Taking Your Business to the Next Level

Title Page......Page 2
Copyright Page......Page 3
Reviews......Page 4
Dedications......Page 6
Table of Contents......Page 8
Foreword......Page 13
Acknowledgments......Page 14
Preface......Page 16
Introduction......Page 18
CHAPTER ONE: Are You Taking Care of Business?......Page 20
WHERE ARE YOU NOW?......Page 21
YOU ARE YOUR BUSINESS......Page 22
BUSINESS IS ALL ABOUT SERVICE......Page 24
THE TOP TEN MISTAKES IN GROWING A BUSINESS......Page 26
TAKE THE TEST: THE “WHERE AM I NOW?” QUESTIONNAIRE......Page 29
CHAPTER TWO: Do Your Entrepreneurial Skills Need Fine-Tuning?......Page 36
THE EIGHT ESSENTIAL ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS......Page 37
HOW TO SURVIVE AND SUCCEED IN A CHANGING WORLD......Page 41
YOUR GOLDEN BOX OF OPPORTUNITY......Page 42
THE A TO Z ENTREPRENEUR......Page 46
TAKE THE TASK TEST......Page 48
ENTREPRENEUR OR OPERATOR?......Page 49
GETTING BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM YOUR FRIENDS......Page 51
WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT TO DO?......Page 52
CHAPTER THREE: Are You Organized—Or Out of Control?......Page 56
GET ORGANIZED......Page 57
ORGANIZE FOR THE “FIVE Fs”......Page 62
ORGANIZE THE OFFICE: MANAGE TIME......Page 63
ORGANIZE YOUR FILES......Page 64
UTILIZE YOUR FILING SYSTEM......Page 65
ORGANIZE YOUR COMPUTER......Page 66
ORGANIZE AND MASTER TIME......Page 67
ORGANIZE A MONTHLY ROUTINE......Page 69
ORGANIZE THE HOME OFFICE......Page 71
PLAN TO STAY ORGANIZED:A CHECKLIST......Page 75
CHAPTER FOUR: Are You in Control of the Financial Reins?......Page 78
WHAT DOES ACCOUNTING TELL YOU?......Page 79
THE SIX-STEP ACCOUNTING CYCLE......Page 80
WHAT ARE SOURCE DOCUMENTS?......Page 83
THE GENERAL LEDGER—YOUR BUSINESS “BIBLE”......Page 84
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—YOUR BUSINESS HEALTH BAROMETER......Page 86
DESIGN AN INFORMATIVE CHART OF ACCOUNTS......Page 87
HOW TO ANALYZE AN INCOME STATEMENT......Page 88
KNOW YOUR BREAK-EVEN POINT......Page 92
HOW TO DECIPHER A BALANCE SHEET......Page 98
THE BALANCE SHEET SHOWS.........Page 100
INCREASE YOUR GROSS PROFIT MARGINS
......Page 101
IS YOUR OVERHEAD OUT OF CONTROL?......Page 103
PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE......Page 104
CHAPTER FIVE: How Else Can You Increase Your Profits?......Page 108
TAKE A SYSTEMS INVENTORY......Page 109
IS YOUR INVENTORY UNDER CONTROL?......Page 112
HOW TO COUNT INVENTORY......Page 115
HOW TO COST INVENTORY......Page 118
ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS PAYING YOU?......Page 120
SET CREDIT POLICIES......Page 121
HOWTO USE CREDIT APPLICATIONS......Page 122
MONITOR ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE......Page 124
WHAT IF YOUR CUSTOMERS DON’T PAY?......Page 126
IMPROVE YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCY......Page 128
CHAPTER SIX: Are You Ready for Growth?......Page 130
DID YOUR PLAN GO TO PLAN?......Page 131
USE THE SIX-STEP GROWTH ANALYSIS PLAN......Page 132
STEP 1: EVALUATE WHERE YOU ARE NOW......Page 133
STEP 2: DECIDE WHETHER YOU ARE READY TO GROW......Page 135
STEP 3: SET GOALS......Page 138
STEP 4: PLAN HOW YOU WILL GROW......Page 139
STEP 5: PLAN YOUR FINANCING NEEDS......Page 141
STEP 6: COMPARE PROGRESS TO PROJECTIONS......Page 145
GROW YOUR BUSINESS BY EXPORTING......Page 147
THE BENEFITS OF INCORPORATION......Page 151
THE DOWNSIDE OF INCORPORATION......Page 153
“GOING FOR GROWTH” ACTION PLAN......Page 154
CHAPTER SEVEN: How Do You Find—and Keep—Good Help?......Page 158
ARE YOU READY TO BE A BOSS?......Page 159
“I CAN’T GET GOOD HELP THESE DAYS!”......Page 161
HOW DOYOU HIRE THE RIGHT PERSON?......Page 163
HOW TO RECRUIT THE PERFECT CANDIDATE......Page 164
