As a business coach, when I recognize that my clients are at an impasse, sometimes I ask them this question:

• "How do you catch a monkey?"
• Usually, they are perplexed by the question. The last person I asked shot back with:
• "What the heck, does that have to do with anything?"
• But I pressed on:
• "Stick with me, because I am going somewhere."

Here's the deal. In certain parts of Africa when they want to catch a monkey, they cut a hole in a coconut, empty it out, and put a few grains of rice inside. Then they tie the coconut to a tree...and wait. After a while, a monkey comes along and spots the coconut. He looks around checking for hunters or prying eyes. When it's safe, he picks up the coconut, looks at it, shakes it, and hears something rattling inside. As a notoriously curious animal, not unlike human beings, he reaches in-the hole is just big enough for him to squeeze his hand into-he feels the few grains of rice, and tries to grab them. Got 'em! He clenches the rice in his fist and tries to pull out his hand... and then a strange thing happens. He can't get his fist out. It's stuck! All he has to do is let go of the rice and he is free...but no way will that monkey let go.

"So...what...?"

Well, if the trapper returns soon enough, he has caught a monkey. If the trapper is busy gathering monkeys from the many other traps he has set in the jungle and he doesn't get back to this monkey in about a week, when he does get there, he collects a dead monkey with a coconut stuck on his hand because, as we know, the monkey will never let go. NEVER! Even if it means death.

"Nice story. How does this relate to business?"

We see owners of companies, sales managers, and supervisors that simply get stuck and will not change the way they do business regardless of how negatively it affects their bottom line, profitability, or the quality of their life. Even if the inevitability of actually having to go out of business confronts them, they simply will not let go (of the coconut) of bad procedures or ineffective ways of doing business. Not convinced? Let us consider how marketing has changed over the years. Here's one example: Yellow Pages out...websites in. How many companies either have no website or have one that looks like a high school kid designed it? Often I hear, "we don't need a website, we never had one before and we are doing just fine."

Even if that is true, which it probably isn't, you need to know that your competition has thought otherwise. So what? Well what that means while you are still hanging on to your old ways of doing business, they are grabbing chunks of your market share... and really appreciate your stubbornness. And, as far as having a high school kid, or a relative create a website for you-not a smart plan. If I want to build a business to support me and my family for years to come together with lots of other people who I would hope to employ, I would NOT have my website be designed by an amateur. Isn't a website really an extension of your business like your storefront is? Might it not make a lot more sense to have a professional do it?

So if you are "monkeying around" with your business that's great. Just be careful, because if you are holding on to archaic procedures or a business modality that just doesn't work as well as it used to work, you may find that you and your company might become one of those growing statistics and you might be doing your part to add a few more names to the unemployment rolls. You could get stuck permanently.

http://outskirtspress.com/webpage.php?ISBN=9781432761196
http://www.excelleronconsulting.com

By Brendan Cunningham

This year's hurricane season is far from over. There may be little you can do to stop a hurricane from barreling down on your home town but there is a lot you can do to not only protect your business but to capitalize on the situation as well.

You will find many resources on preparing your home and protecting your brick and mortar office from damage as well as filing insurance claims after the fact, but what about really protecting your income and business continuity?

You can rebuild homes and repair your office if you have money coming in but if your business isn't set up right you could see your income cut off overnight and months of marketing wasted. Can your business survive this? Even if it could, what will be left? It will be a long upward struggle to come back after that.

Isn't it wiser to just be prepared and perhaps even be able to turn a hurricane in to an incredible opportunity to advance your business? Start by ensuring that your business can stay connected and operating no matter what disaster strikes you. This means toll free numbers and Internet phone services which can easily be re-routed and forwarded so that your staff can stay connected remotely and keep the wheels moving. Similarly you need to ensure that files and crucial data is available via the Internet cloud so that you don't lose any work or deals in progress.

Once you have secured your business continuity, take the lead. What unique marketing opportunities can your organization capitalize on as a hurricane approaches? What about in the aftermath of a hurricane? How can you help your community and promote your business at the same time? Think branded hurricane supplies, bringing in essential food and water and helping to provide connectivity for those trying to connect with loved ones and family members in the chaos. Host community BBQs, raise donations and take the time to get in some serious face to face networking opportunities.

While you should help others just because they need it, don't overlook the chance to get free press, shout that you are still in business and scoop up your competition's leads and customers as they go un-served. Even though they may be disguised as impossible situations, hurricanes can mean incredible opportunities for your business. You just need a little creativity to see them and to still be operating so that you can execute your strategies.

