Start thinking about buying an established business if you want to avoid the immense risks involved in starting one. Not everyone wants to start a business from scratch, and buying a business with the infrastructure in place lets you focus on building it up, as opposed to getting a new business off the ground. This is not to say that it's easy to buy an existing business; it's a fairly complicated process throughout which you need to know exactly what you're doing. First off, decide that you do More..

Read more About From Birth to Death

Creative Metrification - A Technique to Improve

Some things in business are relatively easy to measure - these are the "hard" metrics such as sales volume and profit, production per man-hour, time without an accident, shipments without error, number of customers served, on-time delivery, etc. Other, "soft" metrics, are more difficult to quantify, but with a little creativity, measurement can be made of just about anything. It is a process I call "Creative Metrification" but before I tell you more about it, I have to first issue a disclaimer. More..

The Key to Creating Total System Empowerment

In this paper, I will: 1. provide a framework for creating total system power at all levels and in all positions; 2. describe the regularly recurring pitfalls that limit total system power, and 3. demonstrate how these pitfalls can be avoided in order for systems to realize their full potential. *** An Empowered System A system in which people at all levels and in all positions are able to make happen what they want to have happen and what the system needs to have happen I. What is the fu More..

4 Areas Where Your Business is Losing Money

In my 18 years of consulting I have heard it all. Everything from competition to managed care as reasons why it's hard to create the business of your dreams. New customers are needed to keep any business going but it is how you and your staff manage these customers that determines your success in business. In every business that I have gone into over the years, what amazes me most is the amount of lost income from poor handling of the major income generating areas of any business. I will cover More..

Why Internet Shopping is the New Mall of the Future

Last year, trillions of dollars transferred hands on the internet with regard to sales, or as the internet wishes to call it, eCommerce. The internet is becoming an increasingly complex manipulation of do's and don'ts. However, one thing I am sure of is, what are you doing? The cliche says, "Either get in the game, or sit and watch from the sidelines." I've been sitting around long enough and recently took bold steps to leap into eCommerce. If you are reading this article and are an owner of an More..

Passion Is Key To A Successful Business

Passion. Passion alone can make your business successful. As anentrepreneur, you are a passionate person. For why would anyoneinvest such incredible amounts of time and energy on something theyhave no REAL desire to do? If you do such a thing, then it's just bullshit.You have built an unreal, superficial way work environment and basedon that you most likely are not very satisfied in what you do. Being passionate means having the inner drive, desires to make yourgoals and achievements real. An e More..

Selling Your Business, Entrepreneurs Role

$elling $elling $elling What makes a great sales person? Well, the natural ability to selldefnitely could not hurt. Sales people are a passionate, obviouslypeople oriented, motivated and energetic bunch. An entrepreneurneeds to be everything in one. And one key ingredient to molding anentrepreneur is his/her ability is to be a good salesman. Why after allhow can run a business if you can't sell your product or service? Itobviously makes no sense whatsoever. An entrepreneur either has to be the More..

Understanding Franchise Releationships in a Franchised Business

Now that you have invested your time, energy and money in buying a franchise, how do you work within the system? How do you take advantage of all your franchisor has to offer? How do you deal with your counterparts, other franchisees? In this chapter, I will give you tips that will help you thrive and prosper in your new business. Communication In any franchise organization, it's important to maintain open communications lines. A franchise is like a marriage. You are now married to your franc More..

Small Business Server Business Tips

Top 3 Ways to Maximize Your Small Business Server Consulting Profits Over the past 7 years, Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) has gained traction as a widely-respected Small Business Server networking suite. As a result, many small business computer consultants, systems integrators, and value-added resellers have jumped on-board the Microsoft Small Business Server bandwagon. However, before you go ahead and bet YOUR company on Microsoft Small Business Server, consider the following three More..

Top Ten Resolves for Building Your Business in 2005

1. Resolve to build a consistent network system. Since referrals are easier to sell, are often more loyal, comparison shop less, spend more and frequently refer others, it makes good sense to develop a solid system for getting referral business. Join a successful networking club in your area or on the internet and give plenty of introductions to other members. Ask your current clients for referrals, make getting referrals a condition of doing new business, give out your business card frequently More..

