Showing posts with label business startup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business startup. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Teaching Your Way to Thousands: Starting a Part Time Tutoring Business

Starting a business does not always involve an innovative product or service idea. In fact, you can literally make an excellent living by simply using what you already have – your mind!

Tutoring businesses are booming as the college admission process grows more competitive and a 4.0 GPA is no longer a worthwhile academic feat. As long as you have a college degree, good communication skills, and a passion for helping others, you can help students of all ages achieve their full academic potential. Or, if you have musical experience playing an instrument, you can become a private music instructor. Both academic tutors and music instructors are in high demand by parents around the country.

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Business Licenses: Which Type Do You Need?

Failure to become properly licensed can have a variety of consequences, so it is imperative that all small business owners learn the regulations in their location so that they can meet every requirement.

Which business licenses you need will depend on your location as well as the type of business that you own. Because there is such a variety of requirements from location to location, it is impossible to provide a list that would apply to every business owner.

Instead, below are some of the most commonly required business licenses. You will need to do some research to find out which apply to your location and your business.

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Dollars and Scents, Part II

Louis Hotchkiss is one of the best salesmen I have ever met. His description of his products and process is an art. He doesn’t just describe the physical properties of things - rather, he delves deep, giving you a sense of why it came to being, its raison d’ĂȘtre. All this is done with an almost imperceptible theatrical flourish, subtle enough to draw you in but not overpower you with gimmickry or drama.

When he describes his candles, it’s not just a description of the combination of soy wax, scent and a wick in a glass tumbler-like vessel. Nor is it just a detailed account of the packaging, which in itself is the pinnacle of the balance between elegant form and function. As hard as it is to describe, I think he does it by showcasing the harmony between intent and outcome. This is the vision they had for the product and this tangible object in your hand is a realization of it. And that’s magic, magic that connects you not only to the product on an emotional level, but also to the aspirations of the creator.

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How Take Back Your Startup

TechCrunch today takes a look at the saga of social bookmarking site StumbleUpon, a fortuitous startup that launched with $1.5 million in venture capital and eventually sold to eBay for $75 million.

But wait, there's more: While most entrepreneurs would have walked away with the cash and wrecked a Ferrari or two, the founders of the technology, Garrett Camp, Geoff Smith and Justin LeFrance, kept their hearts attached to the company they gave birth to.

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Saturday, April 11, 2009

Common Startup Business Mistakes: New Business Owner Mistakes

Common Startup Business Mistakes: New Business Owner Mistakes

If you have just started a new business, then read on. Below are 6 mistakes that are commonly made by new entrepreneurs – and how to avoid them.

Only Theory, No Practice.

If you have all the required knowledge to run your business, it is still very important to have an idea about the market that you will be doing business in.

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Is Franchising in Your Future

The April issue of Entrepreneur magazine includes a list of the top 50 new franchises of 2007. Franchising can be an important part of the entrepreneurial experience, and many new business owners opt for franchising as a strategy for business start-up.

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Friday, April 10, 2009

How to Find Angel Investors Now

Dear Dan: My partners and I have a killer business concept and a polished business plan, but we’ve struck out trying to raise money from friends and family. How do we look for angel investors? — Need an Angel

Dear Need: A recession can be a great time to start a business. The cost of everything from supplies to office space and professional expertise is down, and new market opportunities open up. But finding startup capital can be another matter.

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Starting a Business in a Recession

Many people are scared of starting a business during a recession. Times are tough, and people are not spending -- which makes the idea of starting a business in a downturn even more daunting.

But an economic downturn shouldn't stop you from pursuing your business endeavors. As they say, the right time to start business is when you have a great idea, recession or not. With the right business idea, where your product or service will benefit customers both in good and bad times, you can beat the odds and succeed even in an economic downturn.

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Wednesday, April 8, 2009

10 Steps to Starting a Business

Starting a business involves making key financial decisions and completing a series of legal activities. This guide provides information to help you plan, prepare, and manage your business.

  1. Step 1:

    Research and Plan Your Business
    Use these tools and resources to help you prepare your business plan and become a successful business owner.

