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All About Conference Bags
If you’ve ever been to a professional conference, then you’ve probably received one of those lovely little goodies known as conference bags. If you’re an attendee, they seem simple enough – and are one of nice perks of attending a conference. In general, conference bags are tote bags or rucksacks printed with the name of the conference and the sponsoring organizations. Inside, you’ll find all the material you need for the conference, including your name tags, your schedule, speakers biographies, the conference program and other materials concerning the conference. Inside, you’ll also find an assortment of promotional items and materials from various sponsors who have contributed money to the organizers of the conference. It seems simple enough, but pulling it all together can be one of those minor miraculous feats that organizers pull off on a regular basis to make their conferences go off without a hitch.Now it’s your turn to handle the promotional details of a conference and one of your tasks is to order, organize and prepare the conference bags. Suddenly, what looked like such an easy task seems insurmountable and complex. Take a deep breath and relax. It’s not as hard as it looks. Here’s a timeline for making sure that your conference bags are ready to go when the

plan, then at least spend the time to make it unique and credible. Every month, without fail, I get several business plans produced by one particular software package. The reason I know this is because every one of them, regardless of the business model or industry, contains the EXACT boilerplate language and the EXACT default figures from the program. Because this demonstrates a lack of diligence and effort, those plans usually go straight in the trash bin. A coffee shop and a multinational defense contractor should not have the same financials. The only number these two businesses really have in common is the $99 they paid for the software.

8. Avoid Common Financial Mistakes

There are so many potential mistakes to be made in this area that it deserves its own article. However, here are some basics:

The Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Statement of Cash Flow must agree with each other.
Most Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) do not pay corporate income taxes. I see this one all the time. Over 80% of LLCs are setup to pass tax liability through to members, yet most business plan spreadsheets include a line-item for taxes that people fill-in anyway. When you do this, you underestimate your Operating Income by the amount of the tax. Because Operating Income is an important metric to most analysts, it's not a good idea to artificially decrease it.
Don't Forget the Notes. For an analyst, financial statements without explanatory notes are almost useless. The notes will contain essential information like the company's fiscal year, basis of accounting (cash or accrual),
The Power of Infinite Leverage
I am going to introduce you today to a concept that if you understand and implement, will be the deciding factor of your financial success in your life. Like all great knowledge, this one is also dangerously simple, and that’s why most people don’t get it! But before I get to that, let me share with you a great quotation that I read recently:“…there are people who put their dreams in a little box and say, "Yes, I've got dreams, of course, I've got dreams." Then they put the box away and bring it out once in a while to look in it, and yep, they're still there. These are great dreams, but they never even get out of the box. It takes an uncommon amount of guts to put your dreams on the line, to hold them up and say, "How good or how bad am I?" That's where courage comes in.” ~ Erma Bombeck Now here is something to follow that up with:According to the Social Security Administration in USA, if you take any random group of 100 people, by the time they are in their retirement age:Only 1 will be wealthy. 4 will be financially secure. 5 will continue working, not because they want to but because they have to. 36 will be dead. 54 will be dead broke - dependent on whatever government pension plan is there, or living on allowance
Just as manuscripts are screened by assistants before reaching an editor, business plans submitted to financial institutions and venture capitalists are almost always screened by someone like me, a professional analyst who gets paid to "manage risk," which is MBA-speak for finding legitimate reasons not to fund your project. In this article I provide tips on getting your business plan past me and on to the people who sign checks. That's easier said than done, as research consistently shows that only a tiny fraction of business plans ever result in financing.
Before I delve into specific recommendations, let's briefly review the purposes of a preparing a business plan.
In practice, a business plan has three purposes and three purposes only: (1) to demonstrate the validity of your business model (including the existence of a market); (2) to establish the qualification of your team to execute your business model; and (3) to convince investors/lenders that the only thing you're missing is capital. That's it. Anything else you try to make it will detract from these goals.
