"Writing on the
edge...
walking in the
Light!"
"Say YES! to SUCCESS in Business" (a guidebook for entrepreneurs who PLAN to succeed) by Sara ProbascoIn this new work, Sara Probasco gives you the total plan for success in your small business! Nearly 200 pages of hard-hitting information tell you how to set up your business, how to make money, how to market and advertise...then how to keep it going on a profitable basis! Truly a Gold Mine for anyone starting, expanding, or wanting to increase profits in a small business. To order the downloadable E-book version via PayPal, simply click on this "Buy Now" button. For other methods of payment, or to order the CD or paperback versions, see complete ordering information at bottom of page. Say YES! to SUCCESS in Business a Guidebook for Entrepreneurs Who PLAN to Succeed by Sara Probasco published by: The National Publishing Company 1533 Burgundy Parkway Streamwood IL 60107 All electronic rights reserved © 2008 SAGP TABLE OF CONTENTS Part 1 - SO YOU WANT TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR Chapter One -- What is an Entrepreneur? . 4 Chapter Two -- Typical Work Habits . 7 Chapter Three -- The Psycho-Socio Picture .. .13 Chapter Four -- What to Believe (& Un-Believe) .19 False myths worth un-learning Problem people worth identifying Chapter Five -- Your Business Style .. 26 What kind of business do you want? Mistakes that can kill PART II THE BUSINESS PLAN Chapter Six -- What IS a Business Plan? 32 Chapter Seven -- What to Include, Part 1 .37 About the company Chapter Eight -- What to Include, Part 2 .44 Outside influences Issues and problems Chapter Nine -- Mining for Gold .. .. 51 PART III WORKING YOUR PLAN Chapter Ten -- Fitting the Pieces Together 57 Keep good records Ask yourself questions Chapter Eleven -- Finding Your Financial Niche .67 Chapter Twelve -- Increasing Your Cash Flow .72 Chapter Thirteen -- Cost, Differentiation, and the Competitive Advantage .78 PART IV THE MARKETPLACE Chapter Fourteen -- Customers and the Marketplace.. 83 Chapter Fifteen -- Competitors and the Marketplace..89 Chapter Sixteen -- The Marketing Plan .... 93 Chapter Seventeen -- Targeting Your Market . 100 Factors that attract customers Determining your share PART V GETTING THE WORD OUT Chapter Eighteen -- Charting Your Advertising Course..107 Chapter Nineteen --Long-term Outside Advertising.111 Purpose Types Chapter Twenty --Short-term Outside Advertising..118 Chapter Twenty-One -- Inside Advertising : Marketing vs. Promoting 123 PART VI LAUNCHING YOUR BUSINESS Chapter Twenty-Two -- The Storefront Location 129 Three questions Planning your store Chapter Twenty-Thee -- About Employees . 138 Chapter Twenty-Four -- First Impressions 144 Chapter Twenty-Five -- Saying YES! to Success ..148 APPENDIX ...................... 153 BUSINESS MATH 101 Determining Profitable Prices Predicting Expenses Pricing Service Work Prorating Overhead Expenses What it Costs to Cut Your Prices The Daily Report TAXES, PERMITS, ETC., TO CHECK ON CAN YOU FOLLOW DIRECTIONS? (a test) The BizWiz - SAMPLE ARTICLES SUGGESTED READING KUDOS.............................................188 ************************************ (sample text) Say YES! to SUCCESS in Business by Sara Probasco PART I SO YOU WANT TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR CHAPTER ONE What is an Entrepreneur? Its been said that an entrepreneur is a person who works for himself eighty hours a week for half the pay he could make if working forty hours a week for somebody else. Its also been said the two happiest times in a persons life are when he buys a business and when he sells it. Both statements contain a large degree of truth. Actually entrepreneur (pronounced on-tra-pra new-er) is just a fancy word for independent businessperson. Its used a lot in the business world, so if youre thinking about becoming one, you may as well get used to it. The New World Dictionary describes an entrepreneur as a person who organizes and undertakes a business operation, assuming the risks for the sake of the profits. Nothing wrong in that. Surf your late night TV channels, and youll probably run across at least a half dozen "infomercials" eager to tell you how you can go into business for yourself and make a million before the end of the week. All you need to do is order their foolproof plan. Their secret directions, enclosed along with a bonus freebee you probably dont want, is supposed to start you on the road to success for only $19.95, plus shipping and handling. Their pitch obviously appeals to thousands of folks who think they want to be entrepreneurs, or they wouldnt keep advertising. But wait a minutewhat about all the things we hear about the failure rate of the self-employed? Business statistics show that three out of every ten businesses fail within the first two years of operation. Half will go under within five years. Seventy per cent will declare bankruptcy by the end of the tenth year. These are not encouraging figures for someone thinking about going into business for himself. But we must realize that every business in existence today, no matter how large or small, began with one person or a group of individuals investing in a speculative venture with hopes of turning a profit. Wal*Mart, Apple, Microsoft, J.C. Penny, Starbucks, Neiman Marcus, Mary Kay makeup, Lillian Vernon mail order, Amazon.com, your little neighborhood grocery store, the dress boutique down the street, your favorite barber shopthey all started with a dream, an investment, and a person or persons willing to work hard to make their business succeed. The scary side of this is, we can drive down the streets of virtually any town in the country and see empty buildings with business signs still hanging there, mute testimony of failures that started out as somebodys dream and became a nightmare. Why do so many businesses fail? If you ask the owners what went wrong, youd almost always hear the same old song: We ran out of money! Well, of course they ran out of money. If they hadnt theyd probably still be in business, right? The real question is why did they run out of money? In the beginning, they thought they had enough. What changed? Why werent they able to market their products and services in time to build business momentum before their start-up money ran out? More important, how can we make sure we dont make the same mistakes? The answer to that isnt quite so simple. Failure comes as a rude shock to a lot of business owners. They have the idea that if they can just beg or borrow enough start-up capital, theyll have it made. They dont realize that running out of money is the result of business problems, not the cause. They jump in with no clue as to how to control cash flow and profits. Then later, they wonder why they have neither one in adequate supply. All right, then. Because we want to be among the minority who succeed, were going to take a close look at the classic causes of business failure, examine the characteristics present in successful businesses, and then chart a course that will have us following in the footsteps of entrepreneurs who have succeeded. So get some paper and a pen or pencil, find a quiet, comfortable place to sit, and roll up your sleeves. We have our work cut out for us. $ $ $ ************************************************* TO ORDER "Say YES! to SUCCESS in Business," in onLine downloadable E-Book format ($24.95), simply click on the yellow "Buy Now" button at the beginning of this page. Enter your credit card information with PayPal, and your downloading information should be e-mailed to you within 36 hours of our receipt of your order. For other methods of payment, or to order the text-only CD or full-page, proposal-style, Paperback edition ($29.95, plus $3.98 shipping & handling and Texans-only sales tax), contact Sara Probasco for quick and easy instructions. (Click "E-mail the Author" under "Quick Link" in the yellow sidebar to the right.) THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST! and KEEP SMILING. (It makes folks wonder what you're up to!) ****************************************************** |
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