Toot Toot Tootsie, G'Bye

It is a time of endings.  2011 is closing its doors, and most sigh a sigh a relief.  Not a lot of us want to re-live the past year.

And it is time of beginnings, and that is a lot more exciting.  Did you know that about 1.2 MILLION people quit their jobs last year to become entrepreneurs?  That really is "quit", not laid off, not fired.  This is probably the greatest news the economy could have.

Count 'em Up

Finding current unbiased demographic information is tough.  While the best source for locating information on local neighborhoods is still your county planning department, should you be looking at larger metropolitan areas, the Brookings Institution has an excellent free report for you.  It is the MetroMontor: Tracking Economic Recession and Recovery in America's 100 Largest Metropolitan Areas.

The Institute notes up front that the stats only reflect activity through the third quarter of 2011, i.e., the end of September 2011, but that is a whole lot better than most reporting agencies can do. 

1,001 Entreprenuers Wanted!

Still looking for that perfect entrepreneurial venture?  Well, have we got a treat for you.  I am not sure that there are 1,001 opportunities listed, but there are a lot.

First, we have discovered a neat online tool called "O*Net Online" that does list literally thousands of occupations, including the growth prospects for that occupation, its average income and lots more.  We did a search for "self-employed", and wow, did we get an ear full.  Just look at this list of possible self employed jobs, with everything from doctors to to dancers.  Click on any one of those jobs and find out what you need to know to create your self employment, the training, the skills, the experience.  It is an impressive list.

Our whole website, too, is all about self employment,

Ready, Set, Ready, Set, Ready, Set, whaaaa?

There are two kinds of failures in the world -- the ones who prepare and prepare and prepare, and the ones who do no prep at all.  Either approach is deadly.  For the Success, dear Watson, lies somewhere in between.

The first kind -- those who seem to "get ready" forever -- are the hardest to spot because whatever they are doing does look important.  And some of it probably is.  There is just a certain amount of work that goes into any major project.  In the case of starting a new business, for example, consider

• What type of business you want;
• How much it will cost, and why;
• What your funding options are;

Newscasters and Wet Noses

The Dog Day Care Business Plan eBook

Have you noticed?  Nearly every news report ends with a fuzzy or furry creature lovingly gazing into the camera.  This didn't used to be.  I suspect that the financial trauma of the past few years has brought us back to a homey seeking society.  And I for one like that.

There are also more pets than there used to be.  Since many couples are deferring having children, it seems that pets are taking their place.  And that spells o-p-p-o-r-t-u-n-i-t-y for watchful entrepreneurs.

More pets means all kinds of pet care are needed.  Dog walkers are in demand in more affluent areas where both adults work.  Full day care for dogs is also on the rise, as as doggie hotels in all kinds of locations.  Some people prefer to leave their pets at home, and need a care center near home. Others travel with pets and welcome doggie hotels near where they are staying.

Developing the marketing for doggie day care and doggie hotels is relatively easy.

Just One Itsy Bitsy Resolution? Pleeeeeease

This isn't for the Dave Letterman top ten, nor necessarily for you.  This is MY resolution, and mine alone.  I hereby resolve to take one day a week off from work.  Totally.  No notes.  No computer.  Certainly no business plan writing.

This is the one thing that I do believe will add most to the quality of my life.  And ultimately, it is a quality of life that we are all after.  Income, yes.  But even more we want quality of life.  This is why so many thousands of entrepreneurs have shifted to home businesses.  You just cannot believe the difference it makes in Life until you try it.  How about

Sooooothe Your Tattered Soul With A Relaxing Day Spa Business Plan

The 7 Step Day Spa Business Plan

Have you felt it?  When you walk into a banker's office everything tightens up -- your shoulders, your neck, your back.  Heck, you might even be clenching your teeth.

Unless you take your masseur with you, we need a better approach.  How about walking in with confidence, knowing you've got a great day spa business plan in hand?  Honest, it is a whole lot easier to get all that pressure out of the way before you ever step into the bank.  And it is not that hard.

Tapping Toes and Tippie Toes - All In One Dance Studio Business Plan

I thought ballet had nearly disappeared from existence.  And then Stephen Colbert had a duo from the American Ballet Theater (an excellent troupe, by the way) on his show.  And tonight I saw an ad for a ballet school, way out in the middle of nearly nowhere.  So there is hope.

And there are also tango sessions, and hip hop hullabalos, and jive, and folk dances from around the world. I guess as long as people can move, they will dance.  And that is so good.

Sweep It, Swab It, Clean It Up!

Any cleaning service business plan pretty much gets a "ho hum" from a banker.  Let's face it.  It is not a romantic job.

But it can indeed be quite lucrative.  And bankers like money.  Bankers really like money.

Use that affinity for money to your advantage in crafting a cleaning service business plan.  And add a bit of a light touch if possible.  For example, for headers try ...

It Is A Good Thing That Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

And behold!  I am certainly a whole more beautiful than my mirror would attest to.

A great beauty salon does the impossible:  It makes the so-so person feel really great.  Business plans can't do that, even our 7 Step Beauty Salon Business Plan.  All we can do is help out with words.  And numbers.  And presentation.  But the important stuff -- like making someone feel beautiful -- no, we can't do that.