WADING THROUGH THE RÉSUMÉ PILE......Page 167
THE ART OF SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING......Page 168
REFERENCE CHECKS......Page 169
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS AN EMPLOYER......Page 171
HOW MUCH DOES AN EMPLOYEE COST?......Page 172
MAKE YOUR EMPLOYEES “LIFERS”......Page 174
EMPLOYEE THEFT—AN EMPLOYER’S NIGHTMARE......Page 177
CHAPTER EIGHT: How Do You Grow and Maintain Your Customer Base?......Page 182
UNDERSTAND THE COMPONENTS OF MARKETING......Page 183
REVISIT YOUR MARKETING PLAN......Page 184
REEVALUATE YOUR MARKETING PLAN......Page 185
YOUR BUSINESS IMAGE AND BRANDING TECHNIQUES......Page 188
TARGET YOUR MARKET......Page 193
YOUR MARKETING BUDGET......Page 197
DON’T LET ’EM OUT THE DOOR…......Page 200
WHERE CAN YOU IMPROVE?......Page 201
CHAPTER NINE: Are Your Written Presentations Professional?......Page 204
COMMUNICATION IS YOUR KEY TO SUCCESS......Page 205
HOW TO SET OUT A SMART LETTER......Page 206
SAMPLE LETTERS FOR ALL OCCASIONS......Page 209
HOWTOWRITE A POWERFUL MEDIA RELEASE......Page 214
HOW TO PREPARE A PROFESSIONAL MEDIA KIT......Page 218
PITCH YOURSELF TO THE MEDIA......Page 219
HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE YOUR WRITTEN SKILLS?......Page 221
CHAPTER TEN: Do Your Verbal Skills Need Enhancing?......Page 224
TELEPHONE TALK......Page 225
COLD-CALL WITH CONFIDENCE......Page 228
MAKE FRUITFUL FOLLOW-UP CALLS......Page 229
SPEAK YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS......Page 231
THE “FIVE Ts” OF TERRIFIC TALKING......Page 232
NETWORKING—BREAKING THE ICE......Page 238
IMPROVE YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS......Page 241
CHAPTER ELEVEN: How Do You Apply Communication Skills to Marketing?......Page 244
COMMUNICATE IN YOUR COMMUNITY......Page 245
NETWORK,NETWORK, NETWORK!......Page 248
COMMUNICATE THROUGH SPEAKING......Page 249
COMMUNICATE THROUGH THE MEDIA......Page 252
COMMUNICATE, DEMONSTRATE, AND EDUCATE......Page 254
COMMUNICATE THROUGH WRITING......Page 258
BUILD CREDIBILITY USING TESTIMONIALS......Page 259
APPLY YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS TO MARKETING......Page 261
CHAPTER TWELVE: What Else Should You Know About Marketing?......Page 264
BUILD A DATABASE—BUILD CUSTOMER LOYALTY......Page 265
OUT-SERVICE THE COMPETITION......Page 267
MARKETING AND THE INTERNET......Page 270
MAKE SURFING EASY
......Page 271
“HIT-OR-MISS” MEDIA ADVERTISING......Page 274
DON’T WASTE MARKETING TIME AND MONEY......Page 278
NOW PLAN YOUR MARKETING APPROACH......Page 279
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: How Do You Improve Your Sales Skills?......Page 284
SELLING IS AN EVERYDAY EXPERIENCE......Page 285
CONSUMERS ARE FILLING A NEED......Page 286
THE “FIVE Ws” OF SELLING......Page 287
THE “SIX Ps” OF SELLING......Page 291
CAN YOU IMPROVE YOUR SALES SKILLS?......Page 299
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: How Do You Operate in Crisis?......Page 302
DO YOU STILL HAVE PASSION?......Page 303
“LET’S NOT TALK ABOUT FAILURE”......Page 304
HEED THE WARNING SIGNS......Page 305
TEN STEPS FOR OPERATING IN CRISIS......Page 307
FAILURE OF A SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP......Page 314
WHAT ARE DIRECTORS’ LIABILITIES?......Page 316
WHAT WILL YOUR DECISION BE?
......Page 317
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Are You Ready to Succeed?......Page 326
WHAT DOES SUCCESS MEAN?......Page 327
WHY WOMEN SUCCEED......Page 330
THE CHALLENGES WOMEN FACE......Page 331
WHY MEN SUCCEED......Page 334
THE CHALLENGES MEN FACE......Page 335
WHAT IS GOOD BUSINESS MANAGEMENT?......Page 337
PLAN TO SUCCEED......Page 338
INDEX......Page 342
ABOUT THE AUTHOR......Page 352
BACK COVER......Page 354