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Is Your Small Business The Most Important Thing To You?

By Melinda Emerson on September 13, 2010 in Melinda Emerson @SmallBizLady, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

When I started my first company, I made a vow to myself that no one would be able to “outwork” me. I believed that if I put more time into my business than my competition, it would make me successful. I became the worst workaholic you could imagine. I would actually leave church on Sunday—and then head into the office. I worked 7 days a week and I created that culture for my employees, too. You could call my office at 8pm and my assistant was still there answering the phone. Now, I always bought lunch and dinner for my staff, but I didn’t have a life and neither did they. And even though my company did well, I am not so sure it was because of all those hours at the office.

It is true that in the first couple of years your business, it really owns you. But be careful not to give all of your energy to your business and completely neglect your family and friends. Make a point to at least twice a week end your work day at a reasonable time. There are too my entrepreneurs who are divorced, because they did not make their families their #1 customer.

Here’s a small quiz that will help you figure if you are on the road to burnout in your business. Answer these questions Yes or No.

Do work long hours = 5 or more nights a week?
Do you prefer to be at a networking event instead of at home?
Do you know how to relax?
Do you still have a date night with your spouse?
Have you recently spent time hanging out with friends?
Do you still regularly do any of your hobbies?
Have you recently read a book for fun?

Your answers to these questions should make you think hard about what your top priority is for your life.

So, how did I finally stop devoting every waking hour to my business?
I was forced to take it easy when I became pregnant with my son. Due to complications with my baby, I had a high risk pregnancy and was put on bed rest for 6 months. I was forced to get a smart phone, and use technology more effectively. I was really only able to work 4-5 hours a day when I felt up to it. I had to delegate more and depend on my staff much more than I ever had. Once I had my son, I never returned to my workaholic ways. I am now a family first entrepreneur. I figured out that my time is what my family needed most, if I wanted to have a family.

Are you a reformed workaholic? Tell me how you finally got your life back from your business?

For more tips on starting or growing your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog at www.succeedasyourownboss.com

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. She has been featured on NBC Nightly News, the Tavis Smiley Radio Show, in the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur and Black Enterprise Magazine. She hosts #SmallBizChat weekly on Twitter for emerging entrepreneurs and publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)

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8 Tips to Become Your Own Boss

By Melinda Emerson on June 28, 2010 in Become Your Own Boss Tips, How to Start, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Starting A Small Business, Your Small Business

It’s more than a notion to launch your own business. Nowadays it’s common for folks to leave a job via layoff or early retirement and jump right into starting a small business. Some become small business owners because they always wanted to do it…and others are hanging their shingle out of necessity. Regardless of how you found your path to entrepreneurship, you need to keep these 8 tips in mind as you Become Your Own Boss.

1. Figure Out What You Want Out Of Life. It’s just like when you are driving a car – places are so much easier reach when you know the route. Take the time to map out a plan for a successful life. Get clear about what will make you happy. In order to have a successful business, you need a life plan before you ever write a business plan.

2. Get Your Money Straight. Many businesses do not get off the ground because of too many financial obligations in a business owner’s personal life. You need to be prepared financially to go without a paycheck for a year or two in order to make your business dream a reality. Then you’re going to need money to run your new business. You must consider whether you can afford to become an entrepreneur.

3. Evaluate Your Business Concept. Many people who are struck by the entrepreneurial bug have more than one business idea. Make sure that you don’t just follow the idea you love the most. Make sure there’s a real market for your product or service. There’s a big difference between need, want and willing to pay for. I’m all for finding your passion and making it a business, just make sure your passion has a profit center.

4. Get Yourself a Kitchen Cabinet of Advisors. I think you need a fan club of people who believe in you and will tell you the truth about your business ideas. This should be a 3 to 4 people, including an existing entrepreneur, a friend who’s a potential customer, a retired executive who has a rolodex that can assist you and a lawyer or accountant that can give you advice that you otherwise probably couldn’t pay for. I call this group a kitchen cabinet of advisors because they will usually work for food.

5. Spend Time Building Your Network. In business your network is your net worth. People do business with people they like and know. If you are known more internally at your job, you must get out there and start networking at least six months before you start your business. Your first customers will be people who know you or referrals from those same people.

6. Know Your Niche Customer. In this new economy, it’s more important than ever to have a niche target market. Niche to get Rich is a saying, but it is true. The more specialized your target market, the better for your business. You should be able to see the face of your customer and write a story about him or her. Even if you’re using social media you need to know who you want to talk to before jumping out there.

7. You Need a Marketing Plan. Use your marketing plan to clearly identify that there’s a market for your product or service that you can actually reach. You need to figure out who’s buying and why. You also need to develop a signature move or signature service as you are developing your marketing plan. If you can answer those simple those questions you should move forward with your business plans.

8. You Must Have a Business Plan. You must plan for success, it will not just happen to you. You need a business plan to give yourself a road map to run your business. Do not treat your business plan like a historical document. Your first business plan is your hypothesis of what you think will happen in your business. Your assumptions will change once your business is exposed to the market place. In the early years of your business, you should review and update your business plan every 2-3 months to make sure your business is on the right track.

Do you have any more tips on How to Become Your Own Boss?

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady” is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Coach and Social Media Marketing Expert who hosts #SmallBizChat on Twitter. #SmallBizChat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Melinda also publishes a resource blog on small business best practices at www.succeedasyourownboss.com Her first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months was released by Adams Media in March 2010.

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On The Road To Oprah’s Own Network

By Melinda Emerson on May 31, 2010 in Business Inspiration, Mompreneurs, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

Many of you may not know this but Oprah Winfrey is who inspired me to become an entrepreneur. When I was in college she opened Harpo Studios. That planted the seed and really gave me the confidence that one day I could own my own production company.