Everything I Need to Know About Business I Learned From My Nametag

So there I was - sitting in the audience of an on-campus seminar. Surrounding me sat hundreds of fellow students; each of us wearing one of those little, handwritten, adhesive nametags. When the event was over, we all filed toward the exit. I approached the door and noticed a small trashcan filled to the brim with ripped up, used nametags. And that gave me an idea. A crazy idea. Maybe I should keep my nametag on all night! I wondered what would happen if I "threw myself out there." And I wonde More..

How To Create A Business Note That Is More Attractive To A Note Investor

You are selling your small business (business value under $1 million for this article).You would like the buyer of your business to come in with an all-cash offer, or beable to qualify for an SBA guaranteed loan. However, in many cases the owner of thebusiness ends up taking back the financing because the buyer is not able to makean all-cash offer or does not qualify for an SBA guaranteed loan. So you create a"business note" and you now become the "bank". At first that may seem okay, butafter a More..

Eight Key Steps to Selling Your Business and Cashing In

This year, some 700,000 American businesses will be sold. Most will be small andmid-sized businesses like yours. If you, too, are thinking of selling, consider thesepractical steps for making the process go smoothly. Determine a Realistic Price Range Understand the Tax Consequences Prepare for a Sale Seek Potential Buyers Negotiate Your Deal Sign a Sales Agreement Plan for the Closing File Paperwork With the IRS Now for the GOOD STUFF! Getting the Cash Out of your Business Note, known More..

So You Don?t Believe in Outsourcing

Entrepreneurs are hardy stock. But sometimes hardiness can get youinto trouble. Especially when you're over committed and could use a little help. All too often, new business owners decide they don't need to hire anyoutside services. You know how it goes?."I can do this myself. Howtough can it be? It's just a simple direct mail campaign." Big mistake! Trying to do it all yourself ?unless it's your area ofexpertise?.usually costs you more in the long run. And most of the time,the work looks pr More..

Aircraft Washing Business Tip - Interior Private Jet Cleaning

Aircraft Interiors of personal and corporate jets have hundreds of thousands of dollars invested. We have had an opportunity to speak at length in Tucson, AZ recently about the special custom interiors the weight they cost in performance and the needs in cleaning. There is a large company there that specializes in putting in new aircraft interiors for several large biz jet manufacturers and also does custom work for nearly anyone in the world who wants it right and perfect; http://www.ainonline More..

Starting an Aircraft Washing Service

To wash an airplane there are many items you will need to keep in mind. The first is safety while working on the tarmac of an airfield. When moving any vehicle on the tarmac the driver should always maneuver the vehicle in square turns. The reason for this is so that the pilots of the other airplanes can predict the movement of your vehicle. A person should never drive their car or truck under the wing of larger planes. This can be dangerous because the top of the vehicle can catch a part of the More..

Self Serve Car Washes in the United States

In the 2003 Auto Laundry News Survey it was determined that only 10% of the Coin-op Car Washes had a web site. So if you are doing lots of individual research on car washes that are self serve, do not expect to find a lot of data on the Internet. Owners of coin-op car washes say that only 76% have internet access. The average population is 64% in the US. Not much better, so this low tech sector of the Industry seems to remain un Tech. Only 15% of coin-ops surveyed took credit cards for tokens, m More..

Business Scents - Do They Work?

You see it often in large shopping complexes. Customersseem to be flocking to a certain stall in large droves.There is a special attraction that cannot be explained. Isn't it great to see your own customers flocking to youin droves, like bees to honey? Could you do with some extra attraction to your business? In most of our marketing efforts, the sense of sight reigns supreme. Banners and billboards catch customer's eyes at every corner of the street. These visual statements can bevery effecti More..

Window Cleaning Business Future Challenge With Self Cleaning Glass

Self-cleaning glass has been talked about a lot, with such a catchy name in his hit the headlines of not only the trade journals, but also the mass media. Does self-cleaning glass mean that all the window cleaners and small businesses across this country are doomed? No, not yet. First of all, self-cleaning glass is not really self-cleaning at all, so many Industry call it low maintenance glass, but either way the idea is intriguing and appeals to consumers. In a recent article in Window and Door More..

Looking for a Business to Run in the New Revitalized Downtown Area?

