Running Your Business
Articles on Business Management

Articles:

3 Tips for Hiring the Right People, and 2 Traps To Avoid

One of the most costly mistakes for small business owners is making a bad hiring decision.

What Employers Need to Know About Background Checks

When hiring someone into your company, you vet them for their experience and ability to present themselves professionally.

Using Subcontractors - the Dos and Don'ts for IT Consulting Firms

It is a good idea to get together a team of subcontractors BEFORE you need them, with different skills.

Job Applicant Tracking is Important for Small Businesses

Computer Service Business Management: Delegating Responsibility

Effective management of a computer service business is incredibly important, and the ability to delegate responsibility is a critical skill for any manager.

How to Acquire New Computer Maintenance Contracts

The IT business is usually run on one of three pricing models, hourly, pre-paid blocks and computer maintenance contracts.

The 8 C's Of Small Business Management

It's an unfortunate fact of commercial life that the world of business does not have a unifying theory of everything.

Computer Repair Services Advice For Smarter Technical Staffing

If you are like many other computer repair services business owners, you probably feel challenged when trying to provide high-level technical services and run your business ...

Computer Service Company Profit Secrets

If you manage a computer service company and you're trying to grow your company's profits, you need to learn how to focus on your bottom line.

The Right Skills for Managing Your Small Business

Small Business Management

Computer Service Business: Resources for Recruiting Personnel

You will need to recruit computer service business personnel not only at the start of a business but continuously after that.

Small Business Insurance Comparisons Which Will Help You Determine The Appropriate Coverage Needed

Running a small business without proper insurance is like bungee jumping without a bungee cord. There are so many types of insurance coverage; it may be hard to decide what the right type is for you.

Information Technology Service Tips For Subcontracting and Partnering

Are you trying to build your Information Technology service company? Sometimes in order to provide complete, fully-integrated, end-to-end solutions to your valued clients, you have to rely on subcontracting and partnering.

A Guide For Small Business Owners On Hiring And Managing Staff

Hiring and managing staff in a small business can be a tricky affair. One must do so with care as employees tend to have a big impact on the performance, culture and whether it succeeds or fails.

IT Maintenance Contracts Create Win-Win Partnerships With Your Clients

Many small business computer consultants don't understand how critical IT maintenance contracts are to long-term business success.

IT Service Contracts: Essential Recurring Revenue

Professional companies need consultants that offer IT service contracts, not simply those that handle emergencies on an as-needed basis.

The Importance of Business Law

A business is started not to fail but to succeed.

3 Tips for Hiring the Right People, and 2 Traps To Avoid

By Deborah Walker

One of the most costly mistakes for small business owners is making a bad hiring decision. Losing the money spent on recruiting, the time to interview the candidates, and the time and cost spent on employee training are a few of the major profit-squeezers that result from hiring mistakes.

Some entrepreneurs attempt to reduce risk by hiring family or friends-which in most cases proves to be the worst hiring mistake of all. It is difficult for most people to accept the relationship transition from family member to employee. Most often, those friendships will end in resentment and disappointment. When a veteran small business owner tells you, "Never hire family!" you can bet he's learned the hard way.

With a little skill and guidance, small business owners can learn much about potential candidates by understanding resumes. When reading resumes, there are three great things to look for-and two traps to watch out for.

When reading a resume, the three things to look for are:

1. Industry experience

You'll make shortcuts in new employee training if your new hire has previous experience in your industry. You will see a faster return on investment with your new employee when he or she already understands what your customers want. Prior industry experience also means he or she may have a business following that will result in added revenue for your business.

2. Transferable skills

Very often transferable skills are as critical as industry experience. Skills such as customer service, problem solving, sales and/or crisis management are valuable in almost every industry. Before interviewing candidates, make sure you understand the five most important transferable skills needed for the position you are hiring. Keep those skills in mind when reviewing resumes. Candidates whose resumes showcase those skills should be considered whether they have industry experience or not. An industry can be learned, but great customer service or superb selling skills can only be acquired with time and experience.

3. Accomplishments

When reading through resumes, look for applicants who write about their accomplishments. These are candidates who understand the bottom-line initiatives of an organization. A resume that mentions saving time, cutting costs, and solving customer disputes represents someone who can handle your problems as well.

On the flip side, when reading resumes watch out for these two traps:

1. Unstable work history

Pay attention to the dates on a resume. While the life expectancy of a job isn't what it was a generation ago, a string of short-term positions should be a concern. Candidates with too many jobs in too short of a time usually have excuses for all of them-sometimes even great excuses. But good excuses aren't the same thing as good reasons. If you see a consistent pattern of instability, beware! This may be a candidate who (1) doesn't get along with authority; (2) loses interest in his job after time; or (3) is just plain inept. Beware also of unexplained gaps in employment, which may indicate even more serious problems.

2. Unfocused career path

While it's quite normal for one's career path to shift, candidates whose resumes show opposing career directions may indicate uncertainty about their career path. Look out for candidates who have held contrasting positions like "sales" and "accounting," or "account manager" and "librarian." This may be a candidate who doesn't know what he wants in his career. After working for you as customer service rep, he may decide he really wants to be a dog groomer!

With practice you'll gain expertise at reading between the lines of a resume. Remember the three great things to look for and the two traps to avoid, and you'll save yourself valuable time, money and effort in hiring new employees.

About the Author:

Deborah Walker, Small Business Coach helps entrepreneurs navigate the hiring maze with tips and suggestions on how to recruit, interview and hire the best employees. Her veteran experience as a former executive recruiter gives her the unique perspective to help you avoid the pitfalls of bad hiring decisions. Learn how Deborah can help your business at: http://www.RevenueQueen.com

Article Source: uPublish.info

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What Employers Need to Know About Background Checks

By Anna Mathieu, Marketing

When hiring someone into your company, you vet them for their experience and ability to present themselves professionally. You verify their expertise and skills first by absorbing their resume and then getting acquainted in one or more interviews. Most hiring managers have a good sense of people and can feel pretty confident about the personal qualities, skill set and cultural fit to the company. Nonetheless, taking someone at face value can be risky. A background check should be a policy routine; and all offers made by the company should be contingent on passing a background check.

Cost of Hiring

A background check is crucial for many reasons. The cost of recruiting and hiring a new person is expensive; estimates range at 1.5 to 5 times the annual salary. Think of the staff time involved, the recruiting fees or internal HR department costs, advertising, travel and relocation expenses, training costs and time. These are pretty standard costs, but they are often not calculated out.

