How To Build Business Credit

Having their own business is something many millions of people dream of doing. Many do, of course, but so many others never quite get around to it. One of the factors that may discourage people from getting that business off the ground, is a lack of start up capital; and another may be the risk of losing their own money.

With a bit of thought, planning and effort, though, it may be possible for you to not only raise some start up capital, but do so through business credit. In other words, borrow against the business rather than personal assets.

You may be thinking that you have no business yet. That may be so, but it does not mean you cannot obtain business credit to get your plans started

Building business credit is completely different from building personal credit, and it is best to keep them separate if possible. Some credit reporting agencies will sell a business FICO score based on both the risk of the business and the personal credit of the owner. In some instances, the owner's personal credit is linked to the business credit, separate credit records are profitable. You should also bear in mind that you do not have the same credit protection laws with business credit as you do with personal credit.

There are some important steps to follow in building a good business credit record. Here are a few for you to take into account:

1. Prepare Business Plan And Structure

You are now in the world of business credit, not consumer credit. This means that you are trying to project yourself in a business-like way. In preparing yourself to do this, you will have the added bonus of preparing yourself for the transition from being an employee to being a business man or woman. The more business-like you become, the better your business will do in the future.

But first things first. Your first job is to convince potential lenders you are going to have a viable business. The quality of your preparation is important; if you go seeking business credit without doing your homework, you will be sent back to the drawing board.

To begin with, set up a proper business structure, and if you require any licenses, make sure those are in place. Also, prepare a business plan, with the aid of an advisor if necessary. You can use this to show that you have thought about the business: the products, the markets, the competition, pricing, and all the other elements of the business. Be prepared to defend your projections for sales, and your estimate of start up and running costs.

Again, this has the added bonus of being a good preparation for you, regardless of seeking credit for your business. You will become a better business person for preparing your business plan. Hopefully, that will stand you in good stead as your business grows successfully. Planning will become a part of your monthly or annual routine.

Another preparatory move that will help you is, in the US at least, getting a business credit profile. This can help you to build up business credit without using your personal credit. The benefits in having a business credit profile are many. Most importantly, you will have more cash for the business, convenience in purchasing, protection of your personal assets, limiting of personal liability from the business, and the ability to prepare your business for future lending needs.

2. Become A Good Credit Customer

You will, of course, need to buy equipment, services, stocks and other materials for your new business. If you can find vendors who will grant you credit, all the better; but is best if they are companies who will report your credit history to the major business credit reporting agencies. Dunn and Bradstreet is probably the best know internationally. Unlike with personal credit ratings, or FICO scores, with business credit scores income or income potential play an important roll. The top scores are reserved for the large stable businesses, but with careful and diligent business and crdit practice, you too can achieve a good credit rating.

3. Obtain A Credit Assessment

In order to enter the business credit market, it is best to do a credit assessment. This will determine if you comply with the lender and credit bureau's requirements. Once you have done that, look for businesses that issue credit without the need for established business or personal credit checks or guarantees. Once you have transacted business with vendors on credit, you can utilize those references to build your credit profile with the credit reporting agencies.

In many US states, there are non-profit organizations and/or government organizations that will help you with obtaining business credit. Often there are loans available for start-up businesses or even government grants. Check your state government, or national government if not in the US, web sites for such organizations.

Many retired, or semi retired, businessmen volunteer to help start-up businesses. If you can, take advantage of such help; it will all build your knowledge as you set out on the road to a successful business with a good credit standing. Experienced business people will forewarn you of many of the pitfalls of starting your own business, and you will be better prepared.

This how to build small business credit article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner author of the Eliminate Credit Card Debt Now website. Roy is a former finance and business professional, now a full time online author.

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Entrepreneurs - Do You Want to Run Your Own Business? You Must Read This First!

Are you considering the life of an Internet business owner? Well before your eyes gloss over with dreams of endless free time and images of sitting on your couch with your laptop clicking away earning you thousands let me show you the reality of the situation.

A certain image has been promoted of the Internet business owner. It's often glorified as the great dream, leaving your old job, with the long hours and annoying boss in exchange for a flexible lifestyle that you are in control of.

Well let me tell you - it's all true!

Well sort of. It's not by any means easy to do and you lose many things you might have not realised you valued in your old secure job. Let me point out the things you lose that you might want to think about before quitting your job.

1. Say good bye to a reliable and predictable income.

No job is 100% secure and there is a good argument that being in control of your income via your own small business is more secure than a job (you're not at the risk of downsizing etc) however it doesn't feel like that, especially when you start out. Even the oldest most established business cannot be certain sales will keep coming. From week to week you go up and down and are never sure when or where your next sale will come from. You can have great months and bad months and the only constant is unpredictability. A steady pay cheque feels a lot more secure than the ups and downs of your own business.

2. Your business is your life.

When you leave work you leave work. Most small business owners live and breath their business so they don't ever really leave work. Now I've got it pretty good at the moment because I love what I do and I don't *have* to work much though I choose to work online a lot. That being said I am trapped to checking my email day in and day out, 24 hours a day, which is not ideal. Chances are when you start your business you won't be working 9-5 or even 8-6. Early on you will most likely carry the show and until you can justify hiring others your hours will be long and you won't have a weekend. However if you are smart, set realistic expectations and remember life is a balance, then running your own business can definitely be less work than a normal job, if you choose it to be.

3. You may never make real money until you sell your business.

An unfortunate situation in many small businesses is that the owner often doesn't make much more than an average salary, sometimes less. Now if you are evaluating starting a small business based purely on financial rewards then you might want to change your assessment criteria. Many small business owners don't make a big windfall until they sell their business and often by the time they are making the sale they will be using the money for retirement. Although it is also true that the only way to become really, really wealthy, besides inheritance and lotto, is by starting your own business.

The reality is that only a small percentage of businesses make their owner really wealthy, the rest stumble along earning an average wage. Of course many of those business owners earning an average wage love their lifestyle and only work as hard as they want to. Running your own business has the greatest potential to make you rich and may never make you rich, but here is the important part, your own business is very likely to make you a happier person if you keep your goals simple and aim for lifestyle over riches. Anyone can get rich but the contented people are rich without material wealth.

4. There is no superannuation, paid leave or sick leave.

You may not think about superannuation very much but it's nice to know that when you have a job your employer is planning for your future by contributing to your superannuation. As a business owner your employer is you and besides looking after your employee superannuation you are also in charge of your own retirement. This is an added worry that you don't have when you are working for another business.

