Make Your First Million: Ditch the 9-5 & Start the Business of Your Dreams, 2nd Edition

Table of Contents

1. Copyright
2. INTRODUCTION: WHEN IS A GOOD TIME TO START A BUSINESS?
   1. SETTING UP IN A TOUGH MARKET
   2. WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS?
   3. FINDING THE MONEY
   4. BEING REALISTIC
3. PROLOGUE: THE FALSE START
4. 1. SO YOU WANT TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR?
   1. 1.1. SO, WHAT IS AN ENTREPRENEUR?
   2. 1.2. THE REAL BENEFITS OF PRACTICAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
   3. 1.3. THE MAIN ATTRIBUTES OF AN ENTREPRENEUR
   4. 1.4. HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES?
      1. 1.4.1. Will it make a million?
      2. 1.4.2. Take the first step
5. 2. STARTING AFRESH
   1. 2.1. DECIDE WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO AND WEIGH UP THE RISKS
   2. 2.2. WHAT IS A GREAT IDEA?
   3. 2.3. IDENTIFYING YOUR PRODUCT AND YOUR MARKET AND FINDING THE START-UP MONEY TO ATTACK IT
6. 3. PUTTING THE IDEA INTO PRACTICE
   1. 3.1. DO YOU ACTUALLY NEED PREMISES?
   2. 3.2. FINDING THE RIGHT PREMISES
   3. 3.3. KNOWING YOUR COSTS AND YOUR BREAK-EVEN POINT
   4. 3.4. DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT YOUR IDEA HAS LEGS
7. 4. THE OPENING DAYS
   1. 4.1. PLANNING THE MARKETING PROCESS
   2. 4.2. THEY ONLY DO IT ONCE – GET A FIRST IMPRESSION, THAT IS
   3. 4.3. FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF A WEBSITE
   4. 4.4. AND SO TO THE PEOPLE
   5. 4.5. THE NEXT OUTLET
   6. 4.6. ARGH! NOT THE BUSINESS PLAN
8. 5. BUILDING ON SUCCESS
   1. 5.1. BUILDING FAST
   2. 5.2. GETTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO DO A GREAT JOB
   3. 5.3. IMPROVING THEIR SKILLS
   4. 5.4. DELEGATE, DON'T ABDICATE
   5. 5.5. CHANGING GEAR
9. 6. BRANCHING OUT AND PREPARING TO EXIT
   1. 6.1. EXPANDING THE PRODUCT RANGE
   2. 6.2. SETTING A LONG-TERM STRATEGY – OUR FOUR-PRONGED ATTACK
      1. 6.2.1. Continued focus on the Polar Bar brand
      2. 6.2.2. Publicity for the C-Side company
      3. 6.2.3. The continued development of the management team and the staff
      4. 6.2.4. Making the business highly saleable
10. 7. CASHING IN
11. THE ENTREPRENEUR'S TOOLKIT
    1. INTRODUCTION
       1. Contents
    2. 1 THE GENERAL BUSINESS MODEL AND WORKING CAPITAL
    3. 2 RISK ASSESSMENT
    4. 3 GETTING THE START-UP MONEY
    5. 4 DRAWING UP THE FIRST ROUGH FINANCIAL PLAN
       1. The importance of break-even analysis and what it does for you
       2. Using break-even analysis for budgeting
    6. 5 THE DECISION TO LEASE PREMISES OR BUY THEM
       1. The implications of owning assets
    7. 6 DRAWING UP A DETAILED BUSINESS PLAN
       1. The upside of the dreaded banking forms
       2. The forms themselves
          1. What is your target market?
          2. Do you really understand your customers and what they want?
             1. Customer value statement
          3. Who are your competitors?
          4. Who are the key people in your organization?
          5. Is your plan to reach your market realistic?
          6. Is your price right?
          7. Who's going to do the selling and what's the bonus scheme?
          8. Where are your premises?
          9. What are the equipment and other start-up costs?
    8. 7 THE FORMAL DOCUMENTATION OF STAFF APPRAISAL