Chuck Boyce is known as the Independent Executive. After achieving success quickly in the corporate world he decided to step off of the corporate ladder and make his business work for him. He is now dedicated to helping other entrepreneurs and business owners achieve the Independent Executive Lifestyle by creating business with a purpose, passion and plan. Find out more by visiting his site at http://www.breakingfreeblog.com

By Chuck Boyce

Entrepreneurs who have just started their own business are often wondering how they would be able to earn income for themselves through the business. True enough, starting a business would require a lot of money and you can't get back that money immediately unless your business is really a hit.

When it comes to earning income from your business, it is a critical process. Business owners are often faced with challenges as soon as the business is already launched.

Usually, business owners can write a check for themselves from the business. However, the characterization must be identified properly. Sole proprietors enjoy this benefit. They can actually withdraw funds by writing checks anytime. However, if the business is made out of partnership, there are some considerations to make.

Starting a business is not generally that easy. You need to know information about your chosen business and you need to know how to properly manage it. Aside from that, you should also have good budgeting skills because managing a business would involve budgeting.

Earning income from your business might take some time depending on the success of the business itself. If it is doing well, then you might earn immediately but if it doesn't, then you need to budget. You need to cut down the expenses and make sure that there is still enough money to fund the business.

Budgeting is a needed skill for entrepreneurs. The cash flow should be balanced and debts should not accumulate. If you feel that you don't have enough skills, consider hiring the services of a finance expert to guide you and help you in making the right decisions for your business.

When it comes to money allocation, you need to be aware of the requirements of your business. These requirements can include the rent, stocks, utilities, advertising and payroll. It is important to stick to the budget so that debt will not accumulate. A good budget should also be able to accommodate emergency funds. Emergency funds are important in one's business especially if the market is suddenly not good.

Emergency funds can also ensure that your business still runs smoothly despite troubled times. This is a common practice of entrepreneurs who are serious about earning money. Emergency funds will give a sense of security to owners.

Also, it is important to include tax to the overall budget. Consulting an expert would be very helpful especially if you are not that familiar with money managing strategies for your business.

I just got off the phone with a very frustrated contractor. He has been in business for several years, but his business has grown to the point that he knows he needs to keep a closer eye on his numbers. In fact, he said "I can't sleep because I'm worried my reports are screwed up!"

I agreed to help him out by reviewing what his current QuickBooks file is doing for his business. He wants help to figure out if he's doing his "job costing" correctly so he can know how much money he's making on each job.

Job costing was part of my duties when I worked for a manufacturing company several years ago. I had to make sure the proper systems were in place to track all the employee hours and materials and supplies properly to each job. It was an ongoing process of reviewing data on a regular basis to check for flaws in the system and for inaccuracies in the numbers. I enjoyed it immensely, and learned a lot about how a breakdown in the RECORDING of information can really screw up the job profitability reports.

But, a manufacturing company isn't the only business that needs job costing.

Job Costing

What is job costing? Simply put, it is a way to track the profit and loss on specific jobs or projects for your business. Knowing how profitable or unprofitable your work is will help you make better business decisions when moving forward.

Manufacturing businesses aren't the only companies that can benefit from job costing:

-Interior Designers can track profit by customer project
-Road Construction companies can track actual profit vs estimate
-Plumbing contractors can track whether they are making or losing money on each service call
-Law firms can track profit and loss per case
-Consultants can track profit and loss per consulting job
-Online business managers can track profit and loss by project -and more.

As you can see, job costing can be very useful for many types of businesses. Figuring out the profitability of a specific project requires you to track several pieces of information.

Information that's used to determine job profitability. In order to properly "cost" your jobs, you'll need to have a way to track income and expenses for separate projects. One other note: All costs related to a specific job are also called "cost of goods sold". My choice to track job costs is QuickBooks.

Here's the information you want to track for each job:

-Labor cost- including time for employees and subcontractors; and any taxes, insurance, and benefits you pay for this labor.
-Materials cost- parts, supplies, products used on the job
-Cost of equipment to get the job done- example: did you rent any equipment? Also, figuring out a way to allocate the use of your own equipment on a job is important.
-Mileage, travel, meals-this is all an important part of getting the job done and needs to be carefully tracked
-Licenses, permits, etc-any extra licenses or permits that are required for the job need to be tracked to the job
-other-ANY expense that is directly tied to the job is considered a job expense.

