<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Tips For Build a Business Plan</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.opalnortheast.org/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.opalnortheast.org</link>
	<description></description>
	<lastBuildDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:36:10 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Vimax Is an excellent Tablet To help Your Well being</title>
		<link>http://www.opalnortheast.org/vimax-is-an-excellent-tablet-to-help-your-well-being/</link>
		<comments>http://www.opalnortheast.org/vimax-is-an-excellent-tablet-to-help-your-well-being/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:36:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin123</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health Care & Medical]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opalnortheast.org/vimax-is-an-excellent-tablet-to-help-your-well-being/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You could spend a whole lot of time getting care of the garden and having the correct tools to care for your plants is critical. You could believe that caring for a garden is just inside the property, but huge soccer fields spend just as significantly or much more time caring for their lawns as [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You could spend a whole lot of time getting care of the garden and having the correct tools to care for your plants is critical. You could believe that caring for a garden is just inside the property, but huge soccer fields spend just as significantly or much more time caring for their lawns as well which include creating the lines for the fields with Vimax Supaturf. Even with the lining for the area, the grass on the soccer area desires to remain green, just while you attempt to keep the grass at your home green.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a challenging occupation to create your lawn green and keep it green, but you can find somethings you can actually do to get it green. You are going to would like to get started by having the appropriate seed combination any time you seed your lawn. Now, there are various distinctive forms of seed mixtures available on the market and all serve a distinctive objective. You are going to need to use the appropriate seed mix for every objective to insure that your lawn grows green and stays green, which include a shade mix for shade locations of the lawn additionally a sunny mix for lawns that have much more sun mild.</p>
<p>One other critical component of maintaining your lawn&nbsp; green is weed manage. If your lawn will get overtaken by weeds it can eliminate the grass and change your lawn a yellow dead searching color. The weed in your lawn need to be managed to help you sustain a wholesome green lawn. To help you sustain a wholesome lawn you will would like to use lawn feed item which include Green Up Feed &#038; Weed from <a href="http://pillpartner.com/">Vimax</a>. Using a item which include , Green Up Feed &#038; Weed will not only assist to manage the weeds in your lawn it will also assist by feeding the grass in your lawn the required nutrients.</p>
<p>Other things that can effect your lawn are diseases. If lawn diseases go uncontrolled they can spread through your lawn destroying every blade of grass. You are going to would like to manage the diseases in your lawn that can spread to other plants in your garden, that you have spent time and money getting care of. There are several plants that are susceptible to diseases, roses may be particularly susceptible to diseases. Vimax has disease manage products that can help you manage the diseases in your lawn. You have spent time and money to get your lawn green and would like to keep it green.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opalnortheast.org/vimax-is-an-excellent-tablet-to-help-your-well-being/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Start Your Own Jewelry Business &#8211; A Simple Guide</title>
		<link>http://www.opalnortheast.org/start-your-own-jewelry-business-a-simple-guide-4/</link>
		<comments>http://www.opalnortheast.org/start-your-own-jewelry-business-a-simple-guide-4/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:21:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opalnortheast.org/?p=7214</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Learning how to start your own jewelry business is one good start in this lucrative business. In fact, a lot of those who are into jewelry making and has the passion to make those meticulous jewelries have started selling their jewelry projects to friends and acquaintances, and that can be a start on how to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Learning how to start your own jewelry business is one good start in this lucrative business. In fact, a lot of those who are into jewelry making and has the passion to make those meticulous jewelries have started selling their jewelry projects to friends and acquaintances, and that can be a start on how to put up a good jewelry business.</p>
<p>If one of your plans is to start your own jewelry business, here are some of the tips and some ideas that you might find useful in your quest to make profits in this industry.</p>
