So you start a business and come up with this great name ‘MyName’ (hypothetical name used for this story). You want to play it by the numbers and you check everywhere if the name is a ‘registered trademark’. You’re in luck and you decide to register the name before anyone else does. Good thinking. For our hypothetical case we’ll assume that the name you came up with consists of two syllables f.e. ‘MyName’. Later in the story, you’ll find out why this is a good example but not a good choice. Even though there are hundreds of thousands of companies with such a name. It’s a popular thing.

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Contributed by Villa at 6:07 pm under Legal issues.   Comments (0)

  Market indicators (indices)

The averages that are available as indicators or indices indicate the general health of stock prices. If the economy is doing well then prices of stocks as a group tend to rise. If it is not doing so well prices as a group tend to fall. The averages are there to show you these tendencies. If a specific stock is going down while the market as a whole is going up, or if a stock is going up, but is rising faster than the market as a whole, that tells you something about the stock involved.

Market indexes are therefore useful for gauging the performance of an investment portfolio over time. Select the most appropriate index to serve as your benchmark.

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Contributed by JD at 6:45 am under Business economy.   Comments (0)

Financial summary 5 years

The table provides a 5 year financial summary of operating results, financial position and ratios of the projections. This is an open worksheet, you can add additional data, charts, ratios, and so forth. If you feel you have added something valuable, please consider sending us the worksheet so we can add it to the program for others to enjoy.

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Contributed by JD at 10:50 pm under Business financing.   Comments (0)

More than anything else, the key to success in business depends on how and where you advertise. You must advertise or forever remain unknown. If you have “the better mousetrap,” you have to let the people know about it, or your ideas and efforts will come to nothing.

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Contributed by JD at 10:22 am under Marketing & PR, Sales & promotion.   Comments (0)

By Arthur A. Hawkins II

1) Procrastination & Excuses

If you don’t start you can’t finish. Reach your goals & objectives by continually working toward them. Don’t put things off! Never make things more than they are. Do not wait until the last minute (also see #8). ACT!

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Contributed by JD at 7:11 am under Management.   Comments (0)

Contributed by JD at 5:49 pm under Construction business.   Enter password to view comments.

Basic dinner to formal dinner

by Annaliese Whipple

For breakfast or lunch

Start with a dinner plate, soup or cereal bowl (always optional), bread & butter plate (for toast, bagels, etc.), and a cup & saucer for coffee or tea. For the flatware, use a 3-piece place setting: dinner fork, dinner knife and teaspoon. The napkin should be placed on the left side of the fork. Complete each place setting with either a juice or beverage glass.

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Contributed by JD at 7:07 am under Hospitality business.   Comments (0)

INTRODUCTION

Exporting can mean big profits to a small business. For all the opportunities exporting provides, however, it can present as many challenges. Financing exports and fear of not being paid are two of the most often cited barriers to trade. This booklet is designed to take the mystery out of export finance and to answer the questions small businesses ask most. You’ll learn about the various types of financing available, how to approach your banker for a loan, where to go if your banker can’t or won’t provide the credit, how to negotiate low-risk, yet competitive payment terms with your buyers and much more.

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Contributed by JD at 3:25 pm under Sales & promotion.   Comments (0)

The Common Sense Series - By Martin E. Koss
E-mail at 101457.735 CompuServe. Voice/Fax 44+ (0)1507 610035.
Contents are (c) Copyright Martin E. Koss 1996. This article may be freely distributed provided that this copyright notice, the heading, and the closing copy remain attached and that the text is reproduced in its entirety.

Many business idea are truly sound from the word go, but the facts remain that many elements of the idea must become solidified before approaching a bank or other financial institution for their immediate funding and for on-going support. Your project needs to be put to the test, and your ability to answer questions about it will more than likely tell you more than you had previously been aware. The purpose of this article is to prompt you to delve deeper into your idea and strengthen your belief, confidence and knowledge before proceeding further.

Get out a pencil and a note pad and write down all the answers to the following questions, and all the ideas that spring to mind in the meantime.

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Contributed by JD at 11:54 pm under Business development.   Comments (0)

By Gail Peura

The purpose of any business is to sell its product or service. Without sales, no business can exist for long. And all sales begin with some form of advertising.

A sales letter, whether as a follow-up piece in response to an ad or as part of a direct mail campaign, must not only be seen but read by potential buyers and cause them to react. The copywriter wants the prospect to immediately order the merchandise or service or to contact the company for more information - and to do it NOW. Anything less than this, and the sales letter is a waste of time and money.

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Contributed by JD at 3:56 pm under Sales & promotion.   Comments (0)