I have talked to a number of people lately who are looking at either starting a business or expanding the one they currently own. One of the first things you should do when contemplating either of these possibilities is write a business plan. A business plan will help you determine exactly what you need to do to succeed in your endeavors. It will help you focus on understanding the competition, the industry outlook, the target market you are after and much more.
There are many resources available locally to help you develop your plan. SCORE (Service Corp of Retired Executives) offers a free class called Should You Start Your Own Business. This workshop addresses many issues you will want to consider before launching a business. We talk about the rewards of starting a small business, attributes of a successful entrepreneur, business planning including how to determine your cash requirements, the legal form of your business entity, and more. The next workshop will be held Monday, June 16, 2008 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Penrose Library in the Carnegie Reading Room.
The Pikes Peak Library District teaches a free class called Minding Your Business, which teaches you all of the resources you need to write a business plan. The next class will be held Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 8:30 to 10 AM at the Penrose Library. This class includes sample business plans you can use as a guideline in developing your own. For more information please call 531-6333 x2308.
The Small Business Development Center offers many low cost classes on learning specific aspects of developing your business including accounting, websites, marketing and more. By taking these classes you can enhance the skills you already have to use in your business.
All of these classes and many others that can assist you in starting or expanding a business can be found at Colorado Springs Small Business Resource Guide. All of these classes will help you take your business to the next level.
Whether you are a single person business or a large employer you can find connections to many local business resources by accessing Colorado Springs Small Business Resource Guide. This website was created and is maintained by the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Pikes Peak Library District and Bracewell Web Works. This is a one stop location for finding answers about business questions relating to
Accounting/Economics
Business Education classes
Business Planning
Business Resources
Chambers of Commerce
Community Calendars
Demographics
Education
Employment
Financing
Insurance
Legal
Licensing
Marketing/PR
Networking
Local Organizations and Groups
Publications
Public Utilities
Real Estate
Sales
Sports and Recreation
Taxation
Technology
Transportation.
Examples of assistance include Licensing: where you can find out what licenses are required for your business, when are licenses renewed and how to do it, and what agencies regulate your industry or business and Local Organizations and Groups: where you can find listings for over 800 clubs and organizations including business, professional and networking groups. Information provided includes name, contact information, where and when meetings are held, how many members and what the purpose of the group is. This is a great way to start that New Year’s Resolution to start networking or expand your current options. You can use this information to find businesses and individuals that include your target market.
Another major component of this website is the
Business Education classes offered by the Business Education Alliance which includes the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, the Small Business Development Center, the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, the Pikes Peak Library District, the Pikes Peak Workforce Center, the Office of International Affairs and SCORE (Service Corp of Retired Executives.) These classes are your opportunity to gain new knowledge about for profit and nonprofit business topics. Information included includes class description, when and where it will be held, cost (if any, many are free) and how to register for the class. This calendar shows the schedule for classes for the next three months so you can plan ahead and fit the right class for your growth into your schedule.
How to Start a Business in Colorado – Entrepreneur Press, 2007 and How to Start a Home-based Event Planning Business
by Jill Moran, Globe Pequot Press, 2007.
There are many resources available if you are in business or thinking about becoming an entrepreneur. Two titles on a general resource and an industry specific resource are reviewed here.
How to Start a Business in Colorado is a step-by-step guide to everything you need to know to start a business in Colorado. Chapters cover current state and federal startup information, statistics, business plans, financial considerations and management, sales and marketing information, office procedures, contracts, legislation, business organization, tax strategies, company policy and licensing information. This book includes forms and worksheets to help you get started on the right track. Chapter twelve includes state, federal and private sources for help with all of your business start up questions. A CD-ROM with 199 essential business forms and worksheets is included in this book.
How to Start a Home-based Event Planning Business is one example of the many titles available to start a specific type of business. Whether you have a wide range of experience in this industry or not these types of books will make sure you cover all of the potential opportunities and challenges. This book will help you identify the necessary skills, the industry outlook, and the challenges of a home office or new business. It also provides help in writing a business plan and setting fees for services. Resources for additional help are also provided. There are many industry specific books to help you start all kinds of businesses both home-based and office based.
Whether you are starting a new business or trying to grow one you currently have you can gain a lot of knowledge and get some new ideas from both of these books.
Are you a business owner who needs or wants to take your business to the next level? Step Dynamic will help you avoid the common pitfalls that can lead to disaster for you and your business.
Growing your business is what we all strive for however, many businesses run into problems that can seem insurmountable when they start growing. Step Dynamic will help you stay focused on the right parts of your business during every stage of its growth. Making the wrong decisions can be costly and sometimes deadly for your business.
This easy to read, powerful book is a great way to start thinking about and implementing the next steps to grow your business. We follow a business owner who is trying to take the next step in growth to see how other businesses have approached the process and what they had to do to overcome the pitfalls. The pitfalls include stepping up too soon, shooting past the step, and capitalizing on your capital. Step Dynamic includes knowing your capabilities and revenue streams and knowing when to increase capabilities and sales to take your company forward.
Preparation is the key to not having capabilities that are underused or sales that you can’t easily service.