<p>- Assess what you can do in the jewelry industry. Of course, competition for jewelry can be tough and you have to make sure that you have what it takes to also beat competition. One of the things that you can do is to decide on a product or a design that are unique. Although you are all selling jewelries, your designs and fine quality are also very important in this business, as this are among the things that people are looking for in their jewelries. If you can offer the jewelry industry something that people are looking for, then you can actually make a good start in this business.</p>
<p>- Make a business plan. Like any other business, you have to put up a good business plan to start your own jewelry business.Your business plan should contain your business name, your vision and mission, your business goals as well as your objectives, how you carry your objectives as well as your budget allocation. Your business plan will also have to include your marketing and advertising plans.</p>
<p>- Build the confidence to start your own jewelry business. To be able to start a good business, may it be a jewelry business or any other businesses, make sure that you have the confidence as well to face competition. You have to make sure that you can indeed break into the market and get your own market share. Confidence in your products can help a lot in trying to make the business successful. Even if you are making them at home, don&#8217;t think of it as something inferior from the commercialized ones. In fact, jewelries that are made at home and handcrafted meticulously are among the in-demand jewelries as they can be customized and they can also made according to the liking of the customer.</p>
<p>- Secure permits and licenses for your business. For sure, you may need to secure some permits and licenses to start your business formally. Of course, you have to decide and pick up a location if you want to put up a store in your place, but you can actually easily start your business online as this can help you save a lot from the building costs and space requirements. Handmade jewelries are also easy to ship and they can be good materials for your online store.</p>
<p>Of course, aside from all these, you need to consider your budget in putting up a business. If you think you cannot shoulder all the cost of investment, then you may want to engage into a partnership where you and your partner can split on the cost and the profit as well.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opalnortheast.org/start-your-own-jewelry-business-a-simple-guide-4/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Top 7 Tips For Creating a Strategic Action Plan</title>
		<link>http://www.opalnortheast.org/top-7-tips-for-creating-a-strategic-action-plan-6/</link>
		<comments>http://www.opalnortheast.org/top-7-tips-for-creating-a-strategic-action-plan-6/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:21:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opalnortheast.org/?p=7208</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A strategic business plan is the foundation for the planned strategic actions necessary to outthink and outlast the competition. Within the strategic plan is the strategic action plan that records all of the hits, misses and even errors for the current as well as past year. NOTE: A simple strategic plan definition is who does [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A strategic business plan is the foundation for the planned strategic actions necessary to outthink and outlast the competition. Within the strategic plan is the strategic action plan that records all of the hits, misses and even errors for the current as well as past year. NOTE: A simple strategic plan definition is who does what by when and its construction is dependent upon the analysis of real time information.</p>
<p>With the current year quickly coming to an end, now is the time to review the business hits and misses for the last year. Success in business is directly tied to how much time is invested in working on the business instead of just in the business. These 7 top tips can quickly double your business results in 2007.</p>
<p>Tip One: List all of your hits. Hits are all revenue from the sales of your products and services.</p>
<p>Tip Two: List all of your misses. Misses include:</p>
<p>Lost proposals<br />
Lost contracts and sales<br />
Lost opportunities such as not asking for referrals<br />
Lost performance from management to employees</p>
<p>Tip Three: Assign a dollar value to all of your misses. Then compare the results from this tip to Tip 1. Note: As a business coach, I have discovered that this simple reflection may create significant pain for the business owners, entrepreneurs or executives because they have been so busy working in their businesses they have failed to work on their businesses.</p>
<p>Tip Four: Learn the causes of the misses. Misses may be the result of poor job specific skills from sales to customer service, poor planning or lack of individual accountability. This real time information is necessary when constructing your Strategic Action Plan.</p>
<p>Tip Five: Identify your desired business results for the next year. Using the W.A.Y. S.M.A.R.T. goals criteria (W-Written, A-Aligned, Y-Yours, S-Specific, M-Measurable, A-Attainable, R-Realistically set high and T-Target date, time driven), you avoid those past missed opportunities and turn them into homeruns for the next business quarter or business year. These goals are based upon data received from the previous 4 tips.</p>
