Starting a Business

Listed below are links to basic federal tax information for people who are starting a business, as well as information to assist in making basic business decisions. The list should not be construed as all-inclusive. Other steps may be appropriate for your specific type of business.

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3 Helpful Resources for Starting Up A Business

Free Images: Need FREE high-quality images to use in your small business or local agency social media? Check out this list of image resources - http://business.usa.gov/external-site?ccontent=http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/48581.aspx

Advice before Starting a Business: "I wish I had known before I started my business advice from a business start-up founder / survivor - http://business.usa.gov/external-site?ccontent=http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/5-things-no-one-tells-you-before-you-start-a-business.html?cid=sf01001

Naming a Business: Are you in the process of naming your business? Read this first - http://business.usa.gov/external-site?ccontent=http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/234910

How to Choose a Company Name

Businessmen need to know the importance of having a good name for the company. It can make or break a business. The name should own what the business is all about. If not, their target audience won’t be able to notice the business and you might end up having less clients in the process.

Read article here -
http://incometherapy.com/how-to-choose-a-company-name

10 Start-up Mistakes to Avoid in the New Year

posted by Young Entrepreneur Council

We asked 10 successful founders from the Young Entrepreneur Council to reveal which business mistakes taught them the most this year as they get ready for smarter growth in 2013. Here are there best answers.

Read post here
http://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/10-start-up-mistakes-to-avoid-in-the-new-year.html?cid=em01012week02

Surprising Ways to Find Great Start-up Ideas

by Penelope Trunk

"In order for your ideas to seem fresh, they have to be a little bit off-center, a little bit off-kilter. You have to see your ideas a little more clearly than everyone else in order to believe they will work."

Read article here
http://www.inc.com/penelope-trunk/surprising-ways-to-find-great-startup-ideas.html?cid=em01012week29

10 Questions Entrepreneurs Can Ask to Focus Their Vision

by Jackie Nagel

While the mission of your business centers on what you are called to achieve, your vision is the result of all you desire to accomplish. It is your ideal - your future. The vision you create for your business is the sustaining force that stimulates innovation, communicates passion, and inspires the masses to action. It is the vacuum that pulls you, and others, forward.

Read article here
http://projecteve.com/profiles/blogs/10-questions-entrepreneurs-can-ask-to-focus-their-vision

2 Radical Ideas for Start Up Success

It's a pretty well-accepted fact that entrepreneurs typically approach business differently than traditional Corporate America workers.

But many successful entrepreneurs take it a step further and completely flip the script in order to subscribe to a new business paradigm. Would your business benefit from a new way of thinking?

Read article here
http://www.inc.com/khary-cuffe/radical-ideas-for-start-up-success.html?cid=em01012week29

The Anatomy of a Killer Business Plan

by Peter Cohan Founder of Peter S. Cohan & Associates

"Unless you have a spectacular track record as an entrepreneur or an exceptionally great new business idea, you cannot raise capital without a business plan. I have invested in six start-ups and three of those were sold for a total of $2 billion. The other three went out of business."

Read article here
http://www.inc.com/peter-cohan/the-anatomy-of-a-killer-business-plan.html?cid=em01012week33

10 Tips for a Strong Start

by Brad Sugars

"...To help this process, here are 10 essential things you need to know about running a successful business. Use it as a checklist to make sure your thinking and your business plan are on the right track, or if you need to get more information, strategic education or clarity for yourself on your overall vision, your market, or your product or service."

Read his tips here
http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/startupbasics/startupbasicscolumnistbradsugars/article204982.html

11 Free Tools Every Young Entrepreneur Must Use!

by Jared O'Toole

Every young entrepreneur is strapped for cash yet looking for all the same products and services that big companies use. It is important to look professional yet also squeeze every penny when starting out. Here are 11 tools that will help you do both in the startup days of your venture.

Read info here
http://under30ceo.com/11-free-tools-every-young-entrepreneur-must-use

How to Stop Your Business From Sinking Like the Titanic

by Carol Tice

As a business owner, you want to avoid capsizing. So here are five lessons you can learn from the Titanic's fate:

Read article here
http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/223339?cm_mmc=Newsletters-_-BOTW-_-042012-_-HowtoStopYourBusinessFromSinkingLiketheTitanic

5 Step Venture eMentoring Program

A free business training program to support successful self-employment/small business development.

5 Steps to Part-Time Self-employment takes you through a series of exercises that will help you to evaluate your readiness and suitability for this form of part-time self-employment. It is comprised of 5 Sessions, each designed to support you in productively addressing the following entrepreneurial components.

Step 1: Self-Assessment
Am I suited for running my own business?

Step 2: Business Idea & Market Analysis
Do I have a viable business idea? Is there a market for my business idea?

Step 3: Cost & Income Forecasting
Do I have a realistic forecast of revenues and costs?

Step 4: Business Proposal
Can I explain my business idea so that it makes sense to others?

Step 5: Monitor Progress
Am I prepared to monitor and control operations once started?

Read details and view more information here
http://www.buzgate.org/8.0/nj/five_steps.html

How To Start Your Own Home Based Business Manuals

Have you always wanted to start your own business but had no idea where to start? Or maybe you have an idea of the type of business you want to start but don't know what to do first? We have found some wonderful step-by-step guides for more than 30 fun and unique businesses that you can do from home AND help you to start making money by laying out all that you need to do in order to get your business off the ground the RIGHT way.

Read information here
http://www.momsnetwork.com/howtomanuals/index.shtml

Where Not to Look for Money -- And Where You're More Likely to Find It

by Bob Reiss

One of the major obstacles entrepreneurs face in starting a business is raising the money they need. It can be the most time-consuming, frustrating and disheartening factor in launching a new venture. Save yourself some energy and angst by not looking to sources that conventional wisdom would suggest as logical places to find startup capital. Instead, focus on more realistic prospects.

Read article here
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219382

Business Licenses: Which Type Do You Need?

Failure to become properly licensed can have a variety of consequences, so it is imperative that all small business owners learn the regulations in their location so that they can meet every requirement.

Which business licenses you need will depend on your location as well as the type of business that you own. Because there is such a variety of requirements from location to location, it is impossible to provide a list that would apply to every business owner.

Continue reading article here
http://www.morebusiness.com/business-licenses

Business Planning: How to Size an Emerging Market

by Dave Lavinsky, President, Growthink

In developing their business plans, companies of all sizes face the challenge of determining the size of their markets. To begin, companies must present the size of their "relevant market" in their plans. The relevant market equals the company's sales if it were to capture 100% of its specific niche of the market.

Read article here
http://www.businessknowhow.com/manage/emerging.htm

HOW TO: Start Up a Small Business

How to Guides on starting a new business.

Main Topics:
Going Broke
Laying the Startup Groundwork
Planning for a Successful Start
Raising the Capital
Establishing Your Image
Finding Customers

View thru all these guides here
http://www.entrepreneur.com/howto/startyourbiz.html

Business Planning Tools

Provided by MasterCard | MasterCard®

Today, it is more difficult than ever for businesses of all sizes to anticipate changes and plan appropriately for the future. Recognizing changing industry conditions and being nimble enough to quickly adapt are of special importance to small businesses who often lack the human and monetary resources to forecast market developments..

Read resources here
http://www.mastercardbusiness.com/apmea/en/smallbiz/businessplanning/businessplanning.html

How Business Planning Leads to Better Management

by Tim Berry

What many business owners fail to understand is that good planning equals good management. Let me explain. Planning is about managing resources and priorities in an organized way. Management is related to leadership, and it’s related to productivity.

Read article here
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219424

Top 3 Time Wasters Every Small Business Owner Should Avoid

Posted by buzz under Business Planning

"There are many ways to save time and spend more focus on business matters. Here are three time-wasters we think you can eliminate to help give you extra hours in a day for more important matters.."

Read tips here
http://blog.morebusiness.com/2011/01/top-3-time-wasters-every-small-business-owner-should-avoid