I will never forget that time. I was interning that summer in New York for the Today Show and back then, Lexisnexis was the way you looked up information. I used to hide in the ladies room until everyone went home so I could get onto the Lexis system and look up articles about Oprah’s new business. What fascinated me most about Oprah’s business acumen was not her number 1 talk show, but the fact that she owned her own creative product and negotiated her own syndication deal with King World.

It was the summer of my sophomore year in college when I caught the entrepreneurial bug and I started making plans. I even came up with the name of my first company – Quintessence Entertainment, Inc. I chose Quintessence because it means perfection I also thought it sounded kind of feminine (which I liked).

One of the things I knew about business was that I needed to get some experience before I started my own business. So I finished my broadcast journalism degree at Virginia Tech and then I got a job as a news producer. I worked in the industry six years as a producer and learned every job I could. Then I started thinking back on my business idea. After years of writing about murders and fires and working every Christmas in the news business, I knew that I was meant to do something else. It was a strange feeling as it was my dream job – and I hated it.

While I was still working for the television station, I got a freelance gig working for a production company and then after February sweeps, I walked away from the news business and decided to start my own production company. The Oprah show was always one of my favorites. I was very lucky I worked at a TV station where I got to watch her show most days before the news.

One of my favorite episodes was one show where a woman in the audience came to return a pair of Oprah’s shoes. Each year, Oprah auctions all of her clothes and shoes to raise money for charity. One year, a woman who was quite down on her luck, bought a simple pair of flat shoes in the sale. She didn’t even wear Oprah’s size. But she wanted the shoes for encouragement. She said whenever she felt depressed she would just stand in Oprah’s shoes until she felt better. She came to the show to give Oprah back her shoes because she didn’t need them anymore. I talked about this episode so much that when I started my production company, one of my best friends bought me a pair of slippers that Oprah said was one of her favorite things and told me that now I was walking in Oprah’s shoes. It’s been almost 12 years, and I still have and love those slippers.

In 2005, in addition to running my multimedia production company, I became a professional speaker and small business coach. It was an unintentional business. So many people called me for business advice and to present workshops and participate on panel discussions that after losing precious work hours each month, I realized that I’d better figure out a way to monetize my expertise. I started with my special report 44 Things To Do Before Going Into Business and that led to my book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months which was released in March 2010 by Adams Media.

In 2008, I decided to use Twitter to grow my speaking and coaching business, but when I got to the social networking site, my name was taken. After I got over the initial shock, my friend Cathy Larkin came up with the idea that I should call myself “SmallBizLady” which has turned out to be the best thing that happened to my brand. In January 2009, I launched this blog as a resource for small business owners.

In early 2010, around that time was book was released, I had an idea for a reality TV show that would send me across the country helping America’s small business owners with their biggest small business challenge and leaving them with an action plan for success. Think of my show as a cross between The Suze Orman Show on CNBC and Tabatha’s Salon Takeover on the Bravo Network.

On May 4, 2010, Oprah partnered with mega producer Mark Burnett, the creator of Survivor and The Apprentice, to find a reality star to create a show for her new cable channel the Oprah Winfrey Network which will begin airing in 2011.

I happened to see the announcement live on TV that day. I had a strange feeling as I watched the contest announcement; it was like Oprah was talking directly to me. In an instant, my cell phone was ringing from three different friends wanting to know if I saw it. They also thought that Oprah was looking for me. Last week, I posted my show concept video to Oprah.com. Here’s the link http://bit.ly/9z13IT . Please vote for me. There are no restrictions on voting. You can vote as many times as you want each day until July 3, 2010.

Oprah is also hosting live casting calls in four cities across the country at Kohl’s stores. Several friends have agreed to go to the casting with me on June 5^th. I am going to get in line on June 4^th, as they only promise to see the first 500 people. We are going to camp out in the parking lot — like back in the day for concert tickets. I will be in line by 10 am Friday morning at the Kohl’s in Linden, NJ feel free to come and hang out with me and my friends in line as we continue this journey to win a show on the OWN Network.

I believe everything that I’ve been through in business and in the television and production industry has prepared me for this moment—and I’m bringing along my Oprah slippers for good luck!

Please tell everyone to vote and leave me a comment below about what you think about my pitch video on Oprah.com.

Melinda Emerson “Smallbizlady” is a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach. Her areas of expertise include small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Melinda hosts #Smallbizchat, a weekly talk show on Twitter for emerging entrepreneurs. Melinda’s first book Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to Start a Business that Works was released in March 2010 by Adams Media.

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5 Common Myths About Starting a Small Business

By Melinda Emerson on May 24, 2010 in Become Your Own Boss Tips, Cash Flow & Finance, How to Start, Mompreneurs, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Starting A Small Business, Women in Business, Your Small Business

The real deal on starting a small business.

What's the real deal about starting a small business?

This is national small business week. In honor of that I thought I would use my blog to dispel 5 common myths about starting a small business. I chose these five as they are the most common questions I get when I speak around the country and do workshops on how to transition from a job to small business ownership. Entrepreneurship is the only way to build true wealth in America, but you need to make sure that you understand what you are getting into for the long haul.

Myth #1: Starting my own small business will give me more control over my schedule.

Reality: Starting a small business is not a 9 to 5 job. In the beginning your business owns you—you do not own it or your time. For many startups, 14-16 hour days are not unusual. As an entrepreneur, you do 10-13 jobs at once including being the chief sales person, business planner, secretary, payroll manager, human resource manager, brand manager, chief financial officer, technology manager, project manager and bill collector. Carving out time for yourself will be a luxury. If you duck out early to run a personal errand, you’ll need the make the time up once the kids go to bed. For the first three years, do not plan on spending lots of time on the golf course, or taking off every Friday. Your business will need every minute you have to spare.

