How to write a business plan?
Chosen by Asker
Research, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can. Here are some book titles that are relevant: * Writing a Convincing Business Plan by Arthur R. DeThomas Ph.D., Lin Grensing-Pophal * The Definitive Business Plan: The Fast Track to Intelligent Business Planning for Executives and Entrepreneurs (2nd Edition) by Richard Stutely * The Complete Book of Business Plans: Simple Steps to Writing a Powerful Business Plan (Small Business Sourcebooks) by Joseph A. Covello * The One Page Business Plan with CD-ROM by James T., Jr. Horan There are plenty of free informational resources out there. Check the source box for links to articles. Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!
Source(s)
Articles: ezinearticles ... – Five Crucial Components of a Business Plan by Cavyl Stewart ezinearticles ... – Sample Business Plan Outline by Lance Winslow ezinearticles ... – 8 Business Plan Mistakes to Avoid by Jo Ann Joy ezinearticles ... – How to Prepare a Business Plan that Guarantees Big Profits by Julia Tang ezinearticles ... – Writing a Business Plan and Check List by Thomas Choo
http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/r-answers-a-20070207051722AA3CjCn-k-How+to+Write+a+Business+Plan
Saturday, September 20, 2008
The Essentials of a Business Plan
The Essentials of a Business Plan
All business plans must show two things: a winning idea and a clear shot at a profit.
A good business plan has two basic goals: It should describe the fundamentals of your business idea and provide financial data to show that you will make good money. Beyond that, the content of your business plan depends on how you intend to use it.
How Will You Use Your Business Plan?
Depending on whether you're trying to attract investors or are creating a blueprint for your own use, a business plan can take somewhat different forms.
Attracting Investors
If you will use your business plan to borrow money or interest investors, you should carefully design your plan so that it sells your vision to skeptical people. Normally this means your business plan should include:
a persuasive introduction and request for funds
a statement of the purpose of your business
a detailed description of how the business will work (including what your product or service will be, whether you'll have employees, who will supply your goods, and where you will be located)
an analysis of your market (who your customers are)
an evaluation of your main competitors
a description of your marketing strategy (how your business will reach plenty of customers and fend off your competitors)
a résumé setting forth your business accomplishments, and
detailed financial information, including your best estimates of start-up costs, revenues and expenses, and your ability to make a profit.
Together, all the parts of your plan should reveal the beauty of your business idea. You want to show potential lenders, investors, or people you want to work with that you've hit upon a product or service that customers really want. In addition, you should prove that you are exactly the right person to make your fine idea a roaring success.
Get Help If You Need It
Funding the Venture Yourself
If you're not looking for outside money, your financial projections will be the most important part of your business plan. These projections will tell you the cost of your products or services, the amount of sales revenue and profit you can anticipate, and, perhaps most importantly, how much you'll have to invest or borrow to get your business off the ground.
Because you won't use your plan to ask for money, you can create an informal business plan that omits some of the elements listed above. For example, you don't need to worry so much about making a sales pitch or a slick presentation, and you may decide to skip the résumé of your own business accomplishments. But think twice before leaving out too much. Any new business will need to introduce itself to people -- for example, suppliers, contractors, employees, and key customers -- and showing them part or all of your business plan can be a great way to do it.
Financial Projections
Forecasting the finances of your business may seem intimidating or difficult, but in reality it's not so bad. Good planning consists of making educated guesses as to how much money you'll take in and how much you'll need to spend -- and then using these estimates to calculate whether your business will be profitable. Here are the financial projections you should make:
A break-even analysis. Here you'll use income and expense estimates to determine whether, in theory at least, your business will bring in enough money to meet its costs.
A profit-and-loss forecast. Next you'll refine the sales and expense estimates that you used for your break-even analysis into a formal, month-by-month projection of your business's profit for the first year of operations.
A cash flow projection. Even if your profit-and-loss forecast tells you that your business will have higher revenues than expenses -- in other words, that it will be profitable -- those numbers won't tell you if you'll have enough cash on hand from month to month to pay your rent or buy more inventory. A cash-flow projection shows how much money you'll have -- or how much you'll be short -- each month. This lets you know if you'll need a credit line or other arrangement to cover periodic shortfalls.
A start-up cost estimate. This is simply the total of all the expenses you'll incur before your business opens. If you need to pay off these costs during the first year or two of business, they should be included in your month-to-month cash-flow projection.
Again, no matter who your audience is, you should be as thorough as possible when calculating your break-even analysis and profit-and-loss forecast. The last thing you want is to experience the very real misery of starting a business that never had a chance to make a solid profit.
Getting Started on Your Business Plan
Your best bet is to follow a self-help business plan book that shows you how to conduct the financial forecasts described above. Two good bets are How to Write a Business Plan, by Mike McKeever (Nolo).
Know What's Behind the Numbers
Resources Home > Getting Started > Business Opportunitieshttp://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/r-article-a-2482-m-1-sc-12-the_essentials_of_a_business_plan-i
All business plans must show two things: a winning idea and a clear shot at a profit.
A good business plan has two basic goals: It should describe the fundamentals of your business idea and provide financial data to show that you will make good money. Beyond that, the content of your business plan depends on how you intend to use it.
How Will You Use Your Business Plan?
Depending on whether you're trying to attract investors or are creating a blueprint for your own use, a business plan can take somewhat different forms.
