Small Business Ideas, Start Small Business, Small Business Analysis
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You have Small Business Ideas and you want to Start a Business, Start Small Business
and be independent. But do you know what is involved with
Starting Small Business? There may be things you are not fully aware of yet
before you Start a Business. Read this page to get more Small Business Ideas
for your intended business.
A small business may be defined as a business with a small number
of employees. The legal definition of "small" often varies by country and industry,
but is generally under 100 employees in the United States while under 50 employees
in Australia and the European Union (In comparison, the American definition of mid-sized
business by the number of employees is generally under 500 while 250 is for
that of European Union). These businesses are normally privately owned corporations,
partnerships, or sole proprietorships.
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However, other methods are also used to classify small companies, such us annual sales (turnover), assets value or net profit (balance sheet), alone or in a mixed definition. These criteria are followed by the European Union, for instance (headcount, turnover and balance sheet totals). |
Small businesses are common in many countries, depending on the economic
system in operation. Typical examples include: convenience stores, other small shops
(such as a bakery or delicatessen), hairdressers, tradesmen, solicitors, lawyers,
accountants, restaurants, guest houses, photographers, small-scale manufacturing
etc. Small businesses are usually independent.
The smallest businesses, often located in private homes, are called micro-businesses
(term used by international organizations such as the World Bank and the International
Finance Corporation) or SoHos.
The term "mom and pop business" is a common colloquial expression for a single-family operated business with few (or no) employees other than the owners. When judged by the number of employees, the Australian, American and the European definitions are the same: under 10 employees.
Advantages of Small Business
A small business can be started at a very low cost and on a part-time basis.
Small business is also well suited to Internet marketing because it can be
very manageable to serve a niche, something that would have been more difficult
prior to the Internet revolution which began in the late 1990s.
Adapting to change is crucial in business and particularly small business; not being
tied to any bureaucratic inertia, it is typically easier to respond to the marketplace
quickly. Small business proprietors tend to be intimate with their customers and
clients resulting in greater accountability and responsiveness.
Problems faced by Small Businesses
Small businesses often face a variety of problems related to their size.
A frequent cause of bankruptcy is under-capitalization. This is often a result of
poor planning rather than economic conditions - it is common rule of thumb that
the entrepreneur should have access to a sum of money at least equal to the projected
revenue for the first year of business in addition to his anticipated expenses.
For example, if the prospective owner thinks that he will generate $100,000 in revenues
in the first year with $150,000 in start-up expenses, then he should have no less
than $250,000 available. Failure to provide this level of funding for the company
could leave the owner liable for all of the company's debt should he end up in bankruptcy
court, under the theory of under-capitalization.
In addition to ensuring that the business has enough capital, the small business
owner must also be mindful of gross margin (sales minus variable costs). To break
even, the business must be able to reach a level of sales where the gross margin
exceeds fixed costs.
When they first start out, many small business owners underprice their products
to a point where even at their maximum capacity, it would be impossible to break
even. The good news is that cost controls or a price increase can often resolve
this problem.
In the United States, some of the largest concerns of small business owners
are insurance costs (such as liability and health), rising energy costs and taxes.
In the United Kingdom and Australia, small business owners tend to be more concerned
with excessive governmental red tape.
Another problem for many small businesses is termed the 'Entrepreneurial
Myth' or E-Myth. The mythic assumption is that an expert in a given technical field
will also be expert at running that kind of business. Additional business management
skills are needed to keep a business running smoothly.
Marketing the Small Business
Common marketing techniques for small business include networking, word of
mouth, customer referrals, yellow pages directories, television, radio, outdoor
(roadside billboards), print and Internet. Electronic media like TV can be quite
expensive and is normally intended to create awareness of a product or service.
Many small business owners find Internet marketing more affordable. Google
AdWords and Yahoo! Search Marketing are two popular options of getting small business
products or services in front of motivated Web searchers. Advertising on niche sites
can also be effective, but with the long tail of the Internet, it can be time intensive
to advertise on enough sites to garner an effective reach.
Franchise Small Businesses
Franchising is a way for small business owners to benefit from the economies
of scale of the big corporation (franchiser). McDonald's restaurants are an example
of a franchise. The small business owner can leverage a strong brand name
and purchasing power of the larger company while keeping their own investment affordable.
However, some franchisees conclude that they suffer the "worst of both worlds" feeling
they are too restricted by corporate mandates and lack true independence. McDonald's
has even been sued by franchisees who feel they have been exploited with unreasonable
costs for materials (cups, condiments etc.) they are required to purchase from the
parent company.
Mom and Pop Small Businesses
In North American English small or micro businesses that are family-owned and family-operated
may be termed Mom and pop businesses. People who speak of mom and pop businesses
often refer to the unique perspective offered by patronizing a family business.
Some encourage the unknown experience of entering a mom and pop establishment over
patronizing franchise businesses, which typically offer comparable stores and similar
consumer experiences, regardless of location.
For example, mom and pop businesses are often highlighted in travel guides, because
patronizing a family-owned and operated business allows a traveler to more fully
experience and understand the people of another culture.
Small Business Bankruptcy
When small business fails, the owner may file bankruptcy. In most cases this
can be handled through a personal bankruptcy filing. Corporations can file bankruptcy,
but if it is out of business and valuable corporate assets are likely to be repossessed
by secured creditors there is little advantage to going to the expense of a corporate
bankruptcy.
Many states offer exemptions for small business assets so they can continue
to operate during and after personal bankruptcy. However, corporate assets are normally
not exempt, hence it may be more difficult to continue operating an incorporated
business if the owner files bankruptcy.
Start Saving Money
So why not start by trying to save money for your business. Here are some tips, you can start by doing following:
-
Use Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) instead of petrol
See how you can start saving money and environment!!! by converting your private vehicle to LPG.
-
Use Ethanol instead of petrol
Also see how you can start saving money on petrol by using petrol with the Ethanol mixture instead.
Business Tips
Some tips on how to avoid business failure:
-
Don't underestimate the capital you need to start up the business.
-
Understand and keep control of your finances - income earned is not the same as
cash in hand.
-
More volume does not automatically mean more profit - you need to get your pricing
right.
- Make sure you have good software for your business, software that provides you with a good reporting picture of all aspects of your business operations.
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