Start Your Business Week by Week: How to Plan & Launch Your Successful Business - One Step at a Time

by PARKS, STEVE

• ISBN13: 9780273694472
• ISBN10: 0273694472
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-03-31
• Publisher: Trans-Atlantic Pubns

Summary

& bull; This is the first book that tells you exactly what to do to start a business, step by step, week by week. & lt;br/ & gt; & bull; Parks breaks down the process into bite-size tasks, removes the fear and the uncertainty and makes success more likely. & lt;br/ & gt; & bull; The book makes everything clear and easy, listing the contact information you need, giving examples of correctly filled in forms, business letters and telephone conversations.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	xii
Introduction	xiv
How to use this book	xvii
The Website	xx
A few warnings before you start	xxii
Week One: Getting Ready	1	(9)
Technology	2	(2)
Using your workspace	4	(1)
Identifying your local business support service	4	(1)
Scan through this book and prepare for the weeks ahead	5	(5)
Week Two: Think About Your Dreams	10	(10)
Think about what?	10	(1)
How do I do that?	11	(1)
What should I daydream about?	11	(1)
So many questions!	12	(1)
Turning mind pictures into real pictures	13	(1)
More than pictures	13	(1)
Is there really any point to this?	14	(1)
What do I do with this picture of the future?	15	(1)
To finish the week	16	(1)
Next week	16	(4)
Week Three: Where Are You Now?	20	(17)
The current reality	21	(1)
Time	22	(3)
Money	25	(2)
Emma	27	(1)
What do you know?	28	(1)
Who do you know?	28	(9)
Week Four: Start Learning and Start Work	37	(12)
Sharpen your entrepreneurial skills	38	(6)
Find out about local banks and accountants	44	(5)
Week Five: Find and Develop An Idea	49	(12)
Your business idea	49	(5)
Emma's idea	54	(1)
Following up from previous weeks	55	(6)
Week Six: Take Your Idea to the World	61	(11)
Communicating your work of genius	62	(1)
Test your pitch on yourself	63	(1)
A word of caution	63	(1)
Telling other people about your idea	64	(2)
Improving your idea	66	(1)
Starting to think of a name for your business	66	(2)
Arrange meetings with bank managers	68	(4)
Week Seven: Customers	72	(10)
What type of business are you?	72	(1)
What industry are you in?	73	(1)
What marketplace are you going to be operating in?	74	(1)
Emma	75	(1)
Becoming an expert	75	(1)
Looking for customers	76	(1)
Look your customer in the eyes	77	(1)
Your business plan	78	(1)
Writing the `Customers' section of your business plan	79	(3)
Week Eight: Management	82	(5)
Decide on roles	83	(1)
Decide on pay	84	(1)
Emma	84	(1)
Remember	85	(1)
Writing the `Management' section of your business plan	85	(2)
Week Nine: Sales	87	(7)
Meeting the bank managers	87	(3)
Selling your services	90	(2)
Emma and Alan	92	(2)
Week Ten: Resources 1	94	(8)
Remember you're flying a kite	94	(1)
Premises	95	(4)
Equipment	99	(3)
Week Eleven: Resources 2	102	(11)
People	102	(1)
Technology	103	(4)
Writing the `Resources' section of your business plan	107	(1)
Meeting your shortlist of accountants	107	(6)
Week Twelve: Suppliers	113	(6)
Getting information	114	(1)
Understanding pricing	115	(1)
Writing the `Suppliers' section of your business plan	116	(3)
Week Thirteen: Competitors	119	(4)
Who are your competitors?	119	(2)
Writing the `Competitors' section of your business plan	121	(1)
New ideas?	122	(1)
Week Fourteen: Planning to Avoid Trouble	123	(5)
What could cause a challenge to your business?	124	(1)
Trends	125	(1)
Planning for these challenges and trends	125	(1)
Don't panic!	126	(1)
Opportunities	126	(2)
Week Fifteen: Forecasting for Profit	128	(12)
Will you register for VAT?	128	(1)
Setting your prices	129	(1)
Forecasting your sales	130	(1)
Emma and Alan	131	(1)
The Profit Forecast	132	(2)
The moment of truth	134	(2)
Think about your company structure	136	(4)
Week Sixteen: Forecasting Cash Flow	140	(10)
The Cash Flow Forecast	141	(1)
How does it look?	142	(1)
Funding your business	142	(3)
Back to your forecasts	145	(2)
Emma and Alan	147	(3)
Week Seventeen: Finishing the Plan	150	(4)
Executive Summary	151	(1)
Test your plans on others	152	(2)
Week Eighteen: Send the Plan Out	154	(5)
Time to reflect	154	(2)
Decide on your company structure	156	(1)
Emma and Alan	156	(1)
Send it off!	157	(2)
Week Nineteen: Sell and Promote	159	(7)
Get selling	159	(2)
Press coverage	161	(1)
Plan your weekly cash flow	161	(5)
Week Twenty: Raise the Money	166	(7)
Meeting the bank managers	166	(1)
Investors: external	167	(1)
Investors: family and friends	168	(1)
Keep selling	169	(4)
Week Twenty-One: Start Your Business	173	(7)
Resigning!	174	(1)
Get legal advice	175	(1)
Registering your company	175	(2)
Domain names	177	(1)
Start getting your other resources in place	178	(1)
Keep selling	178	(2)
Week Twenty-Two: Do the Important Paperwork	180	(6)
Opening supplier accounts	181	(1)
Register with the Inland Revenue	181	(1)
Is there anyone else you need to register with, or comply with their regulations?	182	(2)
Keep selling	184	(2)
Week Twenty-Three: Last Few Forms	186	(5)
Registering for VAT	186	(1)
Issuing shares to investors	187	(1)
Emma and Alan	188	(1)
Keep selling!	188	(3)
Week Twenty-Four: Final Preparations	191	(3)
Taking stock	191	(1)
Sales	192	(1)
Emma and Alan	192	(2)
Week Twenty-Five: Launch!	194	(6)
B2C business	194	(1)
B2B business	195	(1)
Emma and Alan	196	(4)
Week Twenty-Six: Up and Flying!	200	(4)
Keep selling	200	(1)
Keep your customers	200	(1)
Keep learning	201	(1)
Keep proper records	201	(1)
Keep checking your progress against your plan	201	(1)
Keep going	201	(1)
Keep in touch	201	(1)
Racing Greens	202	(2)
Index	204