Eight Steps To The Next Level…

The Business Plan

“The Engine of Small Business Development”

This is the second of a series of articles describing how Small Business Owners and Managers can drive their business growth and profitable development through the creation and implementation of a Business Plan.

I spent the past 30 years as a business – to -business Management Consultant in Business and Marketing Planning and as a “hands-on operating Manager and senior executive of global Executive Management training organizations.

I know the prevailing view among many small business people is that “planning” is for the larger, more substantial business and “they are too busy running their business to have time for planning”. Indeed, many Small business owners are “too busy” running the business, but they ignore, at their own peril and survival, that “failing to plan is planning to fail.”

I am convinced that the small business owner will benefit from engaging in this business planning process because of the;

Nature of carefully examining and thinking through the way their business competes and operates; – and how that will align with their determination of”what business they want to be in”…

This business Planning Process yields a stronger, more profitable business which provides real value to its customers and the marketplace.  Read more... (1037 words, 1 image, estimated 4:09 mins reading time)

Cheap business travel is not something that right away comes to our mind when you initially think of people organizing conferences as well as meetings. You think of luxurious hotel rooms, costly business class flights, and more than a little luxury thrown in your primary package. It can be, and often is, this manner. However, there is another side to business travel which you frequently do not catch a glimpse of. Many travelers are ready to abandon a bit of luxury simply just to get the work done as well as having it cheaply and promptly as possible.

Often, there is no such sacrifice to be made concerning conditions of efficiency. The standard class coaches in a train, for example, will arrive on your destination at exactly the same time as the first class does. Frequently, the seats will be very just about the same If you are traveling at times when the train will not be overcrowded, you can be capable of getting nearly the same standard of service with traveling standard class. If you are capable of signing up your trip in advance, you can often make extra savings.

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For many people, it would be a dream come true to buy a property in the country or by the sea, and open it as an inn. Perhaps your dream includes a small restaurant or breakfast café too. It may seem an idyllic lifestyle but anyone who has opened such a venture will vouch for the amount of hard work, long hours and dedication required. It’s worth remembering at every stage, that it is a business, and as such you will need to take into account business basics such as San Diego business insurance.

There are many business insurance products available, and to streamline this business owners often opt for a package of policies (as this can be more cost-effective). A basic business insurance (BOP) would generally include property insurance, liability and contents insurance to cover furniture, office, kitchen and restaurant equipment and supplies.

Insurance packages can be tailed or specific industries, and you may add to a basic package with additional policies. You might include extra property insurance for outdoor signs or landscaping plants for instance. And consider also Innkeepers Liability Insurance, which is designed to cover the costs of damage to, or loss of guest’s property. If you are serving alcohol, a Liquor Liability Policy is an important option, covering financial costs in the event you are sued after serving alcohol to an intoxicated person who is then involved in an accident.  Read more... (265 words, estimated 1:04 mins reading time)

Cables, leads and wires are everywhere, all delivering power to the vital components that are essential in our daily lives: from the telephone to the toaster, to computer to television and power tools to heavy machinery. Without them, we would be at a loss.
The number of cables we encounter has declined, there are many electrical appliances or equipment that no longer require a lead and instead operate via batteries, charging units or simply wirelessly – telephones, microphones and kettles are good examples.
Yet the number of appliances we each now own and or use has increased dramatically and under our desks, our feet are frequently tangled up in a confused and dangerous mess of wires.

Yet with so many cables trailing around, it’s little wonder we aren’t constantly tripping over. Those who observe legislatory health and safety guidelines know to use a floor cable protector which tidies wires together, preventing accidents. However, these guidelines haven’t always been observed and the consequences can be costly.
These simple devices will ensure that people don’t trip up and hurt themselves needlessly. It also protects an individual or business from any claims for compensation on grounds of negligence.

Tripping isn’t the only hazard where cables are concerned. Contact with live electricity can kill, therefore it is vital that cable and plug socket quality is maintained. A risk assessment should be carried out (when the power has been turned off, naturally) to determine whether any need replacing or mending.  Read more... (313 words, estimated 1:15 mins reading time)

Preparing a business plan could take up most of your precious time as you start working on financial statements, analyses, strategies and other relevant information. But recently, the time-consuming and costly task of business planning has been made easy through the aid of free sample business plans.

Free sample business plans are available in books and the internet for your easy browsing. You can look into the business category or industry that you are interested in and view how the business plan was presented. These free sample business plans will help you to make your own business plan by providing you the important ideas. What often happens in practice is that the style and format of sample business plans are usually followed.

There are different formats for business plans that one can choose from.  One has to understand that there is not one standard style of presentation of the important business keypoints because a business plan depends on one’s goals. The business plan is the ultimate aid for deciding whether a specific plan of action is worth pursuing. Any business plan for future transactions must be in keeping with the original mission statement or the company’s vision. A business plan should also contain only the information you need in deciding about a certain action. Hence, a business plan for financial funding would necessarily include the business’ financial history and projected cash flows. The lending institute would be more interested in the company’s ability to pay its debt than it would be of the company’s human resource management.  Read more... (523 words, 1 image, estimated 2:06 mins reading time)