Having time off is a concept not familiar to many business owners. Being paid when you have time off is like a dream for a business owner. There are some common myths about business owners working 7 days a week even when sick. If you do things right your business should still function without you when you need time off because of illness or even if you dare to take a holiday. However that being said most business owners find themselves as the most critical wheel in the business system and if you remove that wheel things fall apart. The important skill to learn is that the business owner should work on the business, not in it, but that's easier said than done and especially early on when funds are tight it's very like you will be working in the business. Don't expect a paid holiday.

5. Workmates

There are no work mates for the solopreneur. You can hire employees that may hopefully become friends but the dynamic is always you the boss and them the employees. If you have been used to working in a busy, lively, talkative office full of peers that share the same perspective as you, with Friday afternoon drinks, group functions and shared time complaining about the boss -- you can kiss all this goodbye.

Okay, that's not entirely true.

Things are definitely different from working in someone else's business but I've seen many small businesses that have great working environments. The difference is as the boss you have to create your own socialisation. You can do this by creating an amazing business culture where all employees are mates and the office is like a party that happens to get work done too. Of if you do not require employees then it's your job to make sure you don't turn into a lonely home based business bum. This means flexing your socialising muscles and organising events with other business people (if that's whom you like to associate with), making sure you stay actively involved in groups and clubs and that you leave the home office now and then to interact with real live people. Much like everything else with running your own business, you are in charge of your social life too.

A day in the life of an Internet Business Entrepreneur.

Now you are familiar with what you lose when starting your own business. Tomorrow I'll be posting an article about a typical day in my life as an Internet business entrepreneur so you can see what sort of lifestyle you can attain if you choose to start your own business. I'm not saying mine is an ideal lifestyle and there are things I'm working to change, but my example does provide you with a working model of the home based business owner.

By Yaro Starak
http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com

Do you want to profit from your own successful home based Internet business?

Learn from Yaro Starak, a young entrepreneur from Australia. He works part time from home on several web based business that generate between $2,000 and $8,000 per month. Get your free articles and audio now - visit his Internet Business Blog.

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Business Plan Software Review: Ultimate Business Planner(tm)

One of the main reasons business owners and entrepreneurs use business plan software is to simplify building their financial models. Even with an explosion in business plan software packages on the market today, "doing the financial projections" is still often cited as the most difficult part of completing a business plan. Yet, software can still simplify financial forecasting.

The question is: Which software?

Ultimate Business Planner has been touted as a dynamic, interactive planning tool that takes the drudgery out of complex, time-consuming financial forecasting and business planning. It combines easy-to-use software functions with a step-by-step approach to create a business plan.

It is designed for those individuals or businesses in need of getting a business plan done fast. The Ultimate Business Planner prides itself on being the fastest and easiest way to write a winning business plan.

Atlas Business Solutions, Inc. (ABS), developer of the business planning technology in QuickBooks® Premier 2005 and the maker of Ultimate Business Planner, is a well-respected and established business software development company. Their products are top rated and are priced moderately.

So, let's check it out...

Step-by-step approach with five manageable sections

The Ultimate Business Planner breaks the business planning process into five manageable sections: Company, Income, Expenses, Interview and Plan.

The first four sections gather information to prepare and complete your financial forecast. Interactive dialogs with plain-English instructions, questions and fill-in the blanks capture information and build your company profile. Income and expense worksheets enable you to define income and expense categories and project monthly amounts with easy to use forecasting functions.

There are three methods you can use to enter your monthly income or expense data: manually or cell-by-cell, automatically - using a combination of the worksheet functions to project amounts for you based on your assumptions, or importing/copy paste - take data from your files if you are using QuickBooks Pro/Premier/Enterprise 2003 (or later) or simply copying and pasting data from an MS Excel worksheet.

The fifth section provides several tools to write a business plan including: a business plan outline to guide you step-by-step in writing your business plan, topic guides and example tabs that explain what you should include in each topic with examples of each, and a powerful, easy to use text editor for entering and editing your text.

Includes help functions, advice and how-to hints to

overcome most business plan obstacles

The package includes many help functions for advice and how-to hints to overcome the many obstacles to writing a successful business plan. For example, refer to the twenty-five industry-specific sample business plans for suggested wording, or to copy-and-paste select phrases or sections directly into your business plan to breakthrough writers block quickly. Or, there are many financial wizards available to calculate loan amounts, interest rates, monthly payments, depreciation, amortization and more.

Complete the sections and

Ultimate Business Planner does the rest

With Ultimate Business Plan, you are free to complete each section in the order you choose. Then, when the sections are complete the Ultimate Business Planner does the rest. It evaluates the financial viability of your business ideas or strategies quickly and easily; creates complete financial statement projections (for up to 36 months) to show to your bankers or other potential investors; and, produces a professional report in ever respect including graphs to highlight the potential of your business plan.

Change scenarios for

intelligent, informed decisions

Changing scenarios is easy with the Ultimate Business Planner. For example, to quickly see how hiring more employees or adding a new product affects your bottom line simply go to period and change the amount. The software will automatically update all the related financial statements, charts and tables. In short, the Ultimate Business Planner allows you to see how your bottom line is affected by unlimited business situations.

What's missing?

Three things I wish the Ultimate Business Planner would do. First, allow users the option to enter historical financial data (an important option if you are an established business). Second, either extend or allow users the option to extend the forecast period to five years (a common time horizon for venture capitalist and equity sponsors). Third, allow users to vary gross margin assumptions on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis (in version 3.0 material, labor and overhead assumptions remain fixed throughout the entire three-year forecast period).

But don't let these things hold you back from trying the Ultimate Business Planner. You can easily work around them and the time and ease of use in other areas more than offsets these shortcomings.

For example, to include historical financial data, you can export your projections to Excel and then add the needed history directly into MS Excel®. If you want a five-year projection, simply create a new file that begins with the ending balances forecasted in your original three-year plan and do the addition two-year projection in the new file. Then, you can merge the original three-year plan with the extended plan using MS Excel®. If you want to vary the gross margin assumptions over the forecast period, you can create separate product categories for the same product and vary the material, labor and overhead as a percentage of sales for each product category and related period.

Go to the demo...

