If you are interested in opening a franchise, it’s much different than starting an independent business. Jeff Elgin of Entrepreneur.com has a very informative article on how to save money on your franchise startup.
He talks about finding a balance being startup costs and speed. After all, you don’t need to start your franchise overnight, but you don’t want it to take forever to get off the ground either.
Jeff breaks down five common expense categories where you can find savings:

Franchise company fees
Turnkey packages
Lease terms
Construction costs
Equipment, signage and fixtures

He outlines ways you can save money in these areas and stresses the importance …read more

When you are in the process of coming up with ideas for a startup business, there are many things you have to consider to figure out whether you have a viable idea. Here are five questions to ask yourself about your plan for a new business:
5. Can you make the time?
Not many people can quit their day job and focus strictly on a startup business. With that in mind, the first question you should ask yourself is whether you have the time to see your idea through to the end. Time is an essential yet underrated aspect of any successful …read more

Whether you’re starting a business, or just planning new goals for the new year, it’s sometimes hard to know where to start, especially if you are a visual person.
Many folks recommend mindmapping as the way to get those goals or visions on paper.
Mind mapping is a technique popularized by Tony Buzan in the 1960s. Noticing that the humans respond better to images, keywords and direct associations, he developed many of the mind mapping techniques that we see today. And before Buzan formalized it, thousands had used the techniques including journals  Leonardo da Vinci, and Albert Einstein.
Here’s the basics:
1) Set your …read more

The economy is bad. Your job is in jeopardy. You wonder… “Is it time for me to start a business? If so, what should I do?”
Help is on the way – and for free!
Fellow Bizzia blogger, Darlene McDaniel, over at Interview Chatter is offering 25 lucky commenters a free 15 minute career coaching session with amazing Darlene herself!
Check out all the details here.

It’s hard to be livin’ the life of a startup. Take pity on your entrepreneurial friend or loved one and give them a holiday gift this year that really makes him or her remember there’s more to life than a new business.
Here are some of my suggestions:

Coffee. The price of coffee, especially when you drink tons because you’re up all the time working,  is a lot. And going to grab a latte in these economic times is not one of the best ideas.  (Except for me… I drink tea, ok?)
ITunes gift cards. Many entrepreneurs I know listen to music on …read more

Google is king when it comes to applications that a small business can use to help productivity while keeping costs low.  Here are my top applications you should consider using:
1) Google Analytics. Tracking the performance of your website couldn’t be any easier (and free!) with Google Analytics.  If you want to find out what keeps potential customers on your site, then this is a perfect app.
2) Google Docs. No matter what platforms your staff are working on, Google Docs allows you (and them) presentation, word processing and spreadsheet programs that you can use from any computer no matter where you …read more

Regardless of the economy, regardless of what your friends have told you and regardless of what your parents may think, you have decided to become an entrepreneur. Congrats.
I believe there’s never a bad or good time to start a business.

But when I started, I didn’t have a lot of resources to help me. I just kind of hung out my shingle and hoped for the best.
But you don’t have to do that. I’ve found a great resource that’s free from Wikibooks. Called “Getting Started as an Entrepreneur,” it takes you step by step on how to set up your …read more

When you started your business, you were excited and motivated. But now things aren’t going as smoothly as you would like in your startup. But you feel you have no one to turn to.
Perhaps you should consider a business coach.  A business coach can help you save time and money – and help your business grow – even in a bad economy.
But are some things you should watch out for. I’ve made these mistakes myself when seeking and using a business coach.  So this comes from a bit of experience.

Be clear on what you want to achieve with you business …read more

With a recession in full swing, I’m getting a TON of spam about how easy it is to start a busy and make tons of money.
Perhaps you are getting more than a few too?
It makes sense, as jobs dwindle and people become fearful, many preditors are jumping on board saying how easy it is to make money as a small business owner.
I’m here to tell you, it’s not.
I lnow people will say that you can get a loan or even an angel investor.  But most people get their initial nest egg from F & F, that is, friends and family. …read more

I love Guy Kawasaki, and am excited to read his new book.
But what I really love about Guy is that he offers so much information to help entrepreneurs and startups.
Take a look at this new video.  Yes, it does promote his new book, but his tips are so good, I needed you to see this.