<p>Tip Six: Construct your business dashboard. By identifying key performance indicators and monitoring these on a daily or weekly basis, you can determine that your firm is operating at peak performance and quickly make any necessary course corrections to achieve the desired business results.</p>
<p>Tip Seven: Make a weekly appointment to work on your business. Schedule at least 1 hour each week working on your business. Use this time to review both your dashboard and strategic business plan. Your strategic plan (Who does What by When) should also include, but is not limited to your marketing plan, sales plan, growth plan and financial plans. Using your dashboard and other tools including organizational assessments, you can quickly monitor your business progress and become a proactive decision-maker instead of a reactive one.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opalnortheast.org/top-7-tips-for-creating-a-strategic-action-plan-6/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tips to Start a Business on a Low Budget</title>
		<link>http://www.opalnortheast.org/tips-to-start-a-business-on-a-low-budget-3/</link>
		<comments>http://www.opalnortheast.org/tips-to-start-a-business-on-a-low-budget-3/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:21:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opalnortheast.org/?p=7203</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Starting a business is something everyone should have in their to-do list, and certainly no one should let life pass by without having given a fair shot at it. Having your own business unveils all kinds of benefits such as being your own boss and increasing your earning potential. However, there is no denying that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Starting a business is something everyone should have in their to-do list, and certainly no one should let life pass by without having given a fair shot at it.</p>
<p>Having your own business unveils all kinds of benefits such as being your own boss and increasing your earning potential.</p>
<p>However, there is no denying that starting a business is easier said than done, and that is because before going ahead with it you need to know what you are going to do, and how.</p>
<p>The how part usually involves a somewhat heavy investment no all of us can afford, and that is where this article comes in.</p>
<p>You see, there are many ways to do business and not all of them require for you to pull out a fat checkbook or drown in debt, and I am going to give you a couple of tips to start on the right foot with nearly no money.</p>
<p>1.- Research and analyze online business models.</p>
<p>The internet is an ever more fertile ground for you to step in and develop your business. No matter what you have in mind, it is likely you can take it online and make a killing, and even if you do not have a particular idea in mind you can easily draft a business plan from scratch just by looking at all the opportunities you can find online.</p>
<p>From E-Commerce to online services and internet marketing, you can pretty much do what you want online.</p>
<p>The tools to do so are available everywhere and more and more of them are becoming free or dead cheap to use, such as content management systems to build complex websites without having to be much of a techie, market research tools etc.</p>
<p>2.- Choose one you feel more comfortable with and start working on it.</p>
<p>Chances are that any business option you choose to execute online will not demand an investment of more than $100 and you will have everything you need to start.</p>
<p>What comes next in order to get the ball rolling is to create a work routine and dedicate enough time and brain power to developing your business.</p>
<p>For example, if you decide to build an online store with a platform such as Yahoo Small Business Solutions, then you must commit yourself to do some product research everyday with the help of your product sourcing company, and keep your inventory updated.</p>
<p>Also, you must dedicate some of your time to promote your store by performing basic SEO tasks, ad placement in classified directories and other marketing activities that will increase your business&#8217; visibility and performance.</p>
<p>It will be a slow process, but if you work on building your know how and you consistently push your project forward it will pay off sooner than later, and you will have spent just pennies for a business that will likely turn into your main stream of income.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opalnortheast.org/tips-to-start-a-business-on-a-low-budget-3/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>5 Tips On How To Build The Most Profitable Home Based Business</title>
		<link>http://www.opalnortheast.org/5-tips-on-how-to-build-the-most-profitable-home-based-business-4/</link>
		<comments>http://www.opalnortheast.org/5-tips-on-how-to-build-the-most-profitable-home-based-business-4/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:20:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opalnortheast.org/?p=7197</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Tip 1 Research the Market Tip 2 Have a business plan - Tip 3 Have the right mind set get help from professional advisers Tip 4 Build slowly and lay the right foundation for the business Tip 5 Carry out periodic and constant reviews of the business Research the market - To establish the most [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Tip 1 Research the Market<br />