The Job Cost Result

Now that you have a way to track expenses by job, you'll be able to get a summary at the end of each job or project that will look like this:

Total income for the job

MINUS

Total job expenses (from list above)

EQUALS

Job Profit or Job Loss

Job costing is extremely important for several reasons and helps you:

-keep up on the current pricing of each job cost item
-know if you've been overbilled by your vendors
-point out inefficiencies in the work process
-point to problems with subcontractors and employees

If you can't figure out how to setup a job cost system that works for your business, please contact a qualified professional (CPA, accountant, bookkeeper, Certified QuickBooks Proadvisor) to help. The investment of time and money in setting up a proper job costing system goes a long way in helping your business be more profitable.

Rebecca Tervo, CPA is a Certified QuickBooks Proadvisor who helps small biz owners run the money side of their business. Get her free video lesson: "The Top 10 Bookkeeping Mistakes Businesses make and How You Can Avoid Them" at http://products.tervofinancialfitness.com/10-bookkeeping-mistakes

By Steve Bert


A business credit card can be a great way to take control of you business and ensure your business stays financially secure while still moving forward and growing. The trick is knowing how to use a business card to help make your business a success rather than a failure.

Consolidating Debt

Once of the great aspects of business credit cards is that you can keep all of your business expenditures on just one card. This makes it easier to keep track of what you have spent on your business when it comes to paying taxes. In addition, receiving a monthly bill helps you see just how much money you are spending on your business each month. This ability to monitor expenditures makes it simpler for you to make modifications as necessary. In addition, most business credit cards provide end of the year summaries that make it much easier for you to analyze your annual expenses.

Many business credit cards also provide special introductory offers with low APRs. Some even waive balance transfer fees, making it possible for you to transfer all of you business expenses from other credit cards on to one card. The lower APR can save you money a great deal of money in the long run, particularly if you are unable to pay the bill in full at the end of each billing cycle.

Investing in the Future

A business credit card provides you with a revolving line of credit that makes it easier for you to expand your business whenever necessary. Many business owners, particularly those that are just starting out, need to have money available to them quickly. After all, the only way to grow a business is to invest in it. A business credit card allows you to bypass long loan application processes, thereby making it possible for you to make investments quickly and keep the momentum rolling in the growth of your business.

Look Professional

With business credit cards, you can often get your company logo in addition to its name on the card. There is no doubt this makes your business look more professional. A business credit card is a sign that you are an established, serious business. In addition, just using a business credit card is a great way of marketing your business. As cashiers see your business logo and name, word slowly spreads about your business. It's one of the easiest marketing strategies you can utilize!

Perks of Business Credit Cards

Many business credit cards provide extra perks that are nice to have as a business owner. Take the time to compare business credit cards to discover what each has to offer and whether or not the benefits are helpful for you and your business. For example, some provide special travel benefits to business cardholders. But, if you do not need to travel frequently for your business, this benefit may not be too attractive. On the other hand, some business credit cards provide discounts at certain office supply stores. If you frequently purchase office supplies for you business, this benefit could potentially save you a great deal of money. Of course, be sure the business credit card you get provides discounts to a store you actually use. Otherwise, you are once again failing to take full advantage of your business credit card.

If you take the time to compare business credit cards, you are guaranteed to find one that offers benefits or rewards programs that will be beneficial to you and to your business. Make sure you weigh all of the benefits and stipulations, including APRs, annual fees, rewards programs, and other perks before deciding on which business credit card is best for you.

If you're looking for ideas for easy start home businesses, then this article is for you. The opportunities to have an easily started home business are more abundant than you've ever dreamed.

In fact, if you own a computer, you already have a multitude of home businesses available right there. Other easy start home businesses you can operate on your computer are in the affiliate and multiple level marketing arenas. Start-up costs, here too, are minimal, and most of them come with training and support to make them good prospects for easy start home businesses.

Another area you might look for easy start home businesses is in the services area. Do you love to work outdoors, making your lawn beautiful? Do you love dogs? Then you might consider easy start home businesses such as lawn care services, pet sitting services, or personal errands services. None of these opportunities cost a great deal to get going and can be started part-time, while you keep your day job.

All you have to do once you've chosen your easy home business idea is to have a few flyers printed up, anywhere from 50-200, and place them in strategic places around your local areas.
Contact local businesses and offer your services. You can also place ads in your local newspaper announcing your new business.

