Small Business Information


Franchisor Prospect Checklist Sample Form


Due to the over regulation in the Franchising Industry and the litigation it is important to keep impeccable records. From the first phone call, email to the signing of the franchise agreement everything should be documented.

Mobile Car Wash Market Opportunities in California


The current lack of industry leaders represents an exceptional opportunity for a large and organized mobile car wash company to achieve regional domination and eventually dominate the Southern California carwash market. The best place to start a regional assault on this market would be to concentrate North and West of Los Angeles; Chatsworth and Simi Valley to Malibu and Tarzana to Santa Barbara.

Temporary Staffing Agency: How to Start


The temporary staffing industry continues to expand, with yearly double-digit growth being commonplace. Companies find it convenient and cost-effective to work with a temporary staffing agency to fulfill unforeseen demand, fill short-term vacancies, and assist with changing workloads due to restructuring or mergers.

Packing Material Thats Cheap!


Shipping materials can be expensive! Even the styrofoam "peanuts" can cost a great deal. Here's a great idea for packing paterial that is bio-digradable, easy, and best of all.

How to Curb Antique Shop Theft Inexpensively


If you have ever had your antique shop or mall ripped off, you understand that it's very hard to detect. There are simply so many items to keep track of, and an item can be missing literally for months and you may not realize it.

Going Public by Way of Regulation D (504) Offering


Under the Securities Act of 1933, any offer to sell securities must either be registered with the SEC or meet an exemption. Regulation D (or Reg D) provides three exemptions from the registration requirements, allowing some smaller companies to offer and sell their securities without having to register the securities with the SEC.

Are You Making the Most of Your Intern?


KEEPING INTEREST HIGH: Supervision is key to the success of the program. Interns like direction, but don't like to feel they are being constantly checked on.

Beginning an Internship Program


CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOUR INTERN: Specify the number of hours the intern will be needed each week. Will specific hours be adhered to, or will the schedule be more flexible? Applicants want to know up front what they will be paid, if anything.

Implementing an Internship Program


CONSIDERING COMPANY NEEDS: In identifying your needs for the internship, you need to examine the chief responsibilities of the position. And the broader they are, the more flexibility you will be giving yourself and the intern.

Internships: Good for Everyone


Many job applicants want a job but often do not have the prerequisite experience, experience that they can only have by getting a job. Managers who take the chance and hire them may have to spend considerable time and effort training them, only to find the new recruits unsuitable or unhappy with the jobs and looking for employment elsewhere.

Janitorial Cleaning Service: Getting Started


A janitorial cleaning service is one of the best businesses for a hardworking, blue collar person to start from scratch. Every business and every building needs to be cleaned once in a while - in some cases, many times each day.

There Is Security in Change... But Use Caution


It has been said that the only constant is change. That statement, while true for everyone, it is especially true for those engaged in business activities.

Consistency with Janitorial and Cleaning Businesses


Consistency is a huge word when operating your business. I believe it is one of the key ingredients to success.

Do Your Best; Hire the Rest


One of the hidden perks of raising six children is the learning laboratory it provides for the parents. My wife and I have learned how important it is to teach our children to do things for themselves and become problem solvers.

Start a Resume Writing Service for Profit


The resume writing service serves an important role in the economy. Many qualified candidates have a difficult time marketing themselves to employers and turn to a professional writing service for assistance.

Buy a Flower Shop: Serious Considerations


You've always liked flowers and you think the idea of turning emotions into floral expressions sounds like tremendous fun. You are between careers and have been investigating business opportunities in your community.

How To Start A Blind Cleaning Business Quickly And Easily


Starting the blind cleaning business is one of the best marketable business ideas you could latch on to. If you give the requisite amount of time and dedication, there will be no cap on your earnings.

Small Business 101: Deadly Ignorance


American small business is again in transition. Many employees, now working from home, are no longer tied to a geographic office and the woes of commuting.

Five Quick Ways to Speed Up Cash Flow


At one point or another, almost every business runs short of cash. Whether due to normal fluctuations in demand or an unexpected decline in sales, cash shortfalls are the bane of every company, and are responsible for sleepless nights for many business owners.

Lack of Vigilance Can Harm the Bottom Line


The easiest way to lift profits is to cut the fat out of costs.Cost cutting and profit increases can amount to much the same thing if handled correctly.

Reaping the Rewards of Cost Cutting


In these days of insecurity and uncertain futures, the tendency is to manage for survival but the smart business leaders are actively hunting for profits.And they are doing this without launching costly new initiatives or major capital investments.

