Story Ideas
Social media makes now a perfect time to turn your passion into profit. The advent of social media has brought with it the opportunity for small businesses to succeed as never before. But customers don’t just want to buy the most popular, cheapest or fastest product or service - they want to buy from someone they believe in. The author explains why there has never been a better time than this to create an authentic business based on passion; and how to create a step-by-step business plan to achieve it.
You’ve been laid off: it’s time to start the business you’ve always dreamed of. According to a recent article in Time Magazine, unemployment in many states has reached 10% or higher. Frustrated at not being able to find a job and with no prospects looming, many people are considering starting their own businesses. And they would be in good company. General Electric, Walt Disney, Microsoft and Google were all begun in recessions. The author discusses the critical questions a perspective business owner needs to ask, including: How do I determine if what I love to do is a viable business? How do I figure out if this is financially and psychologically feasible?
10 fun reasons why and easy ways to write a business plan in 2010. Everyone says that writing a business plan is the right thing to do; a good idea, and something all successful companies undertake. But the reality is that most small businesses still don’t do them. Why? They can’t take the time and often don’t want to confront the challenge of coming up with the specifics. The author offers ten fun reasons why, and easy ways that a small business can write a winning plan for 2010.
12 steps to creating your business plan. The shelves of any bookstore are filled to the brim with advice on how to write a business plan. The trouble is that many of those book are geared towards teaching the enterprising entrepreneur how to write a plan that will help them secure funding. But what if someone wants to write a business plan for themselves, as a guideline to run their business? The author explains how a business owner, or even someone just contemplating starting a business, can write a plan that serves as a template to empower the entrepreneur to run their business profitably over the next year.
Persevering in hard times. Even though it's the worst recession since the 1930's, many small business owners are weathering the storm and staying afloat. Some are even thriving. The author explains how business owners – by drawing on their passion for their work and their clients – can create and implement a business plan that will help them maintain success, even in tough times.