Attracting Investors
If you will use your business plan to borrow money or interest investors, you should carefully design your plan so that it sells your vision to skeptical people. Normally this means your business plan should include:
a persuasive introduction and request for funds
a statement of the purpose of your business
a detailed description of how the business will work (including what your product or service will be, whether you'll have employees, who will supply your goods, and where you will be located)
an analysis of your market (who your customers are)
an evaluation of your main competitors
a description of your marketing strategy (how your business will reach plenty of customers and fend off your competitors)
a résumé setting forth your business accomplishments, and
detailed financial information, including your best estimates of start-up costs, revenues and expenses, and your ability to make a profit.
Together, all the parts of your plan should reveal the beauty of your business idea. You want to show potential lenders, investors, or people you want to work with that you've hit upon a product or service that customers really want. In addition, you should prove that you are exactly the right person to make your fine idea a roaring success.
Get Help If You Need It
Funding the Venture Yourself
If you're not looking for outside money, your financial projections will be the most important part of your business plan. These projections will tell you the cost of your products or services, the amount of sales revenue and profit you can anticipate, and, perhaps most importantly, how much you'll have to invest or borrow to get your business off the ground.
Because you won't use your plan to ask for money, you can create an informal business plan that omits some of the elements listed above. For example, you don't need to worry so much about making a sales pitch or a slick presentation, and you may decide to skip the résumé of your own business accomplishments. But think twice before leaving out too much. Any new business will need to introduce itself to people -- for example, suppliers, contractors, employees, and key customers -- and showing them part or all of your business plan can be a great way to do it.
Financial Projections
Forecasting the finances of your business may seem intimidating or difficult, but in reality it's not so bad. Good planning consists of making educated guesses as to how much money you'll take in and how much you'll need to spend -- and then using these estimates to calculate whether your business will be profitable. Here are the financial projections you should make:
A break-even analysis. Here you'll use income and expense estimates to determine whether, in theory at least, your business will bring in enough money to meet its costs.
A profit-and-loss forecast. Next you'll refine the sales and expense estimates that you used for your break-even analysis into a formal, month-by-month projection of your business's profit for the first year of operations.
A cash flow projection. Even if your profit-and-loss forecast tells you that your business will have higher revenues than expenses -- in other words, that it will be profitable -- those numbers won't tell you if you'll have enough cash on hand from month to month to pay your rent or buy more inventory. A cash-flow projection shows how much money you'll have -- or how much you'll be short -- each month. This lets you know if you'll need a credit line or other arrangement to cover periodic shortfalls.
A start-up cost estimate. This is simply the total of all the expenses you'll incur before your business opens. If you need to pay off these costs during the first year or two of business, they should be included in your month-to-month cash-flow projection.
Again, no matter who your audience is, you should be as thorough as possible when calculating your break-even analysis and profit-and-loss forecast. The last thing you want is to experience the very real misery of starting a business that never had a chance to make a solid profit.
Getting Started on Your Business Plan
Your best bet is to follow a self-help business plan book that shows you how to conduct the financial forecasts described above. Two good bets are How to Write a Business Plan, by Mike McKeever (Nolo).
Know What's Behind the Numbers
Resources Home > Getting Started > Business Opportunitieshttp://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/r-article-a-2482-m-1-sc-12-the_essentials_of_a_business_plan-i
Evaluating New Business Ideas
Evaluating New Business Ideas
By AllBusiness.com - AllBusiness.com
Related Articles in: Getting Started > Business Opportunities
ADVERTISEMENTBy AllBusiness.com*For every great business idea there are scores of others that just won't work. You will save yourself a great deal of time, trouble and money if you put your ideas to the test before you try to implement them. Half an hour of careful thought, an afternoon of research or a phone conversation with a knowledgeable friend might steer you away from a flawed idea -- and months of wasted effort and thousands of dollars of losses.
Moreover, the process of testing your ideas will help you determine the kinds of things to take into account when you're creating a business concept. Eventually, your efforts will help lead you to an idea that has a solid chance of success.
Unlike giant corporations that invest huge sums of money to test potential toothpaste flavors or product names, you probably won't have to spend a lot of time or money to evaluate your ideas. Begin with these simple steps:
Ask your friends and associates to help you evaluate the concept. If you know successful entrepreneurs, ask them what they think of your idea. Chances are, they'll think of problems you are likely to encounter. You may be willing to face those obstacles -- or you might decide that some of them are insurmountable.
Ask potential customers how much they'd pay for your product or service. Their answers will help you focus on your potential market, and will give you a sense of how strong that market is. Once you have some answers to this question, you can begin to estimate your prospective firm's potential revenues.
Consider whether you are excited about the idea. Will you actually enjoy the work that will be required to make your venture a success? If not, move on.The Feasibility Study: Getting Down to Details
If your initial research and thinking turns up positive results, begin work on a feasibility study. The study can take the form of a formal document that will help you recruit potential partners, investors or lenders. Alternatively, however, it can be a simple memo to yourself -- a series of questions designed to help you decide whether you should proceed to the next level of commitment.
Either way, your feasibility study should address the following issues, each of which will require in-depth consideration.
The product or service. What are its unique features? How will it be designed, manufactured and delivered to customers?
The management team. Does your team have experience in the industry? What skills or qualifications are missing from the current team?
The market. Who are the target customers? How big is the potential market? Is the market growing? What are the costs required to reach the target market?
The competition. Who are your major competitors? Is your product or service superior to the competition? Would it be easy for competitors to duplicate your product or service? What are your competitors' strengths and weaknesses? How will competitors respond when your firm enters their market?
