SCORE Client Startup by Andy Green

Business Name Determine a name for your business that is not already in use. Determine whether your name is considered a fictitious name and if you need to file a PA fictitious name statement. You will need to know what your business structure is, so you may need to jump to the next section and come back after deciding your business structure. Register fictitious name, if applicable.

Business Structure Determine under what business structure you will operate your business. The most common choices are:  Sole Proprietorship  General Partnership  Limited Partnership (LP)  Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)  Limited Liability Company (LLC)  Corporation, including S Corporation

Laws, Licenses and Regulations Check with the local municipality (city, borough or township) concerning taxes, zoning requirements, any required local licenses and permits and any other regulations and requirements.

Taxes, Employer Obligations, EIN and Bank Account Determine what local, state and federal taxes your business needs to pay, register for or collect, such as sales tax. If your business will employ one or more people, complete local, state and federal employer obligations, including employment taxes, withholdings and contributions, such as unemployment compensation and social security. Obtain Employer Identification Number (EIN). Open a bank account for your business.

Contact Information Attorneys *As provided by the Harrisburg Regional Chamber

Bangs Law Office Michael Bangs 429 South 18th Street Camp Hill, PA 17011 717-730-7310 Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney 409 North 2nd St. /Suite 500 Harrisburg, PA 17101 717-237-4800 Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC 213 Market St. /8th Floor Harrisburg, PA 17101 717-237-6000 James Smith Diettrick & Connelly LLP 134 Sipe Avenue Hummelstown 17036 717-533-3280

Keefer Wood Allen & Rahal, LLP 417 Walnut St. /4th Floor Harrisburg, PA 17101 717-255-8000 Law Offices of William J. Cluck 587 Showers Street Harrisburg, PA 17104 717-238-3027 McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC 100 Pine Street Harrisburg, PA 17101 717-232-8000 Mette, Evans & Woodside 3401 N. Front Street Harrisburg, PA 17110 717-232-5000

Rhoads & Sinon LLP One South Market Square Harrisburg, PA 17101 717-233-5731

Intellectual Property/Copyrights/Patents Scaringi & Scaringi, PC 2000 Linglestown Rd. /Suite 106 Harrisburg, PA 17110 717-657-7770

Shumaker Williams, PC 3425 Simpson Ferry Road Camp Hill, PA 17011 717-763-1121

Beckley & Madden, LLC 212 North 3rd Street, Suite 301 Harrisburg, PA 17101 717-233-7691

Thomas, Niesen & Thomas, LLC 212 Locust Street/Suite 600 Harrisburg, PA 17101 717-255-7600

Hooker & Habib, P.C. 150 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 203 Camp Hill, PA 17011 717-232-8773

DISCLAIMER SCORE does not recommend or endorse any of the Accountants or Attorneys listed, but rather offers this list as a convenience and a starting point for accounting and legal services for new and small business. SCORE specifically disclaims any warranty or guaranty of quality or accuracy of the services of those professionals listed. Rev. 7/2019

Contact Information Accountants *As provided by the Harrisburg Regional Chamber

Alan J. Ceperich, CPA EA 3429 Derry Street Harrisburg, PA 17111 717-238-5919

McKonly & Asbury LLP 415 Fallowfield Road Camp Hill, PA 17011 717-761-7910

BDO USA, LLP 945 East Park Drive/Suite 103 Harrisburg, PA 17111 717-233-8800

Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP 2 North Second Street /Suite 1100 Harrisburg, PA 17101 717-231-5900

Boyer & Ritter Charles Nebel 1 East High Street Carlisle, PA 17013 717-249-3414

R. Wm. Wire Associates, P.C. 19 South 19th Street Camp Hill, PA 17011 717-761-8072

Brown Schultz Sheridan & Fritz (BSSF) 210 Grandview Avenue Camp Hill, PA 17011 717-761-7171 Daniel A. Grau, CPA 4811 Jonestown Road/Suite 236 Harrisburg, PA 17109 540-8776 Diana M. Reed & Associates 1505 East Chocolate Avenue Hershey, PA 17033 717-533-5513 KPMG LLP 30 North Third Street/Suite 1000 Harrisburg, PA 17101 717-260-4600

RKL 320 Market Street/Suite 373 East Harrisburg, PA 17108 717-525-7447 Shannon & Myers, P.C. 4400 Deer Path Road/Suite 203 Harrisburg, PA 17110 717-652-3200 Simon Lever LLP 444 Murry Hill Circle Lancaster, PA 17601 717-569-7081 Trout, Ebersole & Groff LLP 5000 Ritter Road/Suite 104 Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 717-545-0453

Contact Information Banks (Commercial Lenders) Centric Bank #1 in SBA Loans Cory Bishop 4320 Linglestown Road Harrisburg, PA 17112 717-585-5452 / 717-909-8351 Citizen’s Bank 2005 Linglestown Road Harrisburg, PA 17110 717-540-7314 Community First Fund 922 North 3rd Street Harrisburg, PA 17102 717-920-1520

M&T Bank 4950 Jonestown Road Harrisburg, PA 17109 717-255-2233 Mid Penn Bank 2615 North Front Street Harrisburg, PA 17110 717-233-7380 Wells Fargo 3205 Trindle Road Camp Hill, PA 17011 717-737-8697

First National Bank 4350 Linglestown Road Harrisburg, PA 17112 717-920-9030

**Go directly to the loan officer, not the branch manager.

PA Angel Investors: *Someone with a great idea that banks won’t touch… https://www.angelinvestmentnetwork.us/angel-investors-pennsylvania

Contact Information Miscellaneous Commercial Realtor Bill Gladstone Group of NAI CIR 1015 Mumma Road Lemoyne, PA 17043 717-761-5070

Rosewein Realty, Inc. Peggy Grove 510 North 3rd Street Harrisburg, PA 17101 717-236-5971

Property Management M.C. Walker Realty 14 North Walnut Street Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 717-697-9487

Startup Harrisburg, LLC 922 North 3rd Street Harrisburg, PA 17102 717-743-1091

Broker BMI Mergers & Acquisitions 922 North 3rd Street Harrisburg, PA 17102 717-307-2473 610-777-7029

Commercial Insurance Gunn-Mowery, LLC David Schlosberg 650 North 12th Street Lemoyne, PA 17043 717-761-4600

Miller & Miller Insurance Services Craig Miller 2929 Gettysburg Road Camp Hill, PA 17011

Human Resource Consultants HR Resolutions, LLC Karen Young 5441 Jonestown Road Harrisburg, PA 17112 717-652-5187

The Human Zone LLC 240 North 3rd Street Harrisburg, PA 17101 717-695-1798

Payroll Specialists

Business Management Consultants

Paychex Evan Asche 2405 Park Drive, Suite 200 Harrisburg, PA 17110 570-269-4691

Cornish & Associates 3815 Centerfield Road Harrisburg, PA 17109 717-343-1509

How To

Really Start Your Own Business

IN COOPERATION WITH

www.score.org

SPONSORED BY

Contents Chapter 1 ❘ Page 3 Summarize Your Idea Chapter 2 ❘ Page 5 Test Your Idea Chapter 3 ❘ Page 8 Protect Your Idea Chapter 4 ❘ Page 9 Create a Business Plan Chapter 5 ❘ Page 10 Choose a Structure

Dear Business Owner,

Chapter 6 ❘ Page 12 Designate a Registered Agent

Congratulations on taking the first step toward starting your own business! We hope we can help you achieve your American dream.

