The Owner's Manual for Small Business

by Abrams, Rhonda

• ISBN13: 9780974080154
• ISBN10: 0974080152
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-12-10
• Publisher: Planning Shop

Summary

You've got one for your car, your DVD player, and your computer. Now there's a manual for the most complicated thing you own-your business. In one handy guide, you'll find the information, ideas, advice, and inspiration you need for success! Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Who This Book Is For	p. vii
About Rhonda Abrams	p. ix
Introduction	p. xvi
Thinking Like an Entrepreneur	p. 1
Feature: Common Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs	p. 2
What Inspires You?	p. 3
Do You Have What It Takes?	p. 5
Your Chance of Success	p. 7
Your Entrepreneurial Type	p. 9
From Employee to Entrepreneur	p. 11
It's the Little Things	p. 13
Feature: Status Symbols for the Self-Employed	p. 14
Facing Our Fears	p. 15
Learning Courage	p. 17
Succeeding in Your First Business	p. 19
Feature: Keys to a "Training-Wheel Business"	p. 20
Your Business Concept	p. 21
Your Business Concept	p. 23
Feature: Discovering Your Business Concept	p. 24
How Good Is Your Business Idea?	p. 25
Choosing the Right Business	p. 27
Follow Your Passion?	p. 29
Yes, but Is It a Business?	p. 31
Turning Dreams into Reality	p. 33
Turning Dreams into Reality	p. 35
Goals versus Tasks	p. 37
Commit Yourself to the Turn	p. 39
Feature: Guidelines for Goals	p. 40
Seizing Opportunities	p. 41
Embracing Change	p. 43
Things Are About to Change	p. 45
Feature: Types of Changes Your Company May Face	p. 46
Is It Time to Throw in the Towel?	p. 47
Feature: Change Takes Time	p. 48
Turning Failure into Success	p. 49
Feature: The Promise of Change	p. 50
Get Over It!	p. 51
Strategy	p. 53
Focusing on Your Focus	p. 55
Feature: Your Mission Statement	p. 56
Developing Your Strategic Position	p. 57
Finding Your Niche	p. 59
Feature: How Do You Find Your Niche?	p. 60
Paranoia Can Save Your Business	p. 61
Feature: Steps to Diversify Your Business	p. 62
Who's Your Competition?	p. 63
Checking Out the Competition	p. 65
Competing with the Big Guys	p. 67
What Does Winning Mean?	p. 69
The Art of Setting Prices	p. 71
Competing on Price Alone	p. 73
Don't Nickel & Dime Your Customers	p. 75
Feature: Rule of Thumb for Extra Charges	p. 76
Give It Away to Grow Your Business	p. 77
Preparing Your Businessto Go On without You	p. 79
Develop Your Exit Strategy	p. 81
Feature: A Story about Setting Professional Fees	p. 83
Growth	p. 85
Feature: Rhonda's Rules for Growth	p. 86
Committing to Growth	p. 87
How Does Your Business Grow?	p. 89
How Do I Make More Money?	p. 91
Annual Plan for Success	p. 93
Feature: Keys to Annual Planning	p. 95
Feature: One Big New Thing	p. 96
A Virtual Approach to Growth	p. 97
Feature: Is It Time for Your Business to Leave Home?	p. 99
Marketing	p. 101
Finding New Customers	p. 103
Feature: Marketing Techniques	p. 104
Best Business Name Ever	p. 105
Make the Most of Your Business Card	p. 107
Get the Word Out about Your Business	p. 109
Telling Customers What to Think about You	p. 111
How to Manipulate the Media	p. 113
Deliver Your Message to Your Customers	p. 115
Advertising That Stays Around	p. 117
Getting Your Ads Right	p. 119
Feature: Create a One-Page Sales Sheet	p. 121
The Face of Your Business	p. 123
Feature: Networking Basics	p. 124
Develop Your Elevator Pitch	p. 125
How to Have a Business Lunch	p. 127
Feature: Do's and Don'ts for Business Lunches	p. 128
Powerful Presentations	p. 129
Getting Comfortable When All Eyes Are on You	p. 131
Feature: Don't Get Barbecue Sauce on Your Business Card	p. 132
Dress for Success in Your Business	p. 133
What Kind of Website Is Right for Your Business?	p. 135
Feature: Increasing Website Traffic	p. 137
Gold by Association	p. 139
Customers and Sales	p. 141
Who's Your Customer?	p. 143
Getting to Know Your Customers	p. 145
How to Get Your First Customer	p. 147
Make More from Each Customer	p. 149
Turn One-Timers into Lifetimers	p. 151
Sales Are the Heart of Business	p. 153
Responding to Prospects	p. 155
Writing Winning Proposals	p. 157
Landing Big Accounts	p. 159
Sometimes the Best Word Is "No"	p. 161
Making Cold Calls	p. 163
Dealing with Difficult Customers	p. 165
Getting Rid of Your Best Customers	p. 167
Encouraging Customer Complaints	p. 169
Feature: Keys to Successful Sales	p. 171
Leading Your Team	p. 173
Who Do I Want to Work With?	p. 175
Going from Doing to Leading	p. 177
A Field Guide to Advisors	p. 179
I Get By with a Little Help from My Friends	p. 181
Feature: Partnership Tips	p. 183
Feature: Working with Friends	p. 184
All in the Family?	p. 185
Getting Ready to Hire Others	p. 187
Feature: Building a Virtual Staff	p. 189
Feature: Are Two Better Than One?	p. 190
Hiring Your First Employee	p. 191
Learning to Be a Boss	p. 193
Attracting, Hiring, and Retaining Great Employees	p. 195
Feature: Who Do You Want on Your Team?	p. 198
Making the Most of Employees	p. 199
Getting Employees to Use Initiative	p. 201
Avoiding BADD Boss Syndrome	p. 203
Feature: Inexpensive Ways to Reward Employees	p. 205
Money and Financing	p. 207
Feature: Money Lingo	p. 208
The Bottom Line of Business	p. 209
Feature: Money Management Tips	p. 210
Where Do Numbers Come From?	p. 211
Finding Money for Your Business	p. 213
Start-up Money from Banks?	p. 215
Prepare to Get Your Loan	p. 217
Show Me the Money?	p. 219
Using Credit Cards to Finance Your Business	p. 221
Feature: Tax Tips	p. 222
Buy or Lease?	p. 223
Say Charge It!	p. 225
Do I Need to Collect Sales Tax?	p. 227
Feature: Sales Tax Information Resource	p. 228
Spring into Savings	p. 229
Details, Details, Details	p. 231
Feature: Nine Ways to Ensure Your Company's Survival	p. 232
Tips and Tricks for Business Life	p. 233
Overwhelmed by Too Many Choices	p. 235
How to Get More Hours in a Day	p. 237
Would It Kill You to See a Lawyer?	p. 239
Feature: All Those Little Government Things	p. 240
Remember the Independent Contractor Deadline	p. 241
Home Office Issues	p. 243
Working from a Distance	p. 245
Preparing for the Unexpected	p. 247
Go Outside and Play	p. 249
Feature: Vacation Planning Tips	p. 250
Feature: Business Lessons from Baseball	p. 251
Feature: A Dog's View of Business	p. 252
Doing Well by Doing Good	p. 253
Great Faith. Great Doubt. Great Effort	p. 256
Index	p. 261
Acknowledgments	p. 268
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