The costs. What will it cost to start and run your business? Where will you raise the money?
Material copyrighted by AllBusiness.com, Inc. or its partners. All Rights Reserved.
* AllBusiness.com provides resources for starting, managing and growing a business. Find more Market Research resources, including Forms, Guides and Articles in the Starting a Business Center.
By AllBusiness.com - AllBusiness.com
Related Articles in: Getting Started > Business Opportunities
ADVERTISEMENTBy AllBusiness.com*For every great business idea there are scores of others that just won't work. You will save yourself a great deal of time, trouble and money if you put your ideas to the test before you try to implement them. Half an hour of careful thought, an afternoon of research or a phone conversation with a knowledgeable friend might steer you away from a flawed idea -- and months of wasted effort and thousands of dollars of losses.
Moreover, the process of testing your ideas will help you determine the kinds of things to take into account when you're creating a business concept. Eventually, your efforts will help lead you to an idea that has a solid chance of success.
Unlike giant corporations that invest huge sums of money to test potential toothpaste flavors or product names, you probably won't have to spend a lot of time or money to evaluate your ideas. Begin with these simple steps:
Ask your friends and associates to help you evaluate the concept. If you know successful entrepreneurs, ask them what they think of your idea. Chances are, they'll think of problems you are likely to encounter. You may be willing to face those obstacles -- or you might decide that some of them are insurmountable.
Ask potential customers how much they'd pay for your product or service. Their answers will help you focus on your potential market, and will give you a sense of how strong that market is. Once you have some answers to this question, you can begin to estimate your prospective firm's potential revenues.
Consider whether you are excited about the idea. Will you actually enjoy the work that will be required to make your venture a success? If not, move on.The Feasibility Study: Getting Down to Details
If your initial research and thinking turns up positive results, begin work on a feasibility study. The study can take the form of a formal document that will help you recruit potential partners, investors or lenders. Alternatively, however, it can be a simple memo to yourself -- a series of questions designed to help you decide whether you should proceed to the next level of commitment.
Either way, your feasibility study should address the following issues, each of which will require in-depth consideration.
The product or service. What are its unique features? How will it be designed, manufactured and delivered to customers?
The management team. Does your team have experience in the industry? What skills or qualifications are missing from the current team?
The market. Who are the target customers? How big is the potential market? Is the market growing? What are the costs required to reach the target market?
The competition. Who are your major competitors? Is your product or service superior to the competition? Would it be easy for competitors to duplicate your product or service? What are your competitors' strengths and weaknesses? How will competitors respond when your firm enters their market?
The costs. What will it cost to start and run your business? Where will you raise the money?
Material copyrighted by AllBusiness.com, Inc. or its partners. All Rights Reserved.
* AllBusiness.com provides resources for starting, managing and growing a business. Find more Market Research resources, including Forms, Guides and Articles in the Starting a Business Center.
Ten Tips for New Small Businesses
Ten Tips for New Small Businesses
Suggestions to help get your business off to a smooth start and keep it going for the long haul.
ADVERTISEMENT
Save up as much money as possible before starting.All too often, people go into business without any savings, exclusively using loan money from friends, banks, or the SBA. They except to be able to start paying the loans back right away with their profits. What these business owners don't realize is that it can take months or years to make a profit. And once a lender discovers a business isn't as profitable as expected, the lender is likely to call in the loan or refuse to renew it for another year. Often new business owners then have to take out home equity loans or use credit cards to pay off their loans (which puts their home and credit rating at risk). For more information, see Business Financing FAQ.
A better plan is to save up as much of the needed investment money as possible, including your living expenses for the first year, or even two. Odds are that your business won't be profitable for one to two years. Even if you get plenty of business coming your way -- and your customers pay you on time, which isn't always a sure thing -- you'll want to be able to invest most of that money back in the business for space, equipment, advertising, and insurance needs.
Start on a shoestring.Think small. Don't rent premises if you can work somewhere else, and don't hire employees until you can keep them busy. (You can hire independent contractors or temps in the meantime.)
People who start their small business on the cheap, often in a garage, den, or some other scavenged space, and create their first goods or services with more sweat than cash, have the luxury of making their inevitable rookie mistakes on a small scale. And precisely because their early screw-ups don't bury them in debt, they are usually able to learn and recover from them.
Protect your personal assets.When you go into business for yourself, you are usually personally liable for all judgments and debts that the business incurs. This includes business loans, taxes, money owed to suppliers and landlords, and any judgments against the business as a result of a lawsuit. If you don't protect yourself, a creditor can go after your personal assets, such as your car and your house, to pay for these debts.
While you can protect yourself against lawsuits by buying business liability insurance, this won't help you with business debts. If you will be running up big debts, consider forming a corporation or limited liability company (LLC). Just one person can form either of these types of businesses.
Understand how -- and if -- you will make a profit.You should be able to state in just a few sentences how your business plans to make a substantial profit. For starters, you need to know your costs: how much you'll spend purchasing inventory, paying the rent, compensating any employees, and covering what is likely to be a surprisingly long list of other costs. Then you can figure out exactly how much you need to sell each month, for how many dollars, to cover those expenses and have an adequate profit besides. These numbers are all you need to create a "break-even analysis."
