Self-Employment: From Dream to Reality!: An Interactive Workbook for Starting Your Small Business, 2nd Edition

BookmarkTitle:......Page 0
Cover......Page 1
Table of Contents......Page 5
CHAPTER 1 The World of Business......Page 10
Do You Have What It Takes?......Page 11
Why Do Businesses Fail?......Page 13
Your Best Bet Is a Business Plan......Page 15
The Contents of a Business Plan......Page 16
Summing Up......Page 18
A Good Business for You......Page 20
Describing Your Business......Page 23
Identify Your Support Team......Page 25
Summing Up......Page 26
A Look at Your Business......Page 28
The Risky Start- Up......Page 29
The Language of Finance......Page 30
Identify Your Needs......Page 31
Develop a Financial Plan......Page 32
Exercise # 1......Page 33
The Application Process......Page 35
Personal Credit......Page 36
You¡¯ve Been Approved! Now What?......Page 37
An Interest in You!......Page 38
Summing Up......Page 39
On Your Mark, Get Set, Goal!......Page 40
Know Yourself......Page 41
Establish Your Goals......Page 42
Create an Action Plan......Page 43
Learn Discipline......Page 44
How to Make an American Quilt......Page 45
Hot Stuff or a Hot Spot?......Page 46
Practice Writing Effective Goals......Page 47
Goal/ Action Plan......Page 48
Goal/ Action Plan......Page 49
Summing Up......Page 50
CHAPTER 5 Pricing Your Products and Services......Page 52
Shopping Your Competition......Page 53
Fixed Expenses......Page 54
Even?......Page 55
Sarah Sue¡¯s Scenario......Page 56
Profit Through Product Mix......Page 58
Mary¡¯s Lions, Tigers, and Bears......Page 59
Worksheet # 1: Fixed Expenses......Page 60
Worksheet # 1: Fixed Expenses......Page 61
Worksheet # 2: Pricing/ Break- Even Analysis......Page 62
Worksheet # 2: Pricing/ Break- Even Analysis......Page 63
Worksheet # 3: Pricing/ Break- Even Analysis......Page 64
Pricing for Service Providers......Page 65
Service Providers/ Hourly Rate Worksheet......Page 66
Summing Up......Page 68
Step- by- Step Marketing......Page 70
Step 1: Know Your Product......Page 71
Step 2: Know Your Customers......Page 72
Step 3: Know How to Reach Your Customers......Page 74
Step 4: Know Your Competition......Page 77
Step 5: Know How to Serve Your Customers......Page 78
Summing Up......Page 79
What Is Cash Flow?......Page 80
Cathy¡¯s Cleaning Service......Page 81
Predicting the ( Cash) Future......Page 84
Sandra¡¯s Sewing Circle......Page 88
Start- Up Business Cash- Flow Worksheet......Page 89
Start- Up Business Cash- Flow Worksheet......Page 90
Existing Business Cash- Flow Worksheet......Page 92
Existing Business Cash- Flow Worksheet......Page 93
Summing Up......Page 94
Sole Proprietorships......Page 96
General Partnerships......Page 97
Limited Liability Company ( LLC)......Page 98
Corporations......Page 99
Choose the Best Business Form......Page 100
Types of Insurance......Page 102
Steps for Insurance Planning......Page 103
Choose the Right Insurance......Page 104
Summing Up......Page 105
Keep Your Records Well......Page 106
Information Is a Management Tool......Page 107
Posting to Journals......Page 113
Exercise # 1......Page 115
How Long to Keep Your Records......Page 121
Employee or Independent Contractor?......Page 124
Summing Up......Page 125
When?......Page 126
Why?......Page 127
The Whole Family Album......Page 130
Cash vs. Credit......Page 133
The Chart of Accounts......Page 134
Retained Earnings Accumulate......Page 135
Exercise # 2......Page 136
Exercise # 2 Worksheet......Page 137
Summing Up......Page 138
From Dream to Reality......Page 139
Introduction......Page 141
Marketing......Page 142
Organization......Page 145
Financial Information......Page 147
Books......Page 150
Web Sites......Page 151
Appendix Business Plan......Page 140
Index......Page 152