Many women are so confused by the words – “Business Plan”. What is it? Who do I show it to? Do I really need it? What is it really going to do for me?

A business plan is a written blueprint for your business. It describes a summary of what your business is about and it s goals. It also outlines how your business will function. The term business plan was first developed by bankers who wanted a detailed report of how a business would result in profits before they would make a decision on lending money. Today, no business banker will even entertain a business loan application without a business plan.

In a nutshell, the answer is yes, you really do need a business plan if you really want to build a solid foundation under your home-based business.

I guess the reason so many women procrastinate in doing a business plan is because they think they have to come up with some imaginary figures and statistics about their business which is of course very scary for anyone. This type of plan is known as an Executive Business Plan. This plan is shown to banks, SBA and other lenders who you may apply to for a substantial loan. Usually, this type of business plan must show a 3-5 year projection of how much money your business would make if they should lend you a specific sum of money. Although you will need this type of business plan should you wish to expand your business, the most important thing for you to know now is where you will be in the next 3,6,9 and 12 months.

One of the best form of business plans to start out with is Read the rest of this entry »

Avoiding the top 7 business financing mistakes is a key component in business survival.

If you start committing these business financing mistakes too often, you will greatly reduce any chance you have for longer term business success.

The key is to understand the causes and significance of each so that you’re in a position to make better decisions.

>>>>>> Business Financing Mistakes (1) – No Monthly Bookkeeping.

Regardless of the size of your business, inaccurate record keeping creates all sorts of issues relating to cash flow, planning, and business decision making.

While everything has a cost, bookkeeping services are dirt cheap compared to most other costs a business will incur.
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It was formerly the case that the area of online marketing was thought to be its own distinct specialty. That has now evolved with the merging of on-line and off-line domains.

Sophisticated marketers know that best practices in communication and collaboration technology are just as applicable to online marketing as other marketing domains. This article highlights four time tested techniques to enhance your online marketing…

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Although recent discussions using the colorful terms “Dead Banks Walking” and “Zombie Banks” contain some humor and have entertainment value, there is also a more serious and practical aspect. For most business finance funding situations, it is not likely to be in the best interest of prudent business owners to be involved with a bank which can be accurately described as a zombie bank or dead bank walking.

The impact for commercial financing can be extensive because the descriptions increasingly appear to apply to a significant number of banks. If they are dealing with a dead bank walking, it should be helpful for commercial borrowers to discover their practical options for eliminating zombie banks from their working capital loan review process.
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The Internet is a modern day Gold Rush! It seems that almost everybody is looking to start an online business and make their fortune! Just search for “Online Business Opportunities” and you will be overwhelmed by the thousands of options available.

Before you go parting with your hard earned cash it is worth thinking the process through. You are entering into the world of the online entrepreneur and you will need certain skills to survive and flourish there. This article looks at the characteristics you will need in this world; some you may already have, others you will have to learn. But without them you will certainly struggle with your new endeavour.

The word “Entrepreneur” can be defined in many ways. It is about clarifying one’s vision, taking action, and bringing that vision to life. In simple terms it’s getting your butt off the sofa and actually making something happen – rather than drifting through life as a couch potato who’s biggest concern is what’s happening in the latest TV soap!

There are certain qualities or attitudes of mind that all successful entrepreneurs have: Read the rest of this entry »

Need a few more loans but don’t have the cash to do some serious marketing? Have no fear. In this issue I am going to reveal 7 fantastic ways to generate leads almost for free. These methods are super cheap (most are free) and work like gangbusters.

How do I know? Because I shared them with my coaching clients and they had excellent results.

These 7 methods are just a few of the over 30 cheap marketing methods I share in one lesson of my 24 lesson Jump Start Your Mortgage Career E-Class. This new class is for any loan officer who is new and struggling or any verteran that just needs a little help with their marketing. It took me over 2 years to create the content for this 12 week, 24 lesson class, and I can honestly say there is nothing available out there that compares to this class.

Finish: Mortgage Leads here

Setting up a display at a trade show is expensive business. You have to rent the space, create a display, promote it, stock it, and staff it. Before you decide to get involved, take a serious look at the costs of all of these components.

Start planning well ahead. You already know this, right? Keep yourself as organized as possible right from the beginning — even before you book your space. You know how carefully today’s brides plan their weddings. Months, even years ahead, they start thinking about the church, the reception, the dresses, the flowers, the cake. And of course, the cost. Well, you’re the bride. Grab your planning book and start writing down everything you must do to get yourself ready for a successful trade show season — next year’s.

Even before you decide to go into a show or two, you should have a hard look at the costs and expected returns. This is why you create a trade show budget. Whether you admit it or not, everything has a cost, and trade shows are no exception. Remember that your objective is to make sales, or at least generate opportunities to make sales. So you have to view your costs in that light. Everything should be done with an eye on its potential return.

How to Start your Trade Show Budget Planning…

Read the rest of: Creating A Trade Show Budget here

Two new articles on the subject of how to write press releases that get noticed and get published:

1. Building Business with Press Releases

2. Media Training 101 — the Secrets of Writing a Good Press Release

Getting the word out about your business is imperative to making sales and profit. Offline advertising and online advertising can seem to be a daunting task. Here are a few helpful articles to achieve more exposure for your business:

1. Ad Copy – 10 ad copy tips you can use to help write better ads
2. Advertising Costs- Getting the most from your advertising dollars.
3. Advertising Agencies- If you have never worked with an advertising agency then you are missing out on some smart marketing.

Ebook: Word Power III – Writing ad copy for your web site is a LOT different than writing headlines for a news ad. In web copy you have approximately 3 to 5 seconds at the MOST to catch your viewers attention! “Word Power III” helps you do this with his ebook masterpiece. It’s loaded with great headlines along with a complete ebook of adcopy instructions.