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Actual for You - Be Prepared When Business Investors Look Beyond Your Business Plan
NEWS FLASH: Government Grant scams are running rampant all over the United States. But you must understand that the government is NOT in the business of giving away free money for the sake of giving away money. Contrary to what a lot people are led to believe, "free grants" do not exist -- at least, not in the way we might believe. Like most con artists, the free-money hucksters take a grain of truth and distort it.No government group or charitable organization is going to give you money without asking themselves, "What's in it for me?" In addition, the American people would never stand for the government setting individuals up in business at no cost -- and all at taxpayer risk.A grant is a gift that entails certain obligations on the part of the grantee and expectations on the part of the grantor -- and it is a contract that legally binds you to
Sales per employee. The measure of overall productivity is a good, simple benchmark investors can use to measure your historical or projected performance against other companies in your industry. Questions like: What is it that you plan to do differently than your competitors to allow you to use the number of employees you use or plan to use? Why do you think you can earn more or less per employee than the average for your industry?
Marketing
Market share. Be ready to compare your expected market share or changes in it to your competitors. Remember to only measure the relevant markets you serve. Also, avoid justifying your market share by taking small percentages of extremely large markets. "Our projections only assume we get 1% of this billion dollar market" is one of the most meaningless statements a business owner or entrepreneur can say.
Trade shows. Investors will be interested in the activity and interest your company's booth generates at trade shows compared to your competition. Some may even want to attend and observe t
Most people die from the neck up at age 25 because they stop dreaming, some people are managing their dreams after age 25 because they have been busy making their dreams their reality.A step at a time is progressToday I will give you a quick summary of the 5 key steps you need to take in order to make a career move that will change your life for the best. You can get the full content from our website. Each step has been carefully thought out, tried and tested with phenomenal results. Take your time and digest it.Step 1: For get your past mistakes. Forgive yourself because if you don’t, you will always be tied to your past and it will hinder you from making bold and life changing decisions for fear of repeating the same mistakes again. Learn from it and move on.Step 2: Start with the end in mind. Discover what yo
Great! What’s “due diligence?
Due diligence is a thorough examination of available facts, references, books, records, etc. of your business and business plan.
And, what exactly should you expect during due diligence?
Skepticism...
Business investors want to be sure there are no skeletons in the closet and that your venture is not the next Madison Priest "black box technology" -- a revolutionary technology that claimed to allow ordinary phone lines to transmit data into people's homes at rates faster than fiber optics. By staging impressive demonstrations, Priest convinced private business investors and seasoned companies, such as Blockbuster and Intel, to invest money in his venture. In the end, Priest's 'magic box' was nothing but a high-tech hoax.
In addition to a detailed analysis of your financial statements, business investors will hone in on four key areas: finance, management, manufacturing, and marketing. Specific concerns in each area are as follows:
Finance
Cash. Cash is king. It's the lifeblood of all businesses - start-up or on-going businesses. Business investors know this. They will spend the time understanding your cash flow assumptions and, if you're an existing business, they'll analyze your cash management practices. Poor cash management or shaky cash flow projections are immediate red flags.
Profitability. Expect investors to compare your actual or projected gross margins from year to year. This provides a quick indicator of your historical or projected manufacturing efficiencies and pricing environment. It can also highlight potential control issues, excessive overhead, or under pricing strategies to capture market share.
Bank problems. Out of compliance financial ratios, scrutiny from banks, or suspect bank relations - personal or business - are all red flags to business investors about how you manage your financial affairs.
Outdated financials. The lack of monthly financial statements or detailed cash flow projections or, for an on-going business, statements that are not prepared on time are all indications of a loosely run operation or a lack of planning.
Management
Continual crisis. Business investors watch closely for signs of weakness in you or your management team. Constant interruptions by emergency phone calls and demands for immediate decisions are signs of disorganization and lack of management.
Substantial changes in key personal. Unusual turnover in key management positions can be viewed as a lack of leadership.
No changes in senior management for many years. An established company with little or no changes in the management team can indicate a stagnant business, not current in new methods or processes, or a very autocratic management style.
