Saturday, January 15, 2011

Your Child Care Business needs a well prepared plan. It's not that hard.

The Importance Of A Good Child Care Business Plan

By Shaunta Pleasant



Caring for children can be rewarding on many different levels, not only financial but psychological as well. The satisfaction the skilled child care worker gains from a job well done stretches far beyond the amount of money to be made.

==It Is Important To Show That Your Child Care business Can Turn A Profit==

Even though financial considerations may not be the prime motivation for opening a child care business, it is still important that others be able to see how the business can turn a profit.

After all, a child care business is still a business, and starting such a business will require the preparation of a solid and professional child care business plan.

It is hard to overstate the importance of a successful child care business plan to the success of such a competitive business. A good business plan will outline the new business' strategy for success, and help explain what sets it apart from the existing competition.

==How Do You Plan On Marketing The Business==

Setting yourself apart from the competition is important for any new business owner, but it can be even more important for those people planning to open an education based or child care focused business.

It is important for your business plan to outline how you plan to market the business effectively, and how you plan to make the business profitable in the least amount of time.

==The Business Plan Can Help You Get Financed==

The business plan you create will be vital to obtaining the startup financing needed to get a child care business off the ground.

There are certainly a large number of items to be purchased for a new child care business, including chairs, desks, teaching supplies, playground equipment, etc. This equipment can be quite costly, and few child care businesses can succeed without startup funding or outside investors.

That is why a complete and professional child care business plan is so important. No potential investor or lender will be willing to loan you money or partner with you unless he or she is convinced you can make a go of the business. Your business plan, therefore, should carefully outline your strategy for success.

==Structuring Your Business Properly==

A good child care business plan will also be important to limiting any potential legal liability such a business can engender.

It is important to structure a business property in order to limit liability, and a business plan, carefully reviewed by a competent attorney, can be a good first step in such liability planning.

Shaunta Pleasant is a professional web writer and editor on business plan topics. Visit my site to learn more about writing a business plan at http://www.business-plan-made-easy.com/child-care-business-plan.html



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Celan up in the Car Wash business with a solid Business Plan

Preparing A Solid And Useful Car Wash Business Plan

By Shaunta Pleasant



Starting a car wash can be an excellent way to bring in some extra money, or even to replace your nine to five income.

A car wash business can be a good choice for those people who are looking for a business model with a high profit margin, and one that can be run on a part time basis.

Many entrepreneurs start out with just one car wash, then move on to buy more after they discover how profitable such a business can be.

==Your Car Wash Business Plan Can Help You Raise Start Up Capital==

Before you wash your first car, or buy your first car wash, however, it is important to establish and create a solid car wash business plan. Such a business plan will be vital if you are to raise the startup capital you need, whether you plan to buy an exiting car wash or build a new facility.

==The More Detailed Your Car Wash Business Plan The Better==

It is important that the car wash business plan detail the potential for profit that the business represents, including such things as projected volumes and profit margins.

The more detailed your business plan is, the better your chances of gaining the financing, or attracting the investors, you will need for a successful car wash operation.

==The Benefits And The Potential Problems==

It is important that a good car wash business plan not only outline the potential benefits of the business, but that it detail any potential issues or problems you are likely to encounter.

A business plan that does not include these potential pitfalls may not be taken seriously by lenders and potential investors.

==Provide Details On Just What It Will Take To Get Your Business Off Of The Ground==

It is important, as well, for your car wash business plan to provide details on just what it will take to get the business off the ground. For instance, if you plan to build a new car wash, you will need to plan for the purchase of the property, the construction costs and the ongoing utility costs.

Some costs, such as water, will be obvious, but it is also important that the facility provide sufficient lighting, and possibly heat as well, particularly in colder climates.

No matter what type of car wash you plan to open, it would be difficult to overstate the importance of a good solid car wash business plan. A business plan is the key to getting the financing you need to live your dreams.

