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You are here: Home / Archives for Starting A Small Business

How to Write A Business Plan Part II

November 16, 2015 By Melinda Emerson 2 Comments

A business plan is your strategy for bringing your product or service to the marketplace. This is Part II of my four-part series on how to write a business plan. Last week, in Part I of my blog series on how to write a business plan, we focused on developing your business model, which is […]

Filed Under: Featured Post, Starting A Small Business Tagged With: business plan, Marketing Plan

How to Write a Business Plan – Part I

November 9, 2015 By Melinda Emerson 4 Comments

When it comes to writing a business plan, the first step is figuring out your business model. This post is Part I in a four-part series on how to write a business plan. Today’s focus is crafting your business model. Developing Your Business Model There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to […]

Filed Under: Featured Post, Starting A Small Business Tagged With: business model, business plan

How to Get Ready for Opening Day

October 5, 2015 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

It all started with a concept and now you’re here, ready to open for business. You’ve made it through what some consider to be the most challenging aspects of starting your own business. You’ve gotten startup capital, obtained licenses and permits, invested in expensive business equipment, and selected your team. Opening Day is just around […]

Filed Under: Starting A Small Business Tagged With: opening day, start a business

Top Three Legal Pitfalls of Home-Based Businesses

September 29, 2015 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

The Internet has opened the door for a generation of home-based entrepreneurs.  In the rush to put up a website and start selling to customers, many entrepreneurs forget the permits and legal filings they may need. Even the most basic home-based business will usually require some kind of registration and compliance with local regulations. You […]

Filed Under: Starting A Small Business Tagged With: home based businesses

How to Develop a Killer Marketing Plan – Part II

July 20, 2015 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

It’s great that you have a marketing plan, now you must determine how you will pay for your outreach efforts. In Part I of this series, we focused on how to develop a killer marketing plan. Now you need to budget what you will spend on marketing. Creating a budget is not always the fun […]

Filed Under: Branding & Marketing, Starting A Small Business Tagged With: marketing budget, Marketing Plan

10 Leading Factors of Small Business Success

April 13, 2015 By Melinda Emerson 2 Comments

While every entrepreneur has a different success story, I tend to see some of the same factors affecting most business’s results. Now, not all of these are personality traits. Many are simply ways of doing things, so no matter who you are, changing your actions can have major results. The bottom line is you can […]

Filed Under: Starting A Small Business, Your Small Business Tagged With: small business success tips

Finding The Money To Start Your Small Business

September 14, 2009 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

The following is an excerpt from my forthcoming book: Become Your Own Boss in 12 months or Less! A Month-by-Month Guide to Start a Business that Works! Scheduled to be released by Adams Media in February 2010. If you are ready to take the leap into entrepreneurship, you must get really focused on your finances. […]

Filed Under: Become Your Own Boss Tips, Cash Flow & Finance, Starting A Small Business Tagged With: be your own boss tips, money, small business, small business cash flow help, smallbizlady, start a business

Is Your Life Plan Working For You?

September 12, 2011 By Melinda Emerson 5 Comments

I am a firm believer that you need a life plan before you ever write a business plan.  Your life plan is your big picture vision for your life.  Your reasons for starting your business should be to fulfill your life plan. It’s also a step in business planning that is often overlooked. Why is […]

Filed Under: How to Start, Starting A Small Business Tagged With: develop, entrepreneurs, goal setting, Life Plan, personal goal, small business, vision for your life, working for you

Why Passion Alone Isn’t Enough to Succeed in Business

November 18, 2014 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

Guest Article Passion may inspire your business, but planning will save it. Passion is an overused buzzword for small business owners: “I have a passion for coaching/financial planning/auto repair/marketing/real estate.” Is your passion enough to build a thriving business? No, you need to make sure your business has a profit center and a plan for […]

Filed Under: Guest Articles, Starting A Small Business Tagged With: @sm_onlineclass, Maria Peagler, passion for business, small business planning

5 Ways Color Can Improve Your Small Business

April 16, 2012 By Melinda Emerson 6 Comments

SPONSORED POST Ever since color television was invented in 1953, color has been critical to telling a visual story.  Whether you are a start-up or established business, spending the extra money on color images or color ink may seem out of the question when you are launching a marketing campaign. But using color could mean […]

Filed Under: Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, Starting A Small Business Tagged With: business cards, color, color flyers, color headshot, color logo, melinda emerson, smalbizlady, xerox

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In this episode, Melinda Emerson engages with Michelle Kopper to explore her entrepreneurial journey and how she overcame fear to succeed. Michelle delves into the role of divine gifts and spirituality in business, offering insights into integrating personal beliefs with professional goals. The conversation addresses imposter syndrome, providing strategies for validation in the market. Michelle […]

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