Make a business plan, no matter how short. Understanding your profit numbers and creating a break-even analysis is the first step in making a business plan. For most small companies, the key portions of a business plan are the break-even analysis, a profit-and-loss forecast, and a cash flow projection. (Projecting your cash flow is key and will make or break your company: Even if your business is getting plenty of work or selling its products, if you're not getting paid for 90-180 days, you're not going to survive unless you've planned for it.) With a cash flow spreadsheet in place, as well as a profit-and-loss forecast, you can tinker with your business idea and improve it before you start -- and continue to use them after you start.
Creating a business plan also allows you to determine what your projected start-up costs are (how much money you'll need to save) and what you marketing strategies are (how you'll reach customers to make sales). If you can't make the numbers work on paper, you won't be able to make them work in real life.
Get and keep a competitive edge.Building a competitive edge into the fabric of your business is crucially important to long-term success. Some ways to get this edge are by knowing more than your competitors, making a product that is hard or impossible to imitate, being able to produce or distribute your product more efficiently, having a better location, or offering superior customer service.
One way to hold on to your competitive edge is to protect your trade secrets -- confidential information that gives you a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Examples of trade secrets include customer lists, survey methods, marketing strategies, and manufacturing techniques. To protect your trade secrets under the law, you need to take steps to keep the information confidential. This includes marking documents "Confidential," using passwords to protect computer information, using nondisclosure and/or noncompete agreements, and limiting access to employees with a reasonable need to know the trade secrets.
Another way to keep your competitive edge is to react quickly to bad news. Once you see that your business faces some kind of adversity, you need to come up with a plan to deal with it immediately. This may involve moving your offices, introducing a new product or service, or developing a better way to reach customers.
Put all agreements in writing.The laws of your state require you to put some contracts and agreements in writing:
Contracts that will last longer than a year.
Contracts that involve the sale of goods worth $500 or more.
Contracts that transfer the ownership of copyrights or real estate.
Even if not legally required, it's wise to put almost everything in writing, because oral agreements can be difficult or impossible to prove. This includes leases or rental agreements, storage agreements, contracts for services (such as consulting or electrical work), purchase orders or contracts for goods worth more than a couple hundred dollars, offer letters of employment, and employment policies. Get in the habit of getting and giving receipts for all goods, services, and deposits, regardless of how much.
Hire and keep good people. Your goal should be to hire and retain truly excellent employees -- not just reasonably competent ones. A highly competent and truly enthusiastic employee is at least two and sometimes even three times as valuable as a person of average skills.
To create a stable and happy workforce, it's essential not only that your employees (and independent contractors) believe they are being fairly treated, but that your business is worthy of respect. Employees and contractors who like their work will represent you well on and off the job. And customers will more likely be loyal to an upbeat business -- and are more likely to recommend it to their friends.
Pay attention to the legal status of your workers. When you hire workers as independent contractors, make sure they shouldn't really be taxed as employees. The IRS can impose substantial penalties against you for not withholding taxes and paying taxes for a worker who is really an employee. The IRS and other agencies are likely to think that a worker is an employee rather than an independent contractor under any of these conditions:
The worker works full-time or nearly full-time for you.
The worker doesn't work for anyone else.
The worker provides services that are an integral part of your operations.
You control how the worker does the job and provide detailed instructions and training for the worker.
One way to help avoid trouble is to have the worker sign a written service contract, or independent contractor agreement.
Most employees you hire will be "at-will" employees -- subject to being fired at any time and for any reason (except for illegal motives such as discrimination). It's important to preserve your at-will rights because they protect you from having to prove that you have a valid business-related reason to terminate an employee. Don't make any promises to prospective or current employees that you are offering a permanent job or that they will lose their job only if they perform poorly, because this will limit your ability to terminate the employee for other reasons, such as personality conflicts or finances.
When hiring an at-will employee, have the employee sign an offer letter that makes it clear that the employment relationship is at will. Except for high-level executives, you shouldn't have employees sign an employment contract -- this can limit your ability to alter the terms of employment as your business needs change and subjects you to higher legal standards.
Pay your bills early and your taxes on time. In the real world, where a reputation for keeping one's word is a hugely important asset, a good strategy is either to pay your bills up front or pay them early. You gain trust, build a positive credit profile, and have a built-in safety net if things go badly. These benefits outweigh any interest you might earn by holding onto your money until the last possible minute.
Most importantly, pay your payroll taxes on time, especially the portion that you withhold from your employees' paychecks. The IRS and state tax authorities can hold you personally liable for these taxes, plus stiff penalties, if they're not paid. This is true even if you operate your business as a corporation or LLC or if your business goes bankrupt -- you will still be personally and legally on the hook to pay back payroll taxes.
Suggestions to help get your business off to a smooth start and keep it going for the long haul.
ADVERTISEMENT
Save up as much money as possible before starting.All too often, people go into business without any savings, exclusively using loan money from friends, banks, or the SBA. They except to be able to start paying the loans back right away with their profits. What these business owners don't realize is that it can take months or years to make a profit. And once a lender discovers a business isn't as profitable as expected, the lender is likely to call in the loan or refuse to renew it for another year. Often new business owners then have to take out home equity loans or use credit cards to pay off their loans (which puts their home and credit rating at risk). For more information, see Business Financing FAQ.
A better plan is to save up as much of the needed investment money as possible, including your living expenses for the first year, or even two. Odds are that your business won't be profitable for one to two years. Even if you get plenty of business coming your way -- and your customers pay you on time, which isn't always a sure thing -- you'll want to be able to invest most of that money back in the business for space, equipment, advertising, and insurance needs.