If you want your business plan to make it to the Loan or Investment Committee, consider following these 8 recommendations:
1. Present the Right Type of Plan to the Correct Audience
Generally speaking, there are three types of business plans: Loan-Targeted; Equity-Targeted and Operating-Only. Do not send an equity investor a loan request and do not send a lender a request for an equity investment. Operating-only plans do not seek to raise capital and thus are not discussed in this article.
Loan-targeted and Equity-targeted business plans are quite different. Lenders are principally concerned with collateral and cash flow. They tend to give a lot of weight to the debt coverage ratio. Equity investors focus on the Return on Equity generated from anticipated liquidity events like a lucrative acquisition or initial public offering. There are other differences. For example, if you're trying to raise equity, then your business plan will likely be known as a Private Placement Memorandum. This terminology comes from Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933, a federal law which applies to your business plan if you're attempting to raise private equity across state lines. This document has a specific format that investors are accustomed to. Failure to follow this format is a sure sign of a novice.
2. Abide by the 50/50 Rule
Your business plan should be no longer than 50 pages and no more than 50% of its content should be quantitative in nature.
There are two compelling reasons to keep your page-count under 50 pages:
First, whether your business plan is 20 pages or 200 pages, in most cases an analyst will reduce it to a 10-page summary called an Internal Credit Memorandum. The ICM is the only thing the decision-makers will ever see. Save the trees and save your time.
Second, people with money to invest or lend are among the busiest people on earth. None of them have time during the business day to sit and read more than 50 pages. The ideal length of a business plan is 20-30 pages, which is more than long enough to concisely state everything you need to. In my experience, every business plan longer than 50 pages contains unnecessary filler. Filler is bad. No matter what you read in that business plan book, your business plan does NOT need to include patent applications, folded-up blue prints, job descriptions, research studies, brochures, or pictures of your children. If and when I need any of these items, I will request them from you during the due diligence phase.
The reason you should limit your quantitative content to no more than half is because your business plan should tell a persuasive story that your numbers support. The numbers themselves are not the story.
3. Your Narrative Must Match Your Numbers
In many cases, the person who writes the narrative portion of a business plan is not the same person who prepares the financial portion. This often leads to inconsistencies, usually because your plan was not proofread or because one section gets updated without updating the other. A common example is where the Narrative lists executive salaries that amount to one figure but the Income Statement calculates salaries as a percentage of revenue, resulting in an entirely different figure. In addition to appearing sloppy, the problem with such inconsistencies is that they force the person analyzing your business plan to decide which of the two figures to accept. When I'm that person, I always pick the more conservative figure. That's usually bad for the applicant.
4. Show Them the Money
An entrepreneur once famously remarked, "If I succeed, everyone wins. If I fail, the bank loses." Your investors have heard this one too, but they're not amused. Investors and lenders are much more favorably inclined towards projects where the sponsor will be sharing the risk of the venture by co-investing some of its own capital along side theirs. They also saw the movie "Other People's Money," which may be why they instruct their analysts to discard business plans that include no sponsor equity.
5. Pass the Acid Test
One of the first things most analysts do with a new business plan is go straight to the Balance Sheet and check if Cash plus Cash Equivalents is greater than Current Liabilities. It's called the Acid Test. A ratio of less than 1 is a danger sign. Without getting too deep into financial theory, it's a warning that you have (or will have) a liquidity problem, or worse, a solvency problem. There are several acceptable methods of calculating this ratio. Pick the most favorable method. For most businesses, the most favorable method is to include the value of accounts receivable in the numerator.
6. Pass the Common Sense Test
No one wants to invest money in a profit-making enterprise that doesn't make any profits. Don't submit a business plan that projects a loss in the first few years but great profits thereafter or one where your product loses money on each sale but claims profit will be made "on volume." Even if you honestly believe that either of these scenarios will actually happen (which, statistically speaking, they won't), you will be much better off simply projecting break-even or a very small profit. The difference in dollars is negligible, but the difference in perception is critical. The main reason to avoid this is that most lenders and investors have policies against intentionally "funding losses."