Lack of pride or enthusiasm. Seasoned business investors can just sense the true tempo and spirit of an operation and its management team. Ask them how they do it and they'll tell you it's a sixth sense or gut feel. Nonetheless, it is something they are looking for and expect to see and feel.
Manufacturing
Outdate methods and processes. Your manufacturing and service methods and processes provide a quick indication of your ability to compete in the markets you serve and shift gears if the business doesn't go as planned. Even if you're a start-up, business investors will want to know the methods and processes you plan to use to manufacture your product or provide the services you plan to offer.
Rejects. If you are already in production, investors expect you to know your reject rates, the problems causing them, and the quality controls you have in place. How you handle rejects is an important issue to business investors. Remember, rejects are not limited to only production rejects. They also include missed service calls, late deliveries, and other process failures.
Just in time (JIT). Inventory is often the first place business owners and entrepreneurs get into trouble. Too much of it and you can quickly run out of cash; too little and you'll quickly start missing deliveries and losing customers. How well you manage inventory and understand it is a key strength business investors are looking for in the management team.
Sales per employee. The measure of overall productivity is a good, simple benchmark investors can use to measure your historical or projected performance against other companies in your industry. Questions like: What is it that you plan to do differently than your competitors to allow you to use the number of employees you use or plan to use? Why do you think you can earn more or less per employee than the average for your industry?
Marketing
Market share. Be ready to compare your expected market share or changes in it to your competitors. Remember to only measure the relevant markets you serve. Also, avoid justifying your market share by taking small percentages of extremely large markets. "Our projections only assume we get 1% of this billion dollar market" is one of the most meaningless statements a business owner or entrepreneur can say.
Trade shows. Investors will be interested in the activity and interest your company's booth generates at trade shows compared to your competition. Some may even want to attend and observe th
Setting goals is challenging for many people because they've had more experience at failing to achieve a goal, than they have of successful achievement. Therefore, if the idea of setting goals makes you wince, relax and read on. You'll discover a new way of setting goals which will inspire you.=> Set little goals at first: start smallSet small goals. Small goals are achievable, and they're not intimidating. Setting small goals, and achieving them, gives you confidence. Each day you will improve your writing skills, and you will learn more about how to market.Setting small goals applies whether you're a beginner, or a pro.1. Your first goal: Market --- RIGHT NOWAim to market every day. Your marketing effort for the day may be simple: you may send a stay-in-touch email message to a client you haven’t spoken to for a month.
Finance
Cash. Cash is king. It's the lifeblood of all businesses - start-up or on-going businesses. Business investors know this. They will spend the time understanding your cash flow assumptions and, if you're an existing business, they'll analyze your cash management practices. Poor cash management or shaky cash flow projections are immediate red flags.
Profitability. Expect investors to compare your actual or projected gross margins from year to year. This provides a quick indicator of your historical or projected manufacturing efficiencies and pricing environment. It can also highlight potential control issues, excessive overhead, or under pricing strategies to capture market share.
Bank problems. Out of compliance financial ratios, scrutiny from banks, or suspect bank relations - personal or business - are all red flags to business investors about how you manage your financial affairs.
Outdated financials. The lack of monthly financial statements or detailed cash flow projections or, for an on-going business, statements that are not prepared on time are all indications of a loosely run operation or a lack of planning.
Management
Continual crisis. Business investors watch closely for signs of weakness in you or your management team. Constant interruptions by emergency phone calls and demands for immediate decisions are signs of disorganization and lack of management.
Substantial changes in key personal. Unusual turnover in key management positions can be viewed as a lack of leadership.
No changes in senior management for many years. An established company with little or no changes in the management team can indicate a stagnant business, not current in new methods or processes, or a very autocratic management style.
Lack of pride or enthusiasm. Seasoned business investors can just sense the true tempo and spirit of an operation and its management team. Ask them how they do it and they'll tell you it's a sixth sense or gut feel. Nonetheless, it is something they are looking for and expect to see and feel.
Manufacturing
Outdate methods and processes. Your manufacturing and service methods and processes provide a quick indication of your ability to compete in the markets you serve and shift gears if the business doesn't go as planned. Even if you're a start-up, business investors will want to know the methods and processes you plan to use to manufacture your product or provide the services you plan to offer.
