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Informative Articles

10 Lessons for Every "Shoestring" Entrepreneur
Starting a business requires adequate capital. However, many entrepreneurs are finding that capital alone is not a guarantee for success. Some businesses start out with millions in the coffers, yet end up in the dumps. While a few businesses with...

Fatal Mistakes To Avoid When Writing A Business Plan…
Too Much Information When is a 25-page business plan better than a 200-page business plan. The answer is - always. Most investors have a mental checklist of half dozen or so specific points that they look for in a business plan. Everything else...

Quality consulting major consumer products company
Organizational TQM Assessment The executive staff was trained on the key components of the Malcolm Baldridge criteria, and facilitated discussions that resulted in a baseline evaluation of the organization's TQM implementation. The Baldrige...

SELLING YOUR TECHNOLOGY COMPANY - WHY EARNOUTS MAKE SENSE TODAY
The purpose of this article is to present earnouts to sellers of technology companies as a method to maximize their transaction proceeds. Sellers have historically viewed earnouts with suspicion as a way for buyers to get control of their companies...

Understanding Financial Statements When Approaching Lenders
“The bank is asking for our financial statements”, these are 8 words that often bring apprehension to many business owners. They are a young and maybe struggling company, they need bank financing to survive, and they haven’t got a clue what the...

 
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Small Business Planning -- Three Myths

Copyright 2005 Denise OBerry

Are you -- like 70 percent of small business owners -- working without a plan? Here are three myths that need to be dispelled about strategic planning for small business.

1. It has to be formal -- Not so.

The value of a strategic plan for your small business is in putting the ideas on paper, creating action steps that will get you where you want to go and implementing those action steps.

2. I'm too small -- Not so.

Even a one-person business can benefit from a strategic plan. A strategic plan can help you make decisions about time management and budget. You can use your strategic plan to


help you determine whether to attend an event or advertise in a publication. It's a check and balance tool.

3. A strategic plan is like a ball and chain -- Not so.

It's your plan. Too many small business owners feel like once it's on paper, it can't be changed. Wrong! Your plan should be an active document that gets reviewed and updated at least monthly, if not weekly. You're the business owner, you wrote it, you know what's happening in your market -- adjust as necessary.

About the Author

Denise O'Berry helps small business owners take action to grow their business. Find out more at http://www.smallbusinessmatters.com