Start on a shoestring.Think small. Don't rent premises if you can work somewhere else, and don't hire employees until you can keep them busy. (You can hire independent contractors or temps in the meantime.)
People who start their small business on the cheap, often in a garage, den, or some other scavenged space, and create their first goods or services with more sweat than cash, have the luxury of making their inevitable rookie mistakes on a small scale. And precisely because their early screw-ups don't bury them in debt, they are usually able to learn and recover from them.
Protect your personal assets.When you go into business for yourself, you are usually personally liable for all judgments and debts that the business incurs. This includes business loans, taxes, money owed to suppliers and landlords, and any judgments against the business as a result of a lawsuit. If you don't protect yourself, a creditor can go after your personal assets, such as your car and your house, to pay for these debts.
While you can protect yourself against lawsuits by buying business liability insurance, this won't help you with business debts. If you will be running up big debts, consider forming a corporation or limited liability company (LLC). Just one person can form either of these types of businesses.
Understand how -- and if -- you will make a profit.You should be able to state in just a few sentences how your business plans to make a substantial profit. For starters, you need to know your costs: how much you'll spend purchasing inventory, paying the rent, compensating any employees, and covering what is likely to be a surprisingly long list of other costs. Then you can figure out exactly how much you need to sell each month, for how many dollars, to cover those expenses and have an adequate profit besides. These numbers are all you need to create a "break-even analysis."
Make a business plan, no matter how short. Understanding your profit numbers and creating a break-even analysis is the first step in making a business plan. For most small companies, the key portions of a business plan are the break-even analysis, a profit-and-loss forecast, and a cash flow projection. (Projecting your cash flow is key and will make or break your company: Even if your business is getting plenty of work or selling its products, if you're not getting paid for 90-180 days, you're not going to survive unless you've planned for it.) With a cash flow spreadsheet in place, as well as a profit-and-loss forecast, you can tinker with your business idea and improve it before you start -- and continue to use them after you start.
Creating a business plan also allows you to determine what your projected start-up costs are (how much money you'll need to save) and what you marketing strategies are (how you'll reach customers to make sales). If you can't make the numbers work on paper, you won't be able to make them work in real life.
Get and keep a competitive edge.Building a competitive edge into the fabric of your business is crucially important to long-term success. Some ways to get this edge are by knowing more than your competitors, making a product that is hard or impossible to imitate, being able to produce or distribute your product more efficiently, having a better location, or offering superior customer service.
One way to hold on to your competitive edge is to protect your trade secrets -- confidential information that gives you a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Examples of trade secrets include customer lists, survey methods, marketing strategies, and manufacturing techniques. To protect your trade secrets under the law, you need to take steps to keep the information confidential. This includes marking documents "Confidential," using passwords to protect computer information, using nondisclosure and/or noncompete agreements, and limiting access to employees with a reasonable need to know the trade secrets.
Another way to keep your competitive edge is to react quickly to bad news. Once you see that your business faces some kind of adversity, you need to come up with a plan to deal with it immediately. This may involve moving your offices, introducing a new product or service, or developing a better way to reach customers.
Put all agreements in writing.The laws of your state require you to put some contracts and agreements in writing:
Contracts that will last longer than a year.
Contracts that involve the sale of goods worth $500 or more.
Contracts that transfer the ownership of copyrights or real estate.
Even if not legally required, it's wise to put almost everything in writing, because oral agreements can be difficult or impossible to prove. This includes leases or rental agreements, storage agreements, contracts for services (such as consulting or electrical work), purchase orders or contracts for goods worth more than a couple hundred dollars, offer letters of employment, and employment policies. Get in the habit of getting and giving receipts for all goods, services, and deposits, regardless of how much.
Hire and keep good people. Your goal should be to hire and retain truly excellent employees -- not just reasonably competent ones. A highly competent and truly enthusiastic employee is at least two and sometimes even three times as valuable as a person of average skills.
To create a stable and happy workforce, it's essential not only that your employees (and independent contractors) believe they are being fairly treated, but that your business is worthy of respect. Employees and contractors who like their work will represent you well on and off the job. And customers will more likely be loyal to an upbeat business -- and are more likely to recommend it to their friends.
Pay attention to the legal status of your workers. When you hire workers as independent contractors, make sure they shouldn't really be taxed as employees. The IRS can impose substantial penalties against you for not withholding taxes and paying taxes for a worker who is really an employee. The IRS and other agencies are likely to think that a worker is an employee rather than an independent contractor under any of these conditions:
The worker works full-time or nearly full-time for you.
The worker doesn't work for anyone else.
The worker provides services that are an integral part of your operations.
You control how the worker does the job and provide detailed instructions and training for the worker.
One way to help avoid trouble is to have the worker sign a written service contract, or independent contractor agreement.
Most employees you hire will be "at-will" employees -- subject to being fired at any time and for any reason (except for illegal motives such as discrimination). It's important to preserve your at-will rights because they protect you from having to prove that you have a valid business-related reason to terminate an employee. Don't make any promises to prospective or current employees that you are offering a permanent job or that they will lose their job only if they perform poorly, because this will limit your ability to terminate the employee for other reasons, such as personality conflicts or finances.
When hiring an at-will employee, have the employee sign an offer letter that makes it clear that the employment relationship is at will. Except for high-level executives, you shouldn't have employees sign an employment contract -- this can limit your ability to alter the terms of employment as your business needs change and subjects you to higher legal standards.