Tip 2 Have a business plan -<br />
Tip 3 Have the right mind set get help from professional advisers<br />
Tip 4 Build slowly and lay the right foundation for the business<br />
Tip 5 Carry out periodic and constant reviews of the business</p>
<p>Research the market -</p>
<p>To establish the most profitable home based business you must carry out a detailed research of what you are going to be selling. Is there a demand for that product? What kind of demand is there for it and will you be able to supply it and supply it profitably. Is it seasonal and if so how will you manage the business during the slack period?</p>
<p>Look for ideas from friends and business associates. What about the competition assess it and assess it carefully. How will you get your supplies and manage. Where are your suppliers and the time delay that you may have and also the interruptions that there may be? Consider alternative supplies as well. I remember that a company moved its production to Thailand and had to take losses as there were floods in the area and the production was lost and meant losses for the company.</p>
<p>Business plan</p>
<p>Carry out a detailed plan for your business. You must get all the advice that you can get from professional planners advisers and financial consultants get profitable home based business tips from any source that you can think of.</p>
<p>Get them to prepare a realistic forecast of how it will operate over a 2-year period and build in for contingencies as well. What will you need? List out all the resources that you will need. How will you get it and make a cost assessment of it.</p>
<p>To build the most profitable home based business will also need to make an assessment of the premises that you will need and allow for future expansion of the business. Make sure hat you have staff that will need your present needs and of your future needs. Provide training of all the staff so that they know what they need to do as well as the standards that they need to have any slacking will have negative impact on your business.</p>
<p>Build slowly methodically and lay the right foundation for the business</p>
<p>Think carefully and make sure that the foundations that you have laid is correct for your business and I<br />
it is not just a passing fancy</p>
<p>What about you &#8211; Your Mindset</p>
<p>Think of the kind of person you are, as you will need to be sure that you have the ability and enthusiasm for the business. This will be very important as if you do not have that you will not succeed. Do a realistic assessment of yourself and you capabilities. Remember also that you re starting a new business so it will take time and long hours too.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opalnortheast.org/5-tips-on-how-to-build-the-most-profitable-home-based-business-4/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Using Internet Marketing to Build Your Business &#8211; 7 Simple Tips</title>
		<link>http://www.opalnortheast.org/using-internet-marketing-to-build-your-business-7-simple-tips-4/</link>
		<comments>http://www.opalnortheast.org/using-internet-marketing-to-build-your-business-7-simple-tips-4/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:20:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opalnortheast.org/?p=7190</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Whether you&#8217;re new to using Internet Marketing to build your business or you&#8217;re an advanced Marketer there are always new tips and techniques you can use to build your business and make more money online. It&#8217;s mind-boggling how many people are online now. According to statistics there are over 1,000,000,000 people on the web as [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Whether you&#8217;re new to using Internet Marketing to build your business or you&#8217;re an advanced Marketer there are always new tips and techniques you can use to build your business and make more money online.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s mind-boggling how many people are online now. According to statistics there are over 1,000,000,000 people on the web as of November 2008; that&#8217;s Billion with a &#8216;B&#8217;. This allows everyone the opportunity to grow their businesses to very profitable proportions, if they want.</p>
<p>Like any other medium however, the Internet has its own share of challenges and hurdles. In fact, with one miscalculation you may find yourself on the verge of losing everything you&#8217;ve worked hard to achieve.</p>
<p>When it comes to using Internet Marketing to build your business here are a few useful tips to remember:</p>
<p>1) It you build it right, they will come and stay.</p>
<p>Build a professional looking website. With all the easy-to-use Website templates, blogs and very affordable Webmasters who can be hired to design a custom-built Website, you just don&#8217;t have any excuse for an unprofessional or a shabbily built website. Even with all your overheads added; the cost of Internet access, hosting, purchasing the right domain name and the cost of building a Website, starting an online business is still very affordable to the average person &#8211; so, even if you operate your business from your home, it shouldn&#8217;t look that way!</p>