If you hire the wrong person, you will have to start again and you will potentially face additional costs such as legal fees, severance pay, and loss of intellectual property. Having to separate yourself from a bad hire may cause the company to miss deadlines, cause unnecessary distractions, lower productivity, lost sales opportunities, and generally disrupt business. A bad hire risks damaging the morale of current staff, clients and other stakeholders.

Negligent Hiring

In a worst case scenario, you may face a lawsuit for "negligent hiring". Neglecting to verify person's history to rule out theft or embezzlement; drug or alcohol use; falsification of licenses; employment history; and educational certifications can be perilous. If a third party is injured in some way by your employee and brings a case against you for violating the "duty of care" in hiring, you face escalating legal and human costs, not to mention legal liability.

What's in a background check?

Not all background checks are the same; there are various types of background checks. What you need will depend on the company and the position. Background checks may include: a credit check, a criminal background check, a reference check, and independent verification of employment or education. Credit and criminal background checks should be done by a third party vendor. Reference checks and independent verification can be done internally or by a third party.

Credit and Criminal Background Checks

The Fair Credit Reporting Act governs credit and criminal background data whether you do it yourself or through a third party vendor. The FCRA requires advanced notification to the applicant and specific documented authorization; employing a stand-alone document acknowledging and authorizing the check is highly recommended.

You should have a credit check only where relevant to the job or company. A financial services company may employ them widely due to the nature of the business. Certain roles require the handling of money, client's financial information, or the company's finances, so a credit check is relevant.

Performing a criminal check will also depend on the job description and the company. Certainly you would check the driving record of an employee who will be driving for the company. Investigating the criminal background of a property manager or care giver who enters client's homes is relevant. Checking for theft or violent crimes to ensure the safety of the workplace and clients is considered a "duty of care" in hiring. If you are sued by a third party because of the action of an employee, and there is something in the employee's past that was easily discoverable through a simple background check, you risk losing a suit of "negligent hiring". This has also been applied to the hiring of independent contractors.

All information contained in a credit or criminal background check may not be material, for example you should seek to obtain only the last 7 years of data, and you should exclude history of bankruptcy or a single incident of wage garnishment. Determine and specify what data is actually provided to you by your vendor in advance.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) advises that you only look at convictions, not arrests, and only convictions that are relevant to the job description. The EEOC provides guidelines on their website.

The FCRA governs the use of the credit report. If there is negative data that comes back, and you choose to take "adverse action" (i.e. choose to pass on their candidacy) on the basis of this negative data, you have some procedural steps you must assure. You must provide the applicant with a copy of the consumer report to the applicant. It is recommended that the contact information for the credit reporting agency used be provided along with a copy of the "Summary of Your Rights" document from the Federal Trade Commission. You must also notify the applicant/employee that they have the right to contest the accuracy of the report, and provide a period of time in which the applicant can challenge the report data. The hiring process must be suspended during this time. As this is inconvenient, it would be wise to have a policy in place and consistently apply it.

Reference Checks and Independent Verification

Checking references should always be done. It is a good idea to obtain contact information independently, i.e. look up the number in the phone book, do a search on the internet, call the company and ask for the reference. When confirming a reference, there is a duty of honesty. This does not mean that a reference giver is obliged to disclose negative information, but they are not allowed to misrepresent an employee's work history either.

Independent verification of jobs or education can be quite simple. An internet search may show the list of graduating degree holders in a given year, or a call to the school can confirm that a specific degree was awarded.

Applications should include questions. If there is negative data in the background check and the applicant lied on the application, then the adverse decision is based on the misleading answer or dishonesty of the applicant and not the actual negative data.

Legislation

Federal and State legislation on background checks changes. Currently, only Hawaii, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington have laws limiting or prohibiting credit checks by employers. However 18 states have proposed legislation on the use of credit report data of job applicants and employees for employment screening background checks.

A proposed bill HR 3149 would alter the rules. The bill has been opposed by various industry groups but it is co-signed by 56 representatives. You can follow the status of HR 3149 at govtrack.us

Links:

Federal Trade Commission "Summary of Your Rights"

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre35.pdf

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

http://www.eeoc.gov/.

HR 3149 status on govtrack.us

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-3149

18 US States Consider Legislation to Limit Credit Checks for Employment Screening Background Checks

http://hr.toolbox.com/blogs/background-checks/18-us-states-consider-legislation-to-limit-credit-checks-for-employment-screening-background-checks-45600

Employer Resources on the Redfish Technology Site

http://www.redfishtech.com/resources/staffing_resources.php

About the Author:
Anna Mathieu, Marketing Communications Manager

Anna's experience as a recruiter and as a seasoned sales & marketing professional give her a winning perspective on communicating Redfish's specialized recruiting services . Her evangelization and branding continue to drive bottom line results.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com

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Using Subcontractors - the Dos and Don'ts for IT Consulting Firms

By Greg Fitzgerald

Your IT business is starting to grow. It’s still a bit quiet occasionally, but at other times you’re finding the workload a bit much. You don’t want to employ someone full-time, but someone part-time for specific tasks, depending on their expertise, may be useful.

It is a good idea to get together a team of subcontractors BEFORE you need them, with different skills. If you wait for the first project where you may need help, you could find it will take too long to find the RIGHT subcontractor for the PROJECT.

Check the references of any subcontractors who apply. Contact IT consulting firms they have worked for. They are representing your business. You also want to make sure you will not be spending more time fixing up their mistakes than if you did the work yourself. Remember, you are paying them. They need to be high quality.

When you have decided on the subcontractor(s) you’re going to contract, get the paperwork done before you need them on a project. A contract between you and the subcontractor is essential and you should include a non-compete clause – you don’t want them stealing your business. A non-complete clause means that they must represent your company in any contact with the client and not be trying to arrange future work with them.

But if you have any doubts about a subcontractor, even if their resume is impressive, it is better to trust your gut feelings. You don’t want people who will make your business – and your life – more difficult.

Negotiations of payment are crucial for the subcontracting arrangement to work well. You can either pay upfront or wait for the client to pay you. Perhaps if you pay upfront it may be a lesser amount. You will need to consider your cash flow situation. Be especially careful of using a subcontractor for the first time. If they are reliable and their work is good you may able to trust them with an upfront payment.

Always agree upfront what you will pay the subcontractor, and get it in writing with both of you signing. You don’t have to tell them how much the client is paying you. If you want someone with high quality skills and experience you need to be prepared to pay for it. Do some research into what subcontractors are being paid. Work out if this will fit into your budget.

