Six-week Start-up: A Step-by-step Program for Starting Your Business, Making Money, and Achieving Your Goals

Front Cover
The Planning Shop, 2004 - Business & Economics - 283 pages
Overview: You have a great idea for a business-but now comes the tough part: making it happen. If you're ready to start your business, but have no idea where to begin, this book by best-selling author and nationally syndicated columnist Rhonda Abrams is for you! Rhonda breaks down the entire process of launching a business into a six-week process. Each week, you'll address specific goals and tasks, such as developing your company brand (name, logo, etc.), analyzing your competition, or finding an office or retail location. And at every step of the way, Rhonda will be there to provide specific instructions, tips, advice, and resources. This step-by-step guide for getting a successful business up and running fast helps you: Clarify your business concept and defining meaningful goals; Conduct market research and develop your strategic position; Handle government requirements: licenses, permits, taxes; Manage your money: bookkeeping, budgets, credit cards, investors; Plan a social media marketing strategy; Develop an effective marketing and sales campaign; Hire and lead great employees; Set up your office/store/plant effectively; Get and stay organized> From licenses to bookkeeping to marketing to setting up shop, Six-Week Start-Up helps get your business up and running successfully-and fast! Where will you be in six weeks?
 

Contents

Worksheets
4
My Business Values
10
Basic Business Description
15
Discussing Partnership Terms
20
Business Name Comparison Chart
28
Creating My Identity
36
GET THE INFORMATION YOU NEED
47
My Research Questions
51
TAKE CARE OF OPERATIONS
127
Things to Consider when Renting Space
132
Mobile Office Plan
147
Office Movein Checklist
153
Warranties and Service Contracts
159
My Phone Needs
166
Internet Hosting Companies
173
Distribution Agreement
179

Who are My Customers?
57
My Competitors
65
Potential Strategic Partners
71
CUT THROUGH RED TAPE
79
Forms of Business Organization Compared
86
Business Licenses Permits
93
My Support System
105
My Personnel Policies
114
Recruiting Employees
117
My Leadership Skills
123
Insurance Coverage
187
DEAL WITH MONEY ISSUES
191
What are My Existing Assets?
198
Banks
208
Sales Projections
214
My Tax Deadlines
221
My Elevator Pitch
237
Trade Shows and Industry Events
243
My Website Checklist
257
Copyright

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About the author (2004)

Rhonda Abrams was educated at Harvard and UCLA. Abrams has written a lively column about small business for Gannett News Service since 1992 which is distributed to 150 newspapers, with a combined circulation of 13 million. She also writes a monthly column, America's Business Planning Expert, for Costco's (the nation's sixth largest retailer) newsletter, which is distributed to its millions of small business members. Her book The Successful Business Plan sold 140,000 copies. Abrams is also an active public speaker, and has been invited to present occasional commentaries on business for National Public Radio's "All Things Considered." Abrams not only writes about business, she lives it. In 1986 she started her first business, Abrams Business Strategies, a management consulting practice that now has clients ranging from one-person start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. Abrams lives in Los Altos, California.

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