Small business for dummies®, (paperback)

Learn to:

• Keep your business "in business" for the long haul

• Implement the latest in financing, hiring, health plans, and more

• Utilize the latest technology and social media sites in your small business

Open the book and find:

• Advice on gauging whetherentrepreneurship is for you

• Tips on personal money management

• Ways to successfully start or rejuvenate your small business

• How to write a strategic business plan

• Guidance on locating financing

• The advantages of buying an existing business

• Plain-English explanations of legal and tax issues

• Time-tested problem-solving tips

The leading resource for starting and running any small business

Want to start a small business * or energize the one you already have? This practical, no-nonsense guide gives you expert advice on everything from generating ideas and locating start-up money to hiring the right people, balancing the books, and planning for growth.

• Start from scratch * overturn all the stones of a typical small business start-up, from choosing the right niche for you to writing a business plan to creating the right legal framework

• If you buy it, will they come? * evaluate an existing business, determine a price, and know what to do after the sale is complete

• Get your motor runnin" * discover how to solve the most compellingproblems facing small businesses, from sales creation and marketing to operational issues (and everything in between)

• Stay in business * delve into the day-to-day issues you"ll face as your business grows, like hiring and maintaining employees, tax laws, and government regulations

"No one should try to start a business without this book."
* Hattie Bryant, creator of the PBS series Small Business 2000

"Eric Tyson continues his never-ending quest to help people gain economic self-sufficiency and freedom."
* Jim Collins, coauthor of Built to Last and author of Good to Great

Go to Dummies.com®for videos, step-by-step examples, how-to articles, or to shop!

Part I: Becoming an Entrepreneur 9

Chapter 1: Is Small Business for You 11

Chapter 2: Laying Your Personal Financial Foundation 27

Chapter 3: Finding Your Niche 41

Chapter 4: First Things First: Crafting Your Business Plan 57

Chapter 5: Making Financing, Ownership, and Organizational Decisions 77

Part II: Buying an Existing Business 105

Chapter 6: Exploring Buying a Business 107

Chapter 7: Finding the Right Business to Buy 117

Chapter 8: Evaluating a Business to Buy 131

Chapter 9: Negotiating Terms and Sealing the Deal 149

Part III: Running a Successful Small Business 161

Chapter 10: The Owner's Responsibilities in the Start-Up and Beyond 163

Chapter 11: Marketing: Products, Pricing, Distribution, Promotion, and Sales 191

Chapter 12: Tapping Technology 221

Chapter 13: Keeping Your Customers Loyal 233

Chapter 14: Managing Profitability and Cash 245

Chapter 15: Learning from the Experiences of Others 271

Part IV: Keeping Your Business in Business 283

Chapter 16: Finding and Keeping Superstar Employees 285

Chapter 17: Providing Employee Benefits 313

Chapter 18: Handling Regulatory and Legal Issues 333

Chapter 19: Mastering Small-Business Taxes 347

Chapter 20: Cultivating a Growing Business 361

Part V: The Part of Tens 381

Chapter 21: Ten Mistakes You Don't Want to Make 383

Chapter 22: Ten Tips for Small-Business Success 391

Index 399