Myth #2: I don’t want any loans to start my small business – I can get grants.

Reality: There’s no such thing as getting a grant to start your small business. Expect that the money to start your business will come from your right or left pocket. Successful startup entrepreneurs save 20-40% of every paycheck for at least 12 months prior to starting the business.

In fact, there are three pools of money you should have before your start a business

An emergency savings account
Enough budget to go for 12-24 months without a paycheck
The first year of operating capital to run your business

Banks do not typically loan money to start-up businesses either. You need to be in business for two to three years to qualify for even a line of credit. The only chance you have of earning money you don’t need to pay back is if you win a business plan contest or new inventor competition, but that’s a long shot. Now there are some franchises that provide funding, but 20-30% of the loan must come from your own resources.

Myth #3: My business idea is so great my products will sell themselves.

Reality: Do not fool yourself. Building sales requires time, money, and a disciplined sales process that starts with strategic relationship building. How strong is your network? That’s where your first customers and sales will come from for your business. What are your weekly marketing activities? Marketing is the engine that fuels a small business — no marketing = no sales. Even if you have a big client, you do not want to put all your eggs into one basket. Make sure your client base is diversified.

Myth #4: I have been successful in corporate America; running a small business will not be too hard.

Reality: If entrepreneurship were easy, everybody would be doing it. The biggest difference between working in corporate America and self-employment is infrastructure. You must build everything. You will have to do every job until you can afford help. Your corporate job can survive without you for a day or a week. In your own business, if you don’t work, you don’t eat. Sick days, hour lunches, health benefits and 401K perks don’t really exist in the start up phase of a small business. You must be prepared to learn everything you can. If you already know everything, keep your good job—if you can.

Myth#5: Anybody can use my product or service.

Reality: One of the top reasons why small businesses fail is lack of having a niche target market. Do not make the mistake of trying to sell to anyone that you think has money. Take the time to develop a customer profile. You should be able to see the face of your customer and know everything about her. How old is she? Does she have children? In what country does she live? Does she make purchases using the internet? How much education does she have? What is her income? How often does she buy your product or service?

What other myths are out there about starting a small business? Please let me know.

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Winners of the $25,000 Entrepreneur’s Challenge

By Melinda Emerson on May 10, 2010 in Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, Melinda Emerson @SmallBizLady, Mompreneurs, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

In celebration of her first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months: A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works (Adams Media, March 2010), Melinda Emerson is annoucning contest winners featuring a prize of weekly small-business coaching sessions. “The contest brought so many worthy applicants that I found it impossible to choose one winner,” describes Emerson. “I narrowed it to two winners who agreed to share the one-on-one coaching.”

Entrepreneurs Jennifer Furr, owner of PictureThatSound in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Chris Bell, owner of ChrisBell3rd & Company in Columbia, Maryland, will work with Emerson weekly and blog about their experiences.

In 2009, Jennifer Furr decided to leave her steady job in the pharmaceutical industry to pursue a dream – bringing a product to market that she couldn’t find in the retail world.

Jenn Furr

Furr founded PictureThatSound to fill an unmet need in the US memory-keeping market. The company’s first product pairs a photo matte with a recordable device for sound. Furr describes being pregnant with her second child and wanting to capture the ultrasound image with the heartbeat sound in her scrapbook album. “There are so many sounds that we take for granted, that we think we’ll always remember. Sometimes I close my eyes and picture a sound in my head, like my toddler’s giggle, my grandmother singing, or even my husband snoring. We provide a product that allows you to capture a photo and an audio snapshot of that memory, all in one.” Visit www.PictureThatSound.com.

Chris Bell

In June 2009, Chris Bell decided to use his creative business development and technology sales expertise to launch his consultancy, ChrisBell3rd & Company, LLC to exceed sales revenue objectives on behalf of executives, investors, and owners of small to mid-sized IT software and life sciences software companies. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be coached by Smallbizlady, and I am thrilled to have been chosen. I know she will help me grow my business,” said Bell.

ChrisBell3rd & Company, LLC exercises proven best practices with the latest in Sales 2.0 technology to deliver customized business development and sales approaches that uniquely fit their client’s product-type, corporate culture, and revenue goals. His mantra is simple: “Nobody cares what you know, until they know that you care – all is business is personal.” Visit http://chrisbell3rd.com

Emerson says, “These two emerging entrepreneurs are exactly the type of dedicated small-business owners that I love to coach. I was so touched by each of their stories of starting a business.”

Jennifer and Chris will receive coaching twice a month for one year and an autographed copy of Melinda Emerson’s book Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months, her life planning journal, and her Audio CD: 10 Things You Must Never Forget in Business. Emerson will also coach both entrepreneurs every other week throughout the year. The winners will be required to blog twice per month about their entrepreneurial journey.

Melinda Emerson “Smallbizlady” is a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach. Her areas of expertise include small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Melinda is a well-known expert in achieving bottom line results and has helped many entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses. Melinda hosts #Smallbizchat, a weekly talk show on Twitter for emerging business owners. Melinda publishes a blog about running a profitable small business www.succeedasyourownboss.com. Her first book Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to Start a Business That Works” was released March 2010 from Adams Media. For more information, please visit www.becomeyourownbossbook.com

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#SmallBizChat Celebrates 1 Year of Ending Small Business Failure

By Melinda Emerson on April 19, 2010 in Mompreneurs, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, SmallBizChat, Social Media, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

SmallBizChat marks 1 year anniversary this week.

SmallBizChat marks its 1 year anniversary this week.

This week marks the one-year anniversary of #SmallBizChat.

For the past year, every Wednesday at 8pm ET, I have had a standing appointment on Twitter with small business owners — to answer their small business questions.

