Related Links

Featured Links





Recommended Products



 

 
Featured Articles

7 Stress Saving Strategies for Beating the Small Business Cash Flow Blues
Small business owners can relieve a lot of their own cash flow problems, according to Caroline Jordan, small business advisor and author. "Small business owners have more control over their cash flow than they realize." says Jordan. To help you get a ...

Retirement Planning For Small Businesses And Individuals – It’S Not Too Late
No matter what age you are, retirement planning is smart and forward thinking. Those that do will have and those that don’t won’t. Starting a plan today no matter how small will make your life in the future more comfortable. There are three types of ...

The Queensland Employee Relations Context for Small Business
For many Australians, both employers and employees, the workplace continues to be a place of harmony where each goes to work discharges their individual responsibilities and continues to get on with life. This is confirmed by government statistics that ...


Google
Adsense Websites

How To Start a Small Business
 

Initially, there are two types of businesses available to you, Sole Trader or Partnership. Both are explained below:

Sole Trader:

This is the easiest and least costly way of starting a business. A sole trader can be formed by finding a location and opening the door for business. There are likely to be small fees to obtain business name registration. Lawyer's and accountant fees for starting the business will be less than the other business forms because less preparation of documents is required and the owner has absolute authority over all business decisions.

Partnership:

There are several types of partnerships. The two most common types are general and limited partnerships. A general partnership can be formed simply by an oral agreement between two or more persons, but a legal partnership agreement drawn up by a lawyer is highly recommended. Legal fees for drawing up a partnership agreement are higher than those for a sole trader. A partnership agreement could be helpful in solving any disputes. However, partners are responsible for each other's business actions, as well as their own.

Useful Information:

Starting and managing a business takes motivation, desire and talent. It also takes research and planning. To increase your chance for success, take the time up front to explore and evaluate your business and personal goals. Then use this information to build a comprehensive and well­ thought­ out business plan that will help you reach these goals.

The process of developing a business plan will help you think through some important issues that you may not have considered yet. Your plan will become a valuable tool as you set out to raise money for your business. It should also provide milestones to gauge your success.

Before starting out, list your reasons for wanting to go into business. Some of the most common reasons for starting a business


are:

You want to be your own boss.

You want financial independence.

You want creative freedom.

You want to fully use your skills and knowledge.

Next you need to determine what business is "right for you." Ask yourself these questions:

What do I like to do with my time?

What technical skills have I learned or developed?

What do others say I am good at?

How much time do I have to run a successful business?

Do I have any hobbies or interests that are marketable?

Then you should identify the niche your business will fill. Conduct the necessary research to answer these questions:

Is my idea practical and will it fill a need?

What is my competition?

What is my business advantage over existing firms?

Can I deliver a better quality service?

Can I create a demand for my business?

The final step before developing your plan is the pre-business checklist. You should answer these questions:

What business am I interested in starting?

What services or products will I sell?

Where will I be located?

What skills and experience do I bring to the business?

What will I name my business?

What equipment or supplies will I need?

What insurance coverage will be needed?

What financing will I need?

What are my resources?

How will I pay myself?

Having worked your way through the above questions should have given you an indication of whether or not you still want to go into business. If you have decided against, then at least you have learnt something. If you are going ahead with your venture then congratulations and have a successful business.

You may freely reprint this article provided the author's biography remains intact:

About the Author
John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help UK homeowners find the best available loans via the www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.


News


Boston Globe (registration)

Kerry, Snowe, Schumer Push Sec. Paulson to Purchase Small Business ...
MarketWatch - 12 hours ago
John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Ranking Member Sen. Olympia Snowe and Sen. Charles Schumer, a senior ...
Is TARP Really a TRAP? BusinessWeek
Is TARP Really a TRAP but is Scott Malkinson really Scott Malkinson? thestockmasters
Time for a Bank Holiday The Nation.
TIME - The Associated Press
all 424 news articles


AFP

UPDATE 1-Fed's Kroszner-small business credit access shrank
Reuters - 13 hours ago
... businesses have tightened substantially since last April," Kroszner said in prepared testimony to the House of Representatives Small Business Committee. ...
UPDATE: US Officials: Econ Woes Big Hurdle For Small Business EasyBourse.com
Treasury Turns Attention to Credit Needs of Small Businesses Insurance Journal
$1.6 Trillion in Bailout Funds Fail to Find Their Way to Small ... PR Web (press release)
AFP - Reuters
all 46 news articles


Wall Street Journal Blogs

Huntington Bank Ranks as No. 1 SBA 7(a) Lender in Ohio, Indiana ...
MarketWatch - 15 hours ago
The bank also improved its national standing as an SBA small business lender, moving up in rank for both total loan amounts and number of loans provided to ...
SBA steps aimed to fuel small-business lending Finance and Commerce
Small business loans dwindle The Tennessean
Allegan, Barry country residents hit by flood eligible for loans MLive.com
NJBIZ - BloggingStocks
all 271 news articles


EPA Reform of SPCC Rule Benefits Small Business
MarketWatch - 7 hours ago
The Office of Advocacy of the US Small Business Administration is encouraged that the EPA listened to small business and included those provisions in the ...


Small Business Scene: Drager's Classics
Seattle Post Intelligencer - 18 minutes ago
This is a regular photo feature that highlights the small businesses that shape our city. If you know a small business we should visit, ...


Wells Fargo named top small-business lender in Texas
Bizjournals.com, NC - Nov 19, 2008
Wells Fargo Bank, NA has been ranked the leading small-business lender in both the United States and Texas, according to the latest Community Reinvestment ...


Small business focus of Detroit mayoral debate
DetNews.com, MI - 10 hours ago
The forum at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History focused on small business, and candidates testified about how they fostered economic ...
Detroit mayoral candidates make their cases at forum Detroit Free Press
Mayoral candidates to hold forum Detroit Free Press
all 5 news articles


Entrepreneurship Can Thrive in a Challenging Economy
MarketWatch - 13 hours ago
As the fastest-growing sector of new small business owners in the country, women, are creating new jobs for themselves and are taking advantage of resources ...


This is Money

Brown steps up pressure on banks to increase small-business lending
guardian.co.uk, UK - Nov 19, 2008
The business and enterprise department already has a small firms loans scheme in which 75% of the loan is guaranteed by government. ...
How Colorset, a company backing Gordon Brown, lost its fight for life Times Online
Analysis: Small business demand tax cuts This is Money
Brown promises tax cuts, help to small business Accountancy Age
Irish Independent - Channel 4 News
all 135 news articles


UPDATE 2-Intuit cuts outlook, sees small business cautious
Reuters - Nov 19, 2008
... software and for revenue from payroll and bill payment processing services, as its small business customers get squeezed by the deepening recession. ...
Intuit 1st-qtr loss widens despite higher sales BusinessWeek
Intuit Q1 Loss Widens; Lowers Full-Year Forecast RTT News
Intuit lowers forecast for current year San Jose Mercury News
all 45 news articles


small business - Google News