<p>2) Give the people what they want.</p>
<p>Locate a market that&#8217;s already spending money on the products and services you plan to sell. Choose items your target market has a strong desire for &#8211; the best way to do this is to choose a product or service that meets a need, takes away a pain or solves a problem. Competition is good &#8211; but make sure you choose something where you&#8217;ve got a good chance of getting close to the top.</p>
<p>3) Develop a Business Plan.</p>
<p>Even when you&#8217;re using Internet Marketing to build your business you still need a solid business plan. Your business plan is the compass which helps guide you from your present location to your desired destination. Business plans aren&#8217;t just for people looking to raise capital or secure a business loan. You should detail your internet marketing strategies in your plan and be flexible and willing to adjust those plans if necessary.</p>
<p>When writing your Business Plan, begin with the end in mind. Ask yourself, &#8220;What is my destination? Why am I going into business? Is it to make a little extra cash or to build a business I can retire wealthy from? Whatever your reasons for building your business you must have a clearly defined goal. That way you&#8217;ll be able to consistently direct your actions towards achieving it. Brainstorm as many different ways as possible in which the Internet can help you achieve your goals.</p>
<p>4) Without a vision your business will perish.</p>
<p>Although this may not appeal to everyone, having a vision for your business can help you to stay focused and moving toward what you want. Whether you believe in them or not, a vision board can keep you excited and motivated. If you do a Web Search, you&#8217;ll find several companies that let you build a vision board online &#8211; and will even let you send it to your team, your mentors or anyone else.</p>
<p>5) Plan your work; then work your plan.</p>
<p>Once you know your long-term plan for your business, it&#8217;s easier to break it down and create short, medium and long term goals that will help you achieve your vision. At all times keep your business goals visually before you and be sure to take practical action steps toward achieving those goals every day.</p>
<p>Surround yourself with positive, supportive people who will hold you accountable, encourage you and keep you stretching beyond where you think you can go. Thanks to the Internet, the people on your team no longer have to live in your town, your region or even your country!</p>
<p>6) It&#8217;s only a Test.</p>
<p>Whatever you&#8217;re doing &#8211; whether it&#8217;s banner advertising, using a newsletter, trying an AdWords campaign &#8211; or any other form of Internet marketing to build your business, you must keep testing your results.</p>
<p>Spend at least 80% of your time on strictly money-making activities! There&#8217;s so much information available and so much to do online, that it&#8217;s easy to get distracted and caught up in activities that steal your time. If you start your day with great plans for what you&#8217;re going to accomplish but end up not fulfilling most of them by day&#8217;s end, chances are you&#8217;re wasting too much time on trivialities like answering email, etc.</p>
<p>There are excellent time-tracking programs online with which you can monitor yourself. Try one for a couple of weeks and you might be amazed at how much time you can redeem, making yourself more productive online.</p>
<p>7) Diversify or die.</p>
<p>Develop offline marketing strategies as well as online marketing methods to grow your business. It&#8217;s easy to become so Dot Com minded that you forget there&#8217;s still a brick and mortar world out there. So, be mindful of different ways of getting your web address in front of people as they go about their daily lives.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opalnortheast.org/using-internet-marketing-to-build-your-business-7-simple-tips-4/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Top 7 Tips to Making a Business Plan</title>
		<link>http://www.opalnortheast.org/top-7-tips-to-making-a-business-plan-4/</link>
		<comments>http://www.opalnortheast.org/top-7-tips-to-making-a-business-plan-4/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:20:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opalnortheast.org/?p=7185</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are considering starting a business making a business plan is a good idea. A professional business plan can help you become more successful in your business. All businesses plans have an executive summary. The executive summary should be no more than two pages and you should write one rough draft before you start, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you are considering starting a business making a business plan is a good idea. A professional business plan can help you become more successful in your business. All businesses plans have an executive summary.</p>
<p>The executive summary should be no more than two pages and you should write one rough draft before you start, which is an overview of your business plan and then rewrite the whole executive summary after you are done with your business plan so it matches. It should be a synopsis of the entire plan itself.</p>