All direct purchases of the Ultimate Business Planner from ABS are backed by their 90-day unconditional, money-back guarantee (excluding upgrades which are nonrefundable). To help you evaluate whether the Ultimate Business Planner is right for you, Business Plan Secrets Revealed has prepared a section-by-section demonstration that can be viewed at http://www.business-plan-secrets-revealed.com/business-plan-software.html

The Ultimate Business Planner is a pretty simple business planning software to use. It's a quick and useful business planner that produces a well-written and organized business plan. At $99.00, it's worth giving it a shot.

Mike Elia is a chief financial officer and an advisor to venture capitalists and leverage buyout specialists. His business plan ebook "Business Plan Secrets Revealed? shows how to make your business the most appealing investment choice to venture capitalists, bankers, and other business investors. For his free business plan guide click here.

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What You Need to Know About Business Intelligence

Every business wants to be successful. That success always comes from growth. With most businesses, growth comes from customer retention and gaining new customers. "Business Intelligence" can help a company gain new customers and retain old customers. Business intelligence can be abbreviated BI. A formal definition of business intelligence is that it is a process of collecting information in the area of business. In BI, data collected is enhanced into information and then into knowledge. Business Intelligence can give any business an accurate idea of its customers' needs. Businesses that have large amounts of information about their customers can act upon that information. Businesses utilizing BI gain knowledge and understanding of a customer's needs, customer's decision-making process, and economic, cultural, and technological trends. When using businesses intelligence, businesses select either short term or long goals. BI helps a company reach those goals.

Business Intelligence History

The idea of business intelligence goes back to Sun Tzu's "Art of War." Tzu believed that in order to win a war, you must have complete knowledge of your own strengths and weaknesses, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of your the enemy. This is the central idea in present-day business intelligence. Companies must know themselves better than their competitors, and they must know their competitors better. War and business are a lot alike considering that with BI, one must sift through heaps of data (both external and internal) for management to then make strategies for where to take the business and marketing. Warfare involves strategic plans as well. BI is the process of gaining information about every element of your market. Simply understanding the customer is not enough; a business must understand its competitors, and itself.

KPI, Key Performance Indicators

The present state of business is assed by the use of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) in business intelligence. As more companies implement KPI, data is becoming available to business faster and more efficiently. Data used to be available for business only after one or two months. This untimely availability did not help business adjust their strategies. More recently, banks have tried to make data available sooner and with shorter intervals. Banks do this especially for businesses that have higher credit/operational risk loading. This allows many companies to get new data weekly, and adjust their strategies faster than ever before, leading to increased customer satisfaction and retention.

BI Tools

When using business intelligence, a company has to collect a vast amount of information. BI tools can help businesses store, organize, and even collect business data. Some data tools are data warehouses, data modeling, and data mining. Using data tools helps to improve the efficiency of business intelligence. While data tools are used for organization, Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) is used in the analyzing process. OLAP is commonly referred to as simple Analytics, which is based on the hypercube or "cube" dimensional analysis.

There are also vendors who help business with business intelligence. A vendor provides a company with the business intelligence tools and support needed for the successful implementation of a business process. Siebel Systems, Microsoft, Altius Consulting, Business-Soft, and SAS Institute are just a few of the companies offering business intelligence tools and support.

Conclusion

The better a business understands its market (everything from the customer to its competitors), the more effective that business can be. Businesses that have as complete, 360-degree understanding of what their customers need and want will be better able to devise successful strategies and implement successful processes to make their business thrive. Business intelligence is the path that businesses can take to achieve their goals, which can be either short-term or long-term. Some may wonder about the ROI of business intelligence. No doubt, if a company ends up gaining many customers, and retaining current customers as a result of business intelligence, then it will be a positive ROI. Business intelligence, if implemented correctly, and efficiently, can only help a company.

David McKeegin writes about a variety of business topics. He writes for a business intelligence blog entitled Business Intelligence Lowdown (http://www.businessintelligencelowdown.com).

MLM Business - The 7 Business Factors Test of a Multi -level Marketing Business

So many people ask the same question: Is Multi-level Marketing a REAL Business? Is it truly a business that can produce a living and income? Is it a REAL distribution business? It is a business that operates for the customer's satisfaction, and always looks to gain new customers?

Here is the answer: YES.

How and why does it qualify as a business? Every business has certain traits and functions that are needed to do business and stay in business. We have developed what we call the "7 Business Factors Test", and you have to ask these questions to see if it qualifies as a business. All businesses, no matter whether it is a traditional business or a non-traditional business, (such as MLM), answer these questions in the affirmative.

What are the "7 Business Factors Test" Questions?

1) Does the MLM Business distribute goods and services of some type?

Answer: Yes.

In MLM, there are goods and services that are distributed through personal distribution methods, and they are distributed directly to the customer, with no middle man. These goods and services can be manufactured by the MLM company, but usually are not. The goods and services many times are manufactured by an outside source, and then shipped by the MLM Business to the customer or distributor. Then the distributor can take the goods, and re-sell them to their customers as well.

2) Does the MLM Business have an official Office, headquarters, or structure that the business is operated out of, and with an address of some type?

Answer: Yes.

All MLM businesses should have some kind of office or headquarters that the goods are shipped from, or at least in charge of the shipments getting to the customer. This does not have to be a fancy office, but one that can get all the tasks needed to run the business done in a timely fashion. They should have a visible address on all communication.

The distributor's business is usually operated out of the home, and that counts as a structure that the home business is housed.

3) Is there an accounting structure that is set up to run the business effectively and legally?

Answer: Yes.

All MLM businesses should have an accounting function and people set up to handle all business transactions. They not only keep the books for the MLM Business itself, but also the MLM distributor as well. The MLM Business from the home should have some form of an accounting system, for tax purposes, and for profit and loss statements. Accounting also helps keep the Company and distributor aware of the health of the business and how it is doing, or not doing.

4) Does the MLM Business have easy communication to get a hold of someone if needed?

Answer: Yes.

Communication is the lifeblood of any business, and MLM is no exception. MLM Businesses usually not only have an order line, and a distributor line, but a general public telephone number that the public can get in touch with them as well. Usually at the MLM Business Office, there is someone to answer the phone as well.

And the MLM business should also have an email system that is watched, and taken care of, on a daily basis. This is not only for the distributor base, but also the customers and public as well.

5) Does the MLM Business have the needed business licenses and legal structure to do business in the states and countries they operate in?

Answer: Yes.

