Small Business For Dummies

Description

Take your small business to new heights

Thinking about starting a new business? Searching for new ways to run your small business better? Whether you're starting your own business from scratch or looking to grow an existing venture, this easy-to-follow guide helps you reach your small business dreams. Covering everything from marketing and business planning to legal structures and building a positive online presence, this updated edition of the bestselling Small Business For Dummies is the essential guide no Australian or New Zealand small business owner should be without

Unfortunately, nearly half of small businesses in Australia and New Zealand fail within their first year of operation. But the good news is that with the right business acumen, the odds don't have to be stacked against you--and that's where this friendly guide helps Inside, you'll discover how to develop a blueprint for success with a winning business plan, find your unique selling point and get it out to the masses, deliver on your customers' expectations, secure high rankings on search engines to get your website seen, recruit the best employees to build an unstoppable team and so much more.

• Includes dedicated chapters for retailers, manufacturers and wholesalers


• Covers the rules on superannuation, pay rates and OH&S


• Shows you how to market your business more effectively


• Guides you step-by-step through putting your business online

Squash issues before they arise, pounce on opportunities the competition has missed and make your small business thrive with the help of Small Business For Dummies.

Author description

Veechi Curtis is an accountant and consultant who specialises in teaching small businesses about technology and finance. She is the author of Creating a Business Plan For Dummies, MYOB(R) Software For Dummies, and Bookkeeping For Dummies.

Table of contents

Introduction 1 Part 1: First Steps 5 CHAPTER 1: Is Small Business for You? 7 CHAPTER 2: Buying a Business 23 CHAPTER 3: Getting into the Franchising Game 39 Part 2: Jump In, Get Wet 55 CHAPTER 4: Planning for Success 57 CHAPTER 5: Getting the Legals Right 77 CHAPTER 6: Financing Your Business 97 Part 3: Killer Marketing 113 CHAPTER 7: Creating Your Marketing Plan 115 CHAPTER 8: Developing Online Strategies 135 CHAPTER 9: Making Service Your Business 157 Part 4: People Power 175 CHAPTER 10: Becoming an Employer 177 CHAPTER 11: The Art of Management 193 Part 5: High Finance 213 CHAPTER 12: Cooking the Books 215 CHAPTER 13: Understanding Financial Statements 229 CHAPTER 14: Calculating Margins and Ratios 249 CHAPTER 15: Taming the Tax Tyrant 267 Part 6: Horses for Courses 287 CHAPTER 16: Especially for Retailers 289 CHAPTER 17: Especially for Manufacturers and Wholesalers 309 CHAPTER 18: Building a Service Business 325 Part 7: The Part of Tens 337 CHAPTER 19: Ten Things to Do If You Hit Hard Times 339 CHAPTER 20: Ten Ways (Almost!) to Make Technology Your Friend 347 Index 357