Have in writing exactly what you expect from your subcontractor. If they will be doing the same thing every time, make sure they have a copy at all times, and keep a signed copy on file. Also give them any project specific instructions, and obtain a signed copy from them.

You must maintain an active role with the client and keep in regular contact. Keep a high profile and make it known you’re using subcontractors at the outset. Some clients may not like you outsourcing your work, in which case you should either undertake the work yourself or not take it on at all.

About the Author:

Gregory Fitzgerald http://www.getsomebodynow.com.au/

Greg Fitzgerald is a freelance writer who has produced this article for Get Somebody Now, the online database of IT contractors and consultants. Go to http://www.getsomebodynow.com.au for more examples of Greg's work.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Job Applicant Tracking is Important for Small Businesses

By: Darwin Redshield

For large corporations, job applicant tracking software isn't an option, it's a necessity. With hundreds and sometimes thousands of candidates a year submitting resumes and looking for positions, the folder and file cabinet record keeping system that worked for your predecessors just doesn't cut it anymore. When a human resource manager or corporate president makes a decision about applicant tracking, it's not a question of whether or not, but rather which one. That should come as no surprise to anyone. All stereotypes aside, the use of an applicant tracking database isn't something you'll find only in large companies. One surprising revelation that has become more frequently apparent to small business owners is that tracking software can increase the bottom line and make any company more efficient, even those that have less than twenty employees. If you do any hiring at all, the presence of an efficient and accurate job applicant tracking system can save you thousands of dollars in wasted recruiting, training, and severance expenses. Here are a few examples:

The candidate who comes back for more: Every company recruitment drive has one of these – the candidate who has been refused a dozen times yet still comes back for more. Small companies generally catch these situations, because the same person handles all the hiring, but what if you change human resource managers? The new manager won't know that this person has a grudge against the company that goes back a few years. Applicant tracking software will show the history.

Recruitment drives over a year apart: Even a few months can make a difference. You always want new blood. If you're using the same advertising resources, and tapping the same potential personnel pool, you'll see a lot of duplication in your efforts. Avoid that with an applicant tracking database that shows you all of the notes for each candidate from the last drive. You can use those notes to separate the perennials from the truly new blood that can give your small business new life.

Tracking Advertising Mediums: The best applicant tracking software programs give you the ability to track advertising mediums and run reports based on those numbers. If you always do the same thing, you'll get the same results. Obviously, unless you're constantly expanding, recruitment drives happening on an annual or monthly basis mean that your turnover is high. Is that because of something you're doing as a company or the quality of the people you're hiring? Maybe the local Sunday newspaper isn't the best source for you to find new employees. Look at the statistics from previous hiring to find out.

Doing more with less: Your company is small and your resources are limited, so you're always trying to do more with less. Job Applicant tracking software helps you to do that. A human resource department with half a dozen employees can be cut down to two or three, giving you more money available to use for recruiting and salaries for new employees. You might even want to promote some of those folks who have dealing with all the HR problems we've listed in this article. They already know what needs to be done to make your company successful.

About the Author:

I write content on a variety of topics including internet marketing, San Francisco SEO, PPC campaigns, recruiting software, applicant tracking, plagiarism detection, junk hauling services, vacation deals and franchise marketing.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com

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Computer Service Business Management: Delegating Responsibility

By Joshua Feinberg

Effective management of a computer service business is incredibly important, and the ability to delegate responsibility is a critical skill for any manager. Good delegation allows a computer service business to run more smoothly. Delegation is more than the simple process of giving an employee a task to complete. It involves putting trust and confidence in an employee and giving him the power to complete a job.

There are five different components of good delegation: determining assignments; providing detailed instructions; offering comprehensible instructions; conducting review meetings; and giving employees authority. Before delegating tasks, a computer service business manager needs to know all these components so he can make sure the project is completed in a timely manner and according the all specifications.

Determining Assignments

As an effective manager of a computer service business, you should know the capabilities of every employee. You should consider training specific team members to handle certain business aspects. That way you can easily match jobs that come up with certain people. If any tasks fall under a different category, they can go to you.

Giving Detailed Instructions

A computer service business will undoubtedly have varying tasks. When you come across an assignment with very specific standards, you should put the exact details of those standards in writing. When job details are more flexible, you can generalize. Consider the abilities and unique personality of every employee. Some will need things spelled out, whereas others like to work more independently.

Providing Understandable Instructions

Employees need to understand instructions in order to complete a task. You should ask specific questions that go beyond a simple “Do you understand?” Your reputation is on the line with every project, and you need all tasks to be done right. Get feedback from your employees and ask questions that ensure they know how to proceed.

Conducting Review Meetings

You should schedule review meetings at the beginning of each project. But as a computer service business manager, you can determine the frequency of the meetings. The most important thing to remember is that employees need to know what you expect from them and what the deadlines are for each project before work begins. Never use surprise reviews, as they can destroy morale and imply distrust.

Giving Authority

Employees will work better when they feel they have the authority on projects and are truly a member of the team. As the manager of a computer service business, you need to trust team members to make the right decisions for your company. If you make all the decisions yourself, you will be overworked, and your business will not run smoothly.

Copyright MMI-MMVII, Computer Consultants Secrets. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

About the Author:

Joshua Feinberg has helped thousands of computer consultants get more steady, high-paying clients. Learn how you can too. Sign-up now for Joshua’s free Computer Consultants Secrets audio training at http://www.ComputerConsultantsSecrets.com/blog/

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

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How to Acquire New Computer Maintenance Contracts

By Steve McCain

The IT business is usually run on one of three pricing models, hourly, pre-paid blocks and computer maintenance contracts. Although hourly can be the most lucrative, a savvy computer guy will lock his clients in with a contract to assure his financial future. When times are slow, a contract still pays out but an hourly guy will take a beating as his clients cut back on service calls.

Finding new clients for a computer service business can be difficult. Some IT businesses depend on the phone book or their website to get them business and most depend on word of mouth. No one wants to walk into an office with their business card and give a 30 second sales pitch to the office manager. When I first started, this is how I acquired some of my first customers, but word of mouth is the best method once you have a few clients. That's what I thought until I discovered a new technique.

Many companies are using wireless networks these days and many of them just purchase a wireless router, plug it in and they never touch it again. I find that these businesses don't change the default passwords, the wireless channel is almost always on channel 6 and their wireless network is left open for anyone to use.

