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How to get started in business
6/16/2010 10:53:40 AM
DVR counselors don't have the time to spend hours on small business success, but their self-employment customers do. Tell your customers that it pays to do their homework, and it's free. The Entrepreneur's Handbook--59 Resources for First Time Entrepreneurs offers a variety of links from accounting basics, to marketing, to living frugally (just until they hit the big time!). Another valuable resource is
To the new business owner: keeping the books
5/21/2010 11:42:22 AM
 One of the most important business skills every entrepreneur needs is bookkeeping. Simply stated, there are two parts to keeping track of money. First, file all receipts. An envelope marked “May 2010 Receipts” is good enough. When the month is over, put it in a file or larger envelope, and make a new one. Second, keep a record. An auditor does not want to go through all of your envelopes any more than you do!
Is this business feasible?
3/12/2010 8:37:11 AM
Imagine a young man sitting in your office, telling you about his business idea. He wants to start a soup subscription service. He plans to make it, pour it into buckets, and deliver it to homes by bicycle.
 
Professional cooking experience? None. Small business experience? None.
 
Five changes in the way we work
3/10/2010 12:59:10 PM
Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Tammy Erickson points out the loosening of trust between employers and the employed. 
 
Tammy EricksonShe says the most recent recession differs from those in the past due to the use of furloughs and pay cuts to reduce costs. Employees (and their teenage children) take away the lesson that full-time work does not guarantee full-time pay.
 
Erckson predicts the results will be:
Three characteristics of a great self employment idea
2/21/2010 8:48:15 AM
Some ideas are better suited for a small business startup than others.  Someone with a great idea has:
 
Experience. He or she has done this kind of work before. If a client is committed to an idea without having the experience, you could consider classes or on-the-job training. The learning curve for  running a small business is steep enough without also having to learn to create the product or service.
 
 A marketing plan. Many clients overlook this, but it is key. As soon as people stars daydreaming about running their own business, they should start brainstorming about how to promote it. Different types of businesses require different marketing efforts. Having a stand-out marketing campaign is essential to draw customers that might have gone elsewhere.
 
Low overhead. DVR funded businesses are not capital-intensive, as a rule. Working from a home office or garage can lower initial costs. Providing a service rather than a product is also more likely to keep costs down, as there is little inventory to purchase and store.
Free help for small businesses
11/24/2009 8:35:17 AM

Help is on the way for small business start ups! Washington State is funding a new online portal to answer common questions called InfoBiz. It is based in the Seattle area, but never fear, the rest of the state can get access, too. I spoke to Jeff Kempe, Adult Services Coordinator for the King County Library System, who is in charge of the project, and he says the site will be available over the internet to everyone. The first videos will be up in May, and the first phase will be complete in August.

And that is not all! Everything will also be available in Spanish.

"InfoBiz will offer streaming videos, tutorials, and podcasts on demand, detailing business strategies, resources, and concepts presented by local business experts. The project is a partnership between community agencies providing content, and the King County Library System which will organize the content and host InfoBiz." (Forbes)

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