Summary

(Entrepreneur Press) A collection of tips and strategies for creating a business from scratch, offering help with every stage of development of the business. Shows how to conduct market research, develop a system for bookkeeping and taxes, create a winning business plan, delve into e-commerce, and more. Previous edition not cited. Softcover. DLC: Business enterprises.

Author Biography

Rieva Lesonsky is Senior Vice President/Editorial Director of Entrepreneur magazine and a nationally recognized expert on small business

On Your Mark

(5)

part one You Gotta Start Somewhere

(68)

Introduction

(4)

Pop Quiz: Are you ready to be an entrepreneur?

(12)

What's The Big Idea? How to get an idea for your business

(14)

Time Is On Your Side...Or Is It? Should you launch your business part time or full time?

(8)

Made From Scratch Or Store-Bought? Starting a business vs. buying one

(28)

part two Building Blocks

(104)

Who Is Your Customer, Anyway? Defining your market

(12)

If I Build It, Will They Come? Conducting market research

(24)

What's In A Name? Naming your business

111

(10)

To Inc. Or Not To Inc. Choosing a business structure

121

(16)

Get With The Plan: Creating a winning business plan

137

(12)

Mother, May I? Don't forget business licenses and permits

149

(10)

You Need Professional Help: Hiring a lawyer and an accountant

159

(18)

part three Where's The Money?

177

(74)

Charity Begins At Home: Financing starts with yourself and friends and relatives

179

(14)

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained: How to find and attract investors

193

(16)

Can You Bank On It? The ins and outs of debt financing

209

(16)

Ask Your Favorite Uncle: How to get government loans

225

(26)

Get Set

247

(4)

part four Setting The Stage

251

(168)

Location, Location, Location: Choosing a location for your business

253

(24)

No Place Like Home: Starting a homebased business

277

(10)

First Impressions: Creating a professional image

287

(12)

Taking Stock: The lowdown on inventory

299

(18)

To Your Credit: Offering your customers credit

317

(20)

It's In The Mail: Setting up mailing and shipping accounts

337

(14)

People Who Need People: Hiring your first employee

351

(28)

Treat Your ``Children'' Well: Developing an employee benefits plan

379

(24)

Cover Your Assets: Getting business insurance

403

(16)

part five You'd Better Shop Around

419

(102)

Stuff: Business equipment basics

421

(12)

Phoney Business: What kind of phone system do you need?

433

(12)

Air Time: Buying a cellular phone

445

(12)

Hit The Road: Should you lease or buy a car?

457

(12)

Get Wired! Demystifying the world of computers

469

(20)

Net Works: Setting up your company Web site

489

(14)

Wise Buys: Shopping for copiers and fax machines

503

(18)

517

(4)

part six Strut Your Stuff

521

(104)

To Market, To Market: Advertising and marketing your business

523

(44)

Spread The Word: How to promote your business

567

(18)

Web Weaving: Attracting virtual visitors to your Web site

585

(10)

Show & Sell: Effective selling techniques

595

(20)

Keep 'Em Coming Back: Offering superior customer service

615

(10)

part seven By The Books

625

(90)

Bean Counting 101: The basics of bookkeeping

627

(22)

Making A Statement: How to create financial statements

649

(16)

Watch Your Pennies: Effectively managing your finances

665

(24)

The Tax Man Cometh: What you need to know about taxes

689

(16)

If At First You Don't Succeed...Learning from your failures

705

(10)

Appendix A Business Resources

715

(18)

Appendix B Government Listings

733

(16)

Appendix C Small-Business-Friendly Banks

749

(10)

Index

759

Supplemental Materials

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

Excerpts

Chapter One

Buying this book may be the smartest thing you ever did. OK, I may be exaggerating some, but I am serious about the impact that starting your own business can have on your life. As the editorial director of Entrepreneur magazine, I have been covering the business of entrepreneurship for a long time now, and I can honestly say I have met few entrepreneurs who are sorry they took the leap into business ownership. Most have succeeded (though not necessarily at the business they initially launched); some have returned to life as an employee. But few regret the journey.

Start Your Own Business is designed to help you navigate your own journey to business ownership. We are here to instruct and inspire. To tell you the things you don't know and remind you of the things you do. Some will tell you that the path you are about to embark on is a perilous one, but it's not. However, it is not without its curves, speed bumps and detours. Start Your Own Business helps prepare you as you go. You will learn what to expect at each step along the way. Some wise person once said, "Forewarned is forearmed." So consider this book part of your arsenal.

I would never presume to tell anyone how to read a book. But the very first thing you might want to do is turn to the following "Pop Quiz" chapter and take our test to determine if you're cut out to be an entrepreneur. My guess is you are, or you wouldn't have bought this book. Some people mistakenly believe you have to be born an entrepreneur to succeed. You don't. You can learn what it takes. That's what this book is all about.

Start Your Own Business takes you step by step through the start-up journey, from how to get an idea for a business to finally opening the doors to your new venture. Along the way, we provide lots of forms, work sheets and checklists you can actually use in your business as well as to make sure you're on the right track. The book is also filled with five different types of helpful tip boxes:

Finally, at the end of the book, there are three appendices chock-full of business resources that list contact addresses and phone numbers:

1. In "Business Resources," we list business associations, books, and magazines and publications in areas ranging from advertising and marketing to accounting and taxes. We even provide Internet resources and equipment manufacturers.

2. Our "Government Listings" appendix provides contact information for Small Business Development Centers, Small Business Administration district offices and state economic development departments across the country.

3. Last, if you need financing, you'll definitely want to check out our listing of "Small-Business-Friendly Banks."

Starting your own business is not as mysterious as some would have you believe (for more on this, see "What's The Big Idea?" on page 23) or as frightening or risky as legend would have it. But it is a journey that is better not taken alone. With Start Your Own Business as your companion, you'll be a wiser traveler on the road to business ownership. So what are you waiting for? As an ancient Chinese philosopher once sagely said, "Every journey ... must begin with a single step.

-- Rieva Lesonsky

Editorial Director , Entrepreneur

Excerpted from Start Your Own Business by . Copyright © 2001 by Entrepreneur Media Inc.. Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.