A Veritable Fountain Of Knowledge For Business Plan Writers

What makes an angel investor tick?  How do you build a newsletter for your business?  How do we sell successfully in turbulent times? 

Those are the kinds of topics that the Dow Jones Knowledge Center tackles.  Books, videos, white papers -- all sorts of tools to make it easier for business plan writers, and all business people, to find an inspiration or answer or two.

Dow Jones is in the business of selling information.  Yet all of the information on its Knowledge Center is free. 

One Two One Two - Get Your Fitness Business Plan In Shape

There are times I feel like a relentless drill sergeant, even to myself. 
One! Two! One! Two!
This is what
You need to do
Three! Four! Three! Four!
Words and numbers,
Nothing more.

If I added some red pom poms and wore a short skirt, others could join in.

The truth is, it is not that easy.  Some of us really latch onto those "words and numbers".  And some of us don't.  So let's make it even simpler than usual.  There are in truth only three things that your business plan needs to demonstrate:

Got Great Goodies? Put Them In Walmart or Staples!

Two venerable coast to coast retailers are having contests, the winners of which will be able to place their products on real shelves.  Both require submission via YouTube, so track down someone who knows the way around a video camera, sync some audio, and submit it.

The Business Plan For The Fool Proof Business

Create a business plan for a business that is nearly guaranteed to succeed.  That's right:  a self storage facility business plan.  It may not be glamorous, but it is a money machine.

A colleague actually became a multi millionaire in this industry.  He did nothing else.  He just built self storage facilities, hired a couple to manage each, then went on to the next location.  Over a period of a few years he built himself a self storage empire that put him among the very, very wealthy.

Your goals may be more modest, and that's fine.  Whatever level of business you want, you can probably have in the self storage industry.  There are ...

Business Plans For Traveling In Time

I found myself gazing out the window with pictures of palm trees dancing in my head.  (sigh)  Should you be afflicted with the same disease, not to worry.  There are now lots of ways to take that wanderlust and turn it into a real, live viable business opportunity.

Here are a few ideas to get your dreams started.

ONLINE TRAVEL WEBSITE.  Thousands upon thousands of people are taking their very favorite spot and creating magical websites.  This does NOT require a travel agent license because you are not taking money for tickets.  If you are fortunate enough to sell tickets at all, it will be through one of the major online services as an affiliate.  Or hook up with an agent who can use your services and feed that agent clients.  This romantic California travel site is one of my favorites.  You can do just as well yourself!

Business Plans For The Top 1%

That's you and me.  About 1% - 2% of the top performers in all industries leave their jobs each year to open their own businesses.  About 80% dream of doing it.  You and I actually do it.  That makes us the top 1%.  The other 20%?  Well, they are happy being employees, and I am glad for their happiness -- it just isn't my kind of happiness.

I am not sure there is such a thing as an "average" entrepreneur.  We are each so different, with different motivations, different goals, different challenges, different backgrounds.  The one thing we have in common is the desire to excel in a business that we define.  And that is a great goal.

So how does it feel to be in the top 1%?

I'll Be Home For Christmas - The New Small Business Mantra

The airwaves and e-waves are aglow with news about businesses coming home to the US.  Estimates are that by 2014 it will actually be cheaper to do business in the US than in China.  Seems the cost of fuel for those tankers, and the super-motivated employees in the US out rank the cheap labor overseas.

2014!!  That is just around the corner!  Holy cow, people, let's get those business plans in order and sprint on down to the starting gate.

The news is just overwhelming for the economy as a whole.  More businesses = more jobs = more money in this country = more businesses.  And it all adds up to growth and economic stability.  The news just could not be better.

But it isn't 2012 yet, and bank coffers haven't gone beyond cracking open yet, so what's a gal to do?

Snooping For Small Business Information - 3 Top Sources

Ever wondered how some people just seem to know the answer?   No, they are not super smart.  They just know where to get small business information.

Sometimes it is just a bear finding information for your business plan.  Do you need a unique name, one that isn't registered anywhere in your state?  Do you want to find out more information on a potential partner?  Do you suspect some criminal activity in an employee's past?

These are are very legitimate reasons for doing a bit of research.  And, if you are looking for business financing, it is imperative to do the research yourself before your lender stumbles on it.

Here are three top suggestions for doing that research:

It's A Good Day For Small Business

President Obama has sent his "Startup America Legislative Agenda" to Congress.  And most of it is pretty darn good.  Without a lot of commentary, here are some of the highlights:

TAX BREAKS FOR SMALL ENTREPRENEURIAL AND C CORPS

CAPITAL GAINS TAXATION.  Permanently eliminate capital gains taxes on investments in C corporations with less than $50 million in assets. This break would be exempt from the alternative minimum tax, and investors would have six months to roll over their gains into new investments in small businesses.