Chapter 7 ❘ Page 13 Lock In Your Location Chapter 8 ❘ Page 14 Focus on Funding Chapter 9 ❘ Page 18 Build a Team Chapter 10 ❘ Page 21 Pin Down Your Company Name(s) Chapter 11 ❘ Page 22 Setting Up Shares Chapter 12 ❘ Page 23 Five Steps To Compliance Chapter 13 ❘ Page 25 Control Cash and Credit Chapter 14 ❘ Page 30 Chart Your Business Progress Reprinted with permission from Mansueto Ventures, LLC. Copyright © 2009. All rights reserved. No portion of this booklet may be used or reproduced without written permission. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Sponsored by The Company Corporation® (www.incorporate.com/score) in cooperation with SCORE (www.score.org). The material in this workbook is based on work supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) under cooperative agreement number SBAHQ-11-S-0001. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

The Company Corporation (www.incorporate.com/score) has helped more than half a million small business owners like you incorporate their companies or form LLCs. We provide a range of products and services that are essential when launching, growing, and managing a business. We know that starting a business can be a little intimidating. That’s why we’ve partnered with SCORE and the editors of Inc. magazine to bring you this workbook. In the pages that follow, you’ll find topics ranging from testing your business idea to creating a plan, structuring your company, and building a successful team. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll know much more about cash control, financial management, funding a business, building business credit, and a number of other vital topics. We’re honored to provide this tool for use by SCORE mentors and their clients. SCORE mentors volunteer their time and expertise to help small businesses with free and confidential business mentoring. The SCORE Association has helped more than ten million small business clients since 1964. Small businesses are the backbone of our country’s economic growth. It’s our goal to make sure you always have the tools to succeed. Best regards,

E.J. Dealy Chief Executive Officer The Company Corporation Our website: www.incorporate.com/score 866-544-6804

The Company Corporation is a service company and does not provide legal or financial advice.

CHAPTER 1

Summarize Your Idea Remember the following about any idea for a new business: • Always be on the lookout for ideas. They can come from anywhere: your work experience, a hobby or even your experiences as a consumer when an existing product or service doesn’t meet your needs. • Identify a niche. Usually the niche or opportunity will be an innovation or proven idea in a new market or a unique idea in an existing market. • Learn everything you can about the business you want to start and the marketplace you’ll be operating in. This means getting work experience and collecting information so you’ll know the industry inside and out. • Make sure your idea is focused so that you can express it clearly in 50 words or less.

Summarize your business idea in 50 words or less:

Begin testing your idea by asking probing questions. Put answers in writing. Do this for each idea you have: 1. Where did your idea originate (from a specific experience, industry observation, a sudden inspiration)?

2. If your idea is for a new product or service, describe how you expect to get it accepted in the market.

3. If your idea is for an improvement or variation of an existing product or service, describe why consumers will use it instead of what is already available.

4. Describe your market niche in 50 words or less.

5. List at least three qualifications that you have that will allow you to pursue a business in this market niche (work experience, education, research, reputation, etc.).

6. What are your two most important personal goals for the next five years (independence, visibility, income, personal satisfaction, etc.)?

7. How will this business help you achieve those personal goals?

8. List and describe briefly the two most significant barriers to expect while launching and operating your business.

9. Explain how you expect to overcome these challenges.

Take These Five Steps to Jumpstart Your Business Planning 1. Clearly define your business idea. Be able to state the purpose and goal of your business using clear and simple language. Know your mission. 2. Examine your motives. Make sure you have a passion for owning a business and for this particular business. 3. Be willing to commit to the hours, discipline, learning and frustrations that are common to owning a business. 4. Conduct a competitive analysis in your market, including products, prices, promotions, advertising, distribution, quality and service. Be aware of the outside influences that can affect your business. 5. Seek help from other small businesses, vendors, professionals, government agencies, employees, trade associations and trade shows. Be alert, ask questions and visit your local SCORE chapter. (Visit score.org for more information)

CHAPTER 2

Test Your Idea As you evaluate your idea, keep in mind the following: • Market research doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, but you must do it. • Conduct research to determine whether there is an adequate number of potential customers to support your product or service. Use the following sources for statistical and demographic information: • Libraries and published directories (e.g., Gale Research directories) • Computerized databases (available at many libraries) • Websites and search engines (posted by business resources and public agencies) • U.S. Small Business Administration (1-800-U-ASK-SBA; www.sba.gov) • U.S. Bureau of Census (www.census.gov), U.S. Dept. of Commerce (www.doc.gov) • Trade associations for your industry • Local chambers of commerce • Test your idea with potential customers and others who can offer constructive feedback (e.g., friends, relatives, bankers, suppliers, executives). Keep a written record of the responses. • Be prepared to make changes based on the responses. • Study and evaluate the competition. • How will your product or service be an improvement over the competition? • Price your product competitively—higher if your product or service improves on an existing one and lower if it will be equal to what is on the market. Be sure you can make a profit long-term. For each of the following categories, list two potential sources (with location and phone number) who can comment candidly about your business idea: Bankers (check your local Yellow Pages under “Banks”)

Trade Associations (search the Internet or check the Encyclopedia of Associations, available in most libraries)

Government or University-affiliated Organizations (call your SBA district office, SCORE, chapter or the nearest Small Business Development Center)

Successful Entrepreneurs (from magazine or newspaper articles and local references)

Suppliers (check local Yellow Pages, classified advertisements and publications such as the American Wholesalers and Distributors Directory, available at major libraries)

Answer the following questions about your market: 1. Identify your three most important groups of potential customers, defining them by the criteria (e.g., age, demographics, industry, etc.) that you believe are most relevant to your product or service.

a. b. c. 2. Name your primary competitor for each of the three groups.

a. b. c. 3. Describe how each group feels about this competitor.

a. b. c. 4. Describe the factors that are most likely to make each group leave a competitor and switch to your product or service.

a. b. c. 5. Where did the answers to questions 3 and 4 come from (printed pieces, market study, questions to prospective customers, etc.)?

a. b. c. 6. Describe what makes each of your competitors successful.

a. b. c. 7. Describe what makes each competitor vulnerable to loss of customers.

a. b. c.

Answer the following questions about your pricing policies: 1. Provide details and/or a calculation of how you arrived at the price for your product or service.

2. List the price(s) that your most significant competitors charge for their corresponding product or service.

3. If your prices are higher, why? How will you justify them to your customers?

4. If your prices are lower, why? How will they help you attract customers?

CHAPTER 3

Protect Your Idea Start-up entrepreneurs tend to worry about having their business ideas stolen, but it is important to keep this issue in perspective: • Don’t worry about protection so much that it interferes with your test marketing and test development. • Be discrete about revealing details of your business idea, particularly with competitors. • If you think your idea qualifies for legal protection, speak with a lawyer. The protection options are: Patent (to protect an original device or process) Copyright (for printed material, such as consulting manuals, books and maps or computer software) Trademark (to guard a product name, logo, symbol or figure) Service mark (to guard a brand or service name, logo, symbol or figure) Here are eight basic steps to ensure that you have sufficient legal protection: 1. For the best protection against having your business idea stolen, be sure you know the character of every person with whom you discuss the idea. 2. If you share copies of your business plan, be sure to number each one and record the name of the individual who receives it. 3. Ask those who will review your business plan to sign a nondisclosure agreement that prohibits them from using or discussing the information. 4. Be sure any employment agreements limit the ability of someone who leaves your company to use proprietary materials, designs and formulas or to take customer names with them. 5. File for a patent to prevent others from copying your invention. 6. File for a copyright to prevent others from copying your material, including print, software, music, films, art and recordings. 7. Register your trademark to prevent others from using a special name or logo you plan to use. 8. To protect your ownership rights, obtain the services of a qualified attorney who is experienced in matters involving intellectual property protection.

To obtain U.S. copyright forms or for more information about copyright protection, contact the Copyright Office, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20559. For more information about patents and trademarks, visit the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office online at www.uspto.gov.