Pay your bills early and your taxes on time. In the real world, where a reputation for keeping one's word is a hugely important asset, a good strategy is either to pay your bills up front or pay them early. You gain trust, build a positive credit profile, and have a built-in safety net if things go badly. These benefits outweigh any interest you might earn by holding onto your money until the last possible minute.
Most importantly, pay your payroll taxes on time, especially the portion that you withhold from your employees' paychecks. The IRS and state tax authorities can hold you personally liable for these taxes, plus stiff penalties, if they're not paid. This is true even if you operate your business as a corporation or LLC or if your business goes bankrupt -- you will still be personally and legally on the hook to pay back payroll taxes.
5 cách để gắn kết nhân viên
5 cách để gắn kết nhân viên 22/01/2007,9:09:AM
Bạn có thể thuê một diễn giả động viên để thổi bùng ngọn lửa nhiệt tình ở những người trong đội quân của bạn. Nhưng hiệu quả sẽ chỉ kéo dài được khoảng 15 phút. Nếu bạn thực sự muốn gắn kết nhân viên với công việc, bạn phải thực sự gắn kết với họ.
Bạn phải là người tạo ra khác biệt và điều đó phải nằm ngay trong hành vi hàng ngày của bạn. Công sức của bạn cũng sẽ tạo ra công sức của những người khác.
Bạn có dành nhiều thời gian với nhân viên như bạn dành cho các con số của tổ chức? Đó có phải là thời gian bạn thể hiện sự quan tâm đến họ? Bạn có nghĩ rằng tạo ra sự liên hệ cá nhân với nhân viên là việc làm mất thời gian? Khi được hỏi những câu hỏi đơn giản này, nhiều nhà điều hành thường trở nên trầm ngâm.
Họ suy nghĩ về điều mà mọi người đều biết rằng, hầu hết các chuyên gia muốn làm công việc của họ tốt nhất có thể, nhưng một nhà lãnh đạo ngoài làm như vậy, họ còn phải tạo ra môi trường mà nhen lên ngọn lửa trong mỗi người để hướng tổ chức đến những tầm cao mới.
Đó là thái độ, cảm giác và cảm xúc mà làm cho công việc trở nên thích thú, kích thích mỗi người làm nhiều hơn những gì họ nghĩ họ có thể. Các nhà lãnh đạo vĩ đại hiểu các con số, nhưng họ cũng chạm tới trái tim của mọi người.
Để gắn kết mọi người, bạn phải chú ý đến họ và tạo ra sự liên kết cá nhân với họ. Có rất nhiều cách tiếp cận khác nhau, nhưng đây là một số cách cụ thể để cải thiện cách bạn lãnh đạo người khác.
1. Dành thời gian và lắng nghe
Không có gì thay thế cho sự tương tác cá nhân. Thậm chí những chuyên gia tài năng, được động viên nhiều nhất cũng có thể để mất sự tập trung, năng lượng và sự cam kết khi sự liên hệ với cấp trên trở nên mờ nhạt. Họ có thể sẽ cảm thấy bị coi nhẹ và không được đánh giá cao.
Bạn phải dành thời gian để trò chuyện với mọi người trực tiếp, qua điện thoại, qua thư điện tử, vào bữa trưa, hoặc khi ngồi đối mặt một với một...Hỏi những thách thức hiện tại đối với họ là gì và liệu bạn có thể làm gì để giúp họ.
Một bức thư là một cách thảo luận chính thức hoặc không chính thức mà nhắc nhở 1 người rằng người đó đang trong tầm quan sát của bạn. Thậm chí một sự trao đổi nhanh chóng ở thang máy cũng là một cơ hội để thể hiện sự thích thú.
Lắng nghe quan trọng hơn nhiều so với nói. Đó là cách bạn tìm ra điều mà tổ chức đang vật lộn đấu tranh và cách thực thi sẽ như thế nào. Bạn cũng sẽ học được cách mà mọi người giải quyết vấn đề, cách bộ óc của họ hoạt động và tài năng của họ là gì - tất cả đều quan trọng trong việc xây dựng một tổ chức hàng đầu.
Nhưng lắng nghe còn sâu sắc hơn. Mọi người sẽ cảm thấy khác biệt khi họ biết mình đang được nghe và đóng góp của họ đang tạo ra sự khác biệt. Sự yêu quý chân thành của bạn là điều then chốt trong sự liên hệ cảm xúc của họ với công việc.
2. Giúp mọi người thấy tại sao công việc của họ lại quan trọng
Thật là khó để cảm thấy được gắn kết khi bạn đang làm việc trong một khoảng trống, rời xa mọi người. Bạn có thể giúp mọi người thấy được đóng góp cá nhân của họ như một phần trong bức tranh tổng thể. Khi mọi người thấy công việc của họ, mục tiêu của họ phù hợp với mục tiêu cao hơn, họ biết rằng đóng góp của họ là quan trọng.
3. Đưa ra những phản hồi trung thực
Có một hiện tượng: Khi ai đó làm việc tốt và bạn động viên họ bằng những phản hồi tích cực, biểu hiện của họ còn tốt hơn. Mọi người cần được thừa nhận và không chỉ một lần một năm trong các cuộc tổng kết cuối năm. Họ cần nghe những điều bạn nghĩ về công việc của họ thường xuyên, thẳng thắn.
Có thể bạn nghĩ những người làm tốt biết rằng họ đang làm tốt, hoặc nên biết vì bạn đã trả tiền cho họ rồi. Đừng tính toán điều này.
Khi mọi người không đáp ứng được mong đợi, hãy để cho họ biết rằng, họ có cơ hội để cải thiện. Đừng để sự thất vọng hình thành và phát triển.
4. Quan tâm đến công việc của mọi người
Mọi người sẽ được gắn kết hơn với công việc khi họ biết rằng bạn là kiểu lãnh đạo thực sự thích thành công. Hãy nhìn những điều mà mọi người giỏi một cách tự nhiên và phối hợp với họ để tìm cách mà họ có thể nâng cao tài năng. Điều này sẽ áp dụng cho những người làm việc chưa tốt cũng như những người đang làm việc xuất sắc.
Hãy nói về những điều họ muốn làm và điều bạn có thể hình dung về việc họ đang làm. Vận dụng trí tuệ tập thể thậm chí nếu những điều này ngoài tầm kiểm soát của bạn. Và để những nhân viên giỏi của bạn làm những công việc khác, đến những bộ phận khác, thậm chí đến những tổ chức khác nếu ở đó có cơ hội ẩn chứa.
5. Thể hiện sự thích thú ở khía cạnh con người vượt quá khía cạnh công việc
Không phải mọi cuộc trò chuyện đều nói về công việc. Bên cạnh công việc người ta còn có cuộc sống. Có những người ngoài đời rất khác trong công việc. Mọi người sẽ biết bạn quan tâm đến họ nếu bạn dành thời gian để tìm hiểu những điều quan trọng trong cuộc sống của họ.
Đo lường việc lãnh đạo thực sự
Quan tâm đến mọi người và muốn chỉ ra những điều tốt nhất của họ là điều bạn không thể giả mạo. Nếu bạn chỉ tập trung vào lợi ích cá nhân và không để ý đến người khác, việc lãnh đạo sẽ không phải là lời kêu gọi của bạn. Họ sẽ hướng tới những nhà lãnh đạo mà có sự quan tâm chân thành.
Hãy đặt niềm tin của bạn vào hành động. Đối xử với mọi người như với những con người có đầy đủ cuộc sống, tham vọng cá nhân, khát khao và quyền được đánh giá và lắng nghe.
Nguyệt Ánh Theo lanhdao
Đã xem : 319 lần
Bạn có thể thuê một diễn giả động viên để thổi bùng ngọn lửa nhiệt tình ở những người trong đội quân của bạn. Nhưng hiệu quả sẽ chỉ kéo dài được khoảng 15 phút. Nếu bạn thực sự muốn gắn kết nhân viên với công việc, bạn phải thực sự gắn kết với họ.
Bạn phải là người tạo ra khác biệt và điều đó phải nằm ngay trong hành vi hàng ngày của bạn. Công sức của bạn cũng sẽ tạo ra công sức của những người khác.
Bạn có dành nhiều thời gian với nhân viên như bạn dành cho các con số của tổ chức? Đó có phải là thời gian bạn thể hiện sự quan tâm đến họ? Bạn có nghĩ rằng tạo ra sự liên hệ cá nhân với nhân viên là việc làm mất thời gian? Khi được hỏi những câu hỏi đơn giản này, nhiều nhà điều hành thường trở nên trầm ngâm.
Họ suy nghĩ về điều mà mọi người đều biết rằng, hầu hết các chuyên gia muốn làm công việc của họ tốt nhất có thể, nhưng một nhà lãnh đạo ngoài làm như vậy, họ còn phải tạo ra môi trường mà nhen lên ngọn lửa trong mỗi người để hướng tổ chức đến những tầm cao mới.
Đó là thái độ, cảm giác và cảm xúc mà làm cho công việc trở nên thích thú, kích thích mỗi người làm nhiều hơn những gì họ nghĩ họ có thể. Các nhà lãnh đạo vĩ đại hiểu các con số, nhưng họ cũng chạm tới trái tim của mọi người.
Để gắn kết mọi người, bạn phải chú ý đến họ và tạo ra sự liên kết cá nhân với họ. Có rất nhiều cách tiếp cận khác nhau, nhưng đây là một số cách cụ thể để cải thiện cách bạn lãnh đạo người khác.
1. Dành thời gian và lắng nghe
Không có gì thay thế cho sự tương tác cá nhân. Thậm chí những chuyên gia tài năng, được động viên nhiều nhất cũng có thể để mất sự tập trung, năng lượng và sự cam kết khi sự liên hệ với cấp trên trở nên mờ nhạt. Họ có thể sẽ cảm thấy bị coi nhẹ và không được đánh giá cao.
Bạn phải dành thời gian để trò chuyện với mọi người trực tiếp, qua điện thoại, qua thư điện tử, vào bữa trưa, hoặc khi ngồi đối mặt một với một...Hỏi những thách thức hiện tại đối với họ là gì và liệu bạn có thể làm gì để giúp họ.
Một bức thư là một cách thảo luận chính thức hoặc không chính thức mà nhắc nhở 1 người rằng người đó đang trong tầm quan sát của bạn. Thậm chí một sự trao đổi nhanh chóng ở thang máy cũng là một cơ hội để thể hiện sự thích thú.
Lắng nghe quan trọng hơn nhiều so với nói. Đó là cách bạn tìm ra điều mà tổ chức đang vật lộn đấu tranh và cách thực thi sẽ như thế nào. Bạn cũng sẽ học được cách mà mọi người giải quyết vấn đề, cách bộ óc của họ hoạt động và tài năng của họ là gì - tất cả đều quan trọng trong việc xây dựng một tổ chức hàng đầu.
