Small Business for Dummies

by Tyson, Eric; Schell, Jim

• ISBN13: 9781118083727
• ISBN10: 1118083725
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-12-27
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Updates to this new edition of Small Business For Dummies include: How start-up and established small businesses can use the Small Business Jobs Act to their advantage Enhanced and expanded coverage of using technology in your small business Hiring employees using online resources including LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media sites New coverage of the recent health care bill, health savings accounts, and their implications for small business Updated coverage of the best places to get small business loans

Author Biography

Eric Tyson has been featured on and quoted in hundreds of media outlets, including Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and Forbes.

Jim Schell is the resident entrepreneur for Small Business School, a weekly television program for PBS and Voice of America.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I: Becoming an Entrepreneur 9

Chapter 1: Is Small Business for You 11

Chapter 2: Laying Your Personal Financial Foundation 27

Chapter 3: Finding Your Niche 41

Chapter 4: First Things First: Crafting Your Business Plan 57

Chapter 5: Making Financing, Ownership, and Organizational Decisions 77

Part II: Buying an Existing Business 105

Chapter 6: Exploring Buying a Business 107

Chapter 7: Finding the Right Business to Buy 117

Chapter 8: Evaluating a Business to Buy 131

Chapter 9: Negotiating Terms and Sealing the Deal 149

Part III: Running a Successful Small Business 161

Chapter 10: The Owner’s Responsibilities in the Start-Up and Beyond 163

Chapter 11: Marketing: Products, Pricing, Distribution, Promotion, and Sales 191

Chapter 12: Tapping Technology 221

Chapter 13: Keeping Your Customers Loyal 233

Chapter 14: Managing Profitability and Cash 245

Chapter 15: Learning from the Experiences of Others 271

Part IV: Keeping Your Business in Business 283

Chapter 16: Finding and Keeping Superstar Employees 285

Chapter 17: Providing Employee Benefits 313

Chapter 18: Handling Regulatory and Legal Issues 333

Chapter 19: Mastering Small-Business Taxes 347

Chapter 20: Cultivating a Growing Business 361

Part V: The Part of Tens 381

Chapter 21: Ten Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make 383

Chapter 22: Ten Tips for Small-Business Success 391

Index 399