50 Ways to Save Money


There are countless ways to save your business money. Unfortunately, many Australian businesses are overlooking them, or simply don't have the time to go searching them out.

Are You Running Your Business or Is Your Business Running You?


Being a small or home-based business owner can be loads of fun and very rewarding.You may have decided to go into business because of your need for personal freedom or to fully unleash your creative genius.

Top Ten Blunders Business Owners Make


In today's marketplace the words 'job security' have become an oxymoron. So more and more people are venturing on their own.

Motorcycle Detailing Procedures Manual Sample Outline


If you are a motorcycle detailer and need to expand your business you will need to have several crews working for you. Each team will need a team leader and/or manager.

Aircraft Washing Service Operations Manual


Anyone who is serious about washing aircraft as a full time profession should be prepared to write a manual, which will insure proper procedures are followed during the washing process. Each crew team leader and manager should be well versed and trained in washing each type of aircraft.

Fleet Washing Operations Manual Sample Outline


In the Truck Washing Business every single type of vehicle is washed differently. If you are going to run a mobile onsite fleet washing business with multiple trucks in multiple cities you will in fact need a comprehensive manual to keep your crews and equipment running at an optimum.

Carwash Manual Sample Outline


Car wash businesses are unique to other businesses. In fact they are about as unique as the many different type of vehicles one is asked to wash.

Quality Controls for Franchising Companies Sample Outline


Quality control in franchising companies is paramount and all franchising companies must have strict guidelines to insure consistency. To insure this takes place throughout your franchise system you must make this a policy in your confidential operations manual.

Mobile Pressure Washing and Cleaning Scheduling


If you own a mobile car washing, pressure washing or auto detailing business you know that when your crews and machines are parked and working that you are making money. You also know that when those units and crews are driving or stuck in traffic you are losing your shirt in costs and inefficiencies.

Franchising and Royalty Payments


If you are thinking of turning your current into a franchising company you will need to determine a fair and equitable franchise royalty fee. There are a number of questions you will need to ask yourself in determining this fee such as what services you will provide to your franchisee team and what that will cost.

Banking and Company Credit Card Policies for Small Business


Does your small business have a banking and credit card policy? If not, perhaps you might wish to think on it. Developing such policies and procedures is not a difficult task.

Accounting and Billing Procedures for Small Business


No matter how small your small business is, it is essential to have some sort of accounting and billing police and methodology. This will prevent you from making mistakes and upsetting vendors or even bouncing checks.

Equipment Maintenance Manual for Mobile Cleaning Business Outline


Service Cleaning Businesses must maintain their equipment in order to insure it is ready to go when the company vehicles reach their customer. It does not matter how many service vehicles or employees you have, a manual can save you both time and money.

Competition Relations in Auto Detailing


There is significant competition in auto detailing and car washing. Even more between types of cleaning businesses, as each company attempts to expand into other services which are the mainstay of similar business models.

Combating Over Regulation of Small Business


Many small businesses do quite well due to the blood, sweat and tears of their proprietors. Unfortunately in doing to well often you find that the competition uses the government to attack you.

Franchising Companies Relationship Strategies


Franchising Corporations need to maintain an iron fist when it comes to certain things in order to maintain absolute integrity of the system; Consistency, Quality, Cleanliness and Customer Courtesy or Service. Ray Kroc in his book; "Grinding it Out" made that point perfectly clear, some called him a hard ass on the details and indeed it served him well and turned 11,000 franchisees into millionaires along with some 1500 executives early on.

Employee Relations Manual Sample Outline


Most smart entrepreneurs and all large corporations have Employee Relations Manuals. Nearly all businesses with over five or more employees have some sort of employee manuals but not all have Employee Relations Manuals for their managers.

Community Relations Strategy for Small Business


Does your company have a community relation strategy? Have you even considered it? It is essential to have policies in place. Having run a small business for years which eventually turned into a multi-state franchise system, I realized early on that a business who is part of the community it serves can survive the ups and downs of the business cycles, making it somewhat recession proof.

Does Your Company Have a Business Image Manual


Every business regardless of size needs a "Business Image Manual" to protect their band. Even the smallest companies with only a few employees is well served when there is a business image manual in place.