CHAPTER 4

Create a Business Plan A well-written business plan will play a key role in the success of your business. In addition to being required to obtain certain loans, a carefully considered plan helps business owners focus on strategic objectives and communicate those objectives to staff. For those inexperienced in creating a business plan, free assistance is available from a variety of nonprofit sources, including SCORE and local Small Business Development Centers. Local banks can tell you what they look for in a business plan and an accountant can help you prepare the necessary financial statements. You also may use the cash flow worksheets found on SCORE’s website, www.score.org. The planning process will not be intimidating if you keep these points in mind: • Planning ahead for your new business can mean the difference between success and failure. • Use an informal plan consisting of three to six pages to convince relatives and friends to back your venture. Be sure to cover the first eight points cited below. • To approach bankers, individual investors and venture capitalists, prepare a more formal written business plan. It shouldn’t be longer than 40 pages and should be organized as follows: 1. Executive Summary. A two-page, succinct explanation of your business and its activities, with an overview of your key objectives and business goals. 2. Business Description. Describes your perception of the company. How will your business grow and profit? 3. The Market and Competition. Largest section. Honestly acknowledges competition and describes how your company will differ from other providers. 4. The Product or Service. Describes the core of your business. 5. Marketing/Selling. Explains how you will access the marketplace. Will you advertise, attend trade shows, establish a website? 6. Management and Personnel. Explains how you will staff and manage your business. It includes one-paragraph profiles—or biographies—of yourself, partners and any other key team members. 7. Financial Data. Contains the balance sheet, profit-and-loss statement, break-even chart and cash flow analysis. 8. Investment. Based on cash flow, it includes what the investor will receive as a return. 9. Appendices. Includes testimonials from potential customers, research clips, charts and graphs relevant to your business. To create a successful business plan, consider these three questions: 1. Which type of business plan (informal, less than 10 pages; or more formal, up to 40 pages) is most appropriate for your business? Why? 2. Outline the sections of your plan (see list above). How long should each section be? 3. Identify areas that require more work on your part, as well as areas that you are ready to put into writing.

Need Help With Your Business Plan? Contact SCORE SCORE, Mentors to America’s Small Business, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping entrepreneurs succeed as small business owners. More than 12,000 volunteer business mentors in over 340 chapters nationwide are available to provide you with advice, mentoring and small business planning assistance. SCORE business mentoring is free and confidential. You can rely on SCORE as a trusted resource to help you plan for success. Since 1964, SCORE has assisted more than 10 million aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners just like you through mentoring and business workshops. For more information about starting or operating your own business, call 1-800-634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you. Or, visit SCORE on the Web at www.score.org.

CHAPTER 5

Choose a Structure For legal and financial purposes, your business must have a formal structure. There are four basic choices: 1. Sole proprietorship. The owner and the business are the same (often a service business, with the owner providing the service). Business and personal tax returns are filed together. • Advantages: Simple and inexpensive (start-up costs are low); maximum control. • Disadvantages: Unlimited personal legal and financial liability; limited ability to raise capital; not an enduring structure. 2. Partnership. A business with more than one owner; divides profits and losses among participants. It may be popular for lawyers, doctors and other professional service providers, but not for most new businesses. 3. Incorporation. A safer choice for businesses that have employees or bank financing. A corporation is a statechartered organization owned by shareholders. The shareholders can elect or appoint a board of directors who are ultimately responsible for management of the business. • Advantages: Personal assets are protected from the debts and risks of the business. This is especially important if the business fails or is sued. • Disadvantages: Corporations must hold meetings and file annual reports resulting in paperwork. C Status. So-called because it is taxed under regular corporate income tax rules. • Advantages: Limited liability; access to capital (can raise money through sale of stock); perpetual life (unlike sole proprietorship); ownership can be transferred. • Disadvantages: Profits are subject to double taxation (corporate income is taxed and stockholder dividends are also taxed as part of the individual’s income); regulation and paperwork; some limited start-up costs including state filing fees. S Status. So-called because it is under subchapter S of the Internal Revenue Code; also known as a “Sub Chapter S.” • Advantages: Appropriate for start-ups; limits personal liability; S corp dividends are not subject to self-employment taxes; eliminates double taxation. • Disadvantages: Taxes may be imposed on some shareholder benefits; number of shareholders is restricted to 35. 4. Limited Liability (LLC). State-chartered organization that allows for the reduced personal liability of a corporation, but with the tax advantages of a partnership or sub chapter S. • Advantages: Liability protection; no ownership restrictions; no double taxation; easier access to capital (compared with partnership); like a S status corporation with less paperwork; less formal; less paperwork than a corporation. • Disadvantages: Stock not available.

Select the structure that best suits your new company’s needs. If you answer yes to any of these questions, incorporating your business may be the right step for you. 1. Would you like to protect your personal assets against liabilities that your company may incur, either in the form of debt or lawsuits? 2. Would you like the option to raise capital through the sale of stock? 3. Do you have—or plan to have—employees? 4. Do you have co-owners or investors? 5. Do you want your business to continue to operate after your death or a partner’s death? 6. Would including “Inc.”, “Corp.” or “LLC” as part of your business name enhance your credibility with investors, suppliers and customers?

Ways to Organize Your Business C Corporation

Subchapter S Corporation

Limited Liability Company

Owners have limited liability for business debts and obligations

Created by a state-level registration that usually protects the company name

Business duration can be perpetual

May have an unlimited number of owners

Owners need not be U.S. citizens or permanent residents

May be owned by another business, rather than individuals

May issue shares of stock to attract investors

Permitted to distribute special allocations under certain guidelines

Not required to hold annual meetings or record meeting minutes

Owners can report business profit and loss on their personal tax returns Owners can split profit and loss with the business for a lower overall tax rate

General Partnership

Sole Proprietorship

¸ ¸

CHAPTER 6

Designate a Registered Agent STATE LAWS REQUIRE that you have an “agent” of the corporation or LLC who is responsible for receiving and forwarding vital legal and tax documents. If you form a corporation or LLC, then the designated registered agent must be a resident of the state of the corporation or LLC formation. The address of the agent must be a physical address, not a post office box, and it must be open during all normal business hours. Your agent serves as a critical conduit for managing ongoing legal requirements associated with your company. Your agent receives official state and federal mail, such as tax forms and annual report notices. The agent may also be served with legal papers (notice of litigation) if a lawsuit is filed against the corporation or LLC. The person designated to be the registered agent may or may not be affiliated with the corporation. The agent may be an employee, officer, director or shareholder of the corporation, or may be a third party. You may serve as your own agent, with your principal office as the registered agent address. However, most business owners choose a third party to act in this capacity, for one or more of the following reasons:

Choosing a Registered Agent

Availability. You may be out of the office when key legal documents requiring immediate action might be delivered. If you are not there to respond promptly to a notice of litigation, for example, you could get a default judgement against you for failing to answer a claim in a timely manner.

❑ RESIDENCY: must be a resident of and have an office in the state in which you incorporate; sometimes referred to as a “resident agent” ❑ AVAILABILITY: must be available during all normal business hours

Privacy. Having a legal process server show up would disrupt your business and be an embarrassment in front of customers, employees or neighbors. A third-party agent offers a layer of privacy, protecting you from publicly being served at your place of business and making your personal address less accessible to strangers.

❑ RELIABILITY: can be counted on to promptly notify you of the receipt of important state and federal documents or notices of litigation ❑ CONFIDENTIALITY: can be trusted to keep potentially sensitive legal issues confidential

Candidates:

Location. There is a possibility that you might relocate your business in the future. Maintaining an outside registered agent enables you to change the location of your company without filing a costly change of address with the state.

1. 2. 3.

Documentation. The paperwork involved in being your own agent would take up too much of your time, or you might simply prefer to have a third party remind you when it’s time to file important documents. Many small business owners turn to an incorporation service company to serve as their registered agent. Corporations that sign on with an agent service are often those that are incorporated in one state and operating in another.

4. 5. 6. 7. 8. * Service companies often act as the registered agent for small businesses nationwide.

