Login Sign Up! Marketing Services Blog About Us Testimonials Contact Us  
 
FinditLocal411 - Social Media - FinditLocal411
  • Home
  • Local Businesses
  • Local Events
  • Local Coupons
  • Marketplace
  •  
 
 

Marketing services to grow your business.

More than just your local business directory, FinditLocal411 also offers a wide array of new-media marketing services to help you grow your business and get found!

  • Services Overview
  • Website Design
  • Search Engine Marketing
  • Mobile Marketing
  • Facebook Page Design

FinditLocal in your Inbox

Sign up for our newsletter to get updates on all the hot local news, events, and deals!

FinditLocal411 Newsletter Sign Up

Categories

  • Economy Marketing
  • General
  • Health
  • Healthy Eating
  • Internet Marketing
  • Michiana Politics
  • Neighborhood Businesses
    • Michiana Businesses
  • Restaurants
  • Small Business
  • Social Media Networking
  • Unemployment
  • Videos

Archives

  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008

Find Us on the Web

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed

 

All About Business Analysis

business graph
What’s the current state of your company? Sometimes that answer is harder to find than you think.  You may inherently know of your problems, but until you face these issues head on and conduct a business analysis, you may doom yourself to an environment of stasis.

Business analysis incorporates many different factors and can be somewhat difficult; therefore, one must know what they are doing in order to take advantage of such an analysis.

Analysts

Seek out a Business Analyst if you seek someone who can properly perform an analysis.  Like many professionals deemed, “Analysts”, they are trained to use a variety of different methods and to discover and fix the problems that may result and appear as a result of the analysis.  Analysts can provide you and your company valuable and well-documented data on your company as you move forward on many problem-correcting decisions.

Make sure your business analyst covers the following concepts:

  1. PESTLE: This is a technique that is used to perform an external environmental analysis through looking at external factors such as: Political, Economical, Sociological, Technological, Legal and Environmental aspects; hence the name.
  2. MOST: This technique is used to perform an internal environmental analysis through looking at factors such as: Mission, Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics; hence the name.
  3. SWOT: This technique is used to help the business determine and focus on their strengths and weaknesses. SWOT stands for: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
  4. CATWOE: This technique is used to help understand what the business is trying to achieve. It stands for: Customers, Actors, Transformation Process, World View, Owner, and Environmental Restraints.

There are several more techniques that a Business analyst uses in order to provide an accurate business analysis, and if performed properly, problems will be discovered, as well as the solutions for the problems. And, in the end, by using this technique, a business can better increase their bottom line by fixing the problems, even though they might have not known they ever existed without the use of such an analysis.

Posted on January 26th, 2010 at 11:16 am
(2) Comments
General, Neighborhood Businesses, Small Business

5 Tips to Help Start a Small Business

The truth about starting your small business: It’s a grind.  How much of a grind is up to you though. There are several things you can do to help your business get off to a good start.  First off, it is not a small endeavor. Starting a small business is a large responsibility that takes plenty of resources (both human and financial) if you want the business to be successful.  Assembling those resources in a tactful way takes time and somewhat excruciating effort…but the payoff can be rewarding.

Ready…Set…Business!527855_36709997

It is for that reason why we have put together 5 tips to help you with your dream to start a small business.  The internet provides many people the opportunity to open a their own business nowadays.  Renting office space and holding grand openings aren’t requirements anymore, but there are a few crucial steps that you must waddle through.  When you go to start a small business, take these considerations into mind:

  1. Capital.  Starting a business requires money.  Whether you are renting a building (if that is your business model), entering deposits on utilities, or purchasing  necessary office supplies, a fixed startup account is needed.  You can always borrow the money from a lender; however, you will want to make sure that you save money for the start up costs as well.  This will help show the lender that you are serious about the business.  Even in some cases (depending upon the business) you may be able to save all of the financing that you need; therefore, allowing you to stay out of debt from the beginning.
  2. Start small.  Don’t get carried away in the beginning.  There is always room for growth later.
  3. Protect your personal assets.  Make sure that you file the proper documentation to keep your business and your personal assets separate.
  4. Make sure you have a business plan.  You must know how and if you will make a profit and know the route that you must take in order for that to be possible.
  5. Be competitive.  You must be competitive in the business world in order to survive.  Maintain your competitive edge at all times.

These are just the beginnings of a successful business. We have documented each step thoroughly in previous posts, but these 5 steps are important to keep in mind as you prepare to construct your new business.

Posted on January 20th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
(3) Comments
Neighborhood Businesses, Small Business

Going Corporate: Is it time for your Small Business?

Right about the time your little business-that-could starts earning money…the big decisions arrive. For this post, we’ll focus on incorporation.  And then, the next confusing choice will be deciding on whether to become a corporation or a limited liability company (LLC).  After you find the pros and cons of those decisions, you need to decide WHERE to incorporate.

Two Places at Once

Surprisingly, you can live in Wisconsin and be incorporated in Florida.  Your business operations could be in California and be recognized in New York!  At one point in time, business owners didn’t have this choice, however, that is no longer a problem.