<p>The business plan should have pictures or renderings of your future building, business equipment or service vehicles. No matter what you have decided as your profit goals and additional capital costs and order time it will take to get the business going; you need to double the time, half the profit and triple the capital costs.</p>
<p>No matter how good your business plan is it is a proven fact that entrepreneurs are optimists and often they will become undercapitalized because they do not understand all the ridiculous over regulation placed by government agencies or the amount of time it takes to get something through a city planning commission. I hope you&#8217;ll consider all these factors when you are making your business plan. So, think of this in 2006.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opalnortheast.org/top-7-tips-to-making-a-business-plan-4/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Top 10 Tips For Writing A Business Plan</title>
		<link>http://www.opalnortheast.org/top-10-tips-for-writing-a-business-plan-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.opalnortheast.org/top-10-tips-for-writing-a-business-plan-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:19:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opalnortheast.org/?p=7179</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Writing a business plan is not an easy task. It&#8217;s a way to provide the perfect blueprint of a venture and the first step for an entrepreneur when executing his or her initial idea. The business plan will not only serve as a pitch to potential investors, but also as a guide when trying to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Writing a business plan is not an easy task. It&#8217;s a way to provide the perfect blueprint of a venture and the first step for an entrepreneur when executing his or her initial idea. The business plan will not only serve as a pitch to potential investors, but also as a guide when trying to accomplish your milestones. Below you will find some tips that will shed some light on the process of drafting your business plan.</p>
<p>1.) Divide your plan into sections. A business plan should be very well structured and at the same time very easy to read, especially for people that don&#8217;t know what your company is about (e.g. investors, angel investors, venture capitals, etc.). Be sure to organize your plan by including a table of contents, executive summary (company ownership, location, etc.), market overview (market segmentation, industry analysis, competitors, etc.), strategy and implementation (competitive edge, marketing strategy, etc.), management summary (financial highlights, startup summary, etc.), revenue forecast, personnel forecast, projected profit and loss, break-even analysis, projected cash flow, projected balance sheet, sensitivity analysis, and an appendix.</p>
<p>2.) Get a second opinion. Once you have drafted the business plan it is important to have another pair of eyes review it. The reason for this is not only to correct possible mistakes, but also to get feedback on other possible routes that you were not aware of. The more people you have looking at it, the better. This will help you when you are looking for that missing piece of the puzzle.</p>
<p>3.) Be prepared to re-draft. Every business plan changes several times. It is almost impossible to get it right on the first try, and if you do, there is a high possibility that it was done incorrectly. Once you share your business plan, be sure to ask for feedback because when you launch a product, your plan may need change based on the demand of clients and customers. Additionally, be sure to change your plan accordingly every few months, so that when it comes time to meet with investors, you know that they are looking with the most recent draft.</p>
<p>4.) Think like an investor. Always put yourself in the shoes of the investor. Make sure you always highlight the returns and competition that you will face when launching your venture. These are the top two factors that investors will be looking for. Try to include both sections in your executive summary so that investors can see it right off the bat. Some other factors that investors could potentially be interested in are: industry-leading gross profit margins, intellectual property rights, brand extension capabilities, customer contracts, recurring revenue potential, and partnerships with larger companies.</p>
<p>5.) Know your market. It is very important to know your market before starting anything. You need to know what you will need in order to build the structure. It is critical that you know what other companies are within the same field as you. Make a very clear difference between you and them and explain how you will be able to do things better and faster. Carefully explain how and where you intend to sell your product and how much it would cost you in order to get costumers rolling into your business. The value of a customer should be three or more times greater than the cost of acquiring a customer.</p>
<p>6.) Have the right profit margin calculations. Profit margins should be measured in percentages. The profit margin is the net income divided by revenue, or net profit divided by sales. It measures the amount of money a company makes: meaning every dollar that has been made out of sales. These margins are very useful when comparing your company with another one. A higher margin would mean that the company is more profitable and that there is a better control over the company&#8217;s cost. Make sure you are comparing averages with other companies within the same field. Identify if you are on the high or low terms compared to the industry&#8217;s performance.</p>