All MLM Businesses that have been in business for any amount of time, must have the needed legal structure and licenses to operate in every state. If they do not, they will eventually be forced to cease doing business in that state. And most MLM Businesses have some form of a corporate structure that the company operates under. That could include being a C Corporation, an LLC, or a Sub S Corporation.

Even MLM distributor needs a business license to do business in their city, so they will not be penalized if they do not have one and are caught.

6) Does the MLM business operate on a FOR PROFIT basis?

Every successful business structure, traditional or non-traditional, should operate on a FOR PROFIT basis. Even the MLM distributor needs to operate on a FOR PROFIT basis. If the MLM business does not operate in a profit mode, and loses money continually, the MLM business will not be in business for that long.

It is the same way for the MLM distributor. If the distributor does not make any money, then they will not stay in business long.

7) Does the MLM business perform all of the needed business functions to increase business, including marketing, promotion, campaigns, running specials, advertising tools, customer service, brand extensions, research and development, direct marketing, increasing brand awareness, and keeping their vendors at an honest price?

Answer: Yes.

Every MLM business operates to increase business, using all of the functions mentioned, and more. Even the MLM distributor needs to perform some of those functions, to increase their own business in their marketplace. These are functions any business needs to do, in order to stay in business, and enlarge it's operating capacity.

Yes, an MLM Business is a TRUE business that operates to service the customer's needs, bring products and services to the marketplace, and show a profit at the end of the year.

MLM or Multi-level Marketing, has passed the "7 Business Factors Test." If an MLM Business you are considering does not answer all of the above questions YES, then you may want to consider seeking another MLM company that can pass this test as a Multi-level Marketing business.

blessings...doug (c) 2005/ all rights reserved

PassionFire Intl http://www.passionfire.com

Doug Firebaugh is one of the top Network Marketing Trainers in the world. Over a million people a month read his training ezine. He spent the last 7 years traveling the world speaking and training as an MLM Trainer on Success. He lives in Birmingham Michigan, and you can receive aFREE subscription to his training ezine- The MLM Success HEAT- at:

http://www.passionfire.com/pf_heat_4.html
http://www.passionfire.com

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Debate for Business Plan Data and Early Franchise Disclosure

I have heard franchise attorneys say that prospective franchisees need the disclosure documents early on so they can make a business plan to see if the franchised outlet is feasible and I debated with them over this point of contention. Potential franchise buyers have also told me they wanted to put together a business plan for their evaluation process and therefore they need all the disclosure documents. They ask for these documents before they fill out the confidential questionnaire. We of course do not send out a UFOC without a completed questionnaire, which has been verified and we know the applicant meets our general approval and then check credit sources to see if they can actually afford it.

We have had potential buyers fill out the questionnaire and leave information out, because they did not feel comfortable with problems associated with identity theft and still want the documents. So that consumer puts us at a standstill. They want to put a business plan together to estimate the worthiness of the business, but need to know all the costs associated with it before they give us their information. Yet that information is readily available on most franchising web sites already. Of course we need to determine if they can even afford it (if they cannot we cannot spend the time on the sales process) or determine if they are one of the huge percentage of all inquiries that are competitors before we give away information contained in the UFOC. To top it off, we cannot assist them with earnings because we do not give earnings claims because we do not collect the data. This is because under the current rules we cannot substantiate or choose not to go to the expense to audit that data even though we know the answers after being in the industry for 27 years. They can call franchisees once they get the documents if they wish. But we cannot give them the disclosure documents pre-maturely. Now the FTC wants us to offer a UFOC because a potential buyer wants it or has asked for it and we have discussed our opportunity with them. The potential franchise applicant wants to make a business plan of our business model, that we do not wish to offer to them or even sell them at such early stages in the sales process?

A potential buyer wants to put together a business plan to get funding to buy a business for which he/she does not have the cash to buy. In order to get a loan, they will need a business plan. But any business plan they put together will be in contradiction to the absolute franchise business model that the franchisor will reveal after the actual purchase, we cannot reveal it sooner otherwise it will be copied and used against our team. I have heard FTC people say that they believe the potential buyer has a right to the information necessary to put together some close representation of a business plan of the franchise they wish to buy to determine if they should buy the business. Whereas this seems like a good idea on the surface the FTC has put into place rules making it impossible. They believe that this type of added disclosure sooner in the buying process will help. Yes it could, but a franchisor cannot provide the information unless first he can substantiate it and second unless the potential franchise buyer can prove he is a real buyer and can afford the franchise. We believe the answer to this concern lies on the back of the potential buyer to fill out a questionnaire truthfully and correctly and for the franchisor to verify data on that application before disseminating any additional information. At that point our company provides for the potential franchisee to go work with an actual franchise for one day and bring a calculator. We can provide a blank spreadsheet with typical expense categories on it but no numbers. The potential buyer in our franchise can visit a current franchisee and bring his/her calculator. And of course the disclosure documents will be provided once the proof of financial capability has been satisfied somewhere in the application process time frame.

It also appears from observation that no one really seems to understand the franchising model outside the actual industry practioners, attorneys in franchising and those who own franchises. The FTC certainly does not see the whole picture. I would invite Steve Toporoff and/or the entire FTC Franchise Group to go on a paid sabbatical and work in a franchisor's sales department sometime and listen to real franchise buyers ask questions, competitors trying to get information and the obnoxious looky lou's. The FTC should also send four or five of its highest-ranking franchise sector employees to do the same. I think if that were done you would begin to understand the ridiculous nature of enacting such a revised disclosure rule and you might ask yourself why we have a franchise rule in the first place.

But the FTC is not the only organization that does not understand franchising. I spoke at the SBDC's Annual Conference in San Diego, CA a few years back. In the workshop on franchising I had about 50 directors from around the country from the SBDC bombard me with questions after giving my talk. I was dumbfounded by the lack of understanding and knowledge on franchising. Almost to the point of frustration and wanting to walk out, I was shocked these were the directors of some of the largest SBDC offices in the country. I carefully worded my answers to make sure they had understood the issues presented to them. Finally we made some headway and many stayed afterwards to continue the conversation because they knew franchising was a major issue with their clients who come in for counseling usually prior to getting an SBA loan or putting together a business plan for a franchised business. I got to thinking about the 550 or so Directors and Executive Management of the SBDC Annual Conference that were in attendance and wondered why weren't all the participants in our workshop? Instead many had gone to time slot competing workshops as that is generally how such conferences are set up. But what could be more important than franchising which accounts for 1/3 of every consumer dollar in the country and a huge chuck of the small businesses in the US. What other business model can claim 350,000 outlets would the SBDC; "Small Business" Development Centers Deal with? After all franchising is the largest sector in small business, not to mention accounts for the most efficient small business models. Executives of the SBDC should have training in franchising as compulsory.