Shaunta Pleasant is a professional web writer and editor on business plan topics. Visit my site to learn more about writing a business plan at http://www.business-plan-made-easy.com/car-wash-business-plan.html




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Why every Bar Business needs a Business Plan

Creating A Winning Bar Business Plan

By Shaunta Pleasant



Running a bar may seem like a lot of fun, like a full time party, but it is important to understand that the bar business is first and foremost a real business, and it is important to give it the due diligence and seriousness that it deserves.

==Marketing Your Business Effectively==

This means that even the most casual bar owner will need a good bar business plan in order to get off to a good start.

Getting a bar business up and running is never an easy process, and creating a professional and detailed business plan will help you plan for the future, market your new bar business effectively, and increase your chances for success.

==Detailing Both The Challenges And The Opportunities==

Getting a new fledgling business off the ground is one of the most difficult things anyone can do, and it is important that your bar business plan detail both the challenges and opportunities the new business is likely to face.

Being honest about things like the level of local competition, the potential legal issues the bar is likely to face, and other issues, is the best way to reassure potential investors and nervous lenders.

==Make Sure You Do Not Cut Corners On Your Bar Business Plan==

The business plan you create will be one of the most important documents in your new businesses.

When starting a new business, whether it is a nightclub, a bar or a disco, it can tempting to want to get the business up and running quickly, and to cut corners on creating the business plan.

==Your Bar Business Plan Should Be As Complete And As Detailed As Possible==

It would be a mistake to do so, however, since the bar business plan will be the cornerstone of your new enterprise.

Your business plan will come into play not only at the beginning, when you are seeking that all important startup capital, but down the road as well.

Every time you need to take a loan or attract investors in order to expand the business or overcome temporary difficulties, the business plan is the first document any potential lender will want to see. It is important, therefore, for the business plan to be as complete and as detailed as possible.

==Your Business Plan Can Help With Minimizing Your Tax Burden And Planning For Legal Liability Issues==

A bar business plan will also be important when it comes time to minimize your tax burden and plan for legal liability issues.

Planning for, and minimizing, legal liability issues is particularly important for the bar owner, and a good solid bar business plan will help you plan this important issue in the most effective manner possible.

Shaunta Pleasant is a professional web writer and editor on business plan topics. Visit my site to learn more about writing a business plan at http://www.business-plan-made-easy.com/bar-business-plan.html




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Your Music Business requires a Business Plan to Succeed

Writing A Music Business Plan For Your Business Growth

By Shaunta Pleasant



For those interested in the music business, few things are as exciting or as challenging as opening their own music business. There are many facets to the music business, from acting as agent to the hot new music group to running a successful outlet selling new and used musical instruments.

==The Music Industry==

The music industry offers some unique challenges and some great opportunities, and the savvy businessperson can take advantage of those challenges and opportunities to create a thriving business even in the most difficult of climates.

Before opening the doors of your great music store, or taking the new band to the top, however, it will be necessary to create a solid business plan in order to attract financing, partners and investors.

No businessperson will invest in a new music business without a thorough understanding of that business's prospects for success. A business plan is a way to communicate the goals of the business and to quantify its financial needs and prospects.

== What Should You Include In Your Business plan ==

Many new business owners are unsure how to write a business plan, or what that business plan should include. Every business plan will be different, and the business plan for a new music business may look quite different from that of a new accounting business.

That having been said, however, there are certain elements that all business plans have in common, and certain things that they all must include.

Some of the required elements of every business plan include:

What the business does. Any potential investors will of course want to have a thorough understanding of the purpose of the business, and, most importantly, how it plans to make a profit.

The mission statement of the business, a mission statement is most commonly a simple one page document which details the purpose of the business and the business philosophy of its owners and management.

Information on the experience and qualifications of the management team, this is one of the most important parts of any business plan, and it is particularly important for those opening a business in the music industry.

The management team is a key to the success of any business, and it is important that the team be able to guide the business to profitability.

== The Challenges Facing The Music Industry In General==

A discussion of the challenges facing the music industry in general and the business in particular; it is important that the business plan include a discussion of the ever changing nature of the music industry, both the challenges created and the opportunities provided.