Nhưng lắng nghe còn sâu sắc hơn. Mọi người sẽ cảm thấy khác biệt khi họ biết mình đang được nghe và đóng góp của họ đang tạo ra sự khác biệt. Sự yêu quý chân thành của bạn là điều then chốt trong sự liên hệ cảm xúc của họ với công việc.
2. Giúp mọi người thấy tại sao công việc của họ lại quan trọng
Thật là khó để cảm thấy được gắn kết khi bạn đang làm việc trong một khoảng trống, rời xa mọi người. Bạn có thể giúp mọi người thấy được đóng góp cá nhân của họ như một phần trong bức tranh tổng thể. Khi mọi người thấy công việc của họ, mục tiêu của họ phù hợp với mục tiêu cao hơn, họ biết rằng đóng góp của họ là quan trọng.
3. Đưa ra những phản hồi trung thực
Có một hiện tượng: Khi ai đó làm việc tốt và bạn động viên họ bằng những phản hồi tích cực, biểu hiện của họ còn tốt hơn. Mọi người cần được thừa nhận và không chỉ một lần một năm trong các cuộc tổng kết cuối năm. Họ cần nghe những điều bạn nghĩ về công việc của họ thường xuyên, thẳng thắn.
Có thể bạn nghĩ những người làm tốt biết rằng họ đang làm tốt, hoặc nên biết vì bạn đã trả tiền cho họ rồi. Đừng tính toán điều này.
Khi mọi người không đáp ứng được mong đợi, hãy để cho họ biết rằng, họ có cơ hội để cải thiện. Đừng để sự thất vọng hình thành và phát triển.
4. Quan tâm đến công việc của mọi người
Mọi người sẽ được gắn kết hơn với công việc khi họ biết rằng bạn là kiểu lãnh đạo thực sự thích thành công. Hãy nhìn những điều mà mọi người giỏi một cách tự nhiên và phối hợp với họ để tìm cách mà họ có thể nâng cao tài năng. Điều này sẽ áp dụng cho những người làm việc chưa tốt cũng như những người đang làm việc xuất sắc.
Hãy nói về những điều họ muốn làm và điều bạn có thể hình dung về việc họ đang làm. Vận dụng trí tuệ tập thể thậm chí nếu những điều này ngoài tầm kiểm soát của bạn. Và để những nhân viên giỏi của bạn làm những công việc khác, đến những bộ phận khác, thậm chí đến những tổ chức khác nếu ở đó có cơ hội ẩn chứa.
5. Thể hiện sự thích thú ở khía cạnh con người vượt quá khía cạnh công việc
Không phải mọi cuộc trò chuyện đều nói về công việc. Bên cạnh công việc người ta còn có cuộc sống. Có những người ngoài đời rất khác trong công việc. Mọi người sẽ biết bạn quan tâm đến họ nếu bạn dành thời gian để tìm hiểu những điều quan trọng trong cuộc sống của họ.
Đo lường việc lãnh đạo thực sự
Quan tâm đến mọi người và muốn chỉ ra những điều tốt nhất của họ là điều bạn không thể giả mạo. Nếu bạn chỉ tập trung vào lợi ích cá nhân và không để ý đến người khác, việc lãnh đạo sẽ không phải là lời kêu gọi của bạn. Họ sẽ hướng tới những nhà lãnh đạo mà có sự quan tâm chân thành.
Hãy đặt niềm tin của bạn vào hành động. Đối xử với mọi người như với những con người có đầy đủ cuộc sống, tham vọng cá nhân, khát khao và quyền được đánh giá và lắng nghe.
Nguyệt Ánh Theo lanhdao
Đã xem : 319 lần
Is this my last blog?
I need one place to write my experience, thought, ideas, any things, or to track any RSS sources, keep up to date with tech. information
I'm seeking for long-time, and compare many sites, Yahoo 360*, MSN Live, Google Reader, buy hosting service. And finally, this site is good for me (up to now :-)
The reason I still keep these pages:
http://vinhphu3000.spaces.live.com/ my old blog, where I had many articles, ideas, stuff etc.
http://my.msn.com/ where I get news, and read my MSN Email as well
http://igoogle.com/ perfect place, I can read tech. news, my Gmail, and My Google Reader, where I watch any changes of my Yahoo Pipe's Search Result. Even more, I can see some Gadgets, like World Time (Vietnam, San Diego), my Google Documents
http://my.yahoo.com/ I can use this way to have a look at my Yahoo Mail box. And my bookmark, or contact, calendar, weather forecast
I'm seeking for long-time, and compare many sites, Yahoo 360*, MSN Live, Google Reader, buy hosting service. And finally, this site is good for me (up to now :-)
The reason I still keep these pages:
http://vinhphu3000.spaces.live.com/ my old blog, where I had many articles, ideas, stuff etc.
http://my.msn.com/ where I get news, and read my MSN Email as well
http://igoogle.com/ perfect place, I can read tech. news, my Gmail, and My Google Reader, where I watch any changes of my Yahoo Pipe's Search Result. Even more, I can see some Gadgets, like World Time (Vietnam, San Diego), my Google Documents
http://my.yahoo.com/ I can use this way to have a look at my Yahoo Mail box. And my bookmark, or contact, calendar, weather forecast
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Idea: Setting up Vietnam File Sharing likely eMule
Idea: Setting up Vietnam File Sharing likely eMule
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