Now, when I go into a clients office, I use an app on my iPhone to scan the other offices in the area for wireless networks and test their security. Is the network open? Did they change the router password? Are they on channel 6 like every other office? Armed with this information, you can walk into an office and tell them you were at your client's office down the hall and you noticed problems with their wireless network and you can then list their issues. Hand them a business card and let them know your company handles these types of security issues.

Getting new clients for a computer business is all about trust and that is why you will acquire most of your clients by word of mouth, but using the wireless network approach is a good way to get your foot in the door. You've explained that you already work for another business in the building and you told them about their security flaws, so you have established trust with them in the first few minutes of your conversation. They want someone they can trust to handle their office equipment and they will be more willing to enter in a computer maintenance contract if they trust you.

About the Author:

Houston PC Geeks have been involved in the computer scene in the Houston area for over 11 years. They specialize in computer repairs, network setup, server support and virus/spyware/malware removal.

Please visit Computer Network Solutions for more information and to learn more about Computer Maintenance Contracts.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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The 8 C's Of Small Business Management

By: Simon Kenny

It's an unfortunate fact of commercial life that the world of business does not have a unifying theory of everything. Each situation is different and poses different challenges and opportunities for everyone engaged in the business world. Were there to be a template that all small businesses could use then life would be fantastically easy and the rewards bountiful for all. However the economics of the marketplace and human factors dictate that this is an impossible scenario and that those business people that "play the game well" will have heightened success when compared to those that do not.

The purpose of this article is to outline eight basic principles that can be used in every small business during the current economic climate to maximize the chances of current and future commercial success. Each of these principles is discussed in depth in other articles; the key to reading this article is to provide small business owners with a checklist and a brief explanation of why each principle is important. The list is by no means exhaustive but it is this writer's view that these 8 are fundamental building blocks for success.

I hope you find value in "the 8 C's of small business management"

(1) Costs.

One of the problems of boom times is that it breeds inefficiencies since unnecessary costs are left unattended as the company focuses on grabbing "the low hanging fruit" that these good times provide. Who wants to spend days looking at the" leaky pipe" when there are so many opportunities of bounty? In leaner economic periods the easy revenue dries up, but the pipe of inefficiency continues to leak. Thus it is key that all small business take a long look at all of their cash outputs and trim where necessary. This is often a painful decision, but it is essential for the future wellbeing of the company. This has to be the base point for all small businesses during hard times. Ask questions like; do I need the company car that I current drive? Am I wasting money on coffees? Do I over-order stationary? These are small details and we haven't even discussed the big cost drivers yet, but consider Ryanair who famously cut costs by asking employees to stop using company electricity to charge their mobile phones! Excess fat can be found everywhere and in a world where cash is king, costs have to be trimmed (often to allow the money freed up to be spend elsewhere as investment in the business)

(2) Customers

Do you know who your customers are and more importantly do you understand them? Loyal customers are the commodity that everyone is scrambling for at the moment. It is imperative that every small business has a heightened knowledge of their base. Whether you are someone that has long or short buying cycle it is incredibly important that you are viewing your customers as assets to be nurtured and developed rather than simply transactional. There is so much data that can be mined from knowing your customers and you don't necessarily need sophisticated CRM systems to have a rudimentary yet effective customer database. Customer relationships can allow you to understand and predict, it allows you to foster emotional ties that are key to the customer lifecycle. If customers are the lifeblood of every business then how you interact with your customers before, during and after the transaction is the oxygen that helps keep the business alive. Your staff, if you have any, are also a key for communication strategy. How much input are you getting from them about what customers are talking about? Do you have a mechanism so that information can be passed upwards? Charles Dunstone of the Carphone Warehouse group famously said that if you're looking after the customer and looking after the people who look after the customer you should be all right.

(3) Competition

Business is often a zero sum game. If you aren't winning someone else is. That someone else is your competition. It constantly amazes me that so many businesses (a) don't know who their competition is and (b) don't know what their competition is up to. In a world of easy access to information it's a sin not to be constantly looking at your competitors activities. Your competitors are looking at your business so you must be looking at theirs and be constantly thinking about what you must do to get an edge. If customers are not buying from you, where are they buying from and why? This basic thought has to be at the centre of all strategic decisions that you make. In my business of training the market is ultra competitive so when I am not successful with a pitch I need to understand why. Sometimes I can do nothing about it at the moment, but at worst its valuable information that I can use the next time I am selling. Henry Ford said "Competition is the keen cutting edge of business", Walt Disney remarked that he "couldn't operate without competition". These were men that knew their markets and knew the importance of competitor analysis in order to get better.

(4) Communication

It's a sad fact of business that if you wait for business to come to you then invariably you will struggle. In the age of mass communication all businesses have to be communicating what they are doing. Don't wait for the phone to ring, pick it up and call someone. The internet has now provided a relatively cheap medium for all businesses to communicate with the world. Marketing doesn't have to be hugely expensive, a wise man one said that "advertising is what you do when you can't go and see all your potential customers yourself". It's rare that a product or service sells itself. If people don't know you exist how can they buy from you? Go back to the costs principle. If you save £500 a year on trimming expensive coffees (or something similar) that's £500 that you can spend communicating a message, that done right will produce a return on investment for the business. Always be communicating. Even a weekly blog will give you presence and is a cheap but effective communication with your customers. Do you have all your customers email details? Are you talking to them? Do you optimize every touch point that you have with your customers?

(5) Cleverness

If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing day in and day out hoping for different results then a large proportion of businesses are trading insanely. If you have struggled for the past 12 months and are doing nothing differently then what's the end result going to be? Use people to brainstorm new ideas. Try new things. Do things that you don't like doing to get you out of a comfort zone and change the game. It's incredible the numbers of new avenues that are open to business when they tweak what they are doing and adopt new ideas. For example Don Pepper and Martha Rogers revolutionized business thinking by suggesting that profits could be maximized by selling more things to fewer people. Is that your business? Maybe you want the mass markets as your target? Regardless of what you want to do, you still need to be thinking business in a focused manner with a goal of emerging with clever tactics that will allow you to grow. Scattergun approaches do not work. You must be clever with what you do and run with it.

(6) Closing

If you are not selling you are not trading. Selling is the cornerstone of every business, without it your product or service is just another commodity. Selling brings your offerings to life. It's a simple fact that those than can sell do better than those that can't. Selling is a fluid dynamic ongoing process. Every interaction you have outside your company should be about the sale. You don't have to be hard selling all the time but you must be aware that you are at some stage of the sale process constantly. Always Be Closing, never were truer words written. A lot of small business owners don't like selling, it's not the reason they got into business. Some people see selling as a dirty word and view it as beneath them. These businesses will fail unless they have are lucky enough to have something that sells itself. Read any business book, the giants of business all knew the importance of selling and were willing from the start to get their hands dirty. Without the sales there can be none of the trimmings of happiness or success that most business owners aspire to.