Basically, a business can become incorporated and registered in any state in which they choose.  Different states offer different laws on the topic and are governed by different statutes.  So, just because you have a business in Nevada you may be able to receive better benefits by becoming a corporate business in another state.

Proper Paperwork

P9011526With all this displacement and jumping around between states, it’s easy to lose track of which licenses, permits and registrations you have completed according to the state’s business codes.  We at FindItLocal411 implore you to organize this process as efficiently as possible. Not having the proper licenses and permits can result in fines, the inability to conduct business and more.

Locating and understanding the different licenses and permits that is required for your business can be time consuming result in many headaches.  There are businesses out there who offer services in this area.  For a small fee, they will locate the different licenses and permits that you need for your particular business, and if you have more than one location for your business, they will handle the paperwork for all of the locations.

Make the Leap

452290_81120884Becoming a corporate business can be beneficial and can also provide you and your business with additional tax benefits at the end of the year.  Also, it helps protect you, as the owner, from having your assets combined in with the business; therefore, if the business is named in a lawsuit or files bankruptcy, your personal assets will not be affected.

Incorporating your Business is a scary step, but it’s not a point of no return.  Stay relaxed and keep focusing on your goals.  Your hard work and strong product as carried you this far. Grow with wisdom and dedication and don’t let the details get in the way.

Posted on January 14th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
(1) Comment
Neighborhood Businesses, Small Business

Planning Your Business Start Up: Checklist

Starting your own business can be extremely exciting.  You can’t wait to open the doors, or even the virtual doors, in order to get your business generating an income.  However, before you can do this appropriately you have to have a sound business plan into place.  A business plan helps to serve as a blueprint for a business as it helps to guide the direction that you should take.  Planning your business start up should entail several key aspects.

Key aspects to planning your business start up:

  1. Develop a business plan.
  2. Secure a budget for all key areas, such as marketing, employee compensation, and more.
  3. Obtain a date for opening the doors.
  4. Start an advertising campaign prior to opening the doors to let consumers know that your business will soon be opening.
  5. Use a press release in order to announce the opening.

Planning

493668_69476274

These 5 elements will ensure a solid foundation for the start of your new business.  Planning, consideration, and more allow you to go into the endeavor with your eyes open and in a professional manner.  Not doing things mentioned above can hinder the path that your business may take and can possibly set your business up for failure before you even open the doors.

Like in any business, research and well-guided preparation are strong indicators for success.  If you are unable to do any of the above mentioned tasks, there are other businesses out there that specialize in those areas.

There are businesses that can help you develop a business plan, a marketing campaign, write press releases for you, and more.  By no means are you expected to have all these things on your to-do list.  Handling all these tasks can be very stressful.  Obtaining outside help in these key areas can prove to be beneficial in a variety of different ways.

Posted on January 12th, 2010 at 9:47 am
(1) Comment
Neighborhood Businesses, Small Business

Cover Your Bases When Buying a Business

484010_62695363
Many people have the dream of owning their own business and working for themselves; however, the dream often fades right around the time the risk monster rears its ugly head.  Owning a business entails a great deal of risk and oftentimes scares owners away. If your business fails, then essentially you assume all of the financial loss that was associated with the company.

The financial support of one’s family remains atop the list for many in business, so revenues are always a major factor in business ownership; however, by buying a business that already exists you can help to relieve some of the stress.

Buying the Business – What to Consider

Buying a pre-established business will give you a foundation to determine whether the business is profitable enough for you to invest in. Years/months of financial records and market-shares are already functioning, allowing for a more exact assessment of the business’ success.

When purchasing an existing business, make sure that you cover these three elements:

1. Consult an Accountant

Present an accountant with the financial reports in order for you to figure out two main objectives:

A) Can the business be considered a sound investment?
B) Are the financial reports that you have been granted real or forged?

2. Hire a lawyer

In order to make the acquisition as smooth as possible, bring a lawyer to answer your big picture questions.  You may even want to consider making your newly purchased business a limited liability company; therefore, you do not personally assume all of the responsibilities that the business will assume. In this case, if the business happens to fail, your personal assets will not be affected. Talk to your lawyer to help weigh the other options that you may have as well. Nolo.com offers several easy-to-read web resources filled with legal advice for small businesses.

3. Consider a contract

A contract that would keep the former owner from opening a competing business within the local area for a determined period of time could also be beneficial.
Buying a business can help take some of the stress out of owning your own business. At least you will know whether or not the business is profitable before taking such a risk; however, that does not mean that the business will stay profitable; therefore, you need to try to run the business in the same manner as it had been before. After all, it was successful, so the former owners must have been doing something right.

Keeping these three objectives in mind will keep you safe from unforseen damages while you can focus on aquiring a great business.

Posted on January 7th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
(0) Comments
Neighborhood Businesses, Small Business
Older Posts »
© 2008-2010 FindItLocal411 | About Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Testimonials | Services | Contact Us