And there are few businesses that would turn down the chance to have a free, trial run of your services. This is a great way to show your stuff and seal the deal. Crafts and hobbies are also good things to think about when searching for easy start home businesses. Demand for handcrafted items is at an all-time high-and at premium prices.

So turn your quilts, your sailboats in bottles, your dollhouses, your embroidery, your taxidermy, anything you love to make into dollars. These are also especially easy home start businesses because you likely already have some items to sell and the supplies you need to make more.

Local flea markets and consignment shops are good places to begin selling your items. Upscale shops are another great place to sell your work. If you have office skills and a computer, then you truly have an easy start home business you could start tonight! Outsourcing is the latest trend for corporations and small businesses. Virtual assistants, typists, medical transcriptionists, office managers, researchers and many other types of office jobs are all in huge demand, and all by telecommute.

Just go online and you'll find more easy start home business opportunities in this area than you can shake a stick at, as the old saying goes. You should never sign up to provide a service with anyone who charges you for the opportunity, though. There are, however, job and outsourcing sites that charge a subscription fee. These sites post high-quality projects and allow people bid on them. These services are highly reliable and well worth the subscription investment-and all easy start home businesses. If you're in doubt, however, check with the Better Business Bureau. Better safe than sorry!

Best Home Based Businesses to Build Your Fortune With!
Type in best home based businesses on any search engine today, and you'll get thousands of hits. That's an indication of just how many opportunities there are for home businesses these days, but which ones really deserve to be in the category of best home businesses?
For starters, the top ten home business opportunities picked by Entrepreneur magazine's Business Startups Online are listed below:
• Internet Consultant
• Personal Organizer
• Network Marketer
• Mystery Shopper
• Career Coach
• Adventure Tour Guide
• Home caregiver for elders
• Specialty Catalog Merchant
• Medical Biller
• Craftsperson

Other businesses that you'll find as top rated home businesses and that may even be in the top 100 home business opportunity category are:
• Research surveys
• Online proofreading
• Typing services
• Internet research
• Web surfing
• Multi Level Marketing (MLM's)
• Affiliate programs of all kinds
• Internet marketing
• Online auctions
• Email reading
• Pay-per-click Business

These are just a few of the many businesses that you'll find listed on best home business opportunity lists. What's my goal in wanting a home business?
Am I looking for the best home based businesses that only require part-time work, or would I prefer a full-time home business opportunity?
Do I want to turn my hobby into a home business?
Would one of the best home businesses requiring sales be right for me?

The purpose of these questions is to get you thinking about what you really want from a top rated home business. The best home internet business opportunity for web surfing or pay-per-click may sound great, but if you like being around other people much of the time, then you aren't going to be happy stuck in front of a computer screen all day.

You'd probably be better off in a home business that offers you the chance to be out and about with people. Having a realistic view of yourself and your abilities is vital as you make a decision about the best home business opportunity for you.

Also, be aware that many of the so-called best home businesses are are scams. The recent spike in people wanting to start home based businesses is the reason behind the increased scamming. These supposed best home based businesses may not be entirely illegal, but they are over-promising on the financial results you'll get.

Well, Dad was right. You won't get rich overnight unless you win the lottery or inherit a large estate. Many of the investments required for the top home rated businesses are as low $29.95 to sign up-that's because marketing research has shown that the "sweet spot" for the amount of money people are willing to hand over is between $25 and $50.

So keep your cynical dad around when exploring the businesses on any top home business list.
And always make certain you have a contact person's name, a land address, a land line phone number that's active, and a valid email address for any company you want to sign up with for a home business of your own. Also, check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) before you make an investment. And if you do run into a scam, report it immediately.

The truth is the best home businesses are the ones people truly enjoy doing. Having a passion for what you're doing helps immensely when obstacles rise during the running of any home business-and they will. Loving what you do also helps you keep your focus and determination to succeed where they need to be-on creating the top rated home business of your own. Your best home business idea just might make it into the number one slot on the top 10 home business list someday.

It is always said "If you Fail to Plan, you Plan to Fail"
Success in business comes as a result of planning. You have to have a detailed, written plan that shows what the ultimate goal is, the reason for the goal, and each milestone that must be passed in order to reach your goal.

A business plan is written definition of, and operational plan for achieving your goal. You need a complete but success tool in order to define your basic product, income objectives and specific operating procedures.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BUSINESS PLAN to attract investors, obtain financing and hold onto the confidence of your creditors, particularly in times of cash flow shortages--in this instance, the amount of money you have on hand compared with the expenses that must be met.