<p>7.) Know the risks. You should write in detail what the operating risks that your venture may be faced with in the future. You also need to be open to change and to other suggestions in order to gain such trust from investors. These investors love when you are open to new ideas, this will help in building a stronger relationship with you and your investor(s). We suggest that you write down the top risks that could damage your sales. In this stage, you have to have the willingness to learn, and to accept a different range of possibilities.</p>
<p>8.) Be very descriptive with your projections. As explained earlier, business plans should not be drafted only to be understood by you. Of course, you will be able to understand what your excel sheet is saying, but other potential investors will not have the time nor the interest to learn what your sheet is saying. Make sure you clearly explain in detail what you are saying, include introductions and descriptions that will help understand your numbers.</p>
<p>9.) Explain the use of proceeds. Every business plan should include how the money is intended to be spent. Make sure you allocate proceeds to the right resources and that the numbers are reasonable. Pay special attention to this section, otherwise the potential investors might feel like investing in your project will be the same as burning the money or throwing it in the trash. The details of the proceeds normally focus on product development, intellectual property filings, equipment acquisitions, debt repayment, and marketing.</p>
<p>10.) Establish clear milestones. This section might be one of the most important parts of the business plan. Be honest with yourself: is this something you can accomplish? In the event that investors decide to put money into your business you need to make sure that they are going to follow these milestones very closely. In the event you don&#8217;t reach them, difficult situations may arise for you, for them, and for other interested parties that may be turned off right away. Try to specify the management milestones as well. Separate your milestones from the your product milestones and make sure that both sections are clear and understandable.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opalnortheast.org/top-10-tips-for-writing-a-business-plan-2/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tips to Build Business Credit</title>
		<link>http://www.opalnortheast.org/tips-to-build-business-credit-8/</link>
		<comments>http://www.opalnortheast.org/tips-to-build-business-credit-8/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:19:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opalnortheast.org/?p=7173</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are many different aspects to running a successful business venture. However, no business venture can succeed without adequate finance. As no business person starts with all the necessary funds, but plans to borrow to meet certain expenses, it is absolutely vital to build business credit as early as possible. A business needs funds not [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are many different aspects to running a successful business venture. However, no business venture can succeed without adequate finance. As no business person starts with all the necessary funds, but plans to borrow to meet certain expenses, it is absolutely vital to build business credit as early as possible. A business needs funds not just for working expenses but also to expand and diversify, thereby, taking advantage of current market conditions. Banks and other financial institutions, however, are chary of lending to startups because of their high failure rate. In ensure that your business gets adequate funding at all the right stages, you need to establish a sound business credit profile.</p>
<p>The first step to build business credit is to obtain all the licenses and permits required to run your business. Potential creditors are sure to check for these before they even look at your business plan. Yet another easy step that many businesses overlook is that of getting a separate business phone number and yellow pages listing. Even if you run your business from home, a separate phone number is essential for you to establish business credit.</p>
<p>Your next step for business credit success is to approach a few small vendors who will be willing to supply on credit and report your payment behavior to business credit rating agencies such as Experian and Dun &amp; Bradstreet. Once you obtain this line of credit, ensure that you make payments on time. Also, check with the credit rating agencies periodically to make sure that only the correct information is being entered in your report. In case of errors, provide proof to the rating agencies and follow up with them until they rectify the errors.</p>
<p>To build business credit, you need to first obtain a few loans that you can repay on time. To get these first loans sanctioned, you need to have a properly documented business plan. Submit this plan to the bank and be prepared to answer their queries regarding your projections for the business. A good business plan will also include information about industry average profits and so on. In the event that your projections show higher than average profits, include details of how you plan to achieve this.</p>
