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Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

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Dreaming

For those who are dreaming or planning to start a business of their own. Resources to help you get started.

 

The Dreaming Stage

This is an exciting phase. You’re dreaming of starting something new. You’re full of excitement and also apprehension. To help get you going, here are some of our best resources:

Checklists for Getting Started

I wrote these first two for a friend, when he got his first paying side gigs. He wasn’t sure where to go or what to do.

  • Checklists for starting your first business
  • Next questions from starting your first business
Here are some more getting started tips, including ways to find more help.
  • 4 tips for going into business
  • Startup: Resources to get from idea to in business
  • How to find people to help you with your business
  • 6 Things self-employed should know from the IRS
  • New online small business tax workshop
  • Build a technology company without a tech cofounder
  • Beware of small business myths

 

While you’re getting going, here’s a little push.
  • Get going in business
  • Treat it like a business
  • 100 tips to get your business going
  • Starting a business is like throwing a party
A two-fer: Ross Kimbarovsky and Mike Samson from crowdSPRING tell 5 startup commonalities and how that relates to being outside of Silicon Valley.
  • Startups outside of Silicon Valley
Is entrepreneurship for you? Let’s find out.
  • Why no screening process for entrepreneurship?
  • Personality test for entrepreneurship success
  • You Can Learn to be an Entrepreneur

Biz Ideas

When you’re dreaming of starting a business, ideas can be like candy, or like yeast. You may snack away on them like candy, or they may help your business dreams to rise, like yeast in bread dough. We have a downloadable booklet, with 20 business ideas. It also has more ways to dream up your own business ideas.

We also have an entire category of business ideas you can borrow or take inspiration from. A couple of examples:

  • How to start a business today (helping others with social media)
  • Becoming an entrepreneurial villager (four ideas for “profit centers”)

How do you tune your brain to find your own ideas?

  • Find the Next Great Business Idea
  • The 3 elements to get from “Ah-ha Moment” to “Business Success”

Business Intelligence

When you’re trying to evaluate whether a business idea is a good match, you need some business intelligence.

  • Improving you chances of success, with entrepreneur tips from Dave Shideler
  • Surprising business intelligence from your library
  • Business intelligence from the USDA
  • Retail Store Industry Benchmarks

Business Plans

Yes, you need a business plan. No, you don’t need a 40 page bound booklet or 5 pound stack of paper. Here are ways to keep it simple, but still figure out your direction.
  • Simplify your business plan
  • Hate business plans? I have alternatives
  • Another business plan alternative: your calendar
  • Another alternative to planning: experimenting
  • Simplify your small business marketing plan and the Simplified Marketing Plans video summary
Here are guides to a few sticky questions around marketing that often come up while business planning:
  • How to figure out your revenue goals
  • How to set retail prices and markups
  • 8 Ways to define your niche
  • The Four Ps of Marketing
  • Tips for setting business hours

Getting Online

Getting your new business online is essential. Here are just the essentials for getting that done.
  • Checklist for your business website
  • Social media tools for small town businesses
  • Choosing a website name for small town businesses
  • Where to register a business online

Accounting and Bookkeeping

I know, I know. Everyone hates accounting. “Math is hard,” people say like a mantra. Well, time to get over it! You can get this, because we are going to make it easy.
  • Do you get accounting?
  • The easiest accounting system
  • Simplified Small Biz Accounting and Record Keeping
  • Simplified accounting for side businesses and micro enterprises

Business Structure

Too may people get hung up on this. Don’t worry about this part until you have already found the idea and started working on details.

  • When to choose sole proprietorship is part of the How do I ‘become’ a business? section in Checklists for starting your first business.
  • When not to be a sole proprietor: forming an LLC or S Corp
  • Can a sole proprietor have more than one business?
  • Cooperatives as an alternative business model
  • Worker-owned cooperatives can work in small towns

And a couple of related questions, though not really about structure:

  • Can you be self employed and on Social Security?
  • Blending Business and Family

Accepting Credit Cards

Since many credit card processors lock new businesses into multi-year contracts, it’s better to get this right from the start.

  • Alternative ways to take credit cards. Ditch your merchant account!

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