(7) Concentration

Business has to have a focus. Business people have to understand that business is simple but that it's not easy. By this I mean that production of wealth is not overly complicated but it's something that need time effort and concentration. Hard work i.e. concentrating on your business is essential. If something sounds like easy money it's probably not, it just means that the person making that money makes it look easy by investing huge amounts of their concentration and focus to it. We all must train ourselves to do better, to be more efficient with our outputs. This requires focus and concentration and it's often a long process. Malcolm Gladwells theory in his book Outliers is an example of this. To be fantastic requires huge time and effort. The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.

(8) Calibre

You must be good at what you do. The offering that you make to the marketplace has to be of sufficient calibre so as to be more desirable to customers than your competitors. This means that small business cannot be all things to all people and has to have a focus. For example it's almost impossible to compete on all of marketing's 5 P'S. Selling a blue chip product and competing on price is both difficult and dangerous, if you are a low cost- low margin offering, then aside from price it's difficult to compete on the other 4. The point here is that it is essential to understand that business leaders find a way of bringing something to market and then tweak it until it's as close to perfect as they can get it. How often have we read of people who are always scrambling for new ideas that sound great but are in fact taking them away from their core offering? "Big think" is great fun and it's often the "sexy" side of business however a core fundamental is that big think is useless unless the minute details are managed. The distinctly unsexy side of business is often the implementation and management of ideas, it is this attention to detail that determines the calibre of your offering and will define your success.

There we have it. Eight fundamentals for all small businesses. I firmly believe that there are no small businesses that cannot successfully adopt all of the above. This is not a magic formula for successes. Unlike too many business books out there I do not advance a claim that success is a just "an add water and stir" process. Reading about business is great and understanding business an ongoing necessity. However success comes only from another C word, competent. The above 8 tips are essential for all businesses but they will not remotely guarantee success without being competently applied to your business.

About the Author:
Simon Kenny is a sales and leadership director with Skills4Sales.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com

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Computer Repair Services Advice For Smarter Technical Staffing

By: Joshua Feinberg

Do you provide the best computer repair services to your valuable clients? If you are like many other computer repair services business owners, you probably feel challenged when trying to provide high-level technical services and run your business ... especially when running your business entails managing a staff of technicians.

In order to provide the best computer repair services to your clients, you need to encourage your technical staff to learn about high-end networking solutions. Not only will these solutions will be worth more per hour, but they will also lead to higher-margin projects that have real long-term potential for your staff and your business.

Consider the following 3 guiding points to push your technical staff beyond basic troubleshooting and break/fix work, so you can start booking up their time to provide more professionally-gratifying, high-margin computer repair services.

Personal Gratification Keeps Your Technical Staff Happy. When you challenge your staff to work on advanced networking projects, you pave the way towards professional gratification. In computer repair services, you find a lot of "techies" that love to work on projects that tax their knowledge. Your employees will be incredibly frustrated if they develop very high-end skills and then are forced to do simple fixes or spending all day long giving basic advice about rebooting.

When You Challenge Your Computer Repair Services Technicians, You Retain Them.

When your technical staff members get to work at their true technical peak and are exposed to increasingly rewarding challenges, they will experience great professional gratification. So, advanced training can be a great retention tool. On the flip side, if your employees feel they constantly have to deliver computer repair services that are beneath them, they will be more likely to seek out your competitors for better job opportunities.

Complex Networking Projects Mean Long-Term Client Relationships. When your technical staff members develop long-term client relationships, they get greater satisfaction than when they just work on very basic computer fixes. They get to work with clients over an extended period of time and really get to know them well. They get to build relationships they care about and get really attached to people and projects, which means they remain very loyal to your firm over time. Plus, when your staff is helping you achieve your goal of building strong relationships with your clients, you will see more on-going revenue for your business.

In this short article, we discussed 3 reasons training and challenging your staff can help you deliver better computer repair services. Learn more about how you can provide computer repair services to great, steady, high-paying clients now at http://www.ComputerRepairServicesHQ.com

About the Author:

Joshua Feinberg is the author and editorial director of the Computer Consulting Kit Home Study Course, which helps computer consultants, VARs, integrators, solution providers, and managed services providers get more of the best, steady, high-paying small business (SMB) clients.

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Computer Service Company Profit Secrets

By Joshua Feinberg

If you manage a computer service company and you're trying to grow your company's profits, you need to learn how to focus on your bottom line.

Because so many owners of computer service companies fall in love with gadgets, they can get lured into focusing on products rather than offering sophisticated solutions that solve real small business problems.

To make sure you balance your clients' small business IT needs against your own computer service company's profitability challenges, use these following 3 strategies to build your computer service company, and keep both you and your clients happy.

Show Business-Savvy and Motivation with Your Computer Service Company Clients. You don't want to be seen as just another tech geek. Therefore, you need to think of yourself as a Virtual CIO for hire. Your main focus should be continuing to find new solutions to solve your clients' big business problems and not just fixing broken hardware and software.

Dedicate Yourself to Every Task and Pursue Continuous Improvement. Getting the best clients for your computer service company takes a lot of hard work and persistence. So you need to focus on lifetime customer/client value and not just getting one-shot deal sales. Remember that your proposed comprehensive business IT solutions are not just one-time fixes. You need to have long-term vision and plan diligently, which means you have to be dedicated to the future of your company and your clients' companies.

Get Creative with Technology Solutions. Small businesses typically have modest budgets and no in-house technology staff. This means you often need to get creative with your technology solutions and really think outside the box about your computer service company business model and offerings.

In this short article we looked at 3 important secrets that can help you build a stable, long-lasting, profitable computer service company.

About the Author:

To learn more about how you can get great, steady, high-paying clients, sign up for free Computer Service Company tips now at http://www.ComputerServiceTips.com.

Learn how your computer consulting business can get more of the best, steady, high-paying clients in your area. Sign-up now for free computer consulting business tips, strategies, and best practices from the field-tested, proven http://www.computerconsultingkit.net Computer Consulting Kit Home Study Course.