FTC should be helping all potential consumers of a franchise to understand what franchising is, but look at the information put out by the FTC, all they do is call to attention all the possible frauds and tell consumers to watch out, just look at their web site. You would think every franchisor is a crook. We all know crooks do not last long in franchising, it just costs too much to even get started, crooks are looking for easy kills with little work. You will find nothing of the sort in the franchising industry. I think the FTC's tact is a travesty, because some people will lose all their money if they start a small business, franchisors require structure and help people realize their American Dream. You would think that the FTC would applaud such efforts. Instead the FTC purports that the franchisors are fraudulent at every corner, bull! Fact is that the FTC is grandstanding and purporting their own importance to the consumer, offering hundreds of questions that potential buyers should ask of franchisors before purchasing and then making rules prohibiting the answers of the exact questions they recommend to ask through their own rules associated with disclosure. I cannot vouch for the current people of the franchise group but in the Clinton years it was certainly like this. I see a couple of familiar names still associated with the franchise division there, have things really changed? If so shouldn't we be able to tell from the FTC website. In case anyone has not yet got the picture, Franchising Mean Jobs. Jobs are good. Franchising is therefore good and we ought to make a note of it. With giant happy face right smack on the FTC site. Franchising Industry receives award !!! If you need a spokesman, no one believes that more than this kid right here.

The SBDC has hundreds of sample business plans on file to help potential small business owners develop business plans. But none are sample business plans for a franchise. I have in my personal business library, which travels with me ten books on how to write a business plan. None of them have a sample business plan for a franchise business. It is not taught in schools including the curriculum at the Entrepreneurial Studies at USC. I know because I talked with some professors there and then bought all the text books for the classes. Only one or two schools teach the compilation of a franchisee business plan in their entrepreneurial studies courses and then they simply mention it. This is in the whole country, why? Because it is not getting the juice for the most excellent business format and model it is. The FTC should led the field in this regard to alert the public to that fact. Our company has just devised a "fill in the blank business plan," which we may use to help qualified franchisee buyers. The franchise buyer can call up existing franchisees and decide what numbers should be put into the plan. These are what the franchise buyer really needs, but of course not until they are qualified.

The early disclosure debate for reasons of making a business plan of a possible franchised business does not hold water. Even once the potential buyer of a franchise has the UFOC there are no sample franchised business plans available in most franchise companies. In any franchise the potential buyer must fill out a form and prove financially capable before such information can be given out. In some registration states this would be considered advertising and be subject for review and once reviewed this would go into public record and therefore it cannot be used at all since it would be pre-signing of agreement. The franchisee does not need a disclosure documents prior to the qualifying, nor should a franchisor be required to give it out. If a franchise buyer makes a business plan or spread sheet for a possible future franchise it will surely be incorrect because the franchise buyer does not know the ins and outs of the franchised business yet. Therefore the franchise buyer maybe leading himself into a falsehood of how he believes the franchised business works and what his new franchised business and new lifestyle might entail. In other words he will be fraudulently inducing himself to buy something on bad information, if the franchise buyer were to show this to a franchisor, the franchisor is not allowed to comment for fear it might be construed as an earnings claim as you probably guessed.

We have had many recent potential buyers ask us for the UFOC so they could write a business plan before accurately filling out the application, or before we had a chance to verify what they filled out as being true and correct. This is not a good argument from the potential buyer, FTC or franchisee attorney. First you must qualify and be verified before we give out data for any purpose including writing a business plan for a franchised business. After all you could be a student doing a project and the business plan you write could appear in the next years text book for the publish or perish professor. It could end up on the Internet, which is what happened to one of ours that was written by a prospective franchisee in Little Rock, AR after a counselor of the SBDC felt was her duty thus disclosing proprietary information of our system to all. Thank god it was written by a prospective franchisee and was actually not correct entirely otherwise that would be copyright infringement, which we as franchisors claim on all proprietary information. It does a disservice to the hard work of many franchisees and the franchisor himself to give out such data or make it available to the public in anyway. It also invites competition to the franchisees thus inadvertently gives a competitive advantage to those consumer who have already purchased franchises trying to get a fair and reasonable ROI to feed families, buy soccer shoes and send kids to college. This is another reason why UFOCs and other information should not be allowed to pre-qualified individuals, the information they create as a business plan ends up all over the place. What if the potential buyer builds a business plan based on UFOC data and then starts their own business, deciding not to buy the franchise? The FTC would say that is their right and so it is, however my franchisees would be totally upset that I allowed data to help a future competitor of theirs into their market. I have a responsibility to that consumer too. He is a real consumer, he is a current franchisee and it is franchisors job to see that they are able to achieve up to their ability to follow the system.

Since a business plan is not necessary until you are sure you want a franchise and are qualified and accepted by the franchisor as a qualified franchise buyer, the business plan debate and justification for an early disclosure is invalid. There is sufficient competition in franchising and a potential franchise buyer, who on average I am told by FranchiseOpportunities.com, looks into 15 or more franchises before deciding which one is most suited to their lifestyle, needs for cash flow and amount of financial where with all available. So therefore we can see that until they narrow their selection, there is no need for them to have fifteen UFOCs to make fifteen business plans, which no one would ever do who was not a doctorial student of business, that is not even required for the IFA, Franchise Executive certification program. And alas the doctorial student would not be a real buyer anyway so no franchisor should be obligated to give them such information based on this business plan debate. Now if the potential franchise buyer had accurate and comparable information then of course this business plan point could be valid. Not actually a business plan as much as a "T" on apiece of legal paper of the pluses and minuses of each franchise being considered. A person not familiar with UFOCs like most all real franchise buyers would have a problem going through all the information trying to find the comparable data. And by then his coffee table next to the couch would buckle from the weight of 15 UFOCs when the house cat sat on it, just ask Robin Glen Day, franchise attorney and cat lover out of California. Check out her cat on her website, how cool is that, not bad for an attorney, google her name you can find the site?