7. Real Men (and Women) Don't Use Templates
If you're going to use business plan software to produce your business plan, then at least spend the time to make it unique and credible. Every month, without fail, I get several business plans produced by one particular software package. The reason I know this is because every one of them, regardless of the business model or industry, contains the EXACT boilerplate language and the EXACT default figures from the program. Because this demonstrates a lack of diligence and effort, those plans usually go straight in the trash bin. A coffee shop and a multinational defense contractor should not have the same financials. The only number these two businesses really have in common is the $99 they paid for the software.
8. Avoid Common Financial Mistakes
There are so many potential mistakes to be made in this area that it deserves its own article. However, here are some basics:
- The Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Statement of Cash Flow must agree with each other.
- Most Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) do not pay corporate income taxes. I see this one all the time. Over 80% of LLCs are setup to pass tax liability through to members, yet most business plan spreadsheets include a line-item for taxes that people fill-in anyway. When you do this, you underestimate your Operating Income by the amount of the tax. Because Operating Income is an important metric to most analysts, it's not a good idea to artificially decrease it.
- Don't Forget the Notes. For an analyst, financial statements without explanatory notes are almost useless. The notes will contain essential information like the company's fiscal year, basis of accounting (cash or accrual),
  Taking Charge of the Job Interview
  You are not alone if you dislike job interviews. Many senior-level executives, accustomed to being in control, are uncomfortable with the uncertainty of the interview situation. The good news is that you can take charge of every interview, by using a common interview technique to your advantage.I’m referring to the technique of behavioral interviewing, which simply means that interviewers ask very specific questions about real situations. The theory is that your past behavior is the best predictor of how you will behave in the future, so employers probe your background for clues.Let’s imagine that XYZ company is looking for a Marketing VP who can generate a lot of buzz with a small budget. In order to understand your experience in this area, an behavioral interviewer will ask:“Tell me about a time when you had to promote a product with very little cash.”or :“Describe a time when you created a lot of excitement about a new launch using non-traditional marketing techniques.”Behavioral interviewing has become quite common over the last 15 years and, you may well have experienced it yourself, either as an interviewer, or an interviewee. Provided you are prepared (and we’ll talk about t
  incipally concerned with collateral and cash flow. They tend to give a lot of weight to the debt coverage ratio. Equity investors focus on the Return on Equity generated from anticipated liquidity events like a lucrative acquisition or initial public offering. There are other differences. For example, if you're trying to raise equity, then your business plan will likely be known as a Private Placement Memorandum. This terminology comes from Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933, a federal law which applies to your business plan if you're attempting to raise private equity across state lines. This document has a specific format that investors are accustomed to. Failure to follow this format is a sure sign of a novice.
  2. Abide by the 50/50 Rule
  Your business plan should be no longer than 50 pages and no more than 50% of its content should be quantitative in nature.
  There are two compelling reasons to keep your page-count under 50 pages:
  First, whether your business plan is 20 pages or 200 pages, in most cases an analyst will reduce it to a 10-page summary called an Internal Credit Memorandum. The ICM is the only thing the decision-makers will ever see. Save the trees and save your time.
  Second, people with money to invest or lend are among the busiest people on earth. None of them have time during the business day to sit and read more than 50 pages. The ideal length of a business plan is 20-30 pages, which is more than long enough to concisely state everything you need to. In my experience, every business plan longer than 50 pages contains unnecessary filler. Filler is bad. No matter what you read in that business plan book, your business plan does NOT need to include patent applications, folded-up blue prints, job descriptions, research studies, brochures, or pictures of your children. If and when I need any of these items, I will request them from you during the due diligence phase.
  The reason you should limit your quantitative content to no more than half is because your business plan should tell a persuasive story that your numbers support. The numbers themselves are not the story.