More Resources


Change May Be Your Ace in the Hole
Whether it has been thrust upon you by external market forces or it has simply bubbled up from the internal dynamics of your enterprise, change itself always presents opportunity for improvement. And in a knowledge based economy, change may be the only thing we can count on as small business people.
Debt Collection Techniques
Here are some sound debt collection techniques that can be followed by businesses to mitigate the bad debt crisis:Sending a pre-collection letter. Hiring a collection agency.
Never Burn a Bridge
Why should you always maintain a good report with a business even when you are parting ways?It is human nature to get mad and then rant and rave about what is not going well at work. Many of us spend time gossiping and socializing with the main topic of what the problems are and who is responsible.
Where Can People Find Information About Starting A Business?
Approximately 200,000 new businesses are started each year. More people are expected to start a business for themselves this year than ever before.
SBIR vs STTR
SBIR vs. STTR: If you are participating in the SBIR program you may also want to consider participating in the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program.
Pressure Washing Business; Steam Cleaner Fuel Maintenance
It is essential that you fully understand how the fuel system works on your hot water pressure washer or steam cleaner. If you mess it up it could catch on fire and if you are not right there to put it out, you could potentially lose your machine.
Genius Time? It Matters
I frequently give presentations at small business gatherings, providing me the opportunity to have engaging conversations with owners about the challenges they face. Based on their input, the economy continues to plug along, heading in the right direction, and distancing itself from the difficult journey of the past few years.
How to Create an Employee Manual
Large corporations use employee manuals to both educate employees about policies and protect themselves legally. Whether or not you need an employee manual is your decision, though it can be a great tool for keeping your policies consistent.
But This Is Just My Opinion
Hi, Charles..
Top Ten Blunders Business Owners Make
In today's marketplace the words 'job security' have become an oxymoron. So more and more people are venturing on their own.
Six Sigma for Small Business
It is not surprising that some people may perceive Six Sigma as being only for large corporations. Major corporations such as Allied Signal, Black & Decker, Dow Chemical, Dupont, Federal Express, General Electric, Johnson and Johnson, Kodak, Motorola, Sony, and Toshiba have all rolled out Six Sigma efforts and achieved outstanding results.
Professional House Cleaning - The Dirty Little Secret
Are you tired yet of all the books out there telling you how easy it is to start a house cleaning business? I'm not inferring that all their information is bad, but let's be honest about how "easy" it really is.There's a dirty little secret hanging over the cleaning trade that nobody talks about, but every professional cleaner runs into.
Small Business Opportunities Magazine Business
A Small Business Opportunities Magazine is one of the new small business opportunities opening up everyday. More and more companies are looking to outsource for basic services, cutting their budgets in the process and increasing profits.
But Weve Always Done It This Way
Sacred cows take a long time to die. We get comfortable in the way we do things and lose sight of how they could be improved.
Franchising in The Middle East There Will Bring Significant Opportunity for US Based Franchisors
As stability emerges in the Middle East there will be significant opportunity for the Franchising Community. Arab Franchising appears to be of interest for those seeking economic growth in much of that region of the World.
Small Business Stress Buster: Completion not Perfection
Completion not PerfectionFive Keys To Doubling Your Productivity and Boosting Your EffectivenessI frequently meet with business owners and executives who feel overworked and undervalued. Many of them are highly gifted and are in fact contributing a huge amount of work, energy and brilliance to the companies they own or work for.
The Virtual Assistant
As a small business owner, outsourcing work to Virtual Assistants is fast becoming a popular and intelligent decision. The business owner saves enormous amounts of money by cutting the costs of offices and equipment overhead as well as expensive benefits packages.
Are You Satisfied With Your Business Just As It Is?
Did you know that satisfaction is the number one emotionpeople want to experience about their life and business?Yes, fame and fortune are up there, but satisfaction isthe key. Satisfaction is about contentment, gratitude andpure joy.
Selling Your Business, Entrepreneurs Role
$elling $elling $ellingWhat makes a great sales person? Well, the natural ability to sell defnitely could not hurt. Sales people are a passionate, obviously people oriented, motivated and energetic bunch.
Employee Induction - Are you Inducting your People - A Practical How To
In today's fast paced marketplace it is easy to neglect the small important things!Recently we assisted an organisation prove they had complied with their obligations in inducting their employee. The employee tried to bring a claim for severe stress against the business.

More Small Business Information:

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10 Filler Activities for the Summer Business Slowdown
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Direct Mail - For Small Businesses
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Find Your Niche & Follow It - Part 1
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Why is My Restaurant Not Full Every Monday Night?
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Will Adding a Car Wash to Your Fast Lube Add Additional Crime to Your Facilities?
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Seven Common Mistakes Made By Small Business Owners
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The Perfect Mission Statement
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Dispute Resolution; Competing With Other Franchisees
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