna Mascle
Every year millions of people answer "Yes" to that question and every year that answer costs many of them money, time, confidence, and heartbreak. The Small Business Administration estimates there are 580,900 new small businesses opening each year and that number does not include the small one-person entrepreneurships that pop up every day. However even if you are your business's sole employee then there is still something to be learned from the SBA's numbers.
According to the SBA, two-thirds of new businesses survive at least two years and 44 percent survive at least four years. Two of the key factors in the businesses survival and ability to thrive: the owner's education level and the owner's reason for starting the firm in the first place.
How can you make sure that you are among the winners rather than the losers in this high stakes game? The answer is inside of you. You must ask yourself four key questions to determine whether your own small will survive and thrive.
1. Are You Ready
Have you mentally prepared yourself for the switch from employee (or student or whatever label fits you currently) to boss. You are going to be the one making decisions now about everything from office products to product line. This total control is one of the driving forces behind many people who take the plunge into starting their ownbusiness but it is also one of the elements that drives new entreprenurs crazy. When you start out there is an endless list of decisions that need to be made and new questions crop up every day.
Even more important you will need to remember that in a small you will wear many hats. Even if you manage to start out with one or more employees you will each fulfill more than one role in your new business. And if you are running a one-man or one-woman show then you serve in every capacity from file clerk to maintenance crew to salesman to CEO. Can you handle switching from task to task and role to role like that? Are you willing to make those switches?
Similarly, have you prepared your family and friends for this switch in attitude. Your life is going to change -- probably pretty drastically -- and that change can have a positive or negative impact on your family life and social interactions. It
November 2008 Benefit Network Flash
Special Section: Debit Card solution reduces payroll expense for clients, improves recognition for Agents
November 2007 Benefit Network Report
ADD FREE REAL ESTATE BENEFIT TO INCREASE BENEFITS VALUE, WHAT DOES YOUR DOCTOR AND YOUR BLOG HAVE IN COMMON?, DON"T FIRE THEM -FIRE THEM UP!, RECOGNITION-REWARDS ONLY PART OF THE RECIPE
July 2007 Benefit Network Report
Special Section: Dental Insurance, the new IT benefit. Research continues to support the links between dental health and serious health conditions.
November 2007 Benefit Network Report
ADD FREE REAL ESTATE BENEFIT TO INCREASE BENEFITS VALUE, WHAT DOES YOUR DOCTOR AND YOUR BLOG HAVE IN COMMON?,DON"T FIRE THEM -FIRE THEM UP!,RECOGNITION-REWARDS ONLY PART OF THE RECIPE
July 2007 Benefit Network Report
Changing Face of Health Care Incentive Programs, Saving on Pharmacy Programs, Self-Administered Health Care
December 2005 Benefit Network Report
Benefits snapshot shows creative cost-control approaches.
April 2005 Benefit Network Report
Terri Schiavo increases interest in Living Wills get yours free. Fewer Americans have health insurance.
ARS Solutions selected for Pennsylvania
Agency selected to service inquiries in Pennsylvania, other locations still available.
March 2005 Benefit Network Report
Companies weigh benefits of self-funded insurance - Can employers control employee blogging?
January 2005 Benefit Network Report
CALL IN SICK PLEASE - KEY EMPLOYEE RETENTION IS CRITICAL
December 2004 Benefit Network Report
HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING
COBRA FOR TEMPORARY WORKERS?
PETS AND VETS READ YOUR PET POLICY
October 2004 Benefit Network Report
HEALTH CARE COSTS INCREASING
SPITZERS GAMBIT AND HOW IT WILL EFFECT YOU
BAD MORALE A DRAIN ON PRODUCTIVITY
CREATE YOUR HSA
will make things much easier if your friends and family are supportive going into the process.
2. Where Is Your Niche?
Have you identified your niche yet? One of the reasons many businesses fail is that they fail to focus on a target audience. Yes if you are a major discount chain then you can sell everything from peanuts to wallpaper but this type of requires vast resources that just aren't available to the small business. But small businesses dominate the marketplace (creating more than 50 percent of the private gross domestic product last year) by finding a different approach -- a niche.
Knowing your niche means you are better able to find, target, and maintain your customers as well as provide the best possible goods and services to that customer base. That focus is one of your best chances to not only survive but to thrive in a very competitive marketplace.
3. What Is Your Plan Of Action?
Another key factor in the survival and ultimate success of your is how much planning you do before you open your electronic or physical doors. You need to decide if your will be based on the internet or include more traditional models. Are you going to work full-time or part-time at your new business? Are you going to hire help or go solo? Have you written (or at least outlined) your plan? Dreaming, thinking and planning can save you much trouble and waste later when things are hectic and problems strike. Planning can also help keep you focused and to balance your spending and time.
4. Who Are You Going To Call?
At some point, no matter how experienced a person you are, you will need help. You will need support, advice, tools, or information -- or all of the above. One of the beautiful, and most frightening, aspects of growth is that it can lead you to places you never imagined. No matter how much planning and experience you bring to your new position as CEO the unexpected will arise. How will you cope with this? It is important to recognize that no is an island. It is not failure to seek help. Failure is when your shuts down because you didn't get the help you needed.
The best way to get timely help is to work on your support system while you work on building your business. That way you will already have a ready list of resources available that you can quickly tap into when emergencies strike. In today's world there are many marvelous resources available to you no matter what your model may be. These include:
~ Publications (newsletters, magazines, books)
~ People (professional advisors, mentors, teachers, consultants)
~ Networks (organizations and forums in your niche as well as general and marketing)
~ Education and training (tutorials, courses, and seminars)
After you have answered these four key questions you are now ready to ask yourself that one big question again -- are you ready to start your own business?