  3. Your Narrative Must Match Your Numbers
  In many cases, the person who writes the narrative portion of a business plan is not the same person who prepares the financial portion. This often leads to inconsistencies, usually because your plan was not proofread or because one section gets updated without updating the other. A common example is where the Narrative lists executive salaries that amount to one figure but the Income Statement calculates salaries as a percentage of revenue, resulting in an entirely different figure. In addition to appearing sloppy, the problem with such inconsistencies is that they force the person analyzing your business plan to decide which of the two figures to accept. When I'm that person, I always pick the more conservative figure. That's usually bad for the applicant.
  4. Show Them the Money
  An entrepreneur once famously remarked, "If I succeed, everyone wins. If I fail, the bank loses." Your investors have heard this one too, but they're not amused. Investors and lenders are much more favorably inclined towards projects where the sponsor will be sharing the risk of the venture by co-investing some of its own capital along side theirs. They also saw the movie "Other People's Money," which may be why they instruct their analysts to discard business plans that include no sponsor equity.
  5. Pass the Acid Test
  One of the first things most analysts do with a new business plan is go straight to the Balance Sheet and check if Cash plus Cash Equivalents is greater than Current Liabilities. It's called the Acid Test. A ratio of less than 1 is a danger sign. Without getting too deep into financial theory, it's a warning that you have (or will have) a liquidity problem, or worse, a solvency problem. There are several acceptable methods of calculating this ratio. Pick the most favorable method. For most businesses, the most favorable method is to include the value of accounts receivable in the numerator.
  6. Pass the Common Sense Test
  No one wants to invest money in a profit-making enterprise that doesn't make any profits. Don't submit a business plan that projects a loss in the first few years but great profits thereafter or one where your product loses money on each sale but claims profit will be made "on volume." Even if you honestly believe that either of these scenarios will actually happen (which, statistically speaking, they won't), you will be much better off simply projecting break-even or a very small profit. The difference in dollars is negligible, but the difference in perception is critical. The main reason to avoid this is that most lenders and investors have policies against intentionally "funding losses."
  7. Real Men (and Women) Don't Use Templates
  If you're going to use business plan software to produce your business plan, then at least spend the time to make it unique and credible. Every month, without fail, I get several business plans produced by one particular software package. The reason I know this is because every one of them, regardless of the business model or industry, contains the EXACT boilerplate language and the EXACT default figures from the program. Because this demonstrates a lack of diligence and effort, those plans usually go straight in the trash bin. A coffee shop and a multinational defense contractor should not have the same financials. The only number these two businesses really have in common is the $99 they paid for the software.
  8. Avoid Common Financial Mistakes
  There are so many potential mistakes to be made in this area that it deserves its own article. However, here are some basics:
  - The Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Statement of Cash Flow must agree with each other.
  - Most Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) do not pay corporate income taxes. I see this one all the time. Over 80% of LLCs are setup to pass tax liability through to members, yet most business plan spreadsheets include a line-item for taxes that people fill-in anyway. When you do this, you underestimate your Operating Income by the amount of the tax. Because Operating Income is an important metric to most analysts, it's not a good idea to artificially decrease it.
  - Don't Forget the Notes. For an analyst, financial statements without explanatory notes are almost useless. The notes will contain essential information like the company's fiscal year, basis of accounting (cash or accrual),
    How To Write Ads and Banners that Make People Click!
