| |
| |
|
Small Business Information |
|
|
|
How Micro Loans Can Mean Macro Success for Your Business
"Inch by inch, row by row...that's the way my garden grows" was a favorite saying of my grandmother's -- usually when she was trying to teach me something about patience! While I never mastered the art of having patience, I have learned how that saying can apply to creating a successful business. If you've got big dreams for starting or growing your own business, but you lack the start-up capital, technical assistance or training that you need to succeed, then start by thinking...small. In fact, think smaller than small! Think micro -- as in "microenterprise development programs". What is a microenterprise development program? Basically, it's a government sponsored or supported program that provides start-up or expansion capital, technical assistance and training to microbusinesses. It's designed to help entrepreneurs who don't have access to traditional means of credit. Which means that if you're low-income, you've got bad or no credit, you don't have enough collateral to apply for a business loan -- then you're a good candidate for a microloan. Need other help? How about training? Learning to write a business plan? Want to go back to school? Need help understanding how to put together a cash flow statement? Most microenterprise development programs also offer training, workshops and other assistance. If they don't offer it themselves, they'll be able to refer you to a community organization that does, and guess what? The help is often free, or offered for a very low cost! What is a microenterprise? It is any business that can be started for less than $35,000, has fewer than five employees and has an annual revenue of less than $100,000. What kind of businesses are eligible for microenterprise loans? Traditional businesses such as: *beauty parlors Nontraditional businesses such as: *massage therapists If you want to start and run your business out of your home? You can. If you're ready to move out of the basement and into your own building? Microenterprise can help. Where can you Find a Microenterprise Development Program in Your Community? *Check out local nonprofit organizations such as the United Way, local community colleges or Small Business Development Center *Talk to a SCORE Counselor *Visit your local Chamber of Commerce *Contact your local women's organization or other small business group *Visit http://www.microenterprisesuccess.com for free resources, information and helpful articles Cheryl Antier is the President/CEO of Dream Weaver Enterprises, a business and fundraising consulting company. She started MAPS (Microenterprise Answers to your Personal Success) as a way to give something back to other women for the blessings she's received in her life. http://www.microenterprisesuccess.com offers information about government grants, microenterprises development programs, training and resources. The information is broken down by state. Sign up for "Directions" the free newseltter for small business owners that will help you get your business going where you want it to. We've done all the research for you, saving you time and money. Each issue is jampacked with information about hot business topics, so you can learn what you need to know, quickly and easily. Learn about the latest programs, and know if you qualify BEFORE you apply. Read reviews about the books, programs and software that can help you succeed. NEVER be taken in by a con artist again! Monthly ALERTS warn you about scams. Your privacy is important so your information is safe. Subscribe today free!
MORE RESOURCES:
Small-Business - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Money Series 1: Who Takes Your Money Your business is making profits, but where is the cash? It seems that someone has taken away your money. Your bank account is still the same, and your personal wealth is still the same. Increase Profits With a Small Investment of Time and No Money The less a business pays for goods and services the more profit that business generates. How does a small business with limited purchasing power get access to lower cost goods and services? The answer is simple. Power Tools for Business How do we keep track of our business deals?If you are only working with one or two deals, keeping track of them is a simple matter. However, most of us have far more than two deals on the plate and even more coming down the pipeline. ADH Will Make Your Life More Productive & Your Life More Profitable What is a Virtual Assistant?? A Virtual Assistant is that indispensable element of your office staff - a professional that provides high quality administrative services in a highly scalable, value added format.? A Virtual Assistant is not an employee of your company, but rather an independent 1099 contractor who can work either by the hour or by retainer. The Advisory Board: A Business Owners Most Valuable Resource As a company grows, the owner's role begins to change. More and more of the owner's time is spent "in the shop or in the field" handling day-to-day operations rather than focusing on high-level planning and strategic issues. Operational Aspects on P and L Statements of Mobile Services Businesses What kinds of things effect mobile service businesses P and L's? Well this is an excellent question and as I see the Annual reports of companies who do mobile services, such as Ecolab, Service Master, Halliburton, Luftstanza Food Services, etc. I see many similarities. SBAs 8(a) Program Can Help Some Companies Compete Q: A friend told me that as a woman of Native American descent I might be eligible for a special SBA program that will help me start a small business. He said I could compete for government contracts through this program. Carwash Manual Sample Outline Car wash businesses are unique to other businesses. In fact they are about as unique as the many different type of vehicles one is asked to wash. Slip And Fall Professionals; Service Businesses Since you own a business you probably have liability insurance to help you against a scam of slip and fallers. Some entrepreneurs call them slip and fall professionals. Pressure Washing Aircraft Hangers at the Airport If you are looking for a way to own your own business using a pressure washer or expand your current pressure washing business you might consider cleaning Aircraft Hangers out at the airport. Why Wash Aircraft hangers? For one it can lead to much more work cleaning all sorts of things at airports which is an encapsulated market. Grab Your Consumers Attention in a Cluttered World of Marketing Communications A cluttered world of marketing communications diminishes the ordinary. The consumer can no longer be bother with the dull, trite and a boring hodgepodge of marketing communications that are pandered in front of them every day. Business Scents - Do They Work? You see it often in large shopping complexes. Customers seem to be flocking to a certain stall in large droves. Over Disclosure Hurts Businesses Many investors and business ethics professionals are calling for more transparency and regulators are calling for more disclosure. Yet in the franchising industry this can spell disaster indeed. Accounting and Billing Procedures for Small Business No matter how small your small business is, it is essential to have some sort of accounting and billing police and methodology. This will prevent you from making mistakes and upsetting vendors or even bouncing checks. Four Reasons Why Small Businesses Succeed (or Fail) The American system of business management has been admired and emulated around the world. This system is characteristic of two traits in the American psyche: (1) enthusiasm for the future and making things better, and (2) an openness and willingness to change in order to achieve that end. Do You Need the Help of a Virtual Assistant? Running a business, whether large, small or in your home, is full of challenges. Getting the day-to-day tasks completed, e-mail, faxes and telephones answered, bills and statements sent out, reports run, schedule updated, travel arrangements made, marketing pieces and website updated, as well as a plethora of other tasks, can be downright daunting. The End -- Fireworks or Fizzle? Seems as though there are a lot of business closings going around lately. Everywhere I look small businesses -- one on top of another -- are closing their doors. Small Business Ideas - Your Image Can Lose You Business What image do you and your people portray to your prospects and clients? Here's a situation that happened to me recently and hopefully you'll glean useful small business ideas that will make you money instead of costing you money.January is always a good time to grab bargains so when I noticed that two well-known blind companies were advertising 35% off their blinds, I decided to give them a call? and it was an interesting experience. Big Successes Never Happen Overnight Treat your business as a serious, full-time business and be serious about making it work. Put your plans on paper. Reduce Stress, Increase Profits By Incorporating Strategic Systems In Your Small Business Success Whether you are an Entrepreneur or Business Professional there are many things you do each week that would benefit from a strategic system to help you be more effective, reduce errors and stress, help you enjoy your time at work and give you more time to have fun outside of work.Strategic systems are not static; they allow you to be flexible, creative, and spontaneous, and because they help you look at situations with a clear focus and a specific intention you can easily achieve your desired results.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