CHAPTER 7

Lock in Your Location WHERE SHOULD YOU INCORPORATE? That depends on whether you will do business outside your home state. If not, forming a corporation in your state will gen❑ Will you be doing business in one state or erally require less paperwork and less cost. You will only several states? need to account for income generated in one state while filing one state tax return and one set of corporate ❑ Do you plan to go public? notices. Plus, you will avoid paying franchise taxes and ❑ Will you seek venture capital? filing annual reports in more than one state. ❑ What is the state’s corporate income tax, if any? If you incorporate in another state, such as ❑ What is the state’s personal income tax, if any? Delaware or Nevada, you may need to submit an appli❑ What are the state’s filing fees and annual cation to qualify as a “foreign” (out-of-state) corporation franchise tax? in the state where you are located. Without qualifying to do business locally, it could be difficult to open a bank ❑ Are there capital requirements for incorporating account in your company’s name. in that state? If you plan to do business in more than one state, look at which state requires the least amount of paperwork and has the least expensive incorporation fees. Also consider corporate and personal income tax rates and compliance regulations. If you plan to expand the business rapidly or go public—or if you intend to seek venture funding—many accountants and lawyers would recommend incorporating in Delaware or Nevada. Delaware has low incorporation and LLC formation fees, low annual franchise taxes and no state corporate income tax for companies that operate outside Delaware. It also has no minimum capital required for incorporation and one person can hold all corporate offices. Shares of stock owned by nonresidents are not subject to Delaware personal income tax or inheritance tax. You need not have an office or bank account in Delaware, just a registered agent, and names of initial directors need not appear in public records. With its separate “Chancery Court” for business disputes, Delaware’s court system facilitates speedy dispute resolution. More than half of the New York Stock Exchange companies are Delaware corporations. If you plan to go public, the stock market respects Delaware. Venture capital investors tend to favor Delaware corporations because they want the companies they fund to go public as soon as possible. Nevada has no state tax on corporate profits, no state annual franchise tax and no state personal income tax. Stockholders of Nevada corporations are not a matter of public record, which provides privacy. On the downside, Nevada companies may need to qualify or register to do business in their local jurisdiction. That may result in an additional fee to the state where you operate the business. Plus, Nevada’s corporation and LLC formation fees are higher than many states. A corporation with business sites in multiple states will typically incorporate or form an LLC in a single state, then qualify to do business in other states. This requires formally registering in those states, paying additional franchise taxes and filing annual reports. An incorporation service firm can help you file state qualifications as needed. Your decision on where to incorporate affects your business on many levels. If you expect fast growth in many states or want to establish partnerships around the country, you may prefer to incorporate in Delaware or Nevada. This is more convenient than repeatedly starting—and dissolving—in-state companies as you move around the nation. Because liability protection varies by state, you may also consider incorporating in business-friendly Delaware or Nevada if you engage in a higher-risk industry.

Choosing a State

CHAPTER 8

Focus on Funding At some point, no matter how carefully you monitor your cash flow, you will have to borrow money from a financial institution. There are two main reasons to borrow: to cover a temporary cash flow gap and to provide working capital for the growth of your business. Plan ahead. A written financial plan—whether for a bank or internal use—is a major step in the right direction. A financing plan helps you avoid the causes of cash flow problems, anticipate financing needs (for growth or for survival) and helps keep your total borrowing under control. A financing plan spells out responses to such questions as: What are the business’s needs? Why can’t they be met from retained earnings? Are operating profits going to be available to meet long-term debt? How much is needed, when and under what terms? Most important, the plan should provide an answer to the banker’s biggest question: How will this loan be repaid? You must be able to show that you can afford to service the loan. One classic way small businesses trip themselves up is to use this year’s financing to pay off last year’s debt. This “pyramiding” is doubly defeating. It creates a larger debt load than is wise and it is very discouraging to be always struggling with debt even while profitability is increasing. Be wary of using financing to conceal operating losses. How do you put together a financial plan? Start by identifying your business’s different needs for funds. Most of these will be covered by operating profits. Those that can’t (or can’t without making the liquidity vanish) should be carefully analyzed to see whether more debt should be sought. It’s important to remember that if debt financing is needed to cover a cash flow gap ordinarily caused by insufficient operating profits, the underlying cause of the shortfall must be identified and dealt with before financing will do any good. Borrowing to “paper over” an operating problem always leads to a worse situation, tempting though it may be at the time. Suppose, for example, that your sales have fallen off and costs have risen, making it clear that soon you’ll have a severe liquidity or working capital problem. If the lag in sales can be cured without borrowing, fine. (You can almost always take costs down a few notches.) If you still have cash flow problems, then make sure that the borrowing won’t make it worse. If the sales problem can’t be resolved, sooner or later you’ll be back to the bank to borrow more, thus driving costs even higher. Make sure you know your needs before going to the bank—both in dollar terms and in the benefits that cash inflow will have for your business. Any banker you’d want to work with will ask what you need the money for and whether you could raise it from operations. To admit that you haven’t looked at operating cuts and profits as a way to generate money is a sure way to lose credibility. Enter the bank well-prepared. Legitimate financing needs fall into five related categories. At any one time your needs may overlap several of these categories. A start-up, for example, may face radical expansion, perhaps requiring an acquisition or the launch of a new division. 1. Start-ups. A new business needs a combination of investment capital and long-term debt. One error that cripples a lot of small businesses is the use of short-term debt to finance long-term needs. The basic rule in financing is to match the term of the loan to both the term of the need and to the source of repayment. Using a 90-day note for permanent financing needs is very risky. Not only is there the ever-present danger that the loan will not be renewed, but there is the added disadvantage of never being able to plan more than 90 days ahead. 2. Working capital shortages. After initial capitalization, working capital should be generated from operating profits over a long period. If you suffer from chronic working capital shortages due to undercapitalization but are making some operating profits, then the answer may be a term loan if you can demonstrate that the loan will more than repay itself in additional operating profits. Sometimes a modest working capital loan will put a business over the hump, affording enough breathing room to make much higher operating profits. But remember, a working capital loan, which is paid back monthly over a period of up to three to seven years, adds to any existing financial strain. If your business won’t generate sufficient operating profits to cover

the payments comfortably, then added equity is needed, not more debt. 3. Equipment and other fixed assets. Equipment and other fixed-asset loans are about the clearest examples of matching a loan to the need and payment base. Since these loans are ordinarily secured by the equipment, the anticipated useful life of the equipment becomes a major factor in the credit decision. A rough guideline is that you can finance equipment with a projected useful life of 10 years for up to 70% of its life and up to 90% of its value. Don’t buy fixed assets on 90-day notes. The timing is wrong. If you’re trying to make your business work on sweat equity, you may want to go ahead and pay off a piece of equipment more rapidly than we’d recommend. That’s an option, but a hard one to live with. While equipment loans rarely go beyond 7 years, commercial real estate may be financed for 10 or more years, depending on the situation. Since you are building equity in equipment and real estate from profits for a number of years, you should finance it the same way.

Using Credit Wisely Managing cash and securing capital are the two biggest challenges small business owners face— particularly in the start-up phase. To keep personal expenses separate from business expenses, use business credit cards as money management tools. Here are three ways they will help you: • Business credit card: Use it to make and manage purchases, as well as cover travel and entertainment expenses. Like a reserve of credit, a business card gives you the flexibility to pay bills in full or revolve your balance. • Business check card: An ideal replacement for cash and checks—with the convenience of a debit card—check cards allow you to draw on funds from a business checking account. They are excellent for start-ups, since they allow your company to establish a business relationship with your bank. • Business credit line: Providing an unsecured line of credit up to $50,000, the credit line gives businesses a source of working capital for emergencies or growth opportunities. Caution: If you are a sole proprietor or partnership, you are personally responsible for your business debt. Forming a corporation or LLC separates your business debt from you personally.

4. Inventory, seasonal progress. These loans are short-term and are usually tied to a clearly defined source of repayment, such as one inventory turn, fulfillment of a contract or sale of a specific asset. Short-term notes are repaid from short-term sources, clearly identified before the credit is granted. Medium- and long-term debts are repaid from more indirect sources. A banker looks to proven management ability (usually evidenced by a profitable history and clearly understood plans) for repayment. Since there is no single, fast source of repayment, the risk is greater and the decision more difficult. This is a crucial distinction. A poorly run company may be a good short-term credit risk, but for long-term credit, a business must show the ability to consistently generate profits. Remember, term loans come due every month, adding to the drain on resources and, in turn, increasing the risk and need for more careful financial management.