    Sure there are pages and pages of articles telling you how this color or that music on you web page will encourage people to buy but here is the truth: The most important tool is the words that you use. Most people shop with emotions. Figure out a way to get them “emotional” and you have a sale!Here are some techniques that I have used in the past to get my sales moving:* Use reverse psychology on your banner ads. You could tell people not to click on your banner ad. For example "Don't Click unless you want to make money!”* Make your banner ad words as attractive as possible. Use words like ultimate, powerful, sizzling, hot, etc. Remember emotions will cause them to buy and very descriptive words do the trick.* Offer a discount offer on your banner ad. People are always looking for good deals. You could offer a percentage discount, dollar discount, buy one get one free discount, etc.* Use a testimonial on your banner ad. This'll give people proof they aren't wasting their time clicking on your banner ad. The testimonial should include enough information so that they understand the offer.* Use a strong guarantee on your banner ad. You could include the guarantee as a headline for your offer. It could read double or triple your money
    s plan does NOT need to include patent applications, folded-up blue prints, job descriptions, research studies, brochures, or pictures of your children. If and when I need any of these items, I will request them from you during the due diligence phase.
    The reason you should limit your quantitative content to no more than half is because your business plan should tell a persuasive story that your numbers support. The numbers themselves are not the story.
    3. Your Narrative Must Match Your Numbers
    In many cases, the person who writes the narrative portion of a business plan is not the same person who prepares the financial portion. This often leads to inconsistencies, usually because your plan was not proofread or because one section gets updated without updating the other. A common example is where the Narrative lists executive salaries that amount to one figure but the Income Statement calculates salaries as a percentage of revenue, resulting in an entirely different figure. In addition to appearing sloppy, the problem with such inconsistencies is that they force the person analyzing your business plan to decide which of the two figures to accept. When I'm that person, I always pick the more conservative figure. That's usually bad for the applicant.
    4. Show Them the Money
    An entrepreneur once famously remarked, "If I succeed, everyone wins. If I fail, the bank loses." Your investors have heard this one too, but they're not amused. Investors and lenders are much more favorably inclined towards projects where the sponsor will be sharing the risk of the venture by co-investing some of its own capital along side theirs. They also saw the movie "Other People's Money," which may be why they instruct their analysts to discard business plans that include no sponsor equity.
    5. Pass the Acid Test
    One of the first things most analysts do with a new business plan is go straight to the Balance Sheet and check if Cash plus Cash Equivalents is greater than Current Liabilities. It's called the Acid Test. A ratio of less than 1 is a danger sign. Without getting too deep into financial theory, it's a warning that you have (or will have) a liquidity problem, or worse, a solvency problem. There are several acceptable methods of calculating this ratio. Pick the most favorable method. For most businesses, the most favorable method is to include the value of accounts receivable in the numerator.
    6. Pass the Common Sense Test
    No one wants to invest money in a profit-making enterprise that doesn't make any profits. Don't submit a business plan that projects a loss in the first few years but great profits thereafter or one where your product loses money on each sale but claims profit will be made "on volume." Even if you honestly believe that either of these scenarios will actually happen (which, statistically speaking, they won't), you will be much better off simply projecting break-even or a very small profit. The difference in dollars is negligible, but the difference in perception is critical. The main reason to avoid this is that most lenders and investors have policies against intentionally "funding losses."
    7. Real Men (and Women) Don't Use Templates
    If you're going to use business plan software to produce your business plan, then at least spend the time to make it unique and credible. Every month, without fail, I get several business plans produced by one particular software package. The reason I know this is because every one of them, regardless of the business model or industry, contains the EXACT boilerplate language and the EXACT default figures from the program. Because this demonstrates a lack of diligence and effort, those plans usually go straight in the trash bin. A coffee shop and a multinational defense contractor should not have the same financials. The only number these two businesses really have in common is the $99 they paid for the software.
    8. Avoid Common Financial Mistakes
    There are so many potential mistakes to be made in this area that it deserves its own article. However, here are some basics:
    - The Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Statement of Cash Flow must agree with each other.
    - Most Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) do not pay corporate income taxes. I see this one all the time. Over 80% of LLCs are setup to pass tax liability through to members, yet most business plan spreadsheets include a line-item for taxes that people fill-in anyway. When you do this, you underestimate your Operating Income by the amount of the tax. Because Operating Income is an important metric to most analysts, it's not a good idea to artificially decrease it.