The focus of #Smallbizchat is to end small business failure by helping business owners with issues and challenges as they start and grow their enterprises. I have a team that helps conduct Smallbizchat; my co-host Cathy Larkin @cathywebsavvypr and my virtual assistant Sonia Schenker @yourjobmyoffice who prepares the transcript each week and maintains our guest calendar.

The target market for #Smallbizchat is emerging entrepreneurs 25-54, who have logged less than five years in business. We try to balance topics between challenges for start-ups and issues that would be faced by a business with 20 or fewer employees.

We have hosted nearly 50 authors and small business experts who shared their knowledge and expertise with our loyal small business owners in an interview format. In partnership with our guest, we develop 10 to 12 questions in advance, but we always take live follow-up questions from the audience on Twitter.

We started our journey April 22, 2009 with @DeniseOberry, author of Small Business Cash Flow, as our first guest. She joined us to talk about How to Recession Proof Your Business.

At the time we launched this twitter–based talk show, we knew there was a need for entrepreneurs to get real-time answers to their small business questions. We saw a niche for a chat targeting start-up and early stage entrepreneurs who were looking to start or had only been in business a few years. Twitter was just getting really hot, and I was fairly new to twitter, but we set out on a mission to End Small Business Failure—and we knew we were on the right road. The first show drew a small crowd, but quickly the word spread. Within six weeks of starting the chat we had people asking about the following week’s guest.

The Format Makes All the Difference Leaning on my television production background, I really wanted to develop a consistent format to conduct the show to ensure that we were providing quality content. We ask prospective guests to submit questions and answers based on their expertise in order to be considered as a guest. We use this process to vet guests, and to ensure we are giving our small business owners real and valuable content.

Our chat lasts but one hour and is from 8-9pm Eastern because I put my young son to bed at 9 pm. Plus, and I think the time frame gives enough information without that chat being overwhelming.

Within a half-hour after #Smallbizchat ends, Sonia produces the transcript, which is archived on this site – http://www.Succeedasyorownboss.com By completing an easy signup form to access transcripts, you can create a login user name for access to past transcripts of the show. About four months into producing #Smallbizchat, we decided to use the submitted Q&A content as a blog post each week to help people who do not use Twitter benefit from the information. As such, a longer more in depth Q&A interview posts to this blog each Thursday morning.

At the end of every chat we do two things: Announce the next week’s guest and do Roll Call which is an opportunity of all participants to do their best #140 character commercials about their businesses.

Here’s what small businesses say about #Smallbizchat

“I love attending #SmallBizChat hosted by my business startup coaching colleague Melinda Emerson. Each week she attracts amazing guests on the topics that are valuable for business owners especially in the early stages of their entrepreneurial adventure. In addition to having an impressive guest list, the interactive nature of Twitter allows for real time, lively discussion. I always come away from the live chats learning something new. ”  Sherri Garrity, Chief Corporate Fugutive http://www.corporatefugitive.com

“It’s the best 60 minutes you could spend expanding your social media network.” – Katherine Lewis, founder of http://www.CurrentMom.com @currentmom

“Participating in #smalllbizchat has been a terrific opportunity to share information and learn from others in numerous areas that are important to small business owners.”  – Phyllis Zimbler Miller, Miller Mosaic Power Marketing – www.MillerMosaicLLC.com @zimblermiller

“I attend her #Smallbizchat every Wed Night 8pm to 9pm ET. Your small business will never be the same again! She has a WEALTH of tips!”   JD Ebberly @JDEbberly

How are we celebrating the anniversary? We welcome our biggest guest of the year, Michael E. Gerber, international best selling author of more than 13 books including, The E Myth Revisited. I regard Michael as the “Yoda of Small Business Development.” Inc. magazine calls him “The World’s #1 Small Business Guru.” He’s got amazing knowledge to share, and I am honored that he’s helping us mark our 1 year anniversary.

I am also speaking at the #140 characters conference in New York City on Wednesday ( #140conf ). I believe that the fact that I host #Smallbizchat is a large part of the reason why I was invited.

If you’ve been helped by #Smallbizchat, please tell us here by leaving a comment. Plus, if you tweet out a small business tip you learned from #Smallbizchat, I will do a special blog post on Friday highlighting the best the responses. Please use the hashtag #1tip and address the tweet to @Smallbizchat.

Thank you to our smart, generous and loyal #Smallbizchat fans, advocates and participants. Here’s to another great year of #Smallbizchat. I look forward to it!

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Magazines and Newspapers Every Small Business Owner Should Read

By Melinda Emerson on April 5, 2010 in Become Your Own Boss Tips, Grow Your Business, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

Every business owner should subscribe to at least one industry trade publication and local Business Journal newspapers to generate leads to stay connected with the regional business community.

Recommended publications:

American City Business Journals – Bizjournals is the new media division of American City Business Journals, the nation’s largest publisher of metropolitan business newspapers. It operates the Web sites for each of the company’s 41 print business journals. www.bizjournals.com

American Demographics Magazine – This magazine is a study of the American marketplace. It focuses on how to judge a market, and the changes that are going on in the population. www.demographics.com

Black Enterprise (BE) – This monthly business magazine is so relevant I can’t bring myself to throw one away. I keep a personal library. BE is the preeminent African American destination for information regarding entrepreneurship, technology and personal finance. Their online resources and business conferences are excellent as well. www.blackenterprise.com

Business Week - Business Week is at the forefront of the business magazines covering small business. They have a secondary publication called Business Week Small Business. This section of the online magazine has insightful articles on the small business economy and how to help small businesses. www.businessweek.com/smallbiz

Entrepreneur magazine – A solid publication with innovative solutions for small business owners. Their website also features exhaustive resources, back issues and tools for entrepreneurs. I especially like their start-up and women entrepreneur sections online. www.entrepreneur.com

Inc. Magazine – Inc. is the gold standard of small business news. This monthly publication provides timely information on industry trends, innovative small businesses, and offers ideas on how to improve your business. Inc.com provides additional information and advice covering virtually every business and management task. It also includes the Inc. magazine archives, more than 100 free tools to help you in every area of your business and has regular columnists and blogs on the site. www.inc.com/tools

Wall Street Journal – In addition to being the gold standard business publication, WSJ offers a small business website featuring businesses for sale, franchises, and other business opportunities and many other articles and resources relevant to small business development. www.startupjournal.com

Do you have a “can’t miss” newspaper or magazine for business information? Leave a comment.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com.