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The Right Skills for Managing Your Small Business

By Tony Harrington

Maintaining good cash flow is vital for any small businesses. To really understand its role, think of cash on hand as a small business' vital fluids- the more cash on hand it has, the more 'liquid' a small business becomes. A favorable liquidity level means the business is able to settle the current portion of its obligations when they become due, thus allowing for smoother operations. Good cash flow simply means the business is able to maintain adequate cash on hand.

Cash flow happens in two directions: inflow and outflow. Cash inflow means the amount of cash coming into the business. It occur when a business receives money from sales, collects invoices, receives interest, raises additional funds or sells a capital asset. Cash outflow, on the other hand, is cash going in the opposite direction. This happens when settling debts, paying for purchases and other expenses, or withdrawals made by the owner.

Good cash flow management begins from understanding the above concepts. Again, the aim of proper cash flow handling is to improve the small business' liquidity in terms of adequate cash reserves. This means closely managing cash inflows and outflows.

Proper management of cash flow involves optimizing the activities that bring in cash. Collection of accounts is where many business look into when trying to increase their cash reserves. Small businesses need to make sure that their billing and collection protocols are working efficiently. In addition, incentives such as sales discounts should be implemented to encourage customers to pay earlier. Also, small businesses must set more rigorous credit requirements to reduce the risk of uncollectible accounts.

Small businesses can also increase their cash reserves through other operating, financing, and investing activities. Increasing sales through higher volume and more aggressive pricing schemes can help generate cash inflows. Cost reduction in such items as inventory, storage, overhead, and running expenses can also result in positive cash flow. In addition, small businesses can gain access to much-needed cash from making short-term loans to address minor cash flow 'blips.' Additional cash can also be generated from raising funds or investing any excess cash.

Lastly, cash outflows need to be managed in such a way that the business maximizes the value of the cash being held. This applies when handling payables to suppliers, utility providers, lenders, and taxing authorities. The idea is to keep cash in the business' hands for as long as allowable. Maximizing payment periods, taking advantage of discounts, etc. can help increase cash reserves.

All in all, good cash flow ensures smoother operations for small businesses. By keeping a close eye on things that affect the flow of funds, a small business manager is able to properly handle one key aspect of its financial management. Failure to do so could have a very serious impact on the enterprise.

About the Author:

Tony is an acclaimed author of his recently published book 'YOU CAN DO ANYTHING' (which he wrote in just 30 days). He is a licensed Integrity and Values Consultant and specializes in coaching businesses on hiring, retaining and developing staff to increase bottom line results. To learn more about Tony Harrington, visit their site at TonyHarro

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

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Small Business Management

By Edema Adrian

Business is an act of buying and selling goods and services. While small business management is the act of organizing and controlling business resources in order to accomplish a particular goals and objectives. The goal of management is to make money for business owners by supplying the buyers’ demand. The method of small business management involved the following:

a. Researching the market place for lucrative or suitable organization about your place. Being a business enterprise management professional, you must do an intensive study to acquire and understand the profitable organization, which an entrepreneur can be engaged in.

b. Developing approaches for creating management, operations management, financial management and human resources management. Before any business can be successful, it has to be well managed. Tactics operational rules have to be properly followed in operating tiny even massive business enterprise. In operation, there are approaches to operation based on the area or location of this business enterprise for the reason that the tactics that perform in one region might not work in another area. You really need to do research in order to know how to organize your business. Also, financial management and human resources management must be their very own tactics of operation to create the business strong and trustworthy.

c. Implementation with the business strategies through planning, organizing, motivating and control implementation of techniques issue mostly in a small business. Therefore long term survival needs the modest enterprise manage inside an accountable and excellent methods by taking into account the place at which you do your operations with the entrepreneur career goals. Each operational strategy needed for the operation of your business should always consider the law of the land where the business is located.

Lastly, if these tips might be thoroughly adhere to in creating or funding a smaller organization or business there are possibilities that the organization or business will survive long-term.

About the Author:

For more information on small business don’t forget to visit our site

small business guide

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Computer Service Business: Resources for Recruiting Personnel

By Joshua Feinberg

You will need to recruit computer service business personnel not only at the start of a business but continuously after that. There are many resources available to those in the computer service business looking to hire employees, and a computer service business manager able to think creatively will attract better candidates. Advertising, referrals, promotions and the Internet are excellent sources for computer service business managers looking for new personnel.

Ads

Advertising, while the first thought for most computer business managers is by no means the only hiring tool. Classified ads can attract a lot of resumes, but will not weed out unqualified candidates. Ads can also be very expensive, so those in the computer service business taking out ad space should focus on writing adds that target those with as many of the desirable qualities as possible. Those looking to use advertising should think about using agencies or the marketing department to write the most efficient ads.

Promoting From Within

Computer service business managers might be able to use a current employee to fill an opening. Promotions can help build morale within a company, but the individuals promoted must have the right qualifications. When looking for candidates, you may want to look outside the computer service business as well.

Hiring With Referrals

Many times you can find the best candidate within your circle of friends and acquaintances. As a computer service business manager you can also ask current employees to recommend someone within their network. Be careful with this process, and make sure to screen potential employees the same way you would when using any other computer service business hiring tools.

The Internet

As a computer service business manager you should scan the Internet and visit competing websites on a regular basis for candidates. Many business recruiters save significant money by using Internet referral services.

In the computer service business recruiting can be very labor-intensive and costly. Make sure to use resources beyond advertising to ensure you get the best qualified person.

Copyright MMI-MMVII, Computer Consultants Secrets. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

About the Author:

Joshua Feinberg helps computer consultants get more steady, high-paying clients. Learn how you can too. Sign-up now for Joshua’s free Computer Consultants Secrets audio training at http://www.ComputerConsultantsSecrets.com

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Small Business Insurance Comparisons Which Will Help You Determine The Appropriate Coverage Needed

By Jimmer Jenkins

Running a small business without proper insurance is like bungee jumping without a bungee cord. There are so many types of insurance coverage; it may be hard to decide what the right type is for you. Below we will discuss some small business insurance comparisons. You will want to make sure that you pay for the appropriate coverage for your type of business.

Property Insurance - this covers your business in the event of fire or other natural disasters. In addition, it will protect you from a losing a lot of money if the business is robbed. Home business owners need to have additional insurance as homeowner's insurance generally does not cover a home office.

General Liability Insurance - this covers your business against any legal expenses stemming from accidents, injuries or charges of negligence. Generally is it best to have both this and property insurance for your company. This insurance will cover if someone is injured on your property, but it does not cover employees.

Product Liability Insurance - this type of insurance is for companies that produce some type of "goods". It will protect you just in case the product that your put on the shelves is unsafe for one reason or another. This differs from general liability, this protects you if someone becomes injured or sick due to your product.