    - Don't Forget the Notes. For an analyst, financial statements without explanatory notes are almost useless. The notes will contain essential information like the company's fiscal year, basis of accounting (cash or accrual),
      Opening a Dollar Store - Who's the Merchandise For?
      Are you opening a dollar store? If so don’t fall into the trap of forgetting that the merchandise you buy is not for you. Rather, the merchandise that you buy to resell is for you customers. In fact, the better the job that you do of making sure you understand exactly what those customers desire, the more successful your store will become.Many new store owners seem to have forgotten this simple idea. They focus their buying on items that they personally use. If an item is ordered and gains popularity with customers, they may abruptly stop reordering if the item is not one that they personally like or use. That is a mistake that costs these entrepreneurs money. Don’t make that same mistake when you are opening a dollar store.While you cannot simply forget about your own wants and needs, focus buying on your customers. After opening a dollar store always stay in touch with their preferences by taking the time to chat with them when they are in your store. In fact train cashiers to ask about the items that they like in your store. Don’t forget to train cashiers to also ask about items that they are seeking and cannot find in your store.When the demand for new items becomes clear from these cashier discussions give them a try. Simply add a small quantity to
      ey also saw the movie "Other People's Money," which may be why they instruct their analysts to discard business plans that include no sponsor equity.
      5. Pass the Acid Test
      One of the first things most analysts do with a new business plan is go straight to the Balance Sheet and check if Cash plus Cash Equivalents is greater than Current Liabilities. It's called the Acid Test. A ratio of less than 1 is a danger sign. Without getting too deep into financial theory, it's a warning that you have (or will have) a liquidity problem, or worse, a solvency problem. There are several acceptable methods of calculating this ratio. Pick the most favorable method. For most businesses, the most favorable method is to include the value of accounts receivable in the numerator.
      6. Pass the Common Sense Test
      No one wants to invest money in a profit-making enterprise that doesn't make any profits. Don't submit a business plan that projects a loss in the first few years but great profits thereafter or one where your product loses money on each sale but claims profit will be made "on volume." Even if you honestly believe that either of these scenarios will actually happen (which, statistically speaking, they won't), you will be much better off simply projecting break-even or a very small profit. The difference in dollars is negligible, but the difference in perception is critical. The main reason to avoid this is that most lenders and investors have policies against intentionally "funding losses."
      7. Real Men (and Women) Don't Use Templates
      If you're going to use business plan software to produce your business plan, then at least spend the time to make it unique and credible. Every month, without fail, I get several business plans produced by one particular software package. The reason I know this is because every one of them, regardless of the business model or industry, contains the EXACT boilerplate language and the EXACT default figures from the program. Because this demonstrates a lack of diligence and effort, those plans usually go straight in the trash bin. A coffee shop and a multinational defense contractor should not have the same financials. The only number these two businesses really have in common is the $99 they paid for the software.
      8. Avoid Common Financial Mistakes
      There are so many potential mistakes to be made in this area that it deserves its own article. However, here are some basics:
      - The Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Statement of Cash Flow must agree with each other.
      - Most Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) do not pay corporate income taxes. I see this one all the time. Over 80% of LLCs are setup to pass tax liability through to members, yet most business plan spreadsheets include a line-item for taxes that people fill-in anyway. When you do this, you underestimate your Operating Income by the amount of the tax. Because Operating Income is an important metric to most analysts, it's not a good idea to artificially decrease it.