Melinda Emerson, known to many as “SmallBizLady,” is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Coach and Social Media Strategist who hosts #SmallBizChat weekly on Twitter for emerging entrepreneurs. #Smallbizchat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Her first book Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months is out in March 2010.

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Can You Afford to Become An Entrepreneur?

By Melinda Emerson on March 29, 2010 in Become Your Own Boss Tips, Cash Flow & Finance, How to Start, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Starting A Small Business, Women in Business, Your Small Business

Everyone has good ideas. Some of them may even be million dollar ideas, but if you live from paycheck to paycheck or way beyond your means, you may never be able to quit your job and start a business.

As the Smallbizlady, often I get emails, facebook messages and DM’s on Twitter from people asking me to help them start a business. My first three questions are usually something like this.

What is your business idea?
How much money do you have saved?
How much money do you think it will take to launch this business?

If question two brings on a case of stuttering, I start shaking my head.

You should have three pools of money before your start a business.

An emergency fund for the household
12-24 months of budget to run your household
12-18 months of money to launch and operate the business.

Now hear this, “Your ability to save has everything to do with your ability to start a business!”

Money is not everything. It’s just a tool, but it is certainly the beginning of a business plan. Banks rarely, if ever, loan money to start-up businesses. Banks will typically not deal with you for a loan or line of credit until you’re been in business 2-3 years and can show growth in the business with your financial statements and business tax returns.

There are some franchising opportunities that will provide some working capital, but 30-50% of the money will still come from you. And by the way, you will need to have significant net worth and assets to collateralize the loan. Think of it this way, no credit = no business. When you are first starting out in business, you are your business’s credit.

So what do you do if you have a great idea and no money? There are other sources of funds to start your business. There’s the 3 F’s Family, Friends, Fools. Your family loves you and hopefully believes in you enough to invest in your business. If you are fortunate enough to have a family that can afford to invest in you– you are fortunate, but beware. Your rich Aunt Sally may think she’s your boss and might call you up every 30 days to check on how her $50K is doing. You may not want that kind of pressure in your new business.

Then there are your friends. Nothing can kill a friendship faster than borrowing money that you can’t pay back. I have a rule. I do not loan money to friends, I give it to them. I make sure that I do not give away any money that I can not afford to lose. Would your friends do that for you? If so, they could be an option.

Every once in awhile, a hungry entrepreneur will come across a rich guy who’s an idealist about business, who falls in love your idea but doesn’t wish to run the business. That is an angel investor— who will invest money in the company for an equity stake and lend his or her network to help you. Do not get your hopes up about finding an angel investor in this economy. It can happen, but let’s just say you are better off using your own funds that you save to start your business. Family, friends or an angel investor can be fools for investing in a half-baked business idea. Invest your time, to make sure you have a sound business plan before you take anyone’s money. And do have a plan to show them—for when and how you think you’ll pay it back.

If you do have assets, you are in a different situation. You can borrow against your 401K, you can take out a home equity loan, you can sell your home or rental property, you can cash in a Roth IRA. The money must come from somewhere—its best when it comes from your own coffers.

It’s essential that you start your business from a position of financial security. Otherwise, you’re finished before you get started.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady” is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Coach and Social Media Strategist who hosts #SmallBizChat on Twitter. #SmallBizChat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Melinda also publishes a resource blog on small business best practices at www.succeedasyourownboss.com Her first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months was released by Adams Media in March 2010.

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What Health Care Reform Means for Your Small Business

By Melinda Emerson on March 22, 2010 in Mompreneurs, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

Last night, Congress led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, succeeded in finally passing legislation that will empower 31 million people with a new right to health insurance and remake the nation’s health care system. Many of those people without healthcare are small business owners, who have been struggling to keep their businesses afloat. Just after the vote passed, President Obama said, “This legislation will not fix everything that ails our health care system, but it moves us decisively in the right direction. This is what change looks like.”

So what does this really mean for you and your business? Once signed into law by President Obama, working professionals will no longer need to keep their job to have health insurance. No longer will those without financial means and pre-existing medical conditions be subject to the greed of health insurance companies.

Small businesses with fewer than 25 employees and average annual wages of less than $50,000 will be eligible for tax credits to cover up to 35% of their insurance premiums.
Companies with more than 50 workers that don’t offer health-insurance coverage would pay an assessment of $2,000 per full-time worker if any of their workers gets a tax credit to buy coverage.
Employers with more than 200 employees would be required to enroll all employees automatically in their health-insurance plans, though workers could still opt out.
Legislation would place a $2,500 limit on what can be contributed to employer-sponsored flexible spending accounts funded with pre-tax dollars from employees.

Here’s 10 Things the new health care reform means for you and your family.