Commercial Auto Insurance - if you have company vehicles then you will need to purchase this type of insurance. The coverage works the same as personal auto insurance, but personal insurance does not cover commercial vehicles.

Workers Compensation Insurance - you must have this type of coverage. Some states even make it mandatory to carry this insurance. This protects you in case an employee gets hurt while working for you, but only applies of the person is "on the clock". Injuries at that occur while at home or away from work do not apply.

Health, Life, and Disability Insurance - this type of insurance is provided directly to the employee. You can deduct a portion of the cost for this insurance directly from the employees pay, as long as they agree to the coverage. It is not mandatory to offer this type of insurance, but you will increase your employee's loyalty.

Casualty Insurance - this is different from property insurance, as this type covers you if you have sections of your business that travels to different areas. Property Insurance only covers the physical building that the business is located. A business that has a mobile office, such as construction companies, or contract painters, should consider this type of insurance.

It is important to find the insurance that best suits your business. This will save you significant amounts of money and will also let your mind rest with easy knowing you are covered in case something happens.

About the Author:

Jimmer Jenkins has been in the financial field for several years and runs a successful blog about business insurance comparisons. Visit his website to get helpful insurance comparisons.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Information Technology Service Tips For Subcontracting and Partnering

By Joshua Feinberg

Subcontracting and partnering can be an excellent way to grow business and improve your relationships with clients. But many professionals in the technology business do not quite understand the difference between the two concepts or how to work them into their plans for working with small businesses.

The truth is, subcontracting and partnering can improve your ability to work with clients and help you efficiently run your business. It also frees you up for your most important business-growth activities so you have enough time to focus on important administrative, sales and marketing activities that will keep your sales funnel full of viable prospects, customers and clients.

The following 3 tips can help you better understand how to use subcontracting and partnering as you build your Information Technology service business.

Understand the Difference between Subcontracting and Partnering.

There are several key ways that subcontracting differs from partnering. With subcontracting, your client has a single point of contact with your firm. The subcontractor primarily communicates with your firm, with only minimal direct communication with your client. Basically, the subcontractor functions as an extension of your firm, and the client does not necessarily even have to know that some of the larger project is being farmed out. With a subcontractor, the client gets one proposal, one contract and one invoice from your firm. Subcontractors also get paid by your firm, not the client. If your Information Technology service company is talking about partnering, you are working with another non-competing technology provider that is retaining its own corporate identity and presenting its own credentials to a mutual client. The client is aware there are two or more distinct technology providers involved in the project, and your partners communicate directly with the mutual client. The client communicates with the main contact person at all partnering computer consulting firms and gets proposals, contracts and invoices from all of them.

Clarify which Party Handles which Details.

With partnering and subcontracting, you need to clarify which party is handling which details of each project. In a master contractor/subcontractor relationship, the master contractor (your Information Technology service firm) will handle most, if not all administrative and management tasks. Unlike a partnering arrangement, you won't need to spend a lot of time with your subcontractors reaching a common ground on whose billing and administrative procedures you will adopt. When you are a master contractor, you call the shots. However, whether you are working with subcontractors or partners on a project, you will still want to create a planning document that helps you define the rules of engagement and spells out individual responsibilities so everyone is always on the same page.

Take Stock of the Skills You Are Retaining.

Most of the time when you seek out a potential partner or subcontractor, you're looking specifically for a certain skill set. After all, you're trying to enhance your own offering so you can best serve your clients' needs. For example, if client of yours needs a relational database designed to track wedding bookings for their catering business and this is not a skill you have in house, you will probably be looking for a subcontractor with expertise in the appropriate database platform and front-end design. Make sure as you engage with a new subcontractor or partner that you get an idea of his/her baseline level of knowledge on a variety of products and platforms beyond his/her specialty. You can create a skills inventory worksheet that you use with all your subcontractors and partners to collect information efficiently and consistently.

In this article, we talked about some of the most important differences between subcontracting and partnering. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients now at http://www.InformationTechnologyServiceHQ.com

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A Guide For Small Business Owners On Hiring And Managing Staff

By Adriana A Noton

Hiring and managing staff in a small business can be a tricky affair. One must do so with care as employees tend to have a big impact on the performance, culture and whether it succeeds or fails. Hiring the wrong people can be a costly mistake both in the long run and short run.

It is not easy determining the right employee as most job seekers tend to exaggerate and lie about their credentials as they apply for jobs. Such a factor increases the chances for hiring the wrong person. It is therefore very important to perform background checks as you choose the candidate that can best serve your business.

The employees hired need to achieve the goals that you have set for your business even before you start the hiring process. They should also be able to learn how to manage it and dealing with obstacles that come in the way.

It is important that you clearly define and determine the tasks that need to be done by each employee. In most cases, the owner tends to do most of the work and only hires when the work becomes overwhelming. It can thus be somehow challenging to define the tasks that need to be done by an employee as help is needed in every task carried out.

Positions and job descriptions should be made formal and permanent to create a sense of value for the employees taking up those positions. They also help when reviewing their performance in the future. The job descriptions can be designed from task list and restated in a polished manner.

Staff hierarchies should also be developed and a structure established to ensure efficient operations within an organization. However the hierarchies will be dependent on the number of employees and their experiences. It is not necessary to create a different levels of a command system when you very few employees. Clear lines of authority are important to ensure accountability and that everyone reports to the owner. As it grows you may have to increase the lines of managerial accountability for the employees to report to instead of reporting directly to you.

Evaluation procedures should be established and communicated to the employees so that they all know what they should expect from the very first day. The procedures should not be complex but it should include the criteria used, how often they are to occur and who is eligible for these reviews.

An employee handbook is an essential and vital resource that can provide information for the employees about their jobs and any risks involved. It helps minimize the risks that the business is exposed to. The handbook can contain clear policies, rules and procedures that should be followed in times of difficulties.

Information on additional benefits, work place behavior, health and safety, leave, hiring process, termination, employee privacy, discrimination and harassment and the procedures to be followed in times of grievances can be included in the handbook. Owners of a small business should be very keen on the management of employees as they can either help you succeed or lead to the failure of the business at start up.

Try to read a small business blog every day to improve your market knowledge. Spending time reading can help you create new small business ideas, and help with small business recruitment and employee retention.

