Business Nova – Promote Your Business , Free!

August 15, 2010

Drive Website Traffic Unconventionally, Force Your Children To Do It

Filed under: Business — Tags: , , — markaunit @ 11:59 pm

If you believe that every little bit helps then keep reading…

For the past two summers my son has dabbled in entrepreneurialism.

He started by mowing lawns, what kid hasn’t done that? It’s time tested and money in the bank. (The grass always keeps growing…unless you live in the arctic.)

Last summer we brainstormed a little and bought some gear for under a hundred bux and he started going door-to-door asking people if he could hand-wash their cars for 10 bux a pop. (he used the same client list he had built from mowing lawns also, he’s a smart kid!)

This year we, I should say HE because HE does all the work lol, went a step further.

He’s been offering his clients an ‘interior auto detailing’ service for $25 bux (not including the $10 for hand-wash service.)

About 75% his clients take him up on the offer which means he now gets thirty-five bux an hour (it takes him about an hour for total service.)

Compare that to any auto-detailing service in your area, it’s a great price for the service you get, period!

I’ve seen his work, he’s very good! The little rascal charges his old man $20. (He calls it the family discount, LOL, if we were American I’m sure he would be a Republican. We’re Canadian.)

He’s averaging between $500-$800 per week! His clients love his service so much he only spends about an hour a day door-knocking for new clients.

He works 4-6 hours per day four days a week.

Myself having been an entrepreneur for the past ten years approached my son and asked him if he would hand out business cards promoting my website.

He said…..get this…..”WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME DAD?”

As I was choking back tears of pride I realized he was well on his way to becoming a successful businessMAN……

……….then he rejected my offer of one dollar per business card, and counter-offered a buck and a half.

Well I did what any ‘good’ father would do…….I took away his X-Box!!!

That’ll learn ‘em, HAHAHAHAHA!

I’M KIDDING…………….we met in the middle and settled on a buck and a quarter. That’s pretty good for him considering all he has to do is ask the following;

“Hey Mister, You own a computer?” If they say yes he hands over a card and says “Check it out”

If they say no, he says “Know anyone interested in making extra money at home? Give this card to them please”

My card simply has my URL ONLY on it. http://www.helpfuldynamics.com

I’ve sold over twenty of his clients wanting my various information pacakages. This has been in the last month alone!

His clients trust him and I don’t think they would have bought from me if it had not been for my son Anthony, who is 15 years old by the way!

What are your kids doing this summer? Why not teach them about entrepreneurialism?

McDonalds is a great place to work I guess if your kids will accept minimum wage and being worked like a dog.

Why not pass on your entrepreneurial spirit to your kids now while they’re still impressionable.

What? No kids?

Start this business yourself, and hire the neighbors kid.

You line up the appointments, the kid does the detailing and hand-washing and split the take.

AND DON’T FORGET YOUR WWW. BUSINESS CARDS!!!

Hope this gets your kids off the couch/computer games this summer!

About The Author:

Ron Howell, an entrepreneur for the past ten years, in mailorder, courier services, as a finder,and now making his way into Internet Marketing.

“Pass on your knowledge and you live forever!”
http://www.helpfuldynamics.com

August 14, 2010

Why Every Student Should Start a Business

Filed under: Business — Tags: , — smry994 @ 11:59 pm

With the economic downturn, students in all the major business schools have been dropping out of their entrepreneurship classes and transferring back to classes where they think they have a secure future. Students and professionals who were once planning to start businesses now have decided to go back to their cushy jobs. Everything is going back to normal. Or at least that is how it looks. Below are nine reasons why any student should start a business:

  • You gain experience. Owning and running your own business is an incredible way to gain experience and credentials regardless of whether you decide to stay in business once you graduate. Jaime Gonzalez of Oklahoma State University received the highest job offer in his entire graduating class. Now, there are two kickers: First, he was the founder of an IT consulting company, and second, he had a 2.4 GPA. Hmmm…I wonder if starting a business helps in getting a better job when you graduate?
  • You have nothing to lose. I think it’s safe to say that most students dip into their parents’ checkbook when it comes time to pay the bills. In general, students aren’t paying child support, rent, utilities and many other expenses. The worst thing that could happen if your business fails is that you get a job, have an incredible credential on your resume, and have experience that will increase your chances of success in the future. The best thing that can happen is that you’ll become the next Microsoft. I don’t know about you, but I think that is better than choosing between no job and jobs that you’re in just for the money.
  • Two-thirds of millionaires are entrepreneurs, according to Thomas Stanley and William Dank, authors of The Millionaire Mind. If it’s the money you want, then consider entrepreneurship. You receive not only a salary, but also a lot of money if you’re lucky enough to sell your company or take it public. Michael Furdyk, a successful young entrepreneur, was able to sell his business, MyDesktop.com, for $1 million when he was 16 years old!
  • You develop networking skills. You’ve likely heard that your network increases your net worth. Consider the fact that by running a business and constantly being in a business community, you will develop excellent contacts. If you choose to get a job after you graduate, you will have a great pool of people who will be more than happy to hire you or send your resume to somebody who wants to.
  • You increase your value. Put simply, starting a business in college increases the value of “the brand called you” and gives you more options. For example, an entrepreneur with a large brand value can publish a book, star in a documentary movie (i.e., Startup.com), or go straight to the top of another company. I recently met one of the founders of Diversity Planet, a job site for minorities. He spent a year working very hard on the company and has since left to take a reporting job with Dateline NBC at the ripe age of 20! People don’t often don’t get an opportunity like that until they are much older.
  • Operating a profitable business in the long term is less risky than being an employee in the long term. For example, just look at the recent economic downturn. Tens of thousands of people have been laid off. I can guarantee the owners of profitable businesses are still with the business. They will be the last people to go down with a ship. Business owners can have multiple streams of incomes from different customers. If you’re an employee, you only have one stream of income and therefore are bearing more risk.
  • You will learn more about yourself and what they don’t teach or prepare you for in school. Furthermore, entrepreneurship is the combination of all the disciplines of business. It includes knowledge of marketing, accounting, management and operations. Already having knowledge of these topics before you take classes on them allows you to see more clearly how everything applies. Also, you will be able to learn early-on what subjects you like so you can make better decisions on what to major in and what industries to target.
  • It is yours. You make the rules, create your own hours, work from wherever you want and choose who you want to work with. You can also pick what interests you the most in the world and then start a business that is related to that topic in some way. If you like art, you can start a design business. If you like marketing, you can create or choose a product and then market it. If you like writing, you can write a book and do your own public relations and marketing. If you like the Internet, you can start a Web development business.
  • You’ll grow. I personally have grown a lot from owning a business. I used to be terrified to speak in front of others. Now I look forward to it. Before owning a business, I had probably read a total of five books outside of school, and I only read them because my mom made me. Since starting my business, I’ve probably read more than 100 books. The business has also allowed me to learn more about myself. I know that I will be an entrepreneur forever in some way, shape or form!

    Reprinted with permission from Entrepreneur.com. Copyright © 2005.

    Michael Simmons is the author of the best-selling book, The Student Success Manifesto: How to Create a Life of Passion, Purpose and Prosperity and an award-winning entrepreneur. He is also one of America’s top youth motivational speakers for college campuses. Read his online journal at young entrepreneur journey or click on the following link to download his free success ebook.

    • August 10, 2010

    Creativity & Entrepreneurship – Key Questions From My Students

    Filed under: Business — Tags: , — kathysq @ 5:59 pm

    Hello Creative Entrepreneurs!

    Thought for the day:

    “It is not easy being an entrepreneur, but it is always rewarding. It takes great discipline, self-motivation, hard work and perseverance to achieve your dream. Never, ever give up! Live, love and fight for YOUR passion!” JJK

    In my seminars and teleseminars I aways encourage my students to ask their most pressing questions. Not only do I love to help them by sharing my knowledge and insights, but I have discovered another secret. The student’s questions are really a barometer of what is most important and currently on the minds of today’s young entrepreneurs.

    So I chose a few questions from my students to answer and share with you in this article.

    Student Questions:

    ADDA:
    John, I have a problem focusing on ONE thing. I have many projects going on simultaneously, and several part-time creative business ventures. For example, one of my writing projects is a collection of poems from my departed brother. They are completed (long-hand) but need to be put on the computer and edited–and of course, published. I am a single mother and I fantasize that if I had two weeks of complete dedication to these projects, at least one or two would get finished! I need a system of time management. What would you recommend?