New insurance plans would have to pay full cost of certain preventive care and exempt this care from deductibles. (The requirement wouldn’t apply to existing policies until 2018.)
Insurers wouldn’t be allowed to cancel policies just because a person became sick
No more lifetime or annual caps on coverage
Insurers would be barred from denying adults coverage because of a pre-existing health condition. (The provision doesn’t take effect until 2014.)
Adults with pre-existing conditions may buy into a national high-risk pool until the exchanges come online.
Children could stay on their parents’ insurance policies until their 26th birthday
Children under age 19 may not be excluded for pre-existing conditions
The “donut hole” closes for Medicare patients, making prescription medications more affordable for seniors.
Requirement that all insurers must post their balance sheets on the Internet and fully disclose administrative costs, executive compensation packages, and benefit payments.
For patients frustrated by attempts to get reimbursed for insurance claims, the government would establish an ombudsman and a claims process to help them reconcile contested medical bills. The spirit of the past must be empowered by the possibilities of today.

Like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Sunday’s vote will forever be a watershed moment for the nation. Generations to come will look back to this historic vote as one where the American dream was more fully realized. After this bill passed, President Obama said, “We did not fear our future, we shaped it.” In the Declaration of Independence it says, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” When our forefathers referred to “Life,” in this historic document, it meant preservation of life in the form of access to quality health care. The single leading cause of the massive health care disparities and premature death in America is access to affordable health care. It is my hope that in the years to come access to healthcare becomes a moot issue for all Americans.

Reference Articles:

New York Times: House Approves Health Overhaul, Sending Landmark Bill to Obama http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/health/policy/22health.html?pagewanted=1

Wall Street Journal: Consumers Would See Impact Soon After Health-Care Bill’s Enactment http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704534904575132110999558770.html

Business Week: New Taxes for Health Care Help Obama ‘Spread the Wealth Around’ http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-22/new-taxes-for-health-care-help-obama-spread-the-wealth-around-.html

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady” is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #SmallBizChat on Twitter. #SmallBizChat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Melinda’s first book, Become Your Own Boss in12 Months was released by Adams Media in March 2010.

If you’re ready to start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog at www.succeedasyourownboss.com

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Working With The One You Love

By Melinda Emerson on February 15, 2010 in 10 Things Lists, Mompreneurs, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

When you are first starting out in business, you will need help. Good help is especially hard to find when you have very limited resources. Other than interns, you may be forced to look around your personal network to see if you have any friends or family that can jump in and help you build your new enterprise. One of the most obvious helpers that may jump out to you is your spouse. But working with the one you love can be a slippery slope. If you drive each other crazy with simple household work, it’s probably not a good idea to work together. There also are those who believe that you should never hire someone you can’t fire. Why? If you fire your spouse you could ruin or severely damage your marriage.

Relationships and certainly marriages are hard work every day without adding the complications and stress of working together in a start-up business. My husband and I worked together in my first business Quintessence Multimedia for four years—so I have perspective on this subject.

Whether you go it alone or work with your sweetie… it’s a challenge. One of things that you need to do if you decide to work together is really understand each other’s best skills and work styles.

I am a morning person, who is a hyper Type-A, task master. I make lists and mow down the list daily. My husband is a corporate MBA, six sigma, sales manager, and a procrastinator. We annoyed each other every day, before we even got to the office. We drove to the office together, and were late most days because my husband was usually running late. I found myself sitting in the living room, waiting silently and getting more upset by the minute. One of the things that really helped us was seeking out mentorship from an older husband and wife team who had an office in our building. Once they suggested that we drive separate cars to work, that problem was solved.

One of the critical decisions that need to be made if you are working with your spouse is whether you are going to be equal partners, or if one of you is the boss. Defining this dynamic upfront – and communicating it – is essential. There’s a big difference between being a partner and being a key employee. This especially comes into play when handling disagreements about the business.

Ladies–this is a big issue for you if you started the business, and your husband later joins the business. Some men really can’t handle being a key employee, and may assert themselves like they are the boss.

The long term viability of the business and the marriage are intertwined. Resentment from this dynamic can really spill over into your home life. When you are personally invested in your business; it’s hard to not take a bad day in your business home with you at night.

So How Can You Avoid Having Your Work-life Ruin Your Home-life?

Here’s SmallBizLady’s 10 Rules for Working Well With Your Spouse.

Have clearly defined roles at work, and stay in your lanes.
Regular date nights (weekly if possible)
Drive separate cars
Have separate offices (and separate assistants–if you can afford it)
Have clearly defined roles at home, too
Have regular meetings to air out disagreements
Have separate interests outside of the business
Make decisions based on what’s best for the business
Be accountable to each other (regardless of who get the final say)
Seek out other couplepreneurs to get advice and support.

A great husband and wife business owner team, Donna Maria Coles Johnson her husband Darryl Johnson inspired me in part to write this blog post. They lead the Indie Beauty Network http://www.indiebeauty.com. I interviewed them last year about being successful couplepreneurs.

Do you have a rule or suggestion for how to work successfully with your spouse?

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com.

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Good Start President Obama, But More Change Needs To Come

By Melinda Emerson on January 29, 2010 in Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

My first guest post for Smallbiztrends went live this week. “Will 2010 Be the Year of Start-Up America?” generated much interest, prompting many people to ask for my opinion about President Obama’s State of the Union Address — and what impact it will have on the nation’s small businesses.

My ears perked up when I heard our President say, “Now the true engine of job creation in the country will always be America’s businesses. But government can create the conditions necessary for businesses to expand and hire more workers. We should start where most new jobs do—in small businesses, companies that begin when an entrepreneur takes a chance on a dream or a worker decides its time she became her own boss.”

There were five key points made by President Obama that are noteworthy and make me somewhat optimistic that this administration finally understands that supporting America’s small businesses will save the nation’s economy. I have listed the initiatives in order of what I think will be most helpful.

Tax credits for one million small businesses that hire new workers and providing wage increases.

Many businesses could be helped by this. The key will be how soon it would take effect.

Tax incentives for all businesses to invest in new plants and equipment.