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IT Maintenance Contracts Create Win-Win Partnerships With Your Clients

By Joshua Feinberg

Many small business computer consultants don't understand how critical IT maintenance contracts are to long-term business success. If you don't base your IT business around long-term contracts and relationships with steady, high-paying clients, you will find yourself scrambling to make ends meet ... and probably will never enjoy the stability or predictable revenue that can help you really enjoy your job and grow your business.

If you want to enjoy a long career as a small business computer consultant, offer IT maintenance contracts. But how should you package them? Of course, you need to think about whether or not you are going to make your long-term contracts fixed price, retainer based or pre-paid blocks of time. Each different type of contract has its own pros and cons, so you have to be very careful as you are constructing the perfect package for you and your valued clients.

The following 4 tips can help you create a strong IT maintenance contracts package, so you can best fulfill your clients' biggest business needs.

1. Think Carefully When Offering Fixed-Price Agreements. When you offer fixed price service agreements , you can run into a tricky situation. Fixed-price agreements force you to forecast what people will need and want. Most small business consultants don't have the level of skill necessary to accurately predict needs. Regardless of how you price your agreements, make sure you set up a package that ensures that your firm gets paid what your services are worth, and also gives long-term clients an incentive and a discount above and beyond your normal rates, so they feel they are also getting value.

2. Consider Factors Involved in Packaging Your IT Maintenance Contracts. Think about what goes into a client-consultant agreement. You need to have a strong, compelling package ready to go before you're out on sales calls, presenting your proposals to your prospective customers and clients. Think about big items such as your rate card, your letter of engagement and your actual agreement. Make sure you consult with your trusted business advisers - specifically your accountant and your attorney - to make sure you are creating financially-sensible and legally-binding documents, that really protect you and your clients. Most importantly, think about tangible, compelling benefits you will offer to your clients. These are the extras and perks that will make signing agreements a no brainer for your customers and clients.

3. Know which Benefits to Offer. There are a lot of benefits you can present to help sell the value-proposition of your IT maintenance contracts to clients. One of these benefits has to do with response time, whether response time for on-site service, response time by phone or response time for remote support. Another important benefit is proactive maintenance. To really get customers off the fence and show them that being on an on-going contract is preferable to a pay-as-you go plan, present benefits such as hourly discounts, waived premiums for after-hours service, emergency service discounts, and response time guarantees.

4. Remember, One-Shot Deals Are for Amateurs. Professional computer consultants insist on IT maintenance contracts. Put your best foot forward with a strong agreement package for your long-term clients. Otherwise, you will have a whole bunch of non-committal customers calling you once or twice a year, while you sit and wait for the phone to ring. And without on-going contracts, you are probably doing nothing proactive to really solve big business problems through strategic planning, or make your clients' networks more reliable so they can improve their ROI and grow their businesses. On-going service agreements ensure that you have stable sources of ongoing service revenue, that your clients have a trusted source for ongoing IT support, and that you can build real relationships for your professional computer consulting business.

In this article we talked about 4 tips to help you base your computer consulting business on mutually-beneficial, win/win client partnerships.

Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients now at http://www.ITMaintenanceContract.com

field-tested, proven Computer Consulting Kit Home Study Course.

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IT Service Contracts: Essential Recurring Revenue

by Joshua Feinberg

Professional companies need consultants that offer IT service contracts, not simply those that handle emergencies on an as-needed basis. If you don’t offer on-going IT service contracts, you end up with either too many people calling you, or not enough. IT service contracts allow your clients to get the most out of their IT investments because it helps them implement long-term fixes and plan for the future. They can also make your life easier by providing a schedule and a plan for dealing with the needs of your customers and bring you a source of dependable revenue.

Recurring Revenue

The best companies will request IT service contracts to handle their many needs. Your success or failure in the future will depend upon the service you provide through these contracts and will in turn determine their importance to your business. One-shot deals and simply relying on emergency work and spot-checking will leave you both frazzled and uncertain.

You can use recurring revenues obtained through dependable IT service contracts to help build your business foundation. There is no way to determine how long your company will last unless you implement this type of revenue into your business plan from the very beginning.

It Service Contracts Are Essential

Once you start to use IT service contracts as part of your major business plan to provide recurring revenue, you need to start thinking about whether or not you want to get involved with clients that don’t want to sign long-term clients. The ones that do are asking specifically for your services, and want to develop a relationship with you that will last into the future. Their investment will be essential to building and growing your business, and will help you plan what shape and form your growth will take.

Copyright MMI-MMVII, Computer Consulting 101 Blog. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

Joshua Feinberg of Computer Consulting 101 helps computer consultants get more steady, high-paying clients. Sign-up now for free access Joshua’s field-tested, proven Computer Consulting 101 strategies at http://ComputerConsulting101.blogspot.com

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The Importance of Business Law

By Luke B Smith

If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.

A business is started not to fail but to succeed. There are a number of books that offers marketing strategies, guides and tutorial. There are even seminars and courses for those who want to engage in business. Still, thousands fail.

Preparing your company nowadays is an easy task. You can easily get marketing ideas on the internet. You can research and gather more information easily. You can attend short courses to improve your skills. You can better and cheaper suppliers on the World Wide Web. You can contact advertisers to promote your product or services.

But there is one thing you can't read on books neither learn on business courses. And these are the legal services of business attorneys. A number of marketing and sales books can help you build new strategies but only business attorneys can give you legal advice with regards to your company. If you are building up a new business, you don't want to mess up with the court. Even some of the greatest and the biggest businessmen that failed to seek counsel of business lawyer crashed.

Maybe you have the best talent for a particular company, you may have the capital, you may have the work force and you may have the knowledge - but business laws. Here in Texas, you have to be aware of certain business law. Texas Business law may cover fraud and deceptive practices, contract disputes, refusal of insurance claims, bankruptcy, right of creditor, partnership and corporate disputes. There also specific laws for real estate, oil and gas business and business sales and purchases. In addition, you should familiarize with draft and review of contracts and leases, employment contracts and even insurance policies.

These tasks are not for business persons but rather for business lawyers that have wide experience as well as educational background. You should seek for legal advice with business lawyers. Though you might not need permanent business attorneys, you can always hire one if you ever needed them. You don't necessarily need an attorney who knows every single law, but rather a marketable business lawyer. This business lawyer must be familiarized with Texas business law, and should know what business you're into. The business lawyer should not only assist you on the court but also give you legal advice whenever you need one.

About the Author:

A lot of http://www.textrial.com/ law firm website can offer you legal assistance, but you must choose one that is more familiar with http://www.textrial.com/commercial_litigation.htm] Texas Business law.

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