Aside from an overall directional policy for the production, sales effort and profit goals of your product--your basic "travel guide" to business success--the most important purpose your business plan will serve, will be the basis or foundation of any financial proposals you submit. Many entrepreneurs are under the mistaken impression that a business plan is the same as a financial proposal, or that a financial proposal constitutes a business plan. This is just a misunderstanding of the uses of these two separate and different business success aids.
The business plan is a long range "map" to guide your business to the goal you've set for it. The plan details the what, why, where, how and when, of your business--the success planning of your company.

Your financial proposal is a request for money based upon your business plan--your business history and objectives.
Understand the differences. Writing and putting together a "winning" business plan takes study, research and time, so don't try to do it all in just one or two days.
The easiest way to start with a loose leaf notebook, plenty of paper, pencils, pencil sharpener, and several erasers. Once you get your mind "in gear" and begin thinking about your business plan, "10,000 thoughts and ideas per minute" will begin racing thru your mind...So, it's a good idea when you aren't actually working on your business plan, to carry a pocket notebook and jot down those business ideas as they come to you--ideas for sales promotion, recruiting distributors, and any other thoughts on how to operate and/or build your business.
Later, when you're actually working on your business plan, you can take out this "idea notebook" evaluate your ideas, rework them, refine them, and integrate them into the overall "big picture" of your business plan.

The best business plans for even the smallest businesses run 25 to 30 pages or more, so you'll need to "title" each page and arrange the different aspects of your business plan into "chapters." Title Page Statement of Purpose Table of Contents Business Description Market Analysis Competition Business Location Management Current Financial Records Explanation of Plans For Growth Projected Profit & Loss/Operating Figures Explanation of Financing for Growth Documentation Summary of Business & Outlook for The Future Listing of Business & personal
References
This is a logical organization of the information every business plan should cover. I'll explain each of these chapters titles in greater detail, but first, let me elaborate upon the reasons for proper organization of your business plan.

Overall, you'll be developing an operating manual for your business--a valuable tool which will keep your business on track, and guide you in the profitable management of your business.
Because it's your idea, and your business, it's very important that YOU do the planning. This is YOUR business plan, so YOU develop it, and put it all down on paper just the way YOU want it to read. Seek out the advice of other people; talk with, listen to, and observe, other people running similar businesses; enlist the advice of your accountant and attorney--but at the bottom line, don't ever forget it has to be YOUR BUSINESS PLAN!

Remember too, that statistics show the greatest causes of business failure to be poor management and lack of planning--without a plan by which to operate, no one can manage; and without a direction in which to aim its efforts, no business can attain any real success.

On the very first page, which is the title page, put down the name of your business-ABC ACTION--with your business address underneath. Now, skip a couple of lines, and write it all in capital letters: PRINCIPAL OWNER--followed by your name if you're the principal owner.

Examples: ABC ACTION 1234 SW 5th Ave. Anywhere, USA 00000
PRINCIPAL OWNER: Your Name
That's all you'll have on this page except the page number -1-
Following your title page is the page for your statement purpose. This should be a simple statement of your primary business function, such as: We are a service business engaged in the business of selling business success manuals and other information by mail.
The title of the page should be in all capital letters across the top of the page, centered on your final draft--skip a few lines and write the statement of purpose. Then you should skip a few lines, and from the left hand margin of the paper, write out a sub-heading in all capital letters, such as: EXPLANATION OF PURPOSE.
From, and within this sub-heading you can briefly explain your statement of purpose, such as: Our surveys have found most entrepreneurs to be "sadly" lacking in basic information that will enable them to achieve success. This market is estimated at more than a 100 million persons, with at least half of these people actively "searching" for sources that provide the kind of information they want, and need.

With our business, advertising and publishing experience, it is our goal to capture at least half of this market of information seekers, with our publication.

MONEY MAKING MAGIC! Point to remember: Keep it short. Very few business purpose explanations justify more than a half page long.
Next comes your table of contents page. Don't really worry about this until you've got the entire plan completed and ready for final typing. It's a good idea though, to list the subject (chapter titles) as I have, and then check off each one as you complete that part of your plan.

By having a list of the points you want to cover, you'll also be able to skip around and work on each phase of your business plan as an idea or the interest in organizing that particular phase, stimulates you. In other words, you won't have to make your thinking or your planning conform to the chronological order of the "chapters" of your business plan--another reason for the loose leaf notebook.