5. Sustained growth. The final major need for financing is growth, which can outstrip working capital. As sales go up, liquidity often goes down. A combination of investment, lines of credit to receivables and inventory and long-term working capital loans is the common answer. Notice what this implies. If you plan to grow, you must plan to generate profits consistently, while at the same time keeping your business liquid to meet current obligations. To make sure that you maintain liquidity, you have to be certain of your financing strategy. The answer? A solid financial plan. (For help in creating a sound financial plan, contact your nearest SCORE chapter. See page 9.) Work with your banker. If you aren’t comfortable preparing a financing proposal, complete with financial statements or if you feel that your banking relationships could be improved, get your banker involved in your long-term planning efforts. Like all business professionals, bankers like to use their skills. Since most businesses suffer from a lack of financial management skills and since most bankers have these skills, it is to your advantage to make the first move. Invite your banker to help you. Level with him or her. If you can’t keep communications open, then you won’t get help—and it’s quite possible that you won’t get the financing you need. By being open, you’ll enhance your credibility. And better yet, you’ll more likely find that you can turn the banker’s skills into a positive resource rather than a roadblock.

EXERCISE

Get a Fix on Financing To obtain the funds to launch your business, here are six avenues to explore: 1. Stick close to home. There may be more options than you think, including: • • • •

Personal savings Business credit card Business credit line Business check card

• Second mortgage on your home • Profit-sharing funds from your previous job • Friends and relatives

2. If you need more than these sources can provide, consider: • Bank loans

• Crowdfunding

• Private offering

• Limited partnership

3. Plug into a local network, including the following: • • • • •

U.S. Small Business Administration: 1-800-827-5722 Nearest office SCORE chapter: 1-800-634-0245 Nearest Small Business Development Center (SBDC) or your state economic development department Local business associations, such as the chamber of commerce State and locally sponsored small business conferences

4. Seek venture capital only if your business has the potential to achieve multimillion-dollar sales within five years. (For more information, contact the National Venture Capital Association at 703-524-2549 or the National Association of Small Business Investment Companies at 202-628-5055.) 5. Don’t get bogged down hunting for funds; if you encounter problems raising money, try to start your business on a smaller scale. 6. Be sure you know your current credit history—for both you (personal credit rating) and your business. Try to find out which credit reporting service your prospective lender uses and request a report from that company. The three major credit reporting companies are: Dun & Bradstreet (1-800-234-3867), Equifax (1-800-685-1111) and Experian/TRW (1-888-397-3742).

ABC’s of Borrowing: Five Types of Business Loans, Terms and Purposes Loan Type

Credit Card

Credit Line

Short-Term Loan

Equipment/ Vehicle Loan

Commercial Real Estate Loan

Term

Evergreen

12 months of evergreen

90 day note

Up to 7 years

10 years +

Purpose

• Cover travel, entertainment and office supplies

• Cover short-term cash-flow needs • Carry accounts receivable

• Short-term items like inventory

• Unexpected events

• Purchase or refinance business equipment and/or vehicles

• Purchase or refinance commercial real estate

Use the five questions below to provide a framework for focusing on funding your business:

1. List the banks in your area where you will apply for a loan and individuals who might provide you with introductions to bankers. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Identify individuals at the bank to whom you should approach with your request. a) ___________________________________________

c) ____________________________________________

b) ___________________________________________

d) ____________________________________________

3. What are the key questions you will ask your banker? (Find out how much experience the bank has in lending to your type of business, then ask about the lending/borrowing details—e.g., loan limits, collateral requirements, interest rates and other terms.) _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. How will you answer each of these five questions that the banker will inevitably ask you? a) How much money do you need?

d) When and how will you repay it?

b) How long do you need it?

e) What will you do if you don’t get the loan?

c) What are you going to do with it? 5. Should you seek venture capital rather than a bank loan? Begin answering this question by comparing the key factors bankers and venture capitalists focus on: Banker

Venture Capitalist

Collateral

Market demand for your market or service

Covenants in loan agreement

Equity position and value of stock

Ration analysis

Compound annual rate of return (typically 35% to 50%)

Ability to repay

Exit within 5 to 7 years

Financial statements

Management’s background

Both, of course, will expect you to present a sound business plan. Check the sources you plan to approach for funding: Personal Resources

Close-to-Home

Outside Sources

■ Savings

■ Friends

■ Bank loan

■ Second mortgage

■ Family

■ SBA loan

■ Insurance

■ Business credit card

■ Profit-sharing

■ Business credit line ■ Venture capital ■ Limited partnership ■ Private offering ■ Crowdfunding

CHAPTER 9

Build a Team For your new business to have a chance to grow, it must have good people. With this in mind, be sure to do the following: 1. Consider working with vendors, hiring contractors, or using temporary employees for routine tasks or special projects.. With employees comes payroll tax, HR issues and recordkeeping. 2. When it is time to hire, look for those who: a) share your values and goals for the business, and b) have winning attitudes and track records. 3. Approach investor relationships with caution. Describe everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responsibilities in writing and work with a lawyer on a buy-sell agreement that covers who owns what and how the partners can sell their shares to end the partnership. 4. Use outside advisers such as an accountant, a lawyer, a mentor and a board of advisers consisting of two to five professionals whose judgment you respect, including SCORE mentors. Personal assessment. List your business-related strengths and weaknesses and likes and dislikes. Include personal traits, skills and behavior. For example, if you like numbers but dislike making presentations to groups of people, write that down. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enjoy working with raw data or performing in-depth analysis, but would rather spend your time in people-oriented situations, then put that down. This exercise will enable you to determine the personal contributions that you will bring to your own company, as well as define the gaps that can be filled by hiring qualified key employees. Strengths ________________________________________________________________________________________ Weaknesses ____________________________________________________________________________________ Likes ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Dislikes ________________________________________________________________________________________ This should give you some specific ideas about the qualities youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d most like to see in your employees. Next, think about the skills, traits and backgrounds you would like them to bring to the business. List and prioritize them from the most to the least important: _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Based on the qualities above, write a job title and description for each of the key people you plan to hire: a)____________________________________________________________________________________________ b)____________________________________________________________________________________________ c) ___________________________________________________________________________________________ d)____________________________________________________________________________________________

Compensation 1. How much would you expect to pay to outsource this role, such as bookkeeping, packing/shipping, etc? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What is the market value for each job title or individual described at the bottom of page 16? Title (a): ______________________________________

Salary: $ ______________________________________

Title (b): ______________________________________

Salary: $ ______________________________________

Title (c): ______________________________________

Salary: $ ______________________________________

Title (d): ______________________________________

Salary: $ ______________________________________

3. How much salary might he or she expect to receive from one of your competitors? a) Starting salary: $ _______________________ c) Starting salary: $ __________________________________ b) Starting salary: $ _______________________ d) Starting salary: $ __________________________________ 4. What salary are you prepared to offer? a) Starting salary: $ _______________________ c) Starting salary: $ __________________________________ b) Starting salary: $ _______________________ d) Starting salary: $ __________________________________ 5. What other forms of compensation or benefits might you provide in lieu of higher salary? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. When do you need to bring these people on board? (Create a schedule for when you plan to have each person working for your company.) a) ___________________________________________