Looking for a place to add a Quick Lube away from your Super Wal-Mart Competitor? Down Town Revitalization, Why You Should Be Part of Such a Committee. A study showed that within the next five years 20% of LOF- Lube, Oil and Filter Independent Owners said they had plans on adding one or more facilities. So the question is where? You should be thinking on Location Strategies for Quick Lubes and Where Everyone Will Be Going. Right? Yes this is true. And we have talked about this trend lately. A g More..

Starting A Concrete Cleaning Pressure Washer Business

Concrete cleaning can be a lucrative business to start. Here are some tips which will help you do it right. First and foremost there is one thing you need to understand when you are cleaning concrete and that is that concrete cannot always be restored to its virgin state after it has been stained. You can always get stains lighter or bleached but completely removing it is very difficult. So when talking to a customer explain this to them otherwise they will be asking for a job that just can't b More..

Image of Your Franchise Automotive Outlet is So Important

Image of your franchise automotive outlet is so important. Some say image is everything, well then if you buy a franchise you should be constantly thinking of image and cleanliness. If you read Ray Kroc's book "Grinding it Out" (McDonalds Visionary) or Tom Monahan's (Founder of Dominos Pizza) book "Franchising for Dummies" or Howard Shultz's book; "Pour Your Heart Into it" (Story of Starbucks) you will see they all built brand on image. Even for those of you who are the extroverted sales type, p More..

Secrets Revealed To Having The Most Professional Staff On The Telephone!

Do you have all the customers your business can use? The seemingly simple task of taking phone calls is a hidden liability for not just some, but most businesses. You've invested precious dollars in advertising and marketing. You've invested time in developing customer relationships. What happens when customers call your business? Many of us would be shocked to find out the truth. When customers call your business, how are they treated on the phone? If your business is like most in this count More..

Promote Yourself More Successfully

One of the great challenges for independent professionals and small businesses,especially when starting out, is generating visibility to ultimately lead to generatingsales. One of the specific challenges, I have found, is knowing what to say about yourselfand your operations and services when asked "so what do you do?" ? Have you ever stumbled over your words when asked what you do? ? Have you ever received the response, "Oh, I see", followed by silence? ? Do you ever feel as though you do n More..

Will Adding a Car Wash to Your Fast Lube Add Additional Crime to Your Facilities?

Car Wash Crime in the Hood. Apparently not everyone is with us and certainly not everyone considers this to be a clean business. Latest car wash news. There was a HS Coach killed at a car wash in Aurora, CA Which is unfortunate. Here is the article. Still unknown why but the Police were investigating the shooting death this high school assistant football coach at a car wash near his home. We are happy to see that people are using our Car Wash Fundraiser Procedures in our book correctly: http:/ More..

Operational Aspects on P and L Statements of Mobile Services Businesses

What kinds of things effect mobile service businesses P and L's? Well this is an excellent question and as I see the Annual reports of companies who do mobile services, such as Ecolab, Service Master, Halliburton, Luftstanza Food Services, etc. I see many similarities. For instance we have noted as many of the others the climate conditions, El Nino effects, Mud Slides, road closures, snow. low temperatures, Hurricanes, etc. So obviously; (1) would be extreme weather conditions that affect the More..

Small Business Operators - 7 Reasons You Should Change Your Accountant

A recent survey showed that only 28.7% of small business owners were happy with their accountant, and only half of those would recommend him to their friends because he was too busy already. The following are the most common reasons small business owners give for their dissatisfaction. Do any apply to you? 1. The accountant in charge is not accessible and never returns phone calls. In the early stages he couldn't do enough. He used to come out to the factory at least once a year to have a look More..

Setting Prices - Pricing Your Consulting Services

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PRICING In case you hadn't noticed, people can react very differently when faced with the same price for a product or service. In fact in most cases, we'll never actually know what is in their minds when they consider a price and then decide to respond to it in certain way. So what does that mean for those of us pricing and selling our services out there in the market? Typically, people who sell services go for an hourly rate. They use a process called "reverse competition" t More..

Using Business Broker In the Franchising Industry for Franchise Sales

Franchising companies often use Business Broker to help attain sales goals. Here is an interesting fact. Most large Business Broker Chains promote franchises and charge franchises money to join their network and programs. Not chump change either. Then the Broker Network takes all the logos and prominently displays them in ads and websites, and titles, meta tags and key words those pages. So as to attract customers, franchise buyers. But when a franchise buyer calls up, they are sent to the local More..

