Pocket Small Business Owner's Guides

The Pocket Small Business Owner's Guide to Working with the Government is a thorough mentor that explains how to find, secure, and succeed with government contracts. Designed for any business eager to expand into the governmental arena, it also covers special small business opportunities for companies in areas with chronically high unemployment and for companies run by minorities, women, veterans, and disabled veterans. Cutting through the red tape, this careful guide also informs the reader as to the legal and financial pitfalls that must be avoided when doing business with the government. Coverage includes: Where do you find government procurement needs? How do you register to qualify for special opportunities given to companies owned by women, minorities, veterans, and other special groups? How do you prepare bids, offers, or proposals? What are the various types of government contracts? When can you negotiate with the government, and what's the best way to do it? What types of free government grants and loans are available? What regulations govern your hiring regulations, payrolls, contracts, and other dealings with employees? What is the best way to settle disputes? This book covers all of the most up-to-date regulations that affect business owners and entrepreneurs today, and helps them to navigate such issues as foreign trade agreements and the timely submission of bids. It also discusses how owners can team together, proper and improper business practices, and how to handle controversies over who gets a contract and disputes about contracts that have already been awarded. All in all, this is a unique and definitive source for anyone seeking to sell to the government.

This comprehensive, step-by-step guide walks the reader through everything an aspiring small business owner needs to know before getting started. It's not as easy as just hanging up an "Open" sign and letting the money roll in! Planning every step of your business and being aware of all the questions, demands, and challenges you will face will make the difference between just opening up shop and actually running a successful business. Coming up with a great idea for a business is only the first step. How will you find the start-up funds you need? Have you thought about your market? Do you know how contracts work? How about the difference between an employee and an independent contractor? Are you aware of your competition and the trends in your industry? Do you know how to keep accounts? Do you know what your breakeven point will be? Do you even know what a breakeven point is? If the answer to any of these questions is "no," then this is the perfect book for you! With clear, friendly prose and helpful diagrams and charts, The Pocket Small Business Owner's Guide to Building Your Business is every prospective entrepreneur's new best friend.

Most businesses that close their doors have one thing in common: They ran out of money. Don't let this happen to you. This indispensable book, part of Allworth's popular Pocket Small Business Owner's Guide series, will help you to save money on every aspect of your business, from advertising to overhead. With invaluable cost-cutting tips for all types of businesses, from e-commerce and home-based operations to services and retail, this guide will help you create a blueprint that will allow your business to survive and thrive. You'll save on: Advertising Marketing Purchasing Transportation and shipping Labor Financing Facilities Operations Taxes And more! In today's economy, small business owners must seize every opportunity to keep costs down, and every penny saved goes to your bottom line. Follow this street-smart advice to lay the foundation for a business that will be profitable for years to come.

Not confident with your negotiating skills? This book will cure you! A must-have for any small business owner, The Pocket Small Business Owner's Guide to Negotiating is full of helpful tips and strategies for getting what you want without alienating your clients and suppliers. You will learn to analyze your wants, needs, advantages, and disadvantages going in, maintain your resolve, and see the negotiation through to a successful end. Topics include position bargaining, contracts, purchases, conflict resolution, and more. Also included are sample negotiation scenarios to illustrate different approaches. Concisely, clearly, and engagingly written, this guide will empower you to reach your negotiation goals!

When does nontaxable business income become taxable? How do you calculate the cost of goods sold? What can be deducted? What is a fixed asset? This no-nonsense guide answers these common questions and more, empowering small business owners to understand how and why they are taxed and maximize their deductions. You'll learn when depreciation begins, how to classify payments to employees, how to track inventory and sales, and strategies for successful accounting. Coverage also includes: • Tax benefits for employers • Business classifications • S corporation tax issues • Deductible expenses • Retirement plans • Shareholder loans • Family employee payroll • And more Taxes can be intimidating and confusing, especially for a small business owner who may have only handled individual taxes in the past. Understanding the tax system is essential for all small business owners, whether they are filing on their own or with the help of an accountant. When it comes to running your finances, knowledge is power, and The Pocket Small Business Owner's Guide to Taxes puts the power in your hands!

Planning is essential to creating a competitive advantage for your small business, and properly done, it can actually be fun. That is the message of this thorough guide, written in easy-to-follow, nontechnical language that you don’t need an MBA to understand. In what areas will your business specialize? What are some of the resources you will need, and challenges you will face? How much do you want your company to grow? Once you have established a vision of your business’s future, you will be on your way to making it a reality.