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Green Guide for New Businesses

Adopting environmentally-friendly and energy efficient business practices provides numerous benefits to new business owners looking to control costs, attract customers, and become socially responsible.

This guide provides you with some important information on implementing an environmental strategy for your business, including steps to becoming energy efficient, compliant with environmental regulations, and a recognized "green business."

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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

How to Start Your Own Business after Getting the Pink Slip

In these tough, competitive times, many companies have started handing out pink slips in a bid to control expenses. There may come a time when you might find yourself at the receiving end.

If this has happened to you, you could think about starting your own small business instead of just looking for another job.

Do Not Panic: Once you are handed that dreaded pink slip, don’t panic!

Take a little time off to calmly think about the options that you have. Let go of all negative feelings before thinking about the future.

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Best Resources for Startups

It's a jungle out there, especially for startups. Good news, though: Information, advice and assistance are available--often at no charge. Armed with the proper coordinates, you can gain quick, direct access to one-on-one counseling, step-by-step strategic guidance, legal advice, funding opportunities and more. Here's an insider's guide to four of the best startup resources:

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Developing and Maintaining an Online Business: Tips and Techniques!

Online businesses can and often are very profitable. One reason for the growing popularity of doing business online is freedom from the 'daily grind' of a regular 9 to 5 job. However, if you decide to start an online business you need take all possible steps in order to ensure success and enjoy the freedom it provides.

When you are planning your online business, as with any other business, you need to make sure you've done your homework and know what you're getting into - because in some ways, even though you will be your own boss, running an Internet business can be more time- consuming than when you are working for someone else in the real world.

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Getting Ready To Start Your Own E-Commerce Business

As an ever-increasing number of people are drawn to the Internet to make their purchases, this emerging virtual marketplace offers many new entrants to try their skills in selling.

Below are a few points that will raise the chances of success in your new E-Venture.

Build an Impressive Website

If you lack the skills to create your own website, don’t worry - there are many professional companies that can design a website according to your specifications.

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Sunday, April 5, 2009

Google Wants To Give You Money

Google finally announced the formation of a new venture arm called Google Ventures. It is where all smaller-scale venture investments from Google will now originate.

A $100 million fund (that is the amount of capital allocated over the next 12 months). “We don’t have to invest $100 million this year,” notes fund co-manager Bill Maris, “it is what we want to do.”

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Saturday, April 4, 2009

Get Your Email Newsletter Title Right To Reap The Rewards

Sending out an email newsletter can be a lot of work. And the last thing you want to happen is for it to land in your subscriber's inbox and be deleted right away. That's why it's important to use a title for your email newsletter that will entice your readers to open up the email newsletter and read what it has to say.

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How much should you pay yourself at a startup?

You're the boss. How much should your new company pay you?

It seems like a silly question, but it's one that owners of business startups have to answer. How much of a salary should they receive?

Depending on how the business is structured, the answer can be, "What the market will bear," "Just part of what I'd make otherwise" or even "Nothing at all — at least for now."

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Steps for Changing Business Structures: How to Switch Structures

At any point in time, a change in the way you do business, your business’ products and services or your business’ size may make switching your business structure necessary.

Here are a few points that you should be aware of if you are thinking of making such a change.

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A Basic Lesson in Cash Flow Management

As business owners, we all know it's true: Cash is king! Without it, your business couldn't survive. That's because you need cash to operate and grow your business. How else will you ensure you're able to purchase supplies, pay your rent, advertise, hire employees or take care of the myriad other business activities that require money?

Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business, and it's imperative that you understand the inflows and outflows accordingly. So let's take a closer look at just how cash flow works:

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The ABCs of Growing Smart

When a company first decides to franchise, they'll rapidly learn that this decision is only the first in a series of decisions that'll ultimately affect their success or failure as a franchisor. Even before getting to the crucial issues of fee determination, the questions will fly fast and furious. How fast should I grow? Where should I expand? Should I sell franchises close to my existing company-owned operations? What support should I provide? What will it cost me?

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