Franchise Sales and Use of Online Franchise Directories

Franchising Directory Sites-Paid Advertising, Lead Generation for Franchising Franchising Directory Sites are not doing the Industry any good. Typically they charge a fee for advertising per month or charge per sales for the lead, there must be 50 such sites. Only a few are able to generate significant leads, which you as a franchisor must pay heavily for. Each day our Franchise Company gets hit up by these online companies pitching their great lead generation sites, we cannot get them to stop More..

Franchising in The Middle East There Will Bring Significant Opportunity for US Based Franchisors

As stability emerges in the Middle East there will be significant opportunity for the Franchising Community. Arab Franchising appears to be of interest for those seeking economic growth in much of that region of the World. They are more excited about economic expansion than we are in the US. They seem to understand the benefits of many small businesses employing millions of people and rightfully so. Check out this article: http://www.ameinfo.com/news/Detailed/34961.html . Any comments call the More..

The Workers? Compensation Situation in this Country is Nuts, Arnold in CA Takes Action

The Workers' Compensation situation in this country is unbelievable. Why, well because of lawsuits and attorneys mostly. The costs of workmen's compensation on the business community is part of the reason for the slow return of high paying blue collar jobs in this country and the demise of the manufacturing sector. The system covers some 122 million workers nationally, but it is regulated state by state, not nationally and there is nothing close to being a Federal Oversight on this, not that I o More..

Site Selection - Slice of Life, A Car Wash and Detail Center DownTown

There is a continual trend we are seeing which I can remember participating in over a decade ago, when cities were trying to figure out how to increase sales tax revenues when the large box stores outside of town came into nearby or surrounding areas. For instance a big and easy example would be Wal-Mart. Sam was smart and built his stores just outside of town near towns, which drew from neighboring towns of 5,000 or more from three to five directions. If you look at an over lay of Wal-Mart stor More..

Secrets of Cleaning Truck Trailers in Your Fleet from a Veteran Truck Washer

Cleaning the trailers towed by big trucks is not easy, those big forty-foot to fifty-three foot boxes are quite intimidating up close when you are holding nothing more than a brush and pressure washer gun, looking at a soap bucket. The hardest thing to do is to clean the back doors of trailers because they get really greasy from all the debris and stuff the truck has driven through. When they run through bad weather areas, they get even dirtier. Pay special attention to rear doors on trailers. S More..

Image is Everything - Secrets to Cleaning Car Fleets

A recent survey indicated that clean Taxi Cabs Fleets have higher tip rates and repeat customers. How do you wash a taxicab? You do them four at a time and you go up and over and up and over when you are drying them. If they have a little taxi cab sign, dry that last. But you do the rest of the car the way you do a regular car. The only difference is you are going to spray three, four, five, sometimes six cars at a time. Then another crewmember is going to follow behind you and do all the window More..

Secrets to Washing Fleets of Trucks from a Nationwide Fleet Washing Service

Washing the exterior of a truck. Sounds easy right? Well, it's not really. When you soap a truck, it is very important that you are careful to soap around all the handles, turn signal lights, steps, and wipers. You want to soap all that stuff by hand. Use a one-foot by one foot lamb's wool square-not a mitt, they don't work well. You can use a brush for the rest of the truck, but you have to get in around the handles and stuff by hand. There is no shortcut if you wish to maintain quality. Many More..

Small Business Pricing Strategies

TACTIC #1 -- Never simply slash your prices, unless you're trying to empty obsolete inventory. Instead, try repackaging your prices so they're more affordable in the short-run so more prospects can afford them. For example, rather than pricing your service for the year, "Our monthly newsletter is only $39 for the year." Instead, try "Our monthly newsletter is only $3.25 per month." If you accept credit cards, it's very easy to set up reoccurring monthly charges that are billed to your subscriber More..

The Key To Success - Choose The Right Partners

Do you promote yourself as offering prompt, reliable and quality service? Of course - none of us promote ourselves as anything less, and equally we strive toprovide this level of service all the time. So what happens when you take your networking to the next level, and start to offerreferrals, or even establish partnerships or alliances for certain activities? Whatever you do at this point creates significant impact on your business andpersonal reputation - potentially positive and also poten More..