    JJK:
    Adda, the reason a project such as completing your collection of poems seems like a daunting task or is so overwhelming is because it’s just sitting there. And yet it is calling your sub-conscious or conscious mind to do something about it. Hire a high-school student for minimum wage, or ask a friend to volunteer one or two hours each day just to get it into the computer. You’ll be surprised how fast it goes. Also, others love to help you–especially if it’s a project of the heart. Give them a name mention in your book for their help.

    A third party also brings a new perspective to a project, or a breath of fresh air that simply inspires you to move forward.

    Or…do it yourself! When I’m at the stage when I know no one can write or edit something but me–when I know it has to come from me–then I discipline myself and set goals. I make a commitment to myself to type just 3 pages a day. I must abide by this, and then 3 pages seem a whole lot less than 300 pages. Tackle it in small steps. You’ll find you will probably exceed 3 pages each day, but you will certainly feel high self-esteem and be proud of yourself because you accomplished your goal of 3pages a day! In no time you will be finished and all the poems will be entered!

    LANA:
    How do I choose the best intellectual properties when I have so many of them?

    JJK:
    First of all be THANKFUL that God has blessed you with so much creativity and so many great ideas! Don’t fret about this; put the excess to good advantage. For example, if you have about 10 titles for one book, choose the best one or two, and then use some of the other titles for chapter headings.

    Next: Make a list of your intellectual properties and then prioritize. Take the ones that really stand out or resonate with you, and trust your intuition. Ask an expert in this particular area for advice. Some of the questions to ask are: Which one would have the most impact? Which one can I start now, considering my current financial resources? Which ones are unique? Sometimes an intellectual property can seem to be different from everything else in that category that is on the marketplace, yet it can bear many similarities with products or services that are already being marketed and consumed.

    Finally: Also ask yourself-and this is very important: which ones resonate with the pulse of society or consumers at this time? Timing is everything so chose the one that is HOT now and has the potential to grow exponentially in the coming years!

    DEANNA:
    Can people still steal my idea after the person has signed a non-disclosure form?

    JJK:
    They certainly can! But you have WRITTEN proof that’s dated, that proves the timeline of your idea and when the individual first saw it. If there is a copyright or trademark infringement or suspected infringement, contact a trademark or copyright lawyer immediately.

    I hope this answered some of your questions too!

    For more information on my seminars, tele-conferences, books, CD & DVD’s please visit my website below.

    Live and love your passion!

    John Joseph Kennedy

    THE HON. JOHN JOSEPH KENNEDY, President & CEO JJK Enterprises/John Kennedy Enterprises, Inc. Founder, JJK School of Entrepreneurship? (A Business Franchise).

    U. S. Presidential Candidate (2004 write-in), Justice of the Peace International, author, international award-winning speaker, marketing guru and entrepreneur extraordinaire, Mr. Kennedy is the author of Creativity & Entrepreneurship© and The 72-Hour Entrepreneur?

    As a journalist and writer, JJK has more than 100 news bylines to his credit, and more than 10,000 article have been written about him worldwide.

    His work and inspiring life-giving messages and speeches have reached television, radio, newspaper and live audiences of more than 100 million people in the United States, Latin America, Canada, Mexico, England, India, France, Switzerland, Ireland, Poland, Africa, and other countries.

    “Creativity is coloring outside the lines, and entrepreneurship is living outside the box!” JJK

    E-mail: JJK@JJKEnterprises.com

    Websites: http://www.JJKEnterprises.com and http://www.JohnJosephKennedy.com

    August 8, 2010

    Should You Write Your Own Business Plan?

    Filed under: Business — Tags: , — piercingsandtattoo @ 11:58 pm

    If you are just starting a company and looking for funding, or looking for additional funding for growth, you will need to develop a traditional business plan. Creating a business plan is a business hurdle that entrepreneurs seem to dread. Do you do it yourself? Do you hire someone to do it? How do you get it done quickly, but without spending too much money on it? Will what you do yourself be adequate to get funding?

    In this article I will discuss the pros and cons of do-it-yourself business planning versus having a business planning consultant do it for you or with you.

