10 Micro Tips for Micro Businesses: Make a Plan

10 Micro Tips for Micro Businesses

Countdown to Starting a Micro Business ebook launch

Day 6: 4 days until the release of Starting a Micro Business ebook by Carol Topp, CPA

on

Saturday, May 1, 2010

As we count down to the launch of Starting a Micro Business, I am going to share tips on starting a micro business.

Today’s tip: Create a plan

After you have an idea for you micro business, you should make a plan on paper to help you anticipate anything that might go wrong. By thinking through issues like who will buy your product and to reach them, you will save time, your money and avoid frustration.

A business plan can be kept short and simple for most micro businesses.

A simple business plan should have three main sections

Business Plan Sections

1. Business Concept

• Description of the product or service
• Description of the industry
• How to measure success

2. Marketing Plan

• Potential customers
• The competition
• How will you be unique?

3. Financial Plan

• Cost of your product or service
• Price you will charge customers
• Break even analysis

Starting a Micro Business will walk you through each of these sections and help you plan a successful micro business.

Visit MicroBusinessForTeens.com on Saturday, May 1, 2010 to order your copy of Starting a Micro Business.

For one week, May 3-10, 2010, I will be offering a special bundle package. For the price of the ebook , $9.95, you will also receive a copy of my Teens and Taxes: A Guide for Parents and Teenagers ebook and my audio Starting a Micro Business. This offer is only good for one week. It expires Monday May 10.

Carol Topp, CPA

http://MicroBusinessForTeens.com

Find Micro Business for Teens on Facebook!

Vanessa’s Business Plan

Vanessa Van Petten of  Radical Parenting.com shares her business plan for her website and writing business.  Her plan is pretty formal, but I like how she spells out in detail her business development ideas (at the end of her post).

My Business Plan and Mission Statement

by Vanessa Van Petten

I have talked about what it means to be an entrepreneur, the pros and cons of starting a business and why I decided to write a book, the next chapter in my Business Start-Up Kit book is about mission statements. I am in the process of becoming incorporated and trademarking my business name (my next post). While this is happening, I need to write my business plan. I have no idea how to do this, so, I did what I always do when I have no idea what I am doing:

1. Look-up business plan in Wikipedia:

“A business plan is a formal statement of a set of business goals, the reasons why they are believed attainable, and the plan for reaching those goals. It may also contain background information about the organization or team attempting to reach those goals”

2. Try to find free resource websites:

Oh, how I do love free templates, bplan.com has every kind of free business template you can imagine (including but not limited to: “template for tarot card reading business plan”…yes, seriously. There are 10 basic parts to any business plan, and I realized I would have to tackle them in steps with the tips included in the free template download:

Read the rest here.

Reading sample business plans can give you a ton of ideas for your micro business.

Carol Topp, CPA