Small Business Failures in America - Cash Flow Issues

We are noticing an increase in the length of time it takes Large corporations to pay on their invoices to our team. Fortune 500s are tending to pay their vendors more slowly, which will hurt the already strapped small businesses in America. These same small businesses employ 2/3 the population and do a great service in supplying the needs of corporations. At the company I run, The Car Wash Guys, has retail and fleet customers. Retail pay cash, which tends to offset the problems with the extende More..

Specialty Advertising in C-Stores

It appears the mini-blimp indoor theme and concept is making significant headway. We have seen them in the halls of Congress sniffing for anthrax. What else can we use them for? C-Stores can use Mini Blimps Advertising and Surveillance to prevent Shoplifting. These can be paid for by beer vendors, soda vendors as advertising signs, which float around the store like a pool sweeper around the family pool. It does not have to be a blimp shape, it could very well be any shape such as a giant banana More..

Old Data in Database Marketing Software

Database Problems in Marketing I have been working on a direct mail campaign for our team in many areas and we are finding that the yellow page listings and business list CDROMS contain so many closed companies that we are spending too much on the mailings, which are opened a little less because of the anthrax scare. Even customized lists are of little value. No one is keeping these lists fresh and deleting the ole data. Book of Lists are outdated as soon as they come out, CDROMS rip people off More..

Dynamics of Daylight Savings Time on Service Businesses in the United States

The Dynamics of Daylight Savings Time changes the way we live and do business. What are the true dynamics of daylight Savings. It was to improve the efficiency of energy supply and demand issues originally. Does it still work for that purpose. To some degree yes. But, not as much as you think. As a matter of fact until people readjust a little it actually hurts energy costs for those cities burning coal. Some cities use fuels to power up. Nuclear is best next to hydroelectric power. Wind sounds More..

Small Business and Over Regulation

Over regulation of small business is so intense it is getting hard to make a buck. For my example of the type of over regulation in small business, which turns the American Dream into an American Nightmare, I will use a simple business like a car wash. Partly because I am in the Car Washing Industry and partly because I am very familiar with all the crazy rules. We could pick any business for this topic since over regulation is so common place like Death and Taxes that it is expected. However i More..

Don?t Wait for the Perfect Plan

1. Don't Spend Too Much Time Planning When you are entering a new market, you won't know the hidden problems and challenges you will face. You won't understand those problems until you make a few mistakes. And you won't solve them and go on to making success of your new business of your are capable of direction quickly. Most successful new businesses - about 90 per cent of them - end up following practices that are different than anticipate. That's why it doesn't pay to spend too much time and More..

How to Protect Yourself & Your Business

As a business owner, you already know how important it is for your customers to feel safe about doing business with you. After all, if a customer even suspects he may not receive everything he was promised, then chances are he's taking his business elsewhere. So to prevent that you offer guarantees, secure payment methods, prompt customer service, and more. You do whatever it takes to show each customer that you are sincere and trustworthy. But what steps do you take to protect yourself and you More..

Small Business Essentials: Start Here

Thinking of starting a business on line? If so there are two things you absolutely must commit to before ever opening shop on the web. Any one who refuses to realistically consider these two factors should not be in business. That may sound a bit rough, but the glut of businesses on line that ignore these factors will soon come to an end as customers demand service in return for their dollars. The first factor in determining whether you should even be doing business on line is your ability to d More..

QSR Quick Service - Fast Food Restaurants Labor Situation in United States

One of the major complaints in the QSR Quick Service-Fast Food Restaurants Industry is the deplorable Labor Situation. In United States teen labor has become somewhat slim on ethical standards, showing up on time, drug use (both recreational and problematic), work ethic and trainability. Who can we blame? Well we can start by blaming ourselves. What happened? Well it is the latch key kid syndrome, lack of school funding and discipline and many other obvious issues. The ages between 17 and 28 the More..

How To Accept Credit Cards

If you plan to do business online, then your website will need to accept credit cards. For many, the idea of applying for a merchant account sounds like a daunting task, but the truth is that building an online store is incredibly easy these days. The major credit card processing companies have improved and streamlined the process of setting up accounts, and software companies have had several years to improve their software to the point that it is easy for non-technical business owners to creat More..

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