Deanna Mascle is happy to offer advice about Starting Your Own Business as well as advice about Ecommerce. Internet marketers can also subscribe to her internet marketing newsletter Establish Your Epresence for advice and tips about promoting and growing their business.
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We hope you found this small business micro loan information to be helpful.
- November 2008 Benefit Network Flash
Special Section: Debit Card solution reduces payroll expense for clients, improves recognition for Agents
- November 2007 Benefit Network Report
ADD FREE REAL ESTATE BENEFIT TO INCREASE BENEFITS VALUE, WHAT DOES YOUR DOCTOR AND YOUR BLOG HAVE IN COMMON?, DON"T FIRE THEM -FIRE THEM UP!, RECOGNITION-REWARDS ONLY PART OF THE RECIPE - July 2007 Benefit Network Report
Special Section: Dental Insurance, the new IT benefit. Research continues to support the links between dental health and serious health conditions.
- November 2007 Benefit Network Report
ADD FREE REAL ESTATE BENEFIT TO INCREASE BENEFITS VALUE, WHAT DOES YOUR DOCTOR AND YOUR BLOG HAVE IN COMMON?,DON"T FIRE THEM -FIRE THEM UP!,RECOGNITION-REWARDS ONLY PART OF THE RECIPE - July 2007 Benefit Network Report
Changing Face of Health Care Incentive Programs, Saving on Pharmacy Programs, Self-Administered Health Care
- December 2005 Benefit Network Report
Benefits snapshot shows creative cost-control approaches.
- April 2005 Benefit Network Report
Terri Schiavo increases interest in Living Wills get yours free. Fewer Americans have health insurance.
- ARS Solutions selected for Pennsylvania
Agency selected to service inquiries in Pennsylvania, other locations still available.
- March 2005 Benefit Network Report
Companies weigh benefits of self-funded insurance - Can employers control employee blogging?
- January 2005 Benefit Network Report
CALL IN SICK PLEASE - KEY EMPLOYEE RETENTION IS CRITICAL
- December 2004 Benefit Network Report
HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING
COBRA FOR TEMPORARY WORKERS?
PETS AND VETS READ YOUR PET POLICY
- October 2004 Benefit Network Report
HEALTH CARE COSTS INCREASING
SPITZERS GAMBIT AND HOW IT WILL EFFECT YOU
BAD MORALE A DRAIN ON PRODUCTIVITY
CREATE YOUR HSA
- 25 High Impact Marketing Strategies for Insurance Agents
new e-book available immediately,the book is available for immediate download from http://www.insuranceagenttips.com
- September 2004 Benefit Network Report
HEALTH INSURANCE INCREASED 11.2% IN 2004
CENSUS DATA SHOWS 45 MILLION UNINSURED
TIPS ON COMPLYING WITH OT RULES
FSLA CHANGES -HOW IT AFFECTS YOU -
NEW WEBSITE FOR AGENTS- INSURANCE AGENT TIPS.COM
- August 2004 Benefit Network Report
Employees See More Restrictive Health Plans -
Need an HSA Model? IRS Responds -
Employers scrutinize cost of running 401(k) -
PatientCare Advocacy maximized plan benefits
- THE BENEFIT NETWORK AND PATIENT CARE TEAM UP TO PROVIDE INNOVATION IN EMPLOYEE HEALTH CARE BENEFITS
Patient Care advocacy services will now be a benefit option for hundreds of thousands of employers through an exclusive agreement with The Benefit Network.
- Add The Benefit Network NewsFeed to your site
Free code to post the Benefit Network Newsletter on your site.
- July 2004 Benefit Network Report
Computer aided decisions,Heartmath,New Cobra Legislation,Lemmings,and more!
- June 2004 Benefit Network Report
HEALTH CARE COSTS ABATING,HELP EMPLOYEES MANAGE HEALTHCARE.
- May 2004 Benefit Network Report
Managing Health Costs: Four Case Studies
U.S. businesses extend domestic-partner health benefits
Five Red Flags For Midwest Technology Hiring Managers
New Books for HR managers
The Benefit Network In The News New workplace words for for 2004.
- HSA KIT From Human Resources Consulting Group and The Benefit Network
The Benefit Network and Human Resources Consulting Group Form Alliance to Provide Health Savings Accounts Solutions- the HSA/HRA Kit. The HSA/HRA Kit is the most comprehensive collection of legal documents, Powerpoint presentations, communication materials, forms, trust agreements and implementation schedules to do a HSA/HRA.
- Enhanced Human Resources Newsreader From The Benefit Network
If you are reading this, you probably already have a newsreader, but ours has a host of nifty features that integrate with Outlook and simplify the aggragation of human resource information. Options include reading your subscriptions on the web, on a mobile device, or inside another email client when you're away from your machine running a newsreader for Outlook. Create custom search feeds that search the net on your behalf for important information.
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3.5 Million People And A Possible UK Home Business Opportunity
By Ahmad Usman
Has this ever happened to you... 'John, you have a lot of mail this morning dear'. Stunned as a goldfish you walk over to the kitchen table and pick up the envelopes. Each one is a quality envelope Read more...
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How To Obtain Funding For A Small Business
By Steve Hill
Many people have what they think is a great idea and would love to set up their own small business. The problem many of these people face is how to fund this idea, to get the business off the ground. Read more...
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clientele: customers collectively; "they have an upper class clientele"
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