    The Do It Yourself Business Plan

    Particularly if you are seeking capital of less than $200,000, consider creating the plan yourself after taking a class or reading some books or getting some coaching for someone who has written successful business plans.

    Consider taking a three-hour business planning class through SCORE or the local Small Business Development Center. Even if you decide afterwards not to write your own plan, you will have a much better idea of what you want out of the process and what to expect.

    There are some good reasons for an entrepreneur to do the business plan:

    • First of all, because you can. If you’ve read sample business plans and find their accounting jargon intimidating, you are not alone. But as long as you can clearly get your message across and have other people such as you accountant look at the plan before it goes to lenders or others, you can do this work yourself.

    • It is in learning the business planning process that you develop analytical thinking skills necessary to run your business with an intimate understanding of your own business model. Going through the planning process is an invaluable business experience.

    • You need to know the plan inside and out and really understand the variables involved. You are the one who will be asked the tough questions by potential investors or lenders, such as "What will you do if only half your expected revenue comes in?" or "What will you do if you find out that direct mail is not working for you as your primary marketing tool?"

    Outsourcing the Business Plan Process

    Entrepreneurs are fire fighters. One of the most important jobs of an entrepreneur is to manage time, and do those things that you are best skilled to do. Many entrepreneurs decide to hire someone else to do their business plans, often because they have an urgent need for the funding and can’t afford the learning curve to be able to develop a high-quality plan that will meet the needs of lenders or investors.

    In addition, if your funding requirements are more than $500,000 my recommendation is to get some professional help with this project, even if you do some of it yourself.

    Some reasons to consider hiring a consultant:

    • It will get done! Business planning is done much faster with someone who knows the process. Every entrepreneur has good intentions about getting plans completed, but months later they still haven’t done all the work. Planning should be high priority work, but it is hard to get to when customer calls and employee problems require immediate attention. The sooner the plan is completed, the sooner funding can be attained. And the price of hiring the consultant will be small in comparison with the increases in growth and profitability of the business.

    • It will get done in a way financial professionals will respect. Business planning is done better by someone who knows how finance people look at plans and what they will and won’t question. Once you’ve been through the business plan process many times, you know what it takes to get funding – what to emphasize and what to play down.

    • The consultant’s objectivity will allow for non-emotionally-based projections and expectations for the business. A consultant will be much more objective in the process and question your assumptions, making it less likely that the business will have problems after the funding comes in.

    No matter what, don’t let a business planning consultant talk you into putting any information into your plan that you aren’t comfortable with. If it doesn’t look right to you, it probably isn’t. It is your business, and you will be stuck with the plan long after you’ve paid the consultant’s bill. Make sure it is the plan that you want, one that matches your goals and objectives, and captures the way you look at business and the spirit of your company.

    If you do decide to hire a business planning consultant, here are some of the important questions to ask to make sure you get the greatest value from your investment:

  • How many business plans have you written for my type of business? How many of them were funded?

  • How much time will you need of mine during the planning process?

  • When will the plan be completed, and how many drafts should I expect to see and have the opportunity to comment on?

  • Will you be writing the plan yourself or do you have associates who do the work with you?

  • Will there be an opportunity for you to present the plan or for me to present the plan to my other advisors before the final draft is done?

  • How do you work in collaboration with my partners and advisors so their input is taken into consideration during the writing of the plan?

  • Do you do the market research and the financial spreadsheets, or are those things done separately (and charged for separately)?

  • Does your price include revisions or customization for certain types of funding (to include different information needed by investors versus lenders)?

  • Does your price include coaching to prepare me to talk with lenders or make financing presentations?

  • Will I have an electronic version as well as a hard copy version of the final plan (so I can make changes later if I need to)?

    The Optimum Solution: A Blended Approach

    At best, the planning process should not be at either end of the spectrum, but squarely in the middle. In my experience, plans that win funding come from a true collaboration between a skilled consultant/facilitator and the entrepreneur’s team of employees and advisors.

