Brilliant Checklists for Entrepreneurs: Your Shortcut to Success (Brilliant Business)

Description

The indispensible handbook that every entrepreneur needs, Brilliant Checklists for Entrepreneurs is packed with hundreds of easy to follow, detailed lists that tell you everything you need to know, everything you need to think about, and everything you need to do to when starting and managing a business. The fast, focussed guidance in this practical and user-friendly book covers all aspects of your business journey right from thinking up your business idea, writing a plan and getting funding, and selling your business. Cover Brilliant Checklists for Entrepreneurs About the author Contents Introduction Be ambitious: set your sights at the right level 10 ways to think of your business idea 10 proven tips on creative thinking 10 things you need to be honest with yourself about 10 things to check before chucking in your job Goals: making sure your enterprise fits your ethos 10 ways to help your family share your dream 10 common self-doubts and how to conquer them 10 ways to work out how big you want to grow 10 questions to help you match your business to your lifestyle Do research: easy ways to check your business idea 10 quick and simple ways to measure potential 10 free ways to research your idea on the internet 10 good questions and where to ask them 10 ways to test your new idea 10 people who might do your research for free Write your plan: how to make a convincing case 10 things every business plan should contain 10 important figures and how to calculate them 10 things your bank managers like to see 10 shortcuts to an accurate cash flow forecast 10 points to consider when choosing a business structure Get advice: find people able to help you 10 people who can offer you the best advice 10 things to check when choosing a business adviser 10 ways to find a mentor and why it’s important 10 things advisers can always do better than you Find the cash: how to fund start-up and growth 10 places to look first to finance your business 10 less obvious places to look for funding 10 ways to reduce the amount you need, maybe to zero! 10 demands investors sometimes make 10 things about overdrafts you need to know Be profitable: ways to manage your margins 10 steps to improve your trading margins 10 things that erode your profits and how to avoid them 10 things about trading terms it’s good to bear in mind 10 quick ways to increase your profitability Manage cash flow: keeping the business going 10 simple tips for a healthy cash flow 10 situations where you need to focus harder on cash flow 10 ways to deal with running out of cash 10 ways to ask for overdue payment Control costs: how to earn more by spending less 10 reasons why it’s smart to manage your costs 10 tips to help you work better with your suppliers 10 tips for managing what you spend on customers 10 types of tax you need to know about Go to work: how to find premises, or work successfully at home 10 good reasons not to pay for an office 10 ways to look bigger than a one-man band 10 things to look out for before renting or leasing 10 workspace ideas you might not have considered Market yourself: understand why people buy 10 things your customers will look for 10 ways to make your business more memorable 10 design tips to bring what you do to life 10 top marketing tips that experts rarely share Succeed online: make more from your website 10 things the best websites have in common 10 top search engine optimisation tips 10 things to know before you sell online 10 ways to build an audience Meet people: network on and offline 10 top networking tips 10 places to meet new people 10 ways to network online 10 tips for Twitter and Facebook Get sales: how to win and keep customers 10 ways to sell 10 top tips on closing more sales 10 benefits of selling through others 10 benefits of selling direct 10 common sales pitfalls and how to avoid them Build a team: recruit and manage people 10 questions to ask when recruiting 10 positive ways to deal with employment legislation 10 things that will make you a better boss 10 ways to delegate and share the work Be motivating: get the best from yourself and others 10 ways to motivate yourself 10 things to do that will make you more motivating 10 training opportunities most overlooked 10 common people problems and how to solve them 10 ways to manage stress in yourself and others Avoid surprises: predict and overcome those unexpected hurdles 10 staff surprises 10 customer surprises 10 supplier surprises 10 unlikely but possible surprises Be generous: how to help yourself by helping others 10 ways to build your business by helping others 10 ways to entertain your customers for free 10 lessons you can learn from social entrepreneurs 10 benefits of making a philanthropic gesture Sell your business: how to realise the value 10 ways to decide that it’s time to move on 10 things that add value to your business 10 ways to find a buyer 10 reasons to merge your business with another 10 things you’ll do differently the second time around Useful document templates: shortcuts for you to copy, adapt and use Sales letters Follow-up letters Getting-paid letters The business plan Confidentiality and intellectual property