I would suggest that this incentive be connected to building energy efficient plants.

National Export Initiative to help farmers and small businesses increase their exports.

Small businesses need to know how to go global. I need more details on this, but I am excited to think that this program could make a real difference.

30 Billion dollars for community banks from the repaid TARP funds.

This is important because previously alternative lenders (CDFIs & CDCs) had about 1.6 Billion dollars to lend. The challenge that exists with this is two-fold:

1) Many existing business are no longer credit worthy after nearly two years of struggling there.

2) No lender wants to fund start-up businesses with no track record or collateral. So who will qualify to borrow these funds?

Eliminate the capital gains taxes on small business investment.

Given that 97% of all small businesses in the US generate less than one million in revenue, the capital gains tax relief is really going to help an extremely small number of entrepreneurs.

At the end of his speech President Obama said, “I know there are many Americans who aren’t sure if they still believe we can change or that I can deliver it. We have come through a difficult decade. But a new year has come. A new decade stretches before us. We don’t quit. I don’t quit.”

We’ll Mr. President you had better not quit! The nation’s 26 million small businesses are counting on you to be change we can believe in.

Having this conversation about a small business economy is so important right now. Please leave me a comment to share your thoughts on this subject.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady” is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #Smallbizchat on Twitter. #Smallbizchat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Melinda’s first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-By-Month Guide to a Business That Works will be released by Adams Media in March 2010.

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10 Bible Verses Every Small Business Owner Needs

By Melinda Emerson on January 18, 2010 in Business Inspiration, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Your Small Business

MistyPath As a Christian and a family focused entrepreneur, I believe that faith is a key ingredient in small business success. In this current economy, the people of God must remember that if you honor God through your business he will direct your path.

Each year, I pick a bible verse as my theme for the New Year. As I considered which bible verse would guide me in 2010, I thought it would be helpful to share some of my favorites. Use these bible verses in the good and tough times in your small business.

1. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) Learn something every day. If you only lean on your own knowledge in your business, you will not be able to grow. You must grow yourself to grow your business

2. “Behold, I am doing something new! It’s already happening; don’t you recognize it? I will clear a way in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land.” Isaiah 43:19 (GOD’S WORD® Translation) Sometimes your business will need to move as the market pulls you in a different direction. You might need to reinvent your business, and you should not be afraid. God’s always got your back.

3.”Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 (NIV) One of the most important things you can do for your business is to pray every day.

4. “Faith without works is dead.” James 2:26 (KJV) You can’t just pray for success. Develop a plan and work your plan. If you can do something about your situation, then do it. Stop making excuses, stop procrastinating, and do it!

5. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NIV) There will be contracts that you really need that you will not win. There will be days when you drop the ball on your customer service, but you can not let that define you or your business. You will get another opportunity and even if you don’t, God is with you always.

6. “As I think in my heart, so am I.” Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV) Your thoughts can be your number #1 asset or your biggest liability. When you are alone in your office or back bedroom, your thoughts can easily turn on you. Your ability to stay positive, learn from all experiences and shake off mistakes quickly will be a big asset to you and your business.

7. “God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) Making decisions in your small business based on fear is never helpful. For that matter making decisions in anger is not good either. Try hard not to be reactionary with clients, vendors or employees. Use factual information and up-to date financials to make sound business decisions.

8. “But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day.” Habakkuk 2:3 (TLB) You need to understand that God’s time is not your time. There may come a time in your business when you just know you have a contract, one that you really need and things fall through. Those are the times when you need to trust in the Lord the most. When we accept God’s timing, we can learn to live in hope and enjoy our lives while God is working on our problems.

9. “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding;” Proverbs 3:13 (NIV) You need to be a life long learner in order to be successful in business. You should constantly seek to improve yourself and increase your knowledge about the business of running a business.

10. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV) This is my new bible verse for 2010. It came to me watching a college football game. I believe I was only watching the game to see it.

Remember, whether you are religious or not you can always pray about your business.

Special Shout out to Joyce Meyer Ministries for her book The Secret Power of Speaking God’s Word which gave me guidance for this post and to Pastor F.L. Anderson who gave me some biblical wisdom for this article. Read his blog http://www.FLAnderson.com.

Do you have a special bible verse that has helped you in your business? Please leave a comment and tell me about it.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady“, is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #Smallbizchat on Twitter. #Smallbizchat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Melinda’s first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 months. A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business that Works will be released by Adams Media in March 2010.

For more tips on how to start or grow your small business visit http://succeedasyourowboss.com and subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog.

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The Entrepreneur’s Job Description PART I

By Melinda Emerson on January 11, 2010 in Become Your Own Boss Tips, How to Start, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Starting A Small Business, Your Small Business

It will take every bit of enthusiasm and energy you have to grow your business into a viable enterprise and a powerful brand. If you think you work hard now with a job working in corporate America, you are in for a rude awakening once you start your small business, particularly if you are used to having a large support staff. This is the first of a Two Part series of blog posts on what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

cover_becomeboss_11-16-09 This blog post is excerpted from my forthcoming book Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months! A Month By Month Guide To A Business That Works! The book will be released in March 2010 by Adams Media. Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months! is organized by month to lead you step by step through the process of how to transition from a job to small business ownership. In other words, it’s a 12 month planning guide to fire your boss and start your small business.

What Does It Take To Be an Entrepreneur?

1. Chief Visionary Officer You must visualize what you want your small business to become over the long haul. Stephen Covey’s most famous concept is “Begin with the End In Mind!” This is true in business and in life. This is the step that gets people in trouble all too often. Don’t get excited about making one initial sale. Take the time to plan out your business model and write out a business plan. Think about what you want your business to be ultimately in terms of number of employees, number of locations, and amount of revenue etc. this will dictate everything you do as you start and grow your business.