    A business planning consultant can act as a coach, first assessing the job to be done, and then recommending who is best to do it. The business plan should be a compilation of work between the vision and goals of the entrepreneur, the technical understanding and expertise of his or her accountant and other professionals, a consensus of employees or others, and the research and writing abilities of the business planning consultant. The consultant should meet with all parties involved, talk about what is needed for the plan, and use all the resources available to get the work done as quickly and cost effectively as possible. It is the consultant’s responsibility in the process to take all the pieces and make the final plan into a readable, accessible document that will stand up to investor/lender scrutiny.

    My final caveats:

    • Don’t pay more than a few thousand dollars for a plan unless you are looking for capital of well over $1 million. I have heard more than a few horror stories by people who have hired university professors assuming they are the experts (they aren’t) and paying tens of thousand of dollars for a poorly written or incomplete plan. Ask your banker for business planning consultant recommendations, or better yet, talk with someone who had a good experience having a business plan written for them. It is reasonable for a consultant to expect you to pay half of the fee up front and the other half at the completion of the plan. And you can’t hold the consultant responsible if you don’t get funding based on the plan ? too much is based on your own credit and management skills.

    • Don’t expect to get a finished plan that is a roadmap of everything you need to do to have a successful business. That isn’t the purpose of the business planning process. A traditional business plan is intended only to document your strategies for the business very briefly ? but well enough to get funding. If you are hoping for something that will tell you how to market or how many people you need to hire, you will have to start with a deep strategic planning process, and probably buy lots of consulting time to get you going.

    • Don’t expect a great a business plan from a poor business model. If your costs are too high to make your business profitable, the business planning process will help you discover that. Then it will be up to you to make the hard decisions about changing your costs structure to make the business work. The business planning consultant is a skilled professional, not a miracle worker. A good business plan can help you highlight your strengths and minimize your weaknesses, but it cannot make an unworkable business model into a thriving business.

    And one final thought: Don’t go on to start a business or make changes in your current business if everything in the business planning process tells you it won’t work. Things don’t get better out in the real world if they don’t work on paper. Deal with the weaknesses ? get more training, consider product redevelopment, or have a home-based business to reduce costs until you can sustain the rent for an office. Businesses fail finally because they’ve run out of money. If your plan tells you that you can’t make enough money to make the business work for the long run, pay attention to that reality.

    About The Author

    Jan B. King is the former President & CEO of Merritt Publishing, a top 50 woman-owned and run business in Los Angeles and the author of Business Plans to Game Plans: A Practical System for Turning Strategies into Action (John Wiley & Sons, 2004). She has helped hundreds of businesses with her book and her ebooks, The Do-It-Yourself Business Plan Workbook, and The Do-It-Yourself Game Plan Workbook. See www.janbking.com for more information.

    jan@janbking.com

    • August 2, 2010

    Ten Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs

    Filed under: Business — Tags: , — redb1ker @ 11:58 pm

    Successful entrepreneurs have many traits in common. Here are ten of those traits that I consider to be very important.

    A successful entrepreneur…

    1. Places the needs of customers or clients first, and takes the time to find out what those needs are.

    2. Enjoys the freedom of fulfilling a chosen mission through the fruits of his or her own efforts.

    3. Continues ahead through good times and bad, learning valuable lessons from both, and applying those lessons to the future.

    4. Continually looks to bring out the best in others, bringing laughter and friendship to business as well as personal relationships.

    5. Respects his or her family and loved ones, and is committed for life to protecting them and their welfare, and supporting their dreams for the future.

    6. Knows that life holds no guarantees, and is willing to take detours and adjust plans when needed.

    7. Keeps new mission-centered goals in mind for the future when present goals will have been achieved.

    8. Knows that worthwhile achievement takes time, and enjoys the happiness of pursuit as well as the pursuit of happiness.

    9. Believes in the value of gratitude, honesty and integrity, and is willing to make apologies when necessary.

    10. Realizes that at the end of this life, kindnesses and benefits provided to others will be the only accomplishments of importance remaining – not the amount of dollar signs accumulated.

    © Copyright by Steve Brunkhorst. Steve is a professional life success coach, motivational author, and the editor of Achieve! 60-Second Nuggets of Inspiration, a popular mini-zine bringing great stories, motivational nuggets, and inspiring thoughts to help you achieve more in your career and personal life. Get the next issue by visiting http://www.AchieveEzine.com

    Older Posts »

    Powered by WordPress