The SBA is another organization that does not understand franchising. You may recall a few years ago the SBA contracted with FranNet to put all UFOCs on the Internet for streamlining SBA loans of their preferred lenders. First thing FranNet did was send a sales letter to all franchisors telling them they could now get other franchisor's and competitor's UFOCs for a fee. In addition they went through all the UFOCs submitted and did studies you could buy too. This illustrates my point regarding the competitive intelligence and proprietary information being given away due to the lack of understanding of the competition in franchising and different market sectors were the franchisors operate and compete. Obviously FranNet with their coup from the SBA contract would never offer such a service if it were not a desire of the competitive market place to get the information. Yes, I ordered my competitions documents and yes it helps me beat them in the market place. Yes it is unfair, but they are also doing it to me. No, we did not after that point bother dealing with the SBA or FranNet. And yes we turn away most applicants who answer our question of "where will you get the money to buy this franchise?" on our questionnaire; "from a small business or SBA loan." As soon as the franchise buyer submits the documents as part of the loan package there is a possibility of it becoming public record. The UFOCs contain so much information, such a P and L, Balance Sheet, experience, number of projected units, location of existing units, etc, etc that it is in essence the same or better than going through a competitor's office files or trash. This over disclosure promotes Machiavellian tendencies from competition and condemns the noblest of franchisors to spend to guard against it. We did a had a preferred SBA lender forward information about our franchise to a friend of his from the Rotary Club who was a strong competitor and owned a carwash in that region. The competitor then contacted us for more information about what we were doing.

Apparently the FTC, SBA, and SBDC do not understand the competitive nature of business in America and freely help competitors under the guise of helping consumers. Whether or not they realize it, I believe they must, as only an idiot would be so blind to the fact. Many times the competitor turns out to be the actual agency or organization. Franchisors must be careful to not give away proprietary information otherwise it is of detriment to their system and could hurt the very franchisees they have enlisted under their wings. These current franchisees and I cannot emphasize this enough are also consumers. They are real consumers, unlike those inquiries, which are un-financially qualified and/or competitors. Think about it.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

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My 7 Most Important Business Lessons

Millions of people start new small businesses in the United States every day. Many fail at running a small business every day. What causes one business owner to succeed where another fails? There are seven key areas to focus your efforts for a successful small business. It starts with knowing oneself and ends with not being afraid to ask for help.

1. Know Yourself

Having your own business is more than just creating a job for yourself. To be a successful small business owner, there are many personal sacrifices you will be required to make. You have to be willing to make them. By knowing yourself and what is truly important to you, you will be able to make these choices far easier than if you have never considered your priorities.

Your basic roles in a small business are in marketing, planning, finance, and administration. To get the best results, it is rare for one person to play all these roles equally well. You must know which parts you can handle yourself and which parts you're going to need help with. That's why it's so important to be objective and take a close look at your overall strengths and weaknesses. Ask yourself the following questions:

- Do you plan before you take action?

- Are you willing to hustle for the sale?

- How financially savvy are you?

- Do you have a well thought out plan? And, do you work the plan?

- Do you know how to make sales happen? Can you ask for the sale?

In those areas where you assess yourself as weak, you can ask for help.

2. Ask For Help When You Need It

When you're young and unseasoned, you tend to think you can do anything. This is a recipe for disaster for the small businessperson. If you insist on doing everything yourself, you will work 16 hours a day and not do some things well.

Remember, getting results is what counts! With outside advice and assistance, your quest for a successful business can be accomplished faster and with far fewer bruises than doing it yourself. When I started my first online business, I even created by own website. In retrospect, this was a big mistake. It took me far longer to create my site than having a more experienced person do it. Start equating every second of your time with money. Your time isn't free. While you are trying to do everything, what's falling through the crack?

Don't be too proud to ask for help, we all need help sometimes. With the Internet, the small business owner has a wealth of experience available to them. Why not take advantage of the many resources, paid and otherwise, available to you? Join a small business forum, like the Small Business Forum (www.smallbusinessbrief.com/forum/) where you can exchange knowledge with other small business owners. Access the millions of online articles on every business subject you can think of at EzineArticles.com.

Qualified sources are also available from your local government offices and other professional services. It is important to recognize -- what you don't know can end up costing you money and greatly reduce the chance of achieving your business goals.

With all that knowledge, you need a plan of action.

3. Action Planning

I like to call it "action planning" rather than "planning". Action is the only element which turns a plan into reality. Many people are great at planning but they suffer when it comes to follow-through. Successful small business owners are action oriented. But that action starts with a plan.

According to leading authorities, the main reason 80% of all new businesses fail within the first five years is not money, but the lack of planning. If you want to succeed, the trick is to know how to make right the decisions by implementing an effective business plan. Remember, if you fail to plan, you might as well plan to fail.

A business plan should include how you will finance the business, who will perform certain critical business functions, the license and permits required, accounting method, as well as what you know about your prospects and customers.

4. "Mind Meld" Your Customer

Just knowing your customer isn't enough for long-term success in your small business. In Star Trek, the Vulcan race had the ability to perform a mind meld. At the time of the mind meld, they could see, think, and feel everything their partner was seeing, thinking, and feeling. This is how close you must come to understanding your customer. The closer you get, the more successful you will become.

Are you listing to your customers? Make it your business to give your customers what they want and they will buy from you. They are the reason you are in business, and your future depends on them. The products and services you provide should be a direct reflection of their needs. Think in your customers' terms; buy, show, sell, and say things that interest them, not you. Don't forget, it is the customer that determines whether or not you succeed. They vote every day by where they spend their money.

Reflect on the following questions:

- Do you know the reasons why customers shop at your store? (service, convenience, price) If not, ask!

- Do you seek suggestions from your customers on ways you can boost business?

- Do you use a store or online questionnaire to aid you in determining your customers' needs?

- Do you stay in contact with customers on a regular basis?

- Do you ever try to re-establish a relationship with lost or inactive customers?

A key to success lies in knowing your customer. The other half of the equation is to know your industry.

5. Know Your Industry

You can gain the greatest competitive edge if you intimately understand your industry. You must know the ins and outs of your particular products and industry. You should know every competitor as well as their strengths and weaknesses. It's in your competitor's weaknesses where you will most frequently find your own success.

Your competitors size, services, location, marketing approach, type of customers, suppliers, and pricing strategies should be as well known to you as your own. Your local business climate, median household income, level of education, ethnic population, and the other demographics of your potential customers should be second nature to you. To prosper, you must know the game and the playing field intimately.

