Real Business Solutions and Resources For Real Business Problems
The business solutions and resources presented in this website are provided for all of you who fits any of the following real-life small-business situations:
- Would like to own a business, but don't really know if you can become an entrepreneur.
- Would like to start a business but are not quite sure how to go about it.
- Fearful of starting a business.
- Are in the process of starting a business, but find it more difficult than you thought.
- Has recently started a business, but are not getting the expected results.
- Has a business, but doesn't quite know what to do next.
- Has a small business in serious trouble—about to fail.
- Had a business that failed, and are now not sure if you should try again.
Hi, my name is Bob Foster, and you can read about my background in the About page of this website.
Now, through this website I want to direct all that business experience into usable business solutions and resources for every new and aspiring entrepreneur who wants to have a successful business.
For all of you who fit any of the real situations above—I want to present, in general terms, the information required to start and run a successful business. In addition, I will periodically suggest other resources outside of this website that can provide other information important to entrepreneurs.
This Website is Different
You will not find any academic jargon, or the latest business acronym fad on this website. The information presented here is unique because it is based on the results of actual experiences carried out by me and other successful—and controversial—business mavericks.
Most importantly, you will find that many of my approaches to small business are quite different from mainstream media, business pundits, and gurus. This is deliberate, because I have found over the years that much of what is currently being presented simply does not work in the real-life world of small business.
Every new business entrepreneur, and those who plan on becoming an entrepreneur, is faced with a multitude of questions, the most common being:
- Can just anyone become an entrepreneur—can I be an entrepreneur?
- How do I start a business? What is the first thing I should do?
- Do I really need to write a business plan—if so, how do I write one?
- How do I maintain ongoing planning of my business?
- How do I finance my business startup?
- How do I prepare and use Financial Statements?
- How do I attract, hire, and manage employees?
- Now that I am started up, how do I make my business grow?
- How do I finance my growth?
- What do I do if my business gets into trouble? What if it is failing?
- Where can I go for all the business solutions and resources I will continue to need as I grow?
These, and many, many other questions are answered throughout this website. If you have a question you cannot find an answer to here,—don't hesitate to send that question to us through the Q&A form on the NAV bar. You can click here. We'll do our best to get an answer for you.
I want this website to be the place where entrepreneurs can get all the basic business information they need—all in one place.
How to Best Use This Site
I designed this website to be similar to the layout of a printed book:
- Each major topic is presented in a Section, as though it were a major section of a reference book. The major Sections are listed below.
- All of the subjects pertaining to each "Section" are presented as Reports within each section. These reports are equivalent to "chapters" in a book.
- There are various Resources mentioned throughout the website, with links to most of them. In addition, these resources are collected into one central section called Resources on the NavBar.
- Although this business solutions and resources website is set up in the format of a reference book, it can also be studied from page 1 of the first Section and read straight through. This is what I recommend for any brand new entrepreneur.
If you are thinking about starting a business, or have only recently started one, I suggest you start at the beginning of this information website with the first report of Section 1 - Entrepreneurship, titled What is an Entrepreneur? (You might be surprised). Then read each of the Sections that follow.
Be sure to check back often, because new materials and features will be added frequently.
So, go ahead and check out my About page, and then take a look at each of the section topics of business solutions and resources shown in the list below, and in more detail in the Table of Contents.
List of Sections
Following is a list of the sections that make up this business solutions and resources site. Each section has a list of the reports included in that section.
For a complete listing of all the reports included in each section, refer to the Table of Contents
:
Section 1. - Entrepreneurship.
The term Entrepreneur has become a fad, to the point where we now have Social Entrepreneurs, Lifestyle Entrepreneurs, Political Entrepreneurs and on and on. This section discusses what a Business Entrepreneur really is, and how to know if that definition fits you.
Section 2. - Starting Up.
Starting a small business has a myriad of considerations. This section covers many of them, and is directed at both beginning and serial entrepreneurs.
Section 3. - Planning.
This section presents the various types of business planning and discusses when to use each type—if any at all.
Section 4. - Financing.
This is an ongoing consideration for every entrepreneur, no matter how small or large your business is. It is an issue that needs to be addressed early and often … this section helps guide you in the process.
Section 5. - Accounting.
I included this subject as a complete section, because it is extremely important, and one of the things most entrepreneurs ignore as long as possible—big mistake.
Section 6. - Buying a Business.
This section presents the pros and cons of buying an already operating business, and how to approach the process of searching, and then negotiating the buying of a business.
Section 7. - Family Businesses.
Family businesses differ substantially from regular businesses, and this section discusses the various ways of successfully running the family owned business—including how to avoid conflicts and feuds within the family.
Section 8. - Crisis Management.
Sometimes things do go very badly in a business and the owner is faced with a crisis—or so they think. This section helps business owners determine if they really have a crisis, and if so, how to handle it.
The report titles for each of the above Sections of this business solutions and resources website are listed in the Table of Contents, and on the first page of each section.
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3/4/13
