 |
  |
|
Key Termsappraisal - opinion or estimate of the value of a property. Questions
Activity
Questions and Answers on Small BusinessToday, more and more of the jobs being created are temporary jobs, part-time jobs, or contract work. The reason is simple and understandable. Today's companies want the freedom of hiring and firing at will. This is a very good time to say that this rollercoaster of uncertainty isn't for you. At the very least, you should be researching the possibilities of self-employment. If you work in a typewriter repair shop, you should be noticing that most people are not using typewriters any more. The time for you to act is now. If you work in a tire store and the business is half what it was a year ago, don't be surprised when you are unemployed. The time for you to consider acting is now. Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities. Why are you such a strong advocate of going into a family business? If you had to work in a family furniture business as a kid, this may be the last place that you want to work now, and yet living rooms and dining rooms and kitchens may offer the best opportunities for you. It seems that if you work in a business as a kid, you somehow gain an instinctive feel for how things are done. Your father or grandfather may have many established contacts with furniture manufacturers and wholesalers that would take others years to acquire. If you view your business as a means to an end, the end being a comfortable lifestyle for yourself and your family, then furniture may be the quickest and safest path to your goal. If you didn't like the way your uncle or father or grandmother ran the business, now is your chance to run the business right - your way. What do you mean by "love your customers"? Think of what you want in life for yourself and your family. You want nice cars and homes and vacations and education, and you want a comfortable retirement. All of your material wants take money, and there is only one person who is ever going to give you money - your customer. Your customer, or your patient, or your client, or your tenant. Let's say that you are in the graphics design business and want to buy a new color printer. You need money. You go to the bank and borrow the money. Now, you have to pay the money back, but it really isn't your money that pays those loans back. It is your customers' money. It is all those wonderful companies and advertising agencies that you work for, that hire you to design their cards and letters and boxes, who pay you back. The money comes from your customers. You borrow money and someone else pays it back. If you view your customers from this perspective, you'll love them. It is your customer and only your customer who is going to give you the money to realize your financial objectives. Booksby Charles R. Stoner (1999) (256 pages) This book gives owners of new and/or emerging businesses extensive knowledge of the steps of strategic planning. They learn how to assess the external environment, how to address competitive forces, how to identify internal strengths and weaknesses, and how to and develop a strategic thrust for their emerging enterprises. Start, Run & Grow a Successful Small Business by Susan M. Jacksack (1998) (704 pages) A how-to book written for the specialized needs of both the small business owner and those who are thinking about starting their own profit-seeking enterprise. The book is unique because of the vast amount of timely information it provides - - detailed information on the tough issues that would otherwise require hiring an attorney, accountant, or other professional advisor. The book is chock-full of cost-cutting tips, step-by-step checklists, real-life case studies, model business plans, and other business documents. The editorial has a special emphasis on problem solving and helping the reader avoid the legal and regulatory pitfalls that challenge today's entrepreneur. Successfully Self-Employed by Gregory Brennan (1996) (168 pages) Without sales experience, only a fraction of America's self-employed professionals--10 million every year--will survive in the long run. This informative, inspiring guide will help freelancers, consultants, or independent professionals sell their services. This book is filled with hundreds of how-to tips, strategies and step-by-step sales techniques. Surefire Strategies for Growing Your Home-Based Business by David Schaefer (1997) (298 pages) Home-based entrepreneurs often need a good swift kick in the pants after about two years in business, when the adrenaline-rush that comes with simply starting a new venture usually begins to fade. This book identifies this malaise and addresses viable solutions for overcoming it. The book offers recommendations for improving cash flow, securing more and better clients, and upgrading operations that are intended to help ease the problems of the "watershed year" which virtually every businessperson will eventually face. Surviving Success: Managing the Challenges of Growth by Jeffrey A. Hansen (1999) (230 pages) This book describes five phases of business growth and development, the modes of operation most effective in each phase, and the style of management that is naturally most effective at creating the right mode of operation. Surviving Success then describes the priorities and practices that are at the heart of achieving success in each phase. It then concludes with 10 survival tips that will enable you to be more effective in a greater range of your company's different growth phases. 
Computer Software
Go to Lesson Thirteen6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16Index
|
|
 |
© Copyright 1994-2008, American Success Institute. The Action Principles® is a registered trademark of the American Success Institute. We are a nonprofit research, publishing, and educational corporation headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts. |
 |