Rejects. If you are already in production, investors expect you to know your reject rates, the problems causing them, and the quality controls you have in place. How you handle rejects is an important issue to business investors. Remember, rejects are not limited to only production rejects. They also include missed service calls, late deliveries, and other process failures.
Just in time (JIT). Inventory is often the first place business owners and entrepreneurs get into trouble. Too much of it and you can quickly run out of cash; too little and you'll quickly start missing deliveries and losing customers. How well you manage inventory and understand it is a key strength business investors are looking for in the management team.
Sales per employee. The measure of overall productivity is a good, simple benchmark investors can use to measure your historical or projected performance against other companies in your industry. Questions like: What is it that you plan to do differently than your competitors to allow you to use the number of employees you use or plan to use? Why do you think you can earn more or less per employee than the average for your industry?
Marketing
Market share. Be ready to compare your expected market share or changes in it to your competitors. Remember to only measure the relevant markets you serve. Also, avoid justifying your market share by taking small percentages of extremely large markets. "Our projections only assume we get 1% of this billion dollar market" is one of the most meaningless statements a business owner or entrepreneur can say.
Trade shows. Investors will be interested in the activity and interest your company's booth generates at trade shows compared to your competition. Some may even want to attend and observe t
With office cleaning becoming an increasingly competitive market for contract cleaning companies they must diversify or move into a niche market if they wish to continue to grow. One niche market that is not so competitive is that of ‘builders clean’. The number of companies that offer a good, high quality service to the construction industry is relatively small. So for small to medium sized firms it is well worth considering entering this market.In order to succeed the company must be prepared to come out of the safe environment of office cleaning which provides a regular and consistent income but at relatively low profit margins and take a leap into the world of uncertainty. You can build up a group of builders that you clean for but the work can still be spasmodic and irregular. You could go for the large house building companies where a project might
Management
Continual crisis. Business investors watch closely for signs of weakness in you or your management team. Constant interruptions by emergency phone calls and demands for immediate decisions are signs of disorganization and lack of management.
Substantial changes in key personal. Unusual turnover in key management positions can be viewed as a lack of leadership.
No changes in senior management for many years. An established company with little or no changes in the management team can indicate a stagnant business, not current in new methods or processes, or a very autocratic management style.
Lack of pride or enthusiasm. Seasoned business investors can just sense the true tempo and spirit of an operation and its management team. Ask them how they do it and they'll tell you it's a sixth sense or gut feel. Nonetheless, it is something they are looking for and expect to see and feel.
Manufacturing
Outdate methods and processes. Your manufacturing and service methods and processes provide a quick indication of your ability to compete in the markets you serve and shift gears if the business doesn't go as planned. Even if you're a start-up, business investors will want to know the methods and processes you plan to use to manufacture your product or provide the services you plan to offer.
Rejects. If you are already in production, investors expect you to know your reject rates, the problems causing them, and the quality controls you have in place. How you handle rejects is an important issue to business investors. Remember, rejects are not limited to only production rejects. They also include missed service calls, late deliveries, and other process failures.
Just in time (JIT). Inventory is often the first place business owners and entrepreneurs get into trouble. Too much of it and you can quickly run out of cash; too little and you'll quickly start missing deliveries and losing customers. How well you manage inventory and understand it is a key strength business investors are looking for in the management team.
Sales per employee. The measure of overall productivity is a good, simple benchmark investors can use to measure your historical or projected performance against other companies in your industry. Questions like: What is it that you plan to do differently than your competitors to allow you to use the number of employees you use or plan to use? Why do you think you can earn more or less per employee than the average for your industry?
Marketing
Market share. Be ready to compare your expected market share or changes in it to your competitors. Remember to only measure the relevant markets you serve. Also, avoid justifying your market share by taking small percentages of extremely large markets. "Our projections only assume we get 1% of this billion dollar market" is one of the most meaningless statements a business owner or entrepreneur can say.
