Synopses & Reviews
The leading resource for starting and running any small businessWant to start a small business — or energize the one you already have? This practical, no-nonsense guide gives you expert advice on everything from generating ideas and locating start-up money to hiring the right people, balancing the books, and planning for growth.
Start from scratch — overturn all the stones of a typical small business start-up, from choosing the right niche for you to writing a business plan to creating the right legal framework
If you buy it, will they come? — evaluate an existing business, determine a price, and know what to do after the sale is complete
Get your motor runnin' — discover how to solve the most compellingproblems facing small businesses, from sales creation and marketing to operational issues (and everything in between)
Stay in business — delve into the day-to-day issues you'll face as your business grows, like hiring and maintaining employees, tax laws, and government regulations
"No one should try to start a business without this book."
—Hattie Bryant, creator of the PBS series Small Business 2000
"Eric Tyson continues his never-ending quest to help people gain economic self-sufficiency and freedom."
—Jim Collins, coauthor of Built to Last and author of Good to Great
Learn to:
Keep your business "in business" for the long haul
Implement the latest in financing, hiring, health plans, and more
Utilize the latest technology and social media sites in your small business
Open the book and find:
Advice on gauging whetherentrepreneurship is for you
Tips on personal money management
Ways to successfully start or rejuvenate your small business
How to write a strategic business plan
Guidance on locating financing
The advantages of buying an existing business
Plain-English explanations of legal and tax issues
Time-tested problem-solving tips
Synopsis
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
Synopsis
The leading resource for starting and running any small businessWant to start the small business of your dreams? Want to breathe new life into the one you already have? Small Business For Dummies provides authoritative guidance on every aspect of starting and growing your business, from financing and budgeting to marketing, management and beyond.
This completely practical, no-nonsense guide gives you expert advice on everything from generating ideas and locating start-up money to hiring the right people, balancing the books, and planning for growth. You'll get plenty of help in ramping up your management skills, developing a marketing strategy, keeping your customers loyal, and much more. You'll also find out to use the latest technology to improve your business's performance at every level.
- How start-up and established small businesses can use the Small Business Jobs Act to their advantage
- Enhanced and expanded coverage on 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
- What it takes to achieve and maintain success in an ever-changing economic landscape
You have the energy, drive, passion, and smarts to make your small business a huge success. Small Business For Dummies provides the rest.
About the Author
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 1Part 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