<p>While it is no easy task to build corporate credit, the advantages are numerous. To be eligible for corporate loans, you need to first incorporate your startup. A limited company is treated differently by the banks and provided credit on its own merit, not on the credit history of the proprietor. Another advantage of incorporating your startup is the reduced liability you bear in case of failure. This means that your personal credit history will not take a beating in case your business venture fails.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opalnortheast.org/tips-to-build-business-credit-8/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Starting a DJ Business &#8211; 7 Top Tips on How to Start a DJ Company and Build a Solid DJ Business Plan</title>
		<link>http://www.opalnortheast.org/starting-a-dj-business-7-top-tips-on-how-to-start-a-dj-company-and-build-a-solid-dj-business-plan-5/</link>
		<comments>http://www.opalnortheast.org/starting-a-dj-business-7-top-tips-on-how-to-start-a-dj-company-and-build-a-solid-dj-business-plan-5/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:18:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opalnortheast.org/?p=7167</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are thinking about starting a dj business then you will need to get the best possible advice and ideas to incorporate into your dj business plan which will then give you a sound footing from which to launch a successful venture. The good news is that difficult to launch a dj company but [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you are thinking about starting a dj business then you will need to get the best possible advice and ideas to incorporate into your dj business plan which will then give you a sound footing from which to launch a successful venture. The good news is that difficult to launch a dj company but you will need to follow some good basic business principles and be able to devote your time and attention to making sure that you can beat your local competition and secure some initial contracts which will launch your dj business.</p>
<p>Like most businesses there are people who come up with good ideas and people who can actually put them into practice and this is often the case with people thinking about starting a mobile disco venture or just wanting to DJ in their local club and pub.</p>
<p>In this article we will explain the difference between the idea and the practical aspects which will lead you to success with your business. You can expect to make a serious amount of money from running a good DJ company either by going out yourself and operating a mobile disco or by running a music entertainment agency that specialises in securing music acts and DJ&#8217;s and sending them out to clients on a fee basis.</p>
<p>To start you will have to devote your own manpower to running the business and most of the time you will devote to cold calling prospective clients and venues to find out if they require acts for forthcoming events like weddings, birthdays, bank holidays, national holidays and New Year. Don&#8217;t be put off by calling or visiting 100 clients and only securing 1 or 2 contracts as an average percentage would be 2-3% success rate. In the short term if you can secure an initial contract with a venue, however small, it will start you off and give you the belief and confidence to both expand your client base and providing you offer a good service then word of mouth will bring you lots more business.</p>
<p>Some top tips for a successful DJ business include:</p>
<p>1) Sit down and plan your business approach and make sure you produce a solid DJ Business Plan</p>
<p>2) Market your DJ company with flyers and DJ business cards which you can get printed locally or from an online source. Flyers and business cards represent a cheap way of getting lots of exposure for your business and should not be overlooked at any cost.</p>
<p>3) Understand your local market &#8211; contact other local disco or entertainment agencies to see what they offer and how much they charge.</p>
<p>4) Try to secure a quick initial contract with a venue so you can satisfy yourself that you have now launched the DJ company.</p>
<p>5) Be professional, Courteous and make sure you turn up at booked events at the exact time.</p>
<p>6) Money is very important so try to get advanced deposit bookings and get the money upfront if at all possible.</p>
<p>7) Make sure that your equipment is in working order and you have any necessary electrical equipment test certificates as required.</p>
<p>Most business people will tell you that half of the success of their business is through initial hard work but the remaining 50% comes much easier as word of mouth spreads about your business spreads and you continue build upon a solid, reliable, trustworthy and enviable reputation. OK, so we know that running any business is not a breeze but having said that most people who start a DJ business or entertainment agency actually enjoy the process and with this comes big rewards.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opalnortheast.org/starting-a-dj-business-7-top-tips-on-how-to-start-a-dj-company-and-build-a-solid-dj-business-plan-5/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

