There are many important lessons in life that can never be learned in a classroom. In "Six Steps to Small Business Success," five seasoned CPAs combine over one hundred years of experience in order to provide practical advice, step-by-step guidance, and proven ideas for entrepreneurs ready to embark on the exciting journey of starting and managing a successful business. The Professional Association of Small Business Accountants has awarded the Book of the Year Award to the authors saying "If our members could communicate all the information in this book to their clients, the clients would not only be more educated on how to start, manage and exit a business, but they would most likely be more successful and have a better opportunity to achieve their business ownership goals." -Tim Nolan, PASBA President "The authors of "Six Steps to Small Business Success" represent a group of experts worth listening to. The book is packed with applied lessons, real-life experiences, and proven strategies that if employed appropriately assist small business owners in developing a thriving, profitable organization. It's a practical guide that every small business owner should own." -Darren Root, CPA.CITP Author of "The E-Myth Accountant," President of Root & Associates "Six Steps is a must read for every would be entrepreneur. It is a comprehensive, practical and insightful compilation of the issues, strategies and hurdles that the business owners will likely encounter during and after their reign." -Ned A Minor, founder of Minor & Brown & Author of "Deciding to Sell Your Business: The Key to Wealth and Freedom" "Six Steps to Small Business Success" offers personal anecdotes, inspiring quotes, and thought-provoking questions that will help any small business owner remember to dream big, think realistically, and plan carefully, ultimately achieving more than ever imagined.

An insightful look at how you can put net profit income at theforefront of your small to mid-sized business Enable you to make changes that will create a profitable,sustainable business future, Six Steps to Creating Profitauthoritatively shows you how to maximize profit for your small tomid-sized, privately-held, service-based business. Shows how to avoid the business model where all income isdevoured by expenses, leaving a valuation that would not render anymeasurable sales revenue if the business should be sold Discusses how to create a company where actual profitgeneration is one of the primary goals Provides the steps necessary to create "true" profit Features coverage of rules of operation, visibility in themarketplace, marketing, cash flow, and management costs Demonstrating how measuring the results of change is vital andpart of the ultimate, ongoing, profit-based solution, Six Stepsto Creating Profit reveals how the before and after of eachoperational area is as important to evaluate as the intended changeitself.

* The first edition of this book won the prestigious Book of the Year Award presented by the Professional Association of Small Business Accountants Many entrepreneurs fail, not because they have bad ideas, but because they don't have the knowledge it takes to convert their ideas into success. In Six Steps to Small Business Success, five seasoned CPAs provide practical advice, step-by-step guidance, and proven ideas to help you dream big, think realistically, and plan and manage carefully, ultimately achieving more than you ever imagined. Take these six simple steps to convert your dreams into reality: 1. PRE-BUSINESS PLANNING. Learn from others who have succeeded how a little front end planning can ensure your success. 2. START-UP: FINANCES, BUDGETS, AND NUMBERS. Discover the key fundamentals that must be put in place for your business to grow. 3. HUMAN RESOURCES(PEOPLE). Learn best practices in hiring, training, managing, and terminating employees. 4. OPERATIONS: WORK FLOW, CUSTOMERS, AND SALES. Learn how to make good decisions about products and customers. 5. BUILDING A SALABLE BUSINESS AND THE SALE. Learn how to plan for your eventual sale. 6. TRANSITIONING TO LIFE AFTER BUSINESS. Finally, learn how to plan for life after work - personal adjustments, wealth management, leaving a legacy.

A predictable pattern of success Entrepreneurs who have read early drafts of The Start-Up J Curve responded, ''I wish I had this book years ago.'' A start-up unfolds in a predictable pattern; the more aware entrepreneurs are of this pattern, the better able they will be to capitalize on it. Author Howard Love calls this pattern the start-up J Curve: The toughest part of the endeavor is the time between the actual start of a new business and when the product and model are firmly established. The Start-Up J Curve gives entrepreneurs the tools they need to get through the early challenges so they can reach the primary value creation that lies beyond. Love brings thirty-five years of start-up experience to this comprehensive guide to starting a business. He outlines the six predictable stages of start-up growth and details the activities that should be undertaken at each stage to ensure success and to avoid common pitfalls. Instead of feeling lost and confused after a setback, start-up founders and investors can anticipate the challenges, overcome the obstacles, and ride the curve to the top.

In Focused and Free, author John Martin presents a practical, motivating, and concise line of action for overcoming nerve-wracking obstacles and achieving elite levels of success in your personal life and business. Using memorable anecdotes, quotes, and insightful questions that cause you to examine your life in an honest way, he gives you the tools to clearly define, plan, and achieve your goals no matter how big or small they may be. Every day we face tough decisions, nagging tasks, and unexpected threats to our success when we are brave enough to challenge ourselves and chase our dreams. Based on many years of research including the trial-and-error method, John Martin offers the keys to freedom and opportunity using the often-untapped resource of focused planning and targeted action including: Picturing your dream of success with pinpoint accuracy. Planning your journey to achievement through critical research and preparation. Overcoming the frustration of indecision and overthinking once and for all. Developing effective strategies for perseverance in the face of failure. Attaining mental and financial freedom faster than you ever dreamed possible.

In this short book, business coach and business adviser James Davey sets out the six steps to break out of the small business bubble and grow your business to its full potential.