| |
| |
| Introduction | |
| |
| |
| How This Book Can Help You | |
| |
| |
| How to Use This Book | |
| |
| |
| Nail It Down! | |
| |
| |
| |
| Know Yourself and Your Business | |
| |
| |
| Why Be in Business? | |
| |
| |
| How to Improve Your Odds | |
| |
| |
| Your Strengths and Weaknesses | |
| |
| |
| Know Your Business | |
| |
| |
| Can Your Business Stand on Its Own? | |
| |
| |
| Making the Best Decision for You | |
| |
| |
| Nail It Down! | |
| |
| |
| |
| Know the Four Steps to Success | |
| |
| |
| Step One: The Idea | |
| |
| |
| Step Two: The Plan | |
| |
| |
| Step Three: Take Action | |
| |
| |
| Step Four: Evaluation | |
| |
| |
| Nail It Down! | |
| |
| |
| |
| Know Your Legal Entity | |
| |
| |
| Impacts of Your Legal Entity | |
| |
| |
| Sole Proprietor | |
| |
| |
| Partnership | |
| |
| |
| Limited Liability Company (LLC) | |
| |
| |
| Corporations | |
| |
| |
| Nail It Down! | |
| |
| |
| Summary Chart | |
| |
| |
| |
| Know Who Will Help You | |
| |
| |
| Bookkeeping and Accounting | |
| |
| |
| Legal Advice | |
| |
| |
| Insurance | |
| |
| |
| Lenders | |
| |
| |
| How Can I Afford This Help? | |
| |
| |
| Nail It Down! | |
| |
| |
| |
| Know Your Rights and Obligations | |
| |
| |
| Employees vs. Independent Contractors | |
| |
| |
| Contracts | |
| |
| |
| Intellectual Property | |
| |
| |
| Should You Protect Your Work? | |
| |
| |
| Nail It Down! | |
| |
| |
| |
| Know Your Customers | |
| |
| |
| Know Your Industry | |
| |
| |
| Who Are Your Customers? | |
| |
| |
| What Do Your Customers Want? | |
| |
| |
| Is There Enough of a Market for Your Business? | |
| |
| |
| Nail It Down! | |
| |
| |
| |
| Know Your Competition | |
| |
| |
| Learning from Your Competition | |
| |
| |
| Competitors vs. Cooperators | |
| |
| |
| Nail It Down! | |
| |
| |
| |
| Know What Sets Your Business Apart | |
| |
| |
| Why Will Customers Buy from You? | |
| |
| |
| Product | |
| |
| |
| Price | |
| |
| |
| Place | |
| |
| |
| Packaging | |
| |
| |
| Promotion | |
| |
| |
| Service | |
| |
| |
| Quality | |
| |
| |
| Prestige | |
| |
| |
| Innovation | |
| |
| |
| Nail It Down! | |
| |
| |
| |
| Know How to Set Your Prices | |
| |
| |
| Finding the Right Price to Charge | |
| |
| |
| Why You Probably Can't Compete on Price | |
| |
| |
| Revenue, Costs, and Expenses | |
| |
| |
| Calculating Profit | |
| |
| |
| Finding Your Product Breakeven | |
| |
| |
| Nail It Down! | |
| |
| |
| |
| Know How to Reach Your Market | |
| |
| |
| Promotion | |
| |
| |
| Advertising | |
| |
| |
| Personal Selling | |
| |
| |
| Generating Word of Mouth | |
| |
| |
| Other Ways to Promote | |
| |
| |
| Marketing Materials Suggestions | |
| |
| |
| Nail It Down! | |
| |
| |
| |
| Know Where the Money Will Come From | |
| |
| |
| Lenders | |
| |
| |
| Family and Friends | |
| |
| |
| Your Savings | |
| |
| |
| Other Sources | |
| |
| |
| What Lenders Like | |
| |
| |
| Nail It Down! | |
| |
| |
| |
| Know How to Manage Your Business | |
| |
| |
| What Management Means | |
| |
| |
| Managing Your Business | |
| |
| |
| Managing Yourself and Your Time | |
| |
| |
| Time Management Tips | |
| |
| |
| Taking on Employees | |
| |
| |
| Nail It Down! | |
| |
| |
| |
| Know How to Keep Your Books | |
| |
| |
| Bookkeeping vs. Accounting | |
| |
| |
| Bookkeeping Overview | |
| |
| |
| Three Rules for Brilliant Bookkeeping | |
| |
| |
| Elements of Bookkeeping Systems | |
| |
| |
| Paper vs. Computer | |
| |
| |
| The Three Most Important Words | |
| |
| |
| So, How Do I Pay Myself? | |
| |
| |
| Nail It Down! | |
| |
| |
| |
| Know Accounting Basics | |
| |
| |
| Accounting Mysteries Revealed! | |
| |
| |
| Financial Statements | |
| |
| |
| Cash Flow | |
| |
| |
| Profit and Loss | |
| |
| |
| Balance Sheet | |
| |
| |
| What Lenders Look for in Financials | |
| |
| |
| Nail It Down! | |
| |
| |
| |
| Know How to Minimize Your Taxes | |
| |
| |
| How to Cut Your Taxes to Zero | |
| |
| |
| Three Key Words (Again!) | |
| |
| |
| Taxpayer Prerequisites | |
| |
| |
| Federal Taxes You Will Owe | |
| |
| |
| Other Taxes | |
| |
| |
| How Your Tax Return Works | |
| |
| |
| Reducing Your Taxes (Legally!) | |
| |
| |
| More Common Business Deductions | |
| |
| |
| Record Keeping | |
| |
| |
| Nail It Down! | |
| |
| |
| |
| Know How to Write a Business Plan | |
| |
| |
| Making the Best Decision for You | |
| |
| |
| Why Write a Business Plan? | |
| |
| |
| Elements of a Business Plan | |
| |
| |
| Nail It Down! | |
| |
| |
| Index | |