Service With Honor, and A Smile -- No Small Accomplishment

Tomorrow is the International Day of Human Rights.  I paused today and read the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights.  I am proud to say that I will be among the Occupiers tomorrow who read the Declaration aloud for all to hear.  It is an important document, and needs to be heard.

I also paused to wonder, "What is our obligation to serve, as well as receive?"  Yes, I remember well President Kennedy's call to "Ask not what your country can do for you.  Ask what you can do for your country."

One would think it easy to lose track of these sentiments in daily chores, whether in the board room or the janitor's closet.  In fact, we actively participate in these sentiments every single day because we can ALL choose to be service businesses, no matter what we do.

Sip A Little, Munch A Little - A Vintage Wine Bar!

There isn't a wine bar business plan in existence (even ours) that will actually tell you how to make a wine bar successful.  We can only tell you what you already know:

• Location
• Location
• Location

It also helps to have a nose matching that of your guests. And a solid marketing plan.  And a good vintner or two in your pocket doesn't hurt either.  About that vintner ...

C'Mon, Buddy - Get That Sports Bar Financing In Shape

OK, so I am not a big sports bar fan.  I am not even a sports fan.  Too much brutality for my taste.  But lots of people do enjoy guzzling beer and shouting at a TV screen.  And that's where your Sport Bar Business Plan comes into play.

The good news is that your lender is likely a man.  Even if "he" is a "she", she will no doubt grasp the concept of a screaming hoard of men. (Sorry.)  More to the point, male or female, the banker knows the reality of the cash that flows through a sports bar.  And there's your hook.

Give Your Coffee House A Jolt Of Caffein

An internet cafe business plan used to be a Big Deal.  The local internet cafe put out big signs, promoted its services in the yellow pages and on its menu and in every single ad. These spots were truly a Big Deal near colleges and business districts since those folks might even have lap tops that could take advantage of the connection.

No more.  It is not that internet cafes have gone away.  Just the opposite:  There are hot spots everywhere.  Being an "internet cafe" is pretty much a given for all coffee houses now.

So when you write a business plan for an "internet cafe", odds are that you are really looking at something just a bit different.

Mama Mia, What A Pizza!

Sure, you've got the greatest pizza in the world.  Hey, I've tried it, and I know.  As far as your pizza parlor business plan?  Well, that could use a little work.

You see, everybody thinks they have the greatest pizza in the world.  And they do.  And therein lies the problem.  The issue for raising financing for your pizza house is not HAVING the best pizza in the world, but SELLING it.

The Catering Business: Service On The Run

Personally I have never understood how they could do it.  Talking on the phone while whipping up a creme brulee for one of today's festivities (only one of four such festivities).  Scheduling workers -- and delivery trucks.  Checking uniforms. Coordinating with the decorators.  Taking upteen calls from clients.  Pricing parties for ten and for a thousand.  Scheduling kitchen facilities to accommodate all the different dishes.

Catering has got to be one of the toughest businesses going.  Fortunately for us, thousands of exquisite chefs step up to the plate every year, bringing us everything from hot dog parties at the beach to New Year's galas.  Whether yours is a home catering business, or an established catering business looking for funding, our collective hats go off to you!

What's that?  You need some financing?  Well, here's the scoop.

Frost Your Buns With A Little Green Stuff

'T is rather a truism in any kind of sales that you need to establish a commonality between you and the other personal to make a good sale.  There is a great deal of truth in that statement.  And if you are writing your bakery business plan, it is certainly true.

But you are in luck.  You already have that commonality, without doing a silly thing.  Baked goods of all kinds fall into that "comfort food" category, whether you are baking breads or muffins or wedding cakes.  (OK, the wedding cakes may be mixed emotions, but mostly the feelings will be positive.)  So what you do you to really entice a lender?

Sip A Little, Talk A Little, Put A Little In Your Plan

The stumbling block for many cafe business plans is simply that: A "little".  It is a little business.  It only needs a little bit of financing to start.  And it will only make a little money.

Bankers aren't fond of "little".  While they don't demand the go-go growth that venture capitalists do demand, bankers need to see more than "little".  Few bankers will look at businesses needing less than $100,000 no matter what category they are in.  AND they need a very strong income stream to pay back the loan.

So what if your cafe really is "little"?

Say NO To Financing For Your Own Good

There are three bills flitting through Congress relating to allowing small businesses to raise up to $1 million without doing any registration.  This sounds harmless enough, but there are very serious issues with it.

First, any business financing strategy must be based on a solid business model.  Whether the model is new or old, it must demonstrate the capacity for earning income before unsophisticated outside investors get involved.  That is a serious consideration.  "Sophisticated investors", those wealthy individuals accustomed to risking hundreds of thousands of dollars, are on their own.  But ordinary people simply deserve to have better safeguards. 

Why Do Restaurants Spell "F-A-I-L-U-R-E"?

And it is not just beginning chefs who find the restaurant business challenging.  We've seen many top names bite the dust in utter defeat.  You have too.  It is rather axiomatic that restaurants are hard to start.  And there are lots of reasons given, such as:

• Restaurant owners don't know business
• Poor location
• Cuisine that doesn't match the location
• Start up costs are out of line