In describing your business, it's best to begin where your statement purpose leaves off. You can briefly summarize your business beginnings, present position and potential for future success, as well.

Once you've defined your market, go on to explain how you intend to reach that market--how you'll these prospects to your product or service and induce them to buy. publicity and promotions, advertising plans, direct sales force, and dealer/distributor programs. Each section would then be an outline of your plans and policies.

Moving into the next chapter on competition, identify who your competitors are--their weakness and strong points--explain how you intend to capitalize on those weaknesses and match or better the strong points. Later on, you might want to compile the answers to these questionnaires into some form of directory or report on this type of business.

It's also advisable to contact the trade associations and publications serving your proposed type of business. For information on trade associations and specific trade publications, visit your public library, and after explaining what you want ask for the librarian's help.

The chapter on management should be an elaboration on the people operating the business. Those people that actually run the business, their job, titles, duties, responsibilities and background resume's. It's important that you "paint" a strong picture of your top management people because the people coming to work for you or investing in your business, will be "investing in these people" as much as your product ideas. Individual tenacity, mature judgement under fire, and innovative problem-solving have "won over" more people than all the AAA Credit Ratings and astronomical sales figures put together.

If you've been in business of any kind scale, the next chapter is a picture of your financial status--a review of your operating costs and income from the business to date. Generally, this is a listing of your profit & loss statements for the six months, plus copies of your business income tax records for each of the previous three years the business has been an entity.
The chapter on the explanation of your plans for the future growth of your business is just that--an explanation of how you plan to keep your business growing--a detailed guide of what you're going to do, and how you're going to increase your profits. These plans should show your goals for the coming year, two years, and three years. By breaking your objectives down into annual milestones, your plan will be accepted as more realistic and be more understandable as a part of your ultimate success.

Following this explanation, you'll need to itemize the projected cost and income figures of your three year plan. You may have to adjust some of your plans downward, but once you've got these two chapters on paper, your whole business plan will fall into line and begin to make sense. Unless you're independently wealthy, you'll want to use this chapter to list the possibilities and alternatives. Make a list of friends you can approach, and perhaps induce to put up some money as silent partners. Make a list of those people you might be able to sell as stockholders in your company--in many cases you can sell up to $300,000 worth of stock on a "private issue" basis without filing papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Make a list of relatives and friends that might help you with an outright loan to furnish money for the development of your business.

Then search out and make a list of venture capital organizations. Visit the Small Business Administration office in your area--pick up the loan application papers they have--read them, study them, and even fill them out on a preliminary basis--and finally, check the costs, determine which business publications would be best to advertise in, if you were to advertise for a partner or investor, and write an ad you'd want to use if you did decide to advertise for monetary help.

When you're researching these money sources, you'll save time by noting the "contact" deal with when you want money, and whenever possible, by developing a working relationship with these people.

If your documentation section, you should have a credit report on yourself. Use the Yellow Pages or check at the credit department in your bank for the nearest credit reporting office. If you own any patents or copyrights, include copies of these. If you own the distribution, wholesale or exclusive sales rights to a product, include copies of this documentation. You should also include copies of any leases, special agreements or other legal papers that might be pertinent to your business.

In conclusion, write out a brief, overall summary of your business- when the business was started, the purpose of the business, what makes your business different, how you're going to gain a profitable share of the market, and your expected success during the coming 5 years..

The last page of your business plan is a "courtesy page" listing the names, addresses and phone numbers of personal and business references--persons who have known you closely for the past five years or longer--and companies or firms you've had business or credit dealings with during the past five years.

And, that's it--your complete business plan. Take care of any changes or corrections, and then have it reviewed by an attorney and then, an accountant. It would also be a good idea to have it reviewed by a business consultant serving the business community to which your business will be related. Type and print the entire plan on ordinary white bond paper. Now you're ready to have it printed and published for whatever use you have planned for it--distribution amongst your partners or stockholders as the business plan for putting together a winning financial proposal, or as a business operating manual.

Don't settle for photo-copying..Have it printed!
Photo-copying leaves a slight film on the paper, and will detract from the overall professionalism of your business plan, when presented to someone you're trying to impress. Next, stop by a stationery store, variety store or even a dime store, and pick up an ordinary, inexpensive bind-in theme cover for each copy of your business plan. Have the holes punched in the pages of your business report to fit these binders and then slip each copy into a binder of its own.

You have a complete and detailed business plan with which to operate a successful business of your own.