Starting Your First Business — Contents

Foreword xi
Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xv
Introduction
1
Part 1 Starting Your Own Business: The Beginning
 
9
Chapter 1 The Dream versus the Reality 11
Chapter 2 Getting Started: Steps to Success 21
Chapter 3 Setting Up the Company: Protect Your Assets 41
Chapter 4 Partnerships and Franchises 49
Chapter 5 Location, Location, Location 57
 
Part 2 Cash and Capital: Finding the Financing
 
69
Chapter 6 Finding the Start-up Money You Need 71
Chapter 7 The Small Business Administration: Cheap Loans & Good Terms 85
Chapter 8 Banks and Lending Institutions: Strategies for Success 99
Chapter 9 Thinking Outside the Box: Other Sources of Financing 107
 
Part 3 Company Operations: Putting It all Together
 
119
Chapter 10 Managing Your Money 121
Chapter 11 Time Is Money: Making It Count 135
Chapter 12 Opportunity Knocks: Creative Thinking Reaps Rewards 141
 
Part 4 Staff: Your Most Important Asset
 
149
Chapter 13 You Can’t Do It All Yourself: Building a Strong Team 151
Chapter 14 Hiring: A Critical Decision, a Major Opportunity 165
Chapter 15 The Money Side:Wages, Benefits, and Other Incentives 175
Chapter 16 Company Culture:Your Face to the World 185
Chapter 17 The Nuts and Bolts: Managing Employees Day to Day
189
 
Part 5 Sales and Marketing: The Ultimate Key to a Successful Business
 
199
Chapter 18 Price Counts: Determining How Much to Charge 201
Chapter 19 You:Your Company’s Number One Salesperson 205
Chapter 20 The Bottom Line: Evaluating the Numbers 211
Chapter 21 Marketing Savvy: How to Let Them Know You Are There 215
 
Betsy’s and Asa’s Results
 
227
Glossary 237
Resources 260