c) ____________________________________________

b) ___________________________________________

d) ____________________________________________

Outside Advisers Name the outsiders who can contribute to your operation by providing valuable advice and services (e.g. bookkeeper): _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Telephone Equipment: How many lines do you need? Depending on the type of business that you run, your telephony needs are going to vary. While many businesses still use a traditional two-line phone system (one line for incoming calls and one for outgoing), the world of telephony is rapidly changing. For example, it used to be common place to have dedicated phone lines to receive faxes and for internet connections. Broadband internet and email have replaced each of these in many cases. Still, your needs will vary based on a number of factors. These include what type of business you are (home-based, phone sales, retail store, etc.), how many users of the phone system you will have, and whether or not you will need videoconferencing. Here are 10 items you may also want to discuss with your phone company rep: 1. If you are setting up a home business, installing distinctive ringing will allow you to piggyback a different telephone number on your existing line, making it ring in a different tone and pattern. 2. If you want a separate telephone line in your home-based business, you can save money by installing a residential line. To obtain a business listing in the Yellow Pages, however, you need to install a business line. 3. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind being interrupted during a call, call waiting can notify you when another call is coming in. Customers often find this option annoying, however and business telephone etiquette experts suggest investing in voice mail, which allows customers to avoid a busy signal and leave a detailed recorded message. 4. If you want to be able to speak to several individuals in different places at the same time, you can arrange for conference calling. 5. When you frequently call the same numbers, speed dialing can save you time by allowing you to preprogram a one- or two-digit code into your telephone. 6. You can save money on calls of short duration if your telephone provider offers billing in six-second increments instead of full minutes. 7. Caller ID allows you to identify who is calling before you pick up your telephone. 8. When you sign up for additional telephone lines or services, inquire about installment billing, which allows you to spread out the payments over several months, often without finance charges. 9. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re often away from your office and want your calls to follow you to another number, invest in call-forwarding options. 10. To encourage customers to contact you for information and orders, establish a toll-free number. Another factor to take into account is how your phone system will interact with software that you may be using. If you use a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system such as Salesforce.com or ACT , you may want to ensure that a record of all customer interactions can be recorded in the system. CRM systems are available for all types of business, and there is no size minimum for utilization. Another popular feature is email integration. This is where all marketing, sales, and service emails with a customer is recorded in your CRM. Many CRMs have mobile apps that facilitate this. A very common practice in business today is for smartphones to be utilized. Many companies are electing to get rid of traditional phones in lieu of smartphones. Smartphones have a variety of productivity apps that can be downloaded for little or no money. They are also designed to send, receive, and view email on the fly, and to access the internet at very fast speeds. It is important to have an idea of how you plan to use mobile phones in your business.

CHAPTER 10

Pin Down Your Company Name(s) EARLY IN YOUR incorporation or LLC formation planning, choose—and reserve—the company name that will be included in your articles of incorporation, as well as the Internet domain name. You should have several alternative names in case your first choices are unavailable. Your corporate name must be unregistered—that is, no other corporation in the state where you are filing already is using the name or a similar name. Also, each state has rules as to words that can (or cannot) be used in your name. Most states require that a word such as Incorporated, Company or Limited be included in your name; many prohibit the use of the words United States, Federal or National. As a rule of thumb, you can select a name that will help identify the type of products or services your business provides. Or, you may prefer a name that conveys technical or professional expertise that will catch attention and be easy to remember. Sometimes the name(s) of the founder or founding members is used. Reserving your name. As soon as you select a name, contact the secretary of state’s office in your incorporation state or an incorporation service company to find out if it is available. If not, you will have to try other alternatives. If you have confirmation that a name is available, but you’re not ready to file corporate papers, most states allow you to reserve the name for up to 60 days by filling out the appropriate form and paying the required fee. If you will be doing business in more than one state, consider reserving your name in every state where you will be doing business prior to incorporating in any state. Otherwise, if your name is not available in another state, you will have to choose a different name before you can do business there. Winning the domain game. For many companies, reserving an Internet domain name is as important as reserving a corporate name. Registering your domain name early in the incorporation process ensures that it will be available when you launch your website. With more than 400,000 domain names registered or transferred per day on the internet, online names are becoming scarce. The longer you wait, the less likely your preferred domain name will be available. Ideally, your domain name will be the same as your corporate name or closely related. The easiest way to start selecting and reserving a domain name is to do a simple Web search under “domain name registration.” You’ll find a long list of accredited domain registration services that can check a name and register it if available. If a preferred name isn’t available, many sites will offer suggestions for alternatives. After completing your domain name search, check to see if your company name is already taken on Twitter, Facebook, Tout, and other social channels. To check the availability of an account name across various social platforms, use sites like KnowEm.com or CheckUsernames.com.

Possible Corporate Names

Possible Domain Names

CHAPTER 11

Setting Up Shares IF YOU PLAN TO incorporate your business as a C or an S status corporation, you have to indicate in the articles of incorporation the number of shares and classes of shares the corporation is authorized to issue. Each share of stock represents ownership in the company. Some corporations have a single shareholder, who may also be the only officer and director of the corporation. For others, the only shareholders are the husband and wife or family members. For still others, the shareholders and officers are the group of individuals involved in starting and managing the business. The amount of authorized shares a corporation issues depends on the size of the business, its short-term needs and long-term plans. If you plan on going public or have private offerings to individuals in the future, for example, you may want to issue a sufficient amount of stock with that intent in mind. Perhaps you need capital or want to recruit an experienced professional team early on. Selling stock to prospective shareholders can raise money needed to fund growth. Prospective shareholders can also bring experience, contacts and professional skills to the corporation. The different classes of stock determine how much money will be paid for each share and how dividends will be paid. Par value is the designated minimum price of an authorized share, below which it cannot be sold. No-par value stock has no stated minimum price; the shares may be issued for any price determined by the board of directors. No-par value is generally recommended because it allows the maximum flexibility to value shares later. Most small corporations issue a single class of common stock, in which all shares have equal dividend and voting rights. Some C corporations also authorize preferred stock, which conveys preference on the right to receive annual dividends, among other things. The corporation must pay dividends to preferred stockholders before common stockholders. S status corporations may only issue a single class of stock and LLCs do not issue stock at all.

Tuning in to a Sounding Board Regardless of how small your corporation may be, set up a team of outside advisers to serve as a sounding board. Besides ideas and objective analyses, the board members can offer guidance in areas of outside expertise that could help you avoid financial and legal pitfalls. Here are five guidelines for building a board that can really help you: ❑ COMPOSITION. A good board consists of several unrelated counterparts. Your advisers might include an accountant, banker, attorney, insurance broker, CEO of a company in a related business or a business school professor. ❑ SIZE. Don’t load your advisory board with so many people that you’ll never get anything done. A good rule of thumb: five to seven members are all you need. ❑ SCHEDULING. Set up a regular meeting time—every month or quarter— depending on the complexity of the issues to be discussed. Schedule meetings with a SCORE mentor as an outside adviser. ❑ PROFESSIONALISM. Don’t burden members with petty issues, such as what kind of computer to buy. Deal with wider issues, such as identifying emerging markets and ways to motivate your sales force. ❑ COMPENSATION. Be prepared to pay travel expenses and a small stipend to attract the best team.