It is important to detail how the nature of the music industry will affect the prospects of the company as well.

Starting a music business is not easy, and it will require perseverance, hard work and of course long hours and substantial capital investment. The rewards of a successful music business are great, however, and well worth the risk and the time invested.

Shaunta Pleasant is a professional web writer and editor on business plan topics. Visit my site to learn more about writing a business plan a http://www.business-plan-made-easy.com



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Why You Need a Business Planning System NOT a Business Plan

Why You Need a Business Planning System NOT a Business Plan

By David Coffman



When someone mentions business planning we have been conditioned to think about writing a business plan. There are hundreds of books and articles, tons of software, an army of consultants, and a multitude government programs to help you write a business plan. There are virtually no resources to help you set up what today's business environment really demands - a continuous, ongoing planning system.

A commonly accepted theory is that for a business to survive and prosper it must be flexible and nimble. It must be able to turn on a dime as conditions warrant. Having a written five-year plan is not part of this picture. In fact, trying to follow a long-term plan during rampant change is not logical. It is applying linear thinking to a non-linear situation. It just doesn't work.

Having a formal, written business plan is so accepted as being crucial to success that there haven't been many studies or surveys to test this premise. If business plans were such a wonderful thing, there would be a significant and conclusive difference between businesses that have them and those that don't. Interviews of 100 founders of companies on 1989s "INC 500" list of fastest growing private companies in the U.S. found only 28 percent had "full-blown" business plans. The 1993 AT&T Small Business Study found that 59 percent of small businesses that grew over the previous two years used a formal business plan. A 1994 survey of the country's fastest growing companies found 23 percent lacked a business plan. "The Relationship between Written Business Plans and the Failure of Small Businesses in the U.S.," by Dr. Stephen Perry, surveyed 152 failed and 152 non-failed small businesses in 1997. He found that 64 percent of the non-failed firms had no written business plan. He also found that non-failed firms had more extensive written plans than failed firms, 23 percent compared to 9 percent, respectively.

As you can see the results of studies and surveys are all across the board and don't prove anything. Clearly, a significant percentage of successful businesses don't have written business plans. None of these studies reveal the nature of the process that created the plan. Was it the result of an annual process with occasional updates or an ongoing, continual process? As Professor Albert Shapero said, "Companies that plan do better than companies that don't, but they never follow their plan."

The focus needs to be on the PROCESS not on the plan. If a continual, ongoing planning process is in place, a written business plan is just not important. Writing a business plan without a planning system in place is a massive effort that is done very infrequently. Many businesses write three to five year plans and update them annually. The plans are reviewed periodically during each year to analyze the plan vs. actual variances. Little, if any, thought is given to strategy between the annual updates. Strategy should be the focus everyday. Setting up a planning system allows and sometimes forces you to focus on strategy.

A planning system consists of two functions. One is a goal setting and attaining process, and the other is a trend watching or environment scanning process. Setting up a planning system takes several steps. The first and foremost task is to set aside or make time for planning on a regular, ongoing basis. It must become part of your routine, not an occasional event that can be easily postponed. In the evaluation phase, the owner or management team and the company are analyzed. From the analysis, key or critical areas of the business are identified. These areas are filtered down to focus on the most important ones. Performance measures are determined and systems to gather and process the necessary data are set up, if needed. A base of current performance is used to set goals.

Now the regular, ongoing stuff begins. Strategies are formulated, tested, implemented, monitored, and reworked until the goals are achieved. Each planning session is split between working on strategies and trend watching. As goals are achieved, the goal setting and strategy formulation process begins again.

Let's put the focus back where it belongs on continuous, ongoing planning instead of writing business plans. As Karl Albrecht said in his book Corporate Radar, "The majority is not always right, the conventional wisdom is not always wise, and the accepted doctrine could well be flawed. The more fashionable an idea, the more it is likely to be exempt from critical evaluation. Breakthrough thinking sometimes calls for contradicting the most widely held assumptions and beliefs."

Copyright 2005 David Coffman

David E. Coffman CPA/ABV, CVA has authored a number of articles, reports, white papers, and books about small business valuation and planning topics. He founded Business Valuations & Strategies in 1997 to work exclusively with small businesses in these areas. His “Power to Prosper Small Business Planning System” is available at http://www.bus-val-strat.com



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Monday, January 3, 2011

Business Plan Software

Business Plan Software: Do You Need It?

By Christopher J Enders



Business plan software is something that often gets overlooked

and isn't considered to be a necessity for some reason. In my

opinion, business plan software is essential, it is not a luxury.

I am a huge advocate of business planning. When people ask me if

they need a business plan, my response is, "Absolutely!" You see,

starting a business without a business plan is akin to starting

college without a degree plan. If you don't know where you are

going, you won't know how to get there. You will waste your time

and your money if you are not following a plan. It's really that

simple!

So, you know you need a business plan, but what about business

plan software? For business planning, there are really three

alternatives: 1) crafting your own business plan from scratch; 2)

hiring a business plan writer or business planning consultant; or

3) using business plan software to write your own business plan.

Each of these alternatives has its own advantages and

disadvantages.

Writing your own business plan from scratch is certainly a

possibility. Doing so gives you the freedom to format and arrange

the plan in any way that you see fit. On the other hand, doing

financial projections, which are necessary for the purpose of

budgeting and financial planning, can be difficult to do without

a business plan program, or at least financial projection

software or spreadsheets.

Hiring a business plan writer makes sense for some people. A

business plan writer is generally well-versed in business

planning and will have insight that will assist you in preparing

a comprehensive business plan that takes everything into account.

The disadvantages to having your business plan professionally

written are the expense associated with the initial plan, and the

limitations that exist in regard to changing it as your business

evolves, which is something that business plan software empowers

you to do.

Business plan software is relatively inexpensive when compared to

hiring a professional business plan writer or consultant.

However, when compared to doing your own plan from scratch, it

may seem like an unnecessary expense. Business plan software does

have many advantages. A good business plan software package, like

Business Plan Pro by Palo Alto, has the headings and categories

for a business plan already set up for you. It also has guidance

throughout the business planning process that explains what to

include in each part of your business plan.

What I really love about Business Plan Pro is that it is so easy

to do financial projections using the business plan software,

whether or not you understand accounting. The main financial

sections include a section for start-up costs, one for income

projections, one for a proforma balance sheet, and one for a

projected cash flow statement. Information that input into one of

the financial forms automatically transfers calculations to the

other financial statement forms making the process of projecting

your financial plan a breeze.

Another huge advantage I see in regard to business plan software

is that when you use business plan software to create your own

business plan, you can make changes to it anytime you need to. It

doesn't become a stale document that sits on the shelf and

collects dust. A business plan should be always evolving. You

should update your business plan frequently including new goals,

objectives and milestones. You should also adjust your financial

projections regularly for the purpose of budgeting. Business plan

software makes it easy to do.

If you choose not to use business software, and to create your

own business plan from scratch, you will need some guidance

unless you are a professional business planner yourself. The

Small Business Administration http://www.sba.gov has some excellent

resources and guides about business planning. If you choose to

hire a professional business plan writer, do review their

qualifications and references and make certain that you

understand exactly what is included in the business planning

services they are offering.

Copyright Christopher J. Enders. Are you at the end of your rope, fed up and confused by all the scrambled internet marketing advice you're getting? Whether you are new to internet marketing, or a website owner who wants to make more money from your website, learn the proven strategies that will sky-rocket your internet business at http://BiznessTips.com


You can examine proven templates from this popular business plan software.



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Saturday, January 1, 2011

Real Estate Investment Business Plan

How to Get Started in Real Estate Investing - Writing an Effective Real Estate Business Plan

By Oyinlola Akinsanya



An effective business plan, for most business, can help you think about the business and get to know it fully. It also helps you to strategically plan for the different aspects of the business. Such plans let the investor know what will be pursued as well as provide a clear road map for the management to follow.

