Small Business Kickstart Kit - Small Business Bonfire

17 downloads 143 Views 239KB Size Report
This Small Business Kickstart Kit walks you through (and simplifies) what you need to ... business; this is a streamlined business start-up kit that was designed to ...
Small Business Kickstart Kit

2012 Edition

Small Business Kickstart Kit Copyright ©2012 Alyssa Gregory and Small Business Bonfire ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this document may be translated, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author. DISCLAIMER: We provide no guarantees or warranties. The advice listed here may not be suitable for your situation. This product is not a substitute for legal or financial advice. Always consult a professional to ensure you follow local laws and regulations.

©2012 Small Business Bonfire

Page 1

Small Business Kickstart Kit

2012 Edition

What You Can Expect From This Kit When I started my first business years ago, I felt like I was constantly stumbling around in the dark, in an unfamiliar and scary house. I kept stubbing my toes on doorjambs, whacking my shins into furniture, banging my arms into walls and hitting my head on lighting fixtures. I didn’t know the lay of the land, and in my frantic attempts to gain footing, I was getting bruised and bloodied…and it was eating away at my confidence. It wasn't long before I was spent—emotionally, financially and physically. Looking back almost 15 years later, I know what I was missing in those early days of darkness and confusion: a blueprint of the house to use as a map to get from one room to the other, to plan a renovation, and to show me what the foundation really looked like. This Small Business Kickstart Kit walks you through (and simplifies) what you need to do to create a blueprint for your new business. Together, we will focus on the most important steps of starting a business, without all of the pomp and circumstance. We want to get in, get the planning done, and get on with the business by focusing on targeted action steps. There are four primary areas we will focus on in this Kit, the most common places where entrepreneurs get hung up and frustrated:

• • • •

Goal Setting Business Planning Marketing Planning Budgeting

This is not a "comprehensive" small business start-up tutorial that walks you through every step of starting a business; this is a streamlined business start-up kit that was designed to provide the tools you need to get moving, now. Not in six months or a year. Now. This Kit will help you break out of the darkness and confusion and use the time you have to do what you need to do to get your business launched. Let's get started.

©2012 Small Business Bonfire

Page 2

Small Business Kickstart Kit

2012 Edition

Table of Contents Reaffirming the Decision to Start a Business ................................................. 4 Goal Setting = Success................................................................................. 8 Business Plans 101..................................................................................... 14 Selling Yourself by Being Different ............................................................... 24 An Action-Focused Marketing Plan ............................................................. 29 Budgets, Bootstrapping and Other Money Matters ..................................... 38 Recommended Resources.......................................................................... 47

Worksheets and Tools: SMART Goal Setting Worksheet ................................................................................................................. 13 Quick-Start Business Plan Worksheet ......................................................................................................... 19 Action Plan Template .................................................................................................................................. 22 Unique Selling Proposition Worksheet......................................................................................................... 27 Streamlined Marketing Plan Worksheet....................................................................................................... 34 Six-Month Start-Up Capital Estimator ......................................................................................................... 45 Monthly Marketing Expense Tracker ........................................................................................................... 46

  ©2012 Small Business Bonfire

Page 3

Small Business Kickstart Kit

2012 Edition

Reaffirming the Decision to Start a Business If you are not making progress with your business, one possible culprit could be a misalignment between your motivation and expectations. This is very common, and can cause you to waste a lot of time, energy and resources unnecessarily. No, I'm not going to tell you that if you're not moving fast in the business start-up process, you shouldn't be starting a business. But I am going to tell you that the first step to kickstarting the process is returning to the period of time when you decided to start a business in the first place. Before you do anything else you need to make sure you're making the right decision. This section will help you reaffirm the decision to start a business as you clarify your motivation for doing so.

Are you really ready to start a business? The answer to that question rests solidly in your answers to the questions below. Take time to think through each question before moving on to the next one. It's okay if you feel unprepared in any of the areas mentioned. We will be tackling them one-by-one in this Kit. The idea here it to make sure your eyes are open and you're fully prepared to dig in your heels and get started with your business.

Have I set goals? If you’re starting a business without goals, it's no wonder why you feel like you're floundering around aimlessly. Goals are oxygen for your business; they drive every single action you take to create a product, make a sale, promote your business, etc. If you're missing goals, or if your goals are lacking clarity, this Kit will help you get on the right path.

©2012 Small Business Bonfire

Page 4

Small Business Kickstart Kit

2012 Edition

Do I have a plan for reaching my goals? As the proverb says, "He who fails to plan, plans to fail," and this is especially true when starting a business. Without a clear idea of where you want to go and how you plan to get there, you may find yourself stumbling through the stages of starting a business and facing unwanted stress and frustration.

Have I fully considered the financial implications of starting a business? Money is a major concern when you start a business, especially if you will be leaving behind a steady paycheck and if your business has significant start‐up expenses. In this Kit, we will work through your start-up estimates so you can make smarter fiscal decisions.

Is my support network in place? We accomplish very little in life completely autonomously, and the same is true in business. Even if you plan to be a sole proprietor, you can benefit tremendously from creating an external support system to keep you on track. Your support network may include family, friends, colleagues, a mentor, a coach, and anyone else who can help you navigate roadblocks. When you have an effective support system in place, you will find that you have a cheerleader, consultant, moral support and even a devil's advocate when necessary. The Small Business Bonfire community is a great way to build up a support network of other entrepreneurs, just like you. Not only is it free, but it also provides something most entrepreneurs lack in the start-up process—a connection to others who are walking with you into entrepreneurship, and access to the advice and experience of those who have come before you.

What Motivates You? As entrepreneurs, starting a business brings out many different emotions, including passion, excitement and impatience. We have what we think is a great business idea, so we want to get started, hit the ground running, and see progress immediately. It's often difficult to stop speeding ahead and take the process stepby-step, especially when some of the steps are tedious. But it's very important to take time to identify your motivation before starting a business.

©2012 Small Business Bonfire

Page 5

Thank you for viewing an  excerpt from the   Small Business Kickstart Kit.     Click the button below to  purchase your full copy.