I am a senior with a minor in advertising, and am looking to possibly set up my own small freelancing advertising business just to make some extra cash and experience. Any suggestions…costs, how much to charge, where to start, etc.?

Thanks

I have a few friends that have started businesses, one a rug and home accessory, and another a furniture business, I have always wanted to own a small furniture and home accent business and have gone to the market in High Point NC and Atlanta Georgia.Buying from the manufacturer is not cheap and the mark up would have to be ridiculas.You also have to make major purchases to carry most lines of furniture. I would be more interested in discontinued or floor samples.They both are very successful and are hush hush about where they get their merchandise. but I do know that they get it dirt cheap and they travel to pick everything up.I am more interested in sofas. Can anyone give me some ideas where to start.
Thanks Rob B.

A small business plan is very important to a growing business.  It helps you to focus your business.  A business plan also says to potential investors, “I’ve thought this through.”  You don’t have to wait until your business plan is completely perfect to go on and start your business.

Sometimes you really can’t even get your financial projections right until you have at least one year of operation.  A business plan can help you see where your slow months will be and help you prepare for your down periods. Here are some more reasons why you should write a plan for your small business.

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People toy with the idea of starting a small business at various stages of their lifes. Some think of starting a small business after their educational career is over. Some think of starting a small business because of unpleasant or unhappy situations they have encountered in their work places. There are also others who think of starting a small business, because that is the only way they will be able to work again following a break from work for reasons such as health or redundancy.

Toying with the idea is one thing, but if you are taking positive steps to get started, then certain myths associated with starting and running a small business should be dispelled from your mind.

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Anyone willing to start a small business may feel lost if they do not have any information on how to go about it. Tips on how to run and manage an enterprise are crucial if the venture is to survive long enough and if it is to be productive. Tips are not just essential at the starting point, but all through the life of the enterprise, one needs to be informed on what to do and what to avoid. At the start, its important to know that, the business idea should emanate both form your heart and from your mind.

In other words, the idea of what you want to engage in should be something that you have a passion for, not something you want to do simply because someone else is prospering in the same area. Once you have the idea in place, put it in writing and define how you plan to make it a reality. Once you have started off, you should be able to be committed to the venture. This is both in terms of time and money commitments.

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Have recently started a small service business & wondering the best advertising for my buck. The Pennysaver, Craig’s List, a local newspaper? Any ideas? Can’t afford much until I start making money. Thanks for any insight. I have business cards, website and brochures. Would like to get the masses in my local area quickly.

Running a big commercial venture is not that tough as running a small venture is. Here you need to be far more cautious and you can’t do a single mistake in planning for your venture. You may need to take finance from the lenders at times and this should be cheap and affordable enough. For this, you can try Small Business Loans.

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If you want to learn how SEO small business advice can explode your business read our 2 powerful tips below. One of the advantages that small businesses have over their larger counterparts is the ability to react quickly to changes in their SEO Strategies. And the best part is that it doesn’t take an act of Congress to get anything done.

This is especially true on the Internet where something called “search engine optimization” can potentially put a small business website in front of tens of thousands if not millions of potential customers. The challenge for many small business owners is that they’re not really familiar with the process of optimizing their website for the search engines.

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I am trying to start a small landscape company and am in need of a business plan, to present to the person that I am getting the money from.

For most of us there comes a day when we toy with the idea of starting a small business; work stress and frustrated career goals can often leave us thirsting for autonomy and starting a small business seems to fit the bill. But for those who are thinking of starting a small business, the road can be one of sacrifice and learning.

Before starting a small business do as much research as possible. Talk to other people who have started a small business and are willing to give you some guidance, read books by people who have a passion for entrepreneurship, and get online to read as much as possible about the ins and outs of starting a small business. On the Internet you’ll also have access to advocacy organizations developed to help those starting a small business; as well as access to chat forums where you can learn from the experiences of others in your situation

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