Savvy investors always put together a business plan for each property investment. It is important therefore, that you take your time to plan each real estate investment you make.

In writing your plan, you have to identify the areas for improvement and the strategies for increasing the value of the property.

For first-time investors, it is important that you ask the following questions before writing your plan:

1 Why am I going into real estate business?

2 What challenges are involved in real estate? Can I handle them?

Taking time to answer the questions may prevent you from making costly mistakes which make this type of investment a disaster for many people.

Real estate investment comes with its own challenges and it is important that you know them and have a plan for resolving each of them. For most that are bringing in investors to look at your plan, the investors will want to see that you have experience in acquiring and managing real estate - strong enough to face the challenges involved. They want to know if you are emotionally and financially capable of handling tenants who do not pay and refuse to leave. They want to know if you are capable of handling the maintenance of the property and the contractors involved.

Strengths and competitive advantages are also points you should note though they are less important in real estate than in other businesses. You many want to talk to local brokers who know the market and can give sincere and honest advice.

What about insurance and tax reporting? You must be able to source for the right insurance coverage on your property. You must make sure all dues are paid in taxes and your accounts balanced. If you are not very good at this, you may consider getting if done through consulting.

Partnership is also an important issue in real estate investments. If you consider bringing in partners or investors, you have to look at securities law issues and investor communications. You must be ready to provide the reports and financials at intervals determined by the investors,or state laws. Most investors like to see quarterly financial reports.

Writing an effective real estate business plan, even when you know about the business, helps you to know it better. Put yourself in the investors' shoes when writing your plan. Think about what they want to see and hear and address such.

Above all, writing an effective real estate plan requires getting all the available information you need in putting the business together.


Get started with this great resource by viewing over 2000 business plans...Real Estate Business Plan Software


Oyinola Akinsanya is a young real estate investor who has been making a reasonable income from it. Get all the information and education you need today at her website http://www.realestateinfobay.com



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Real Estate Business Plan Software

How Remote Desktop Software Can Help Your Real Estate Business

By Tim Kennedy



Real Estate Business Plan Software allows a computer to be accessed and controlled from a secondary computer that may be located anywhere in the world. These programs are often used to assist with technical support or for emergency access to crucial files, but there also exists many applications that go beyond these basic and most common uses. In this article we will take a look at 2 ways in which remote desktop software can assist the real estate business.

Use it to conduct home walkthroughs - Understandably, many house hunters often wish to see as many homes as possible before making their purchase. The problem with this is that today's busy world often makes the process of visiting homes a difficult to task to plan and execute. With remote desktop software, the realtor can give the potential homebuyer a real-time video walkthrough of the property. Buyers can ask questions dynamically and receive specific answers without spending any time or travel costs to visit the property. The software even allows for several interested parties to sit in on the tour and gather information. While buyers will seldom make a decision to buy based solely on what they see in a remote video presentation, they may be inspired to make a physical visit based on these experiences, which can ultimately result in a deal being made.

Access your work computer from the road - Many real estate professionals require the use of multiple computers. Ensuring shared data among a work computer, home computer and mobile laptop can be a difficult task to keep up with. With remote desktop software, real estate professionals can quickly and easily use any of their computers to access files on a separate terminal. This can not only save significant amounts of wasted time spent transferring and updating files, it can help avoid a crisis moment where a particular file or document is needed, but inaccessible. These programs can also be used to log into a work network from home or the road and stay updated on projects and progress, or simply to gain access to a certain program that may not be installed across all computers.

We see that, if executed properly, these remote access programs can be absolutely crucial to the real estate industry. How can remote desktop software help your real estate company remain productive and profitable?


Get started with this great resource by viewing over 2000 business plans...Real Estate Business Plan Software

This article was written by Tim Kennedy on behalf of Proxy Networks. He recommends you consider Proxy Networks for all your PC Remote Access, Remote Access and Remote Desktop Software needs.




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