2. Chief Sales Officer Nobody should be able to sell your business better than you. You need to be a selling machine. Networking feeds the sales of your business. People do business with people they like and know. If you are known more internally at your current job than externally, spend the time to build your network before your start your business. If you are really not that great at networking, there are two options: get a partner with a great rolodex who loves to network or take some sales training courses to develop a structured system to get it done.

3. Marketing Manager Your marketing efforts are the life’s blood of your business. You must market strategically. You have limited time and limited resources. The narrower your niche market, the easier it is to focus on where to engage your customers. When you are just starting a business you should do marketing activities weekly. Social media marketing activities must be done at least three times a week. NameTag_CVO

4. AR/AP Manager (Accounts Receivable /Accounts Payable) One of the most important things you need to do to have a successful small business is to stay on top of who you need to pay, and who owes you money. You should develop a set policy for when you cut checks to vendors and payroll such as every two weeks. When you can, try to negotiate credit terms with all of your vendors. Push for Net 45 if you can.

5. HR Manager All part time, full time and contract employees will be hired by you. That means you will need to develop job descriptions for each position and conduct interviews for all positions needed. If you work with a temp agency you will still need to provide a job description. No employees should be hired until you can afford their salary, taxes and benefits for at least six months. A year is even better.

What other jobs do you think a small business owner needs to do? Please leave a comment.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady” is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #smallbizchat on Twitter. #Smallbizchat is the trusted Twitter resource to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Melinda’s first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-By-Month Guide To a Business Than Works! is scheduled to be released by Adams Media in March 2010.

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Best of Melinda Emerson’s #SmallBizChat Interviews in 2009

By Melinda Emerson on December 28, 2009 in Business Inspiration, How to Start, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, SmallBizChat, Solopreneurs, Telesummit, Women in Business, Your Small Business

My interview with Sherri Garrity on how to quit a job to start a business:

Sherri is the founder of Corporate Fugitive. Her company provides business coaching to aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners who want to go from overwhelmed to extraordinary. In 2007, she walked away from a successful marketing career to start her own consulting business. Contact her on Twitter @SherriGarrity or at http://www.corporatefugitive.com

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/09/2009/how-to-quit-a-job-to-start-a-business/

My Interview with Christina Katz on how to develop a platform for your small business:

Christina is the author of Get Known Before The Book Deal; Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids for Writer’s Digest Books. She has written hundreds of articles for national, regional, and online publications, presents at publishing events around the country. Find Christina on Twitter at @thewritermama or at: http://christinakatz.com/

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/12/2009/how-to-develop-a-platform-for-your-small-business/

My Interview with coach Elizabeth Barbour on 5 Ways to Shift from Tired to Inspired in Business:

Elizabeth Barbour’s company is The Inspired Entrepreneur. She is a small business coach who serves as a catalyst for entrepreneurs to take inspired action and create extraordinary results in business and in life. Her four core values are community, celebration, spirituality and self-care. Find Elizabeth on Twitter @CoachElizabethB Visit www.ElizabethBarbour.com.

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/09/2009/5-ways-to-shift-from-tired-to-inspired-in-business/

#SmallBizChat Live Telesummit Recap (Part 1)

In November 2009, we presented the first annual #SmallBizChat Live Telesummit. This blog post recapped three key points that each expert shared with us. The four experts highlighted are:

Mike Michalowicz talked about using social media a build your business. Mike aka @TPEntrepreneur is a small business expert and author of Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. For more information, please visit toiletpaperentrepreneur.com

Karyn Greenstreet talked to us about mastermind group best practices. Karyn aka @kgreenstreet is a self-employment expert who runs thesuccessalliance.com. Her website has all the resources a business owner needs to start or run a mastermind group.

Dr. Mel Gravely talked about how to retool your business in tough times. Mel aka @melgravely is the founder of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, the leading think tank on issues related to business development. For more information, please visit entrethinking.com .

Tim Berry talked about Managing Cash Flow in a Tough Economy. Tim aka @Timberry is president and founder of Palo Alto Software the makers of Business Plan Pro, and founder of bplans.com. He’s the author of The Plan-As-You-Go Business Plan, Entrepreneur Press.

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/11/2009/smallbizchat-live-telesummit-recap-part-1/

#SmallBizChat Live Telesummit Recap (Part 2)

Here’s the recap of three key points that each expert shared with us.

Allyson Lewis talked to us about getting more out of your day as a business owner. Allyson is a business coach whose focus is on productivity. Her book, The 7 Minute Difference, grew out of the workshops she has been teaching for years. Contact her on Twitter at @allyson7minutes or visit Seven Minutes Inc.

Michelle Villalobos talked to us about turning contacts into contracts. Michelle is a business turnaround expert who teaches busy entrepreneurs how to improve their sales. Reach her on Twitter at @mivi or visit MichelleVillalobos.com.

Paul B. Brown spoke with us about becoming a published author to build your business. Paul is a long-time contributor to the New York Times and author of more than two dozen books, including the international best-seller Customers for Life. He is the author of Publishing Confidential: What it really takes to land a non-fiction book deal.

Lisa D. Sparks taught us how to become email marketing rock stars. Lisa is an email marketing expert with nine years of experience developing and implementing marketing campaigns for small business owners. Reach her on Twitter @lisadsparks or visit lisadsparks.com

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/11/2009/smallbizchat-live-telesummit-recap-part-2/

We have had a great time doing #smallbizchat interviews weekly, and we hope you enjoy these recaps. If these interviews have been helpful join us every Wed 8-9 ET for #smallbizchat on Twitter. We have lots if great small business resources coming in 2010. The goal of #smallbizchat is to end small business failure and reduce the learning curve of small biz owners as they start a grow their small business.

How to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/S797e

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

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