CHAPTER 12

Five Steps to Compliance AS A CORPORATION OR LLC, you will have to satisfy federal, state and local regulations that apply to most enterprises. Beyond that, there are legal formalities and paperwork required for maintaining your corporate status. Here’s a sampling of the periodic paperwork required One of the first things you must do after filing artito retain your corporate or LLC status: cles of incorporation is apply for a federal tax identifi❑ Federal taxes (e.g., corporate income, Social cation number. No bank will let you open a corporate Security, Medicare, unemployment) bank account until you have one. The application ❑ State taxes (corporate income; annual franchise; form—SS-4 Application for Employer Identification payroll, including unemployment, disability and Number—is available from the IRS and can be downworkers’ compensation; sales; certain property) loaded from its website, www.irs.gov. Many states ❑ Federal, state and local licenses and permits have a similar form that must be completed. (certification, operating and safety) Necessary licenses and permits for your business ❑ Shareholder agreements must also be secured. Your secretary of state’s office ❑ Company records (articles of incorporation and is a good starting point for accessing information bylaws; personal; key transactions; minutes of about which permits you will need, depending on the meetings; etc.) nature of your business. Some states have one-stop shops for accessing a single contract or form to com❑ State annual reports plete their required registrations. Others involve a number of agencies—employment departments, workers’ compensation divisions, revenue departments—to accomplish this task. It pays to research, in advance, which permits and licenses you’ll need, some of which may include certain state and local environmental or zoning laws. Employment regulations also should be near the top of your compliance checklist. Federal and state laws specify how often your employees must be paid and what you have to deduct from their paychecks. Federal taxes that must be deducted and recorded include income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes, and unemployment tax. On the state level, you also may have to withhold for income tax. And all states require that you have workers’ compensation insurance before employees start their jobs. To protect your status as a corporation, you must adhere to certain formalities and legal requirements. For example, to protect the personal liability of its shareholders, your company must perform as a corporation and be recognized as one. Not only must a separate identity be maintained, but personal financial matters and business matters must be kept entirely separate. Here are five rules for protecting your corporate status and minimizing liability exposure for corporate activities:

Complying With the Rules and Regulations

1. Keep your corporation or LLC in good legal standing. File all required reports on time, and don’t neglect to pay your corporate taxes. Failure to plan for taxes—income taxes, payroll or other withholding taxes—is one of the primary causes of small business failure. Specific statutory authority allows federal and state officials to assess liability for certain unpaid taxes against individuals responsible for the corporation. Common targets are corporate presidents and treasurers, although directors and shareholders of small businesses may also be liable. Most states require corporations to file an annual report and an annual franchise tax report; some have other forms that must be filed as well. Annual reports provide states with current information on such things as corporate address, business activity and changes in the roster of officers or directors. Some states charge a franchise tax that must be paid when you file the franchise report. The tax is a fee assessed for doing business in the state. If you fail to file your annual report or franchise tax in a timely fashion, your corporate charter may be revoked, effectively dissolving the corporation.

2. Keep proper corporate records. This includes those required by law as well as documentation of key corporate meetings and transactions. In addition to basic documents, such as articles of incorporation and bylaws, most states require you to maintain a record of the minutes of shareholder meetings and consent resolutions, and all written communications to shareholders within the last three years, including copies of any financial statements furnished to them. The IRS and other parties with claims against the corporation may be able to compel disclosure of a much broader range of documents, including detailed financial information, tax returns, sales records, personnel records and company contracts. If you fail to keep appropriate records, a court of the IRS could impose personal liability against individual officers, directors and shareholders of the corporation. To maintain your corporation’s status as a separate legal entity, important activities should be documented, usually in corporate minutes, contracts or both. If you don’t hold the corporation out as a separate legal entity, you make it easier for creditors and other claimants to assert personal liability against you rather than the corporation. While corporate minutes don’t have to include specific reference to day-to-day business operations, extraordinary items or matters that fall outside the category of daily activity should be expressly noted in the minutes. This would include, for example, decisions relating to the purchase or lease of expensive equipment or real estate, borrowing money or pledging corporate assets as security for a loan, or declaring a dividend or redeeming a corporate stock. Other important transactions can be documented through a bill of sale, invoice, promissory note or contact. 3. Do not commingle personal assets with business assets or make personal use of business property. A corporation should have its own bank account distinct from any personal account you may have. It’s much harder to demonstrate that certain expenditures were made for the benefit of the business when personal and business accounts are the same. If personal items are used by the business—tools, office supplies or computer equipment, for example—corporate minutes should document which items are personal. Something as simple as personal use of a company-owned car can create potential legal problems. Even if you use the car just to tote the kids back and forth from school, you should document this time for the corporate records. Also, don’t try to deduct or depreciate, as business assets, property that is used almost exclusively for personal purposes. 4. Operate your corporation at arm’s length. It’s common for shareholders, officers and directors of small corporations to enter into business transactions with the corporation. For start-up businesses, corporate loans often come from these individuals. Any such loans should be documented with a corporate resolution or promissory note. Interest rates and repayment provisions should be comparable to those the corporation would have to meet had the lender been a bank or other unrelated party. The same rules apply if the corporation is the lender and an officer or shareholder is the borrower, and in cases where shareholders sell or lease assets to the corporation.The temptation to offer favorable terms to individuals associated with the corporation is great, but it must be avoided. “Sweetheart” deals between an individual shareholder, officer or director and the corporation are subject to close scrutiny by the IRS, other shareholders and creditors. 5. Always identify your business by a corporate name. Whenever you do something on behalf of the corporation, make it clear you are not doing business in an individual capacity. If you sign a contract for the corporation, for example, be sure to include your title. Sign as “John Doe, President,” and not simply “John Doe.” By remembering to use the corporate name and referring to yourself with your corporate capacity, you can insulate yourself from personal liability.

CHAPTER 13

Control Cash and Credit What levels of debt can your business safely support? Can you control the amount, timing and availability of credit? That is, can you ensure the timely inflow of cash from new debt? Assume that you have done all you can realistically to control your cash flow, but you still face occasional periods of cash shortfalls. To tide you over these periods, you have to borrow from an outside source–e.g., a commercial bank or credit-card company line of credit. How do you go about preparing a financing proposal? Begin by focusing on receivables and inventory. Chances are they might be your largest current assets against which you can borrow. Ideally, receivables and inventory turn into cash as soon as you wish. However, unless you manage them carefully, cash flow and carrying costs become a problem. To manage your working capital properly, you must know:

Five Steps for Managing Receivables

1. The age of your receivables and inventory.

1. Age your receivables.

2. The turn of your receivables and inventory. 3. The concentration of your receivables (how many customers comprise the majority of your receivables, what amount of receivables they represent, what products the receivables cover) and inventory by product lines.

2. Calculate your collection period and apply the “40-day/30-day” rule of thumb to see if you have a problem. 3. Identify slow-paying customers.

4. Pursue delinquent accounts vigorously. You also must know what your credit and collection policies are doing to your working capital. All too often small 5. Identify fast-paying accounts and try to business owners mistake sales for profits. They extend more increase their number. and more credit, pursue lax collection policies and end up financing their customers to increase sales. Most businesses cannot afford to provide interest-free loans to customers just because they expect it. Slow-paying customers must be subject to profitability analysis, which takes into account their carrying costs. Sales increases should translate into profits on the bottom line, but it’s difficult to increase profits when you’re carrying customers who habitually stretch their payments. Receivables management. To control receivables, begin by examining their age. Break receivables out weekly to spot the slow-pay accounts as soon as possible. Then you can try to collect before the accounts costs you your profits. Aging receivables is simple: Separate invoices into Current, 30 days, 60 days, 90 days and more than 90 days. Then calculate your collection period: Divide annual credit sales by 365 to find the average daily credit sale. Next, divide your current outstanding receivables total by the average daily credit sale. This yields your collection period. Here’s a good rule of thumb for a quick test of your receivables management: If your collection period is more than one third greater than your credit terms (for example, 40 days if your terms are net 30), you have a looming problem. Managing your inventory. Inventory management, like receivables management, is often overlooked as a source of operating profits. Careful attention to how you manage these two areas can often free up cash and improve operating profits without resorting to bank borrowing. If you are managing both of these areas well, congratulate yourself—you are in a distinct minority. Carrying costs of inventory can run as high as 30% of average inventory, a substantial drain on working capital. Consider the costs of storage, spoilage, pilferage, inventory loans and insurance. They add up fast. Determining the right level of inventory to carry is difficult. On the one hand you want to avoid unnecessary expenses, while on the other you want to avoid as many stock-outs as possible. Trying to manage inventory on a dayto-day basis invites trouble; accordingly, most businesses use some kind of inventory policy. The three most important factors in creating an inventory policy are inventory turnover (how many times per year and how that compares with

other businesses in the same line), reorder time (planning on a 10-day reorder time is vastly different from a 20-day reorder time) and who your suppliers are. Inventory control is a balancing act. If your inventory gets too high, you run out of cash. If it’s too low, chances are you’re buying in uneconomical quantities (a danger sign to bankers), you’re too undercapitalized to ever become profitable (another danger sign) or you’re bleeding the business. Bankers are increasingly interested in the quality of inventory as well as the more standard indicators of good management (liquidity, profitability and track record). If you have a cogent inventory policy and follow it carefully, you will upgrade both inventory quality and profitability. Establish a contingency plan. A contingency plan is a plan you hope never to use. It outlines what you would do if all of your optimistic plans go wrong. It doesn’t have to be lengthy. In some cases, it can be as short as a single page and still be more than adequate, although for most businesses such a plan should provide answers to these questions: 1. What suppliers would give you extended terms or carry you in case of a crunch? Why would they carry you? How long and how much? 2. What new investment could you make? Would you refinance personal assets to provide a cash cushion for your business? Could you? What other assets could you bring to support a cash crunch? 3. What assets does your business have to either sell or turn into cash some other way if necessary (perhaps a sale/leaseback, for example)?