Trade shows. Investors will be interested in the activity and interest your company's booth generates at trade shows compared to your competition. Some may even want to attend and observe t
Less than 7% of applicants are successful in landing that ideal job. Competition is fierce, so to avoid disappointment it’s useful to know what not to do in order to increase your chances of interview success. In a recent research study undertaken by Extra Sensory Perception Limited, commissioned by on-line recruitment company Ifoundwork, over 50 recruiter's from key industry sectors in the UK were questioned about the traits that they most like and dislike in an applicant. When asked about the things that made a negative impression on them during the interview process certain trends emerged. The eight traits below are the trends that most annoyed prospective employers.Should you want to give yourself the best chance of impressing a prospective employer, review the eight traits below and avoid them – like the plague! To get this ‘things not to do in an in
Manufacturing
Outdate methods and processes. Your manufacturing and service methods and processes provide a quick indication of your ability to compete in the markets you serve and shift gears if the business doesn't go as planned. Even if you're a start-up, business investors will want to know the methods and processes you plan to use to manufacture your product or provide the services you plan to offer.
Rejects. If you are already in production, investors expect you to know your reject rates, the problems causing them, and the quality controls you have in place. How you handle rejects is an important issue to business investors. Remember, rejects are not limited to only production rejects. They also include missed service calls, late deliveries, and other process failures.
Just in time (JIT). Inventory is often the first place business owners and entrepreneurs get into trouble. Too much of it and you can quickly run out of cash; too little and you'll quickly start missing deliveries and losing customers. How well you manage inventory and understand it is a key strength business investors are looking for in the management team.
Sales per employee. The measure of overall productivity is a good, simple benchmark investors can use to measure your historical or projected performance against other companies in your industry. Questions like: What is it that you plan to do differently than your competitors to allow you to use the number of employees you use or plan to use? Why do you think you can earn more or less per employee than the average for your industry?
Marketing
Market share. Be ready to compare your expected market share or changes in it to your competitors. Remember to only measure the relevant markets you serve. Also, avoid justifying your market share by taking small percentages of extremely large markets. "Our projections only assume we get 1% of this billion dollar market" is one of the most meaningless statements a business owner or entrepreneur can say.
Trade shows. Investors will be interested in the activity and interest your company's booth generates at trade shows compared to your competition. Some may even want to attend and observe t
Often, good business security is merely an afterthought, something you may only give attention to after a break-in has occurred. You may then rush to secure your business, but it’s best to take your time in selecting the right kind of business security for your operation.Businesses without alarms are 4 times more likely to be burglarized than business protected with forms of business security. Business security increases the safety of your employees and customers as well as your stock. If a criminal does manage to get in, business security helps keep the losses at a minimum. Here are some different ideas you can consider for your own business security plans.Business Security Tip #1: Protect the PremisesThe most common form of business security is the alarm system. Both wired and wireless systems are available. These systems can be easi
Sales per employee. The measure of overall productivity is a good, simple benchmark investors can use to measure your historical or projected performance against other companies in your industry. Questions like: What is it that you plan to do differently than your competitors to allow you to use the number of employees you use or plan to use? Why do you think you can earn more or less per employee than the average for your industry?
Marketing
Market share. Be ready to compare your expected market share or changes in it to your competitors. Remember to only measure the relevant markets you serve. Also, avoid justifying your market share by taking small percentages of extremely large markets. "Our projections only assume we get 1% of this billion dollar market" is one of the most meaningless statements a business owner or entrepreneur can say.
Trade shows. Investors will be interested in the activity and interest your company's booth generates at trade shows compared to your competition. Some may even want to attend and observe the next trade show you attend. Be sure to take pictures, videos and conduct customer surveys to demonstrate and support the interest and activity surrounding your booth.
New products. What is the percentage of new products or services that generate future sales? How often will new products or services need to be introduced to maintain your market position? What is your success rate with new products and services?
Business investors are constantly trying to sniff out symptoms of trouble. It's important that you never mislead or deceive them. Most investors have extensive business experience and regularly see or have seen many different businesses and industries. The questions they ask often stem from their real world experiences. That's why it is important not to get defensive by their questioning.
Be prepared when potential investors want to get behind your business plan. Use this list to conduct your own review of your business. Then, like many successful business owners and entrepreneurs, take the time to tap into the knowledge and questioning business investors have to offer to improve your business and prepare for future investor meetings.
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