Many people focus upon these areas but still fail. Why? They focus more upon the product than the finances of the business.

6. Maintain Good Financial Records

If you don't know where your money is going, it will soon be gone. The "game of business" is played with products and customers, but the score is kept in dollars and cents. Good financial records are like the instrument panel on your car, they keep you posted of your speed, fuel level and engine condition. Without them you're flying blind trying to pace the other cars. If you know how much you're spending, buying and selling, you can take control and help your business make more money.

- Do you have basic accounting knowledge? Or, do you have someone you trust to keep the books?

- Do you maintain every receipt you obtain through the running of your business?

- Have you computerized your business to streamline everyday tasks and business procedures?

- Do you use sales forecasts, expense sheets, and financial statements on regular basis to assess the progress or your business?

- Do you evaluate your operating expenses and make necessary changes on a regular basis?

Many people erroneously believe good record keeping is for the government and those financial obligations. They are wrong! Good financial record keeping can help your business succeed. Use the financial information available to make improvements to the operation of the business and improve profits. Remember through it all, the old adage "cash is king" is true.

7. Manage Your Cash

It doesn't matter how unique your store is, your business can't survive without good cash flow. Cash is the lifeblood of your business. The money coming into or out of your store is the vital component that keeps your business financially healthy. For profitability, more cash must come into the business every day than goes out of the business. You can have the greatest sales in the world, but if it's all in receivables, how will you pay your bills?

A monthly Cash Flow Statement is a critical business tool. It shows the amount of money at the start of a period and how much cash was received during the period. It identifies the various sources of incoming cash and the reasons for outgoing cash. Budget wisely. Know the sources of your monthly income and expenses. Then, you won't have to worry about running out of money. And that is a good thing.

Like any game, the game of business has rules and tools. Those who excel at the game, play it better than their competitors. Keep focused upon these seven critical areas and you will succeed. Remember, Albert Einstein once defined "insanity" as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Isn't it time you changed the things you are doing so you can succeed? I think the time is now!

Michele Schermerhorn calls herself a ?Corporate Freedom Fighter? dedicated to freeing cubicle prisoners to experience their own successful online business. She has over 30 years experience in the business world and over 12 years running her own successful online businesses. She is President of Online Business Institute Inc. (http://www.obinstitute.com), authors a sassy marketing blog (http://www.imarketblog.com), and regularly conducts free online seminars. Online Business Institute Inc. exists to ?Create Successful Online Business Owners One Person At A Time?.

Secured Business Loans - Equipping Your Business Blueprint With Concrete Groundwork

Somebody once said, 'Business is not financial science; it's about trading, buying and selling. It's about creating a product or service so good that people will pay for it.' So you are full of ideas and ready to take on the world. No matter how striking your business idea is, it still needs a solid foundation to work on. Without a concrete financial plan your business plan might not be as feasible as it might seem on the pages, realistically speaking. Secured business loans give you the opportunity that you need to be financially independent. Being a homeowner will provide you with more to bank upon than you realize. A business loan by keeping your home as a warranty is the just the right way to get started.

Getting a secured business loan is a guaranteed success, if you take care to do your homework. For Acquiring secured business loans a lot depends on the loan claimant. You have to be very clear about how much money you need, why you need it and you must have a repayment plan. You should be able to convince your loan lender that you are very clear about your business and financial needs. This will go in your favour in assuring the loan lender that you are a good credit risk. There is no doubt that there is a huge market for secured business loans but there are no takers for secured business loans applications whose amortization is not secure.

Whether you are buying a business, paying off previous debts, looking for a cheaper rate of interest, expanding your business or starting a new business, business secured loans are the ideal for your plans. A secured business loan is secured over your property. If you own a property in UK then why not make use of this dormant property in your own home. Secured business loans are straightforward, undemanding and fairly simple. The loan amount can range from anywhere between £ 50,000 and £ 1,000,000. You can choose to repay in any term that befits your financial terms. Repayment time period can be from 3 years to 25 years. However, as a homeowner you must be aware that non payment of your secured business loans will lead to annexation of your consequential property or home.

Are you getting started on applying for secured business loans? Then pay a little more attention. A well written secured business loans application must include some occasional imperative information. The secured business loans application must have business name, name of principals, social security number for each principal and address. Make sure that the secured business loans application includes the objective of taking the business loan. The loan applicant must know how he will utilize the business loan. The amount required must be precise. Give an account of your business on your secured business loans request. This includes the history and nature of your business, its age number of employees and also the existing business possessions. Work with relevant agencies to present a complete picture of your business. Your secured business loans application won't be complete without some details of your principals in your business including their education, background, skills and accomplishments. For securing a secured business loan, you must give the financial statements for the past three years. If you are launching a new business, then give projected balance sheets and income proofs.

Your ability to make repayments on secured business loans is the most emphatic point in getting your application accepted. Security agreements on a secured business loan will include the description of the collateral, the identification of the collateral. The business loans agreement will also include provision regarding the preservation of collateral and the right of the secured party's to inspect the collateral. You must understand that in the case of default, the loan lender will look towards the collateral to satisfy the obligation.

Secured business loans are offered at highly economical rates at all leading commercial loan lenders. As it is with a secured loan, the interest rates are low and loan stipulations are flexible. A business loan can be secured at all kinds of business property in UK and also on commercial and residential properties. Secured business loans can offer upto 79% of loans to valuation or LTV. The secured business loans are available with both variable rates and fixed rates options. Secured business loans are accessible at freehold and long leasehold property. Bricks and mortar evaluation generally required to be conducted.

Secured business loans are the sustenance of any kind of business. It is important to discern that getting a secured business loan is in no way like a walk in the park. You will have to go through a lot of paperwork than you assume. But the paperwork will be basically of investigative nature. However, if you understand the market you are getting into, there is no doubt your success in acquiring a secured business loan will be secured. Comprehend your strengths and your weaknesses and try to abate your weaknesses and optimize your strength. You know the golden rule is - Before you start setting your financial goals, you need to understand where you stand financially. Decipher the rule and if you have a viable project, with a secured business loan there will be no looking back.

Amanda Thompson holds a Bachelor?s degree in Commerce from CPIT and has completed her master?s in Business Administration from IGNOU. She is as cautious about her finances as any person reading this is. She is working as financial consultant for http://www.chanceforloans.co.uk. To find a Personal Loans, Bad Credit Loans,Debt Consolidation at cheap rates that best suits your needs visit http://www.chanceforloans.co.uk

Starting a Home Business - How to Write a Business Plan That Guides Your Success!

Writing a business plan isn't optional just because you consider this simply a home business. You are a small business owner. A written business plan is required to secure finances or investors in your new home business. Starting a home business with your own funds and ideas doesn't mean you don't need a business plan.

A written business plan is critical to every home business. The thought process and research involved in writing your business plan will reveal the blue print for your home business.

There are numerous paid and free business plan products that you can use to develop your own home business plan. Unless you are seeking investors in your small business, you can learn how to write a business plan that keeps your business working toward your goals. To have a well written small business plan, you will find your goals easier to reach and keep track of your progress both with building your customer base and sales.

Starting a home business without a writing a well thought out business plan is like building a house without a blue print to guide you every step of the way.

Your home business foundation built on these eight areas will give your business a strong identity and focused sense of direction to help you plan and manage your business effectively.

#1) Business Summary.

Write out a description of your business. What kind of company do you want to build? A well written description or summary of your business often propels you through each step of how to write a business plan. Writing the summary first means you will always have the basic premise of your home business idea at the top of everything you put in your business plan.

#2) Name Your Business.

You may think that your direct sales business already has a company name but that is not the name of YOUR business. Creating a distinct name for your business will help make your plan. Does your business name reflect what you offer? Is it easy to remember? Does it have strong branding potential? Should you reconsider your current business name if it not working with your product? Make sure the name of your business fits not only your product or services but your mission statement.

#3) Itemize Your Products or Services.

Write out descriptions of your products; how do they look, smell, taste, feel or how your services will help others reach their own goals in life. How will your offerings improve the lives of others? Sort through why others aren't already doing it and if they are offering exactly what you are going to offer then what prevents the competition from doing it better or more cheaply than you are.

#4) Mission Statement.

Your mission statement is a concise clear summary of the goals of your business. In your mission statement, you will define exactly what your business does, the products or services offered and what makes your business unique above the competition. Writing the bottom line of your business goals into your mission statement will guide the rest of your business plan.

#5) Business Assessment.

A major portion of your home business plan is a detailed assessment of four areas: your strengths, your weaknesses or limitations, business and marketing opportunities and threats or barriers to your potential success. At this stage of your business plan, you will be looking at your industry. Your work experience and talents that will add to your business would fall under your list of strengths. Your lack of knowledge or funds could be listed as your weaknesses. Take into account how broad your industry is when you are looking at your strengths and weaknesses. If you have little money for start up then you will need to be creative in your marketing and running your business. Will your weaknesses mean your opportunities for success are limited? Will your talent surpass your lack of funds?

Opportunities for business growth may be dependent on your networking contacts or website design. Every business owner should remain wary of all threats to business success. Planning for problems before they arise will make running a business easier and more successful in the long run. As you can see this aspect of business planning is critical to all of your vision, your mission statement, your goal setting and running your home business.

#6) Goal Setting.

Write your vision for your business. Be specific. You can revise this as your goals and mission changes. How do you envision your business a year from now then five years from now? Write out your goals and objectives. Break down each product or service into their own set of goals. Plan for expansion as your business evolves.

Goals are useless unless you can measure your progress towards them and plan to regularly assess which goals have been met or still need to be fulfilled. Make your goals specific and time sensitive. With each business goal, itemize what needs to be in place to reach each of your goals. Outline what steps you will take to reach the goals for your home business. Mark your calendar when its time to re-evaluate your goals and re-align your vision for your business to match the direction your business is going.

Celebrate when you reach your goals and regroup when you realize you missed the mark. It's important to decide what you consider to be a major loss and what you will accept as unsuccessful. Knowing what you will accept and absorb as a business loss before it happens will help prepare you for when it actually happens.

#7) Target Market.

Research your desired target market. Identify who you expect to buy your products or services. Write a profile of your average customer. You need to know your target before you are able to aim. Study your potential customer's behavior. Where do they shop? What do they read? Do they move in specific social circles? Who wants or needs your business? Who will benefit from your product? What type of people will find your business a necessity?

You cannot expect to fill a need or desire of a customer if you do not know what makes your offer unique and necessary. Look at those that offer similar products with success. Write out how you can rise above and differentiate yourself from the competition. At this stage of your business plan, describe how you can stand out from the crowd. Write down how and why your company is better than the competition. Study the competitions latest marketing strategies then outline here how you plan to counteract their business moves to give you the edge you need to stay unique and effective.

While studying your customers and competition, take the extra time to identify complementary products or services that may fit your current business plan that may give the edge you need to compete in the future.

#8) Sales and Marketing Strategies.

How will anyone know your business exists? What steps will you take to make your business known? How will your customers find you? What can you do to ensure that you attract the customers you seek? How will you track your efforts? How much money do you have to put these strategies in place?

List your strategies - press release, printed catalogs, business cards, open house, craft fairs, business, conventions, virtual expos, sales letters, etc.

Determine whether you will market exclusively online, locally to your warm market or a combination of both. If online marketing is part of your business plan then include an internet marketing plan to include your domain name and host, whether you will hire a professional website designer or do it yourself, your business logo and e-commerce set up.

#9) Business Start Up.

Determine what equipment and services you will need to run your business to include setting up your home office, equipment, supplies, product inventory, customer record keeping, and book keeping. Create a checklist of professionals you need to secure for legal and financial advice, advertising expertise, office assistance or tax expertise.

Starting a home business can be exciting and scary because it is Your dream that you are working towards with each work day. To write a business plan, means a great deal of commitment to the process. The process of writing a business plan will bring you closer to understanding yourself, your business goals, your company identity and reaching your potential customers.

Although these areas are critical to writing a business plan, there is much more that will be added to your plan over time. Each time you reach a goal or discover a barrier to making the sale ~ you will return to your business plan and revise your goals, strategies and techniques.

Business success is in the plan and implementation but also in the ability to adjust and redefine your business goals to meet your customers need or desire while letting you design your home business your way!

Tam Carson is owner of Article Marketing Profits blog helping other online marketers and home business owners that want to learn how to promote your business on the internet. Stop by and sign up for feed updates at Article Marketing Profits today to learn how to boost your income with article marketing!

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