      - Don't Forget the Notes. For an analyst, financial statements without explanatory notes are almost useless. The notes will contain essential information like the company's fiscal year, basis of accounting (cash or accrual),
        Why Your Profit Margin Is Not Important
        Profit margins seem to be main focus of executives and small business owners.Everyone from the CEO of General Motors to your average eBay seller is focused on it.But think fo what a profit margin actually represents. It’s not an indication of how much money you are actually making, it’s only a figure that tells what the profit portion is as a percentage of the total sale.In other words a $10 profit on a $100 sale means that your profit margin is 10%.Now let me ask you this, let’s assume your average profit margin is 100%. That type of profit margin would make any business owner envious. But what if the total sale was only $2? Your actual profit would only be $1, even though you are working a high profit margin.I am sure you realize how many products you would have to sell to make any serious money.But what if your profit margin was only 5% on a $100,000 sale?Your actual profit would be $5,000. In net terms you are making more money even though the profit margin is 20 times smaller than in the above example.That’s the real reason your profit margin is not important. What is important is your actual net profit.Profit margins are good formulas for general accounting and investment decisions. But as a business ow
        plan, then at least spend the time to make it unique and credible. Every month, without fail, I get several business plans produced by one particular software package. The reason I know this is because every one of them, regardless of the business model or industry, contains the EXACT boilerplate language and the EXACT default figures from the program. Because this demonstrates a lack of diligence and effort, those plans usually go straight in the trash bin. A coffee shop and a multinational defense contractor should not have the same financials. The only number these two businesses really have in common is the $99 they paid for the software.
        8. Avoid Common Financial Mistakes
        There are so many potential mistakes to be made in this area that it deserves its own article. However, here are some basics:
        The Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Statement of Cash Flow must agree with each other.
        Most Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) do not pay corporate income taxes. I see this one all the time. Over 80% of LLCs are setup to pass tax liability through to members, yet most business plan spreadsheets include a line-item for taxes that people fill-in anyway. When you do this, you underestimate your Operating Income by the amount of the tax. Because Operating Income is an important metric to most analysts, it's not a good idea to artificially decrease it.
        Don't Forget the Notes. For an analyst, financial statements without explanatory notes are almost useless. The notes will contain essential information like the company's fiscal year, basis of accounting (cash or accrual), definition of inventory and the details of liabilities (interest rates, maturities, etc.). To illustrate my point, consider the simple case of revenue recognition. Suppose you receive an income statement that claims a company will earn $1,000,000 in revenues this year. Does that figure refer to cash received or the value of sales contracts? Only the notes will tell. Anybody remember Enron?
        Tell Them How Much You're Asking For. Another common mistake is not including a Statement of Sources and Uses (sometimes called a Funding Plan). This statement expressly sets forth how much funding you are requesting and what you will do with the proceeds. I can't tell you how many
        business plans I've reviewed that tell you everything but how much money is being requested.
        Extra Credit
        If you want to earn goodwill points with the person who will decide if your business plan ever makes it to the investment or loan committee, consider these optional steps:
        In addition to a hardcopy, email an electronic copy of your business plan in PDF format.
        Include the NAICS code for your industry. The NAICS code is the successor to the well known SIC code. It's what an analyst uses to look up information about your industry at commercial data sources like Dun & Bradstreet and RMA.
        Don't use a ring binder.
        Include a ratio analysis with your financial projections.
        Don't misspell names.
        There you have it. Following these tips may not be enough to get your business plan funded, but they will get it taken seriously. The rest is up to you.

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Who should apply for a credit card merchant account online? Why, you should, of course, if you want to grow your business and maximize sales volume! In this day and age, more and more business functions are moving into cyberspace, which means that business owners must be ready to travel to this relatively unknown domain if they want to maintain strong customer ties and stay a step or two ahead of the competition. Don’t worry if you’re not Web savvy; most online processes that are geared to the general consumer are not hard to perform. In fact, most are downright easy.

We specialize in logo branding creations for your business. We understand that you have a limited budget and that corporate logo design isn't nessarily a top priority. Basic steps that you need to follow to create a corporate logo design that would successfully exude your corporate identity...

All projects are essential and every project has its own risk elements. Commencing from initiation to post completion of the project, the degree of risk grows within, as does the haze of uncertainty, thus proper project risk management can make a difference.

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