Collections

4. How will you keep your banker and major trade creditors on your side? 5. Have you examined all possible sources of additional working capital in your business? Where might you have some leverage? 6. What customers would be willing to prepay or speed up orders if it would help you?

Follow-Up Form Name: __________________________________________________ Telephone: ______________________________________________ Spoke to:________________________________________________ Title:

__________________________________________________

Subject: ________________________________________________ The purpose of a contingency plan is to make sure before a crisis occurs that you won’t panic. As evidence of thoughtful business management, it’s hard to beat and is being sought by more and more creditors. Tighten and maintain cash controls. Cash flow control begins with the cash flow budget. If you don’t have a cash flow budget, you will have cash flow problems. You also need a sales budget or its equivalent to keep the sales level where it should be. Small sales lags can add up to big problems if not spotted early—ranging from a sluggish salesperson to a less than honest clerk.

Date: __________________________________________________ Time: __________________________________________________ Initials: ________________________________________________ ■ No answer

■ Not available

■ Requested info

■ Requested proof of delivery

■ Order never received

■ Payment previously sent

■ Will send check

■ Merchandise returned

■ Duplicate billing

■ Payment being held

Comments:

____________________________________________

Returned call: __________________________________________ Follow-up: ______________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

Your cash flow budget is a good tool for keeping overhead costs down. You have a degree of control over costs that you don’t have over sales; while you can almost always cut costs, you can’t generate sales (especially cash sales) whenever needed. If you could, you’d never have a cash flow problem. Every budget has some fat in it. Tightening control means always asking whether this or that purchase or expenditure will have a positive effect on your business. If there is no clear answer, examine the expenditure closely. This effort must be consistent to work. All the controls in the book mean nothing unless they’re applied—whether the control is a separation of purchasing from paying, making sure that bills and reorders go out when they should or even keeping a physical count of the inventory.

Three Credit Policy Steps 1. Divide your customer list into three groups: Prime, Good, Other. Prime customers always pay within term; Good usually do; Others seldom, if ever, do. 2. Look for similarities within the groups. What kinds of customers are Prime or Good? How do they differ from Other? 3. Look for ways to upgrade as many customers as possible to Prime and Good. Remember: You don’t have a sale until you’re paid.

Credit and collection. The cost of extending credit is one of those hidden costs that eats up working capital. Very few smaller businesses have explicit credit policies. If they did, they could dramatically increase both profits and the quality of their current assets. Investigate accepting credit cards and encouraging customers to use them. They cost little in return for the headaches they save you. Consider the cost, in direct comparison to bad-debt losses and in time, effort and attention that slow-pay accounts cost you. The added costs of capital tied up in receivables, for example, is frequently greater than any fee charged by the financial institution supporting the transaction. Use a follow-up form (see page 26 for a sample) each time you call a lagging account. The completed slip will provide back-up information and should be filed for reference on further calls. Remember to ask for specific payments on specific dates. If payment is not received, call back and ask again.

Speaking About Financial Management Accounts payable

Liabilities resulting from purchases of goods or services on an open-account basis.

Accounts receivable

Amounts owed by customers as a result of delivering goods or services and extending credit in the ordinary course of business.

Balance sheet

A financial statement that shows a company’s assets and liabilities.

Budget

A forecast of revenues and expenditures for a specific period of business activity.

Cash flow

Usually refers to net cash provided by operating activities; there is also cash flow from financing and investing.

Cash flow statement

A report on cash receipts and cash payments for a particular period.

General ledger

A record containing the group of accounts that supports the amounts shown in the financial statements.

Gross profit

The difference between sales revenue and cost of goods sold.

Income statement

A report of all revenues and expenses pertaining to a specific period.

Inventory turnover

The number of times during an accounting period that a business sells the value of its inventory. Turnover is calculated by dividing the cost of goods sold by the average inventory during the period. (Average inventory is figured by adding beginning and ending inventory, then dividing by two.)

Line of credit (LOC)

An agreement by which a financial institution (usually a bank) holds funds available for a business’s use. A secured LOC is ordinarily renewed annually; an unsecured line may have to be paid down once a year.

EXERCISE

Project Your Cash Flow Cash Flow is the movement of cash in and out of your business within a given period, usually a week or a month. It is not the same as profit. A business can show a profit on the day it goes bankrupt—simply because it has insufficient cash to meet its obligations. Cash Flow Protection is looking ahead to determine what your cash flow is likely to be—this is critical to keeping a business running. Cash In and Cash Out are the dynamic sections of your cash-flow projection, representing the flow of money in and out of a business. Electronic cash flow worksheets are available at www.score.org. Elements of Cash Flow 1. Starting Cash (or starting balance). Each monthly projection begins with the amount of cash you have on hand at the start of the month. Your Starting Cash is the same number as the previous month’s Ending Cash. 2. Cash In. This section of the statement is also called “sources of cash.” It includes all cash received during the month. There are several possible sources: a. Sales are a primary source of cash, but remember to include only cash sales. Sales that have been invoiced do not represent money you can spend this month, so list only the cash sales you expect to have. b. Paid Receivables are those sales that were previously invoiced and have been paid this month. It is important to project accurately when you expect to be paid—30 days, 60 days, etc. If a sale made in January is actually going to be collected in March, you want your projections to be realistic and reflect that lag time. c. Interest. When your business is fortunate enough to have money in the bank, it will be earning interest. d. Other. Additional sources of cash might be a bank loan, sale of stock or the sale of an asset such as a company car. 3. Cash Out. This section is also referred to as “uses of cash.” Cash leaves the business in two basic ways: fixed expenses and variable expenses.

Month 1 STARTING CASH

$2,500

CASH IN Cash Sales Paid Receivables Other

$1,000 0 0

TOTAL CASH IN

$1,000

CASH OUT Rent Payroll Other

$700 $1,000 $300

TOTAL CASH OUT

$2,000

ENDING BALANCE

$1,500

CHANGE (Cash Flow)

($1,000)

a. Fixed Expenses are incurred regularly and are not easily eliminated. Generally, they do not fluctuate with sales volume; they are “fixed” from month to month: rent and payroll, payroll taxes, estimated taxes, utilities, interest on loans and insurance payments. b. Variable Expenses can change from month to month and often vary with sales volume or production volume. They can be more easily changed than fixed expenses. Some examples: supplies, commissions, advertising, raw materials, consulting services and promotion.

4. Ending Cash (or Ending Balance) is how much cash is left at the end of the month. It is the result of the numbers in Cash In and Cash Out. Simply add the Starting Cash to Total Cash In and then subtract Total Cash Out. The cash you end the month with is the cash you have to start the next month—so, you get the number for Starting Cash by copying if from the previous month’s Ending Cash. 5. Cash Flow is the amount that has flowed through the business (see box below). It is a measure of what has happened that month. If nothing has happened—say you began with $1,000 and didn’t take any cash in or pay out a nickel—you would end up with $1,000, but your Cash Flow would be $0. To calculate Cash Flow, subtract the Ending Cash from the Starting Cash. The secret to success is positive cