Invest in unique signs and awesome-looking store and office interiors. Entrepreneurs know that cash-flow, working capital, profit, and equity are collectively the lifeblood of their future. Money alone will not get them to perform to their maximum ability. On the other hand, a banker is likely to be quite interested in seeing a contingency plan that will let you pay back the loan, even in the event of a worst-case scenario.
Never confuse motion with action
In
marketing, we use
the term mass markets and niche markets to describe how broad or specific the group of people we are trying to reach to sell our product or service is. Or
via a market
stall and also by mail order. Few
things are more
comforting to an investor than the knowledge that this investment s disbursement will be monitored regularly and carefully by an expert. Take
them to lunch
every two months.
Send books to help customers
Frequently
these will be
convertible bonds that can be exchanged for shares of stock. Most
successful businesses were
started by individuals who had clearly defined vision, purpose, and goals. A
great way to
get known is to be active in your industry, associations, and community. Decide
when to say
'Yes!' to a project, and, more importantly, decide when to say 'No!' That's the key to being profit-driven.
Identify needs that even customers are hardly yet aware of
It
is best to
have a VC firm s term sheet without ever stating what you believe the value to be. Spouses
can grow resentful
of all the time and money their workaholic partners put into the fledgling business. Finally,
the adequate combination
of roles and interfaces depends on the priorities and capabilities of the various suppliers. (When
I took a
hard look at our overhead costs a few years ago, I found that people were abusing the company accounts and ordering more things than we needed.) Consider outsourcing as much as you can to cut your overhead, including payroll services, employee training, scheduling, marketing services, safety programs, and equipment maintenance.
An expert isn?t always the person who knows the most
If
possible, take a
few samples of your choicest goods with you. One
of the reasons
for differences among plans is that industries are different. People
do want a
fair price, but they also want to know that what they buy is a good value. All
that information flowing
up to senior managers in the form of plans helps keep the brass informed.
Everything You Wanted to Know About Finance and Were Afraid To Ask
You
are not exactly
like them. A
number of similarly
small changes, in sum, can make a big difference in the bottom line of your plan and turn what otherwise looks like a loser into a projected winner. Then
look at your
and marketing budget and efforts. Profit can be split
with key employees as an incentive.