This easy-to-use guide will help entrepreneurs steer clear of often costly "trial and error" methods, and move them steadily toward success. "Tips and Traps for Entrepreneurs" is full of valuable management insights--real-life, step-by-step examples that have been used successfully by entrepreneurs in many industries.

Explains what business plans are and why they are important, provides information and advice on the process of researching and writing an effective business plan, and includes worksheets, forms, charts, and resources.

Greg Balanko-Dickson has spoken to and consulted with thousands of business owners in the United States and Canada on the subject of business planning Provides valuable guidance to both established business owners and those inquiring into new or unfamiliar businesses Includes worksheets, exercises, and sample forms for getting started

The bestselling Tips & Traps series helps you avoid bad investments and common mistakes as you build a new business In this time of mass layoffs, stock market instability, and low interest rates, you might be interested in buying your own businesses—but don’t know where to start. Tips & Traps When Buying a Business gives a step-by-step approach to finding and financing an established small business or franchise. Greg Balanko- Dickson provides the skills to make the correct decisions for everything from investigating a business and arranging financing to hiring professionals, cutting costs, and negotiating a deal.

Is Your Business Taking Over Your Life? It started with the dream of making great money, doing what you love and having lots of time to enjoy it all. But in reality you are buried in a pile of too much work, too little time, not enough help and no light at the end of the tunnel. This is NOT what you signed up for when you decided to become an entrepreneur. It is time to run your business so it does not run you! In this practical and enlightening book, by online business authority Tina Forsyth, you will discover how to: Build the right type of business for you and your goals Eliminate the headaches and hassles of hiring and managing a team Use the 10 key systems happy and successful entrepreneurs rely on Structure your day so that you can get everything done and still have plenty of time off (including weekends!) "This book lays out a simple path to help you create the business you want with finesse and Tina's trademark 'get it done fast' style." David Neagle, Author of The Millions Within & Master Income Acceleration Coach "Tina knows more about how to run and grow an online business than most business owners." Michael Port, NY Times bestselling author of Book Yourself Solid, MichaelPort.com "There are only a few people in the world who can do what Tina does, making all that 'behind the scenes' stuff simple AND fun." Andrea J. Lee, Founder and CEO, WealthyThoughtLeader.com Tina Forsyth is the leading authority on establishing key systems and building virtual teams. She is the Founder of the International Association of Online Business Managers and creator of the Automate Your Growth Business School, where she teaches entrepreneurs her proven step-by-step process to set a strong foundation for business growth.

What qualities does it take to be a successful entrepreneur? Are some business ideas better than others, and how can I pick the one that's right for me? How do I obtain financing to start a business? How do I write a successful business plan? What is the secret to finding and keeping customers? How do I find, hire, motivate, and retain great employees? For answers to these and other critical questions on the minds of every entrepreneur and aspiring business owner today, there is no better source than those who have been there and done it. Few entrepreneurs have achieved the level of business success realized by the gurus covered here. Now you can find out what they have to say about the most practical aspects of starting and succeeding in the business of your dreams. The Guru Guide(TM) to Entrepreneurship is an indispensable source of inspiration and ideas for anyone who runs, or dreams of running, a business of their own. Some of the Gurus you'll meet: Paul Allen, cofounder, Microsoft Corporation J. Walter Anderson, cofounder, White Castle Mary Kay Ash, founder, Mary Kay Cosmetics Jeff Bezos, founder, Amazon.com Richard Branson, founder, the Virgin Group Charles Brewer, founder, Mindspring.com Warren Buffett, owner, Berkshire Hathaway Ben Cohen, cofounder, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Michael Dell, founder, Dell Computers Debbi Fields, founder, Mrs. Fields Cookies, Inc. Bill Gates, cofounder, Microsoft Corporation Earl Graves, founder, Black Enterprise Steve Jobs, cofounder, Apple Computer, Inc. Herb Kelleher, founder, Southwest Airlines Phil Knight, cofounder, Nike Corporation Ray Kroc, founder, McDonald's Corporation Edwin Land, founder, Polaroid Corporation Charles Lazarus, founder, Toys "R" Us Bill Lear, founder, Lear Jet Corporation Tom Monaghan, founder, Domino's Pizza Akio Morita, cofounder, Sony Corporation Fred Smith, founder, Federal Express Thomas Stemberg, cofounder, Staples, Inc. Dave Thomas, founder, Wendy's International, Inc. Jay Van Andel, cofounder, Amway Corporation Sam Walton, founder, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Judging by all the hoopla surrounding business plans, you'd think the only things standing between would-be entrepreneurs and spectacular success are glossy five-color charts, bundles of meticulous-looking spreadsheets, and decades of month-by-month financial projections. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, often the more elaborately crafted a business plan, the more likely the venture is to flop. Why? Most plans waste too much ink on numbers and devote too little to information that really matters to investors. The result? Investors discount them. In How to Write a Great Business Plan, William A. Sahlman shows how to avoid this all-too-common mistake by ensuring that your plan assesses the factors critical to every new venture: The people—the individuals launching and leading the venture and outside parties providing key services or important resources The opportunity—what the business will sell and to whom, and whether the venture can grow and how fast The context—the regulatory environment, interest rates, demographic trends, and other forces shaping the venture's fate Risk and reward—what can go wrong and right, and how the entrepreneurial team will respond Timely in this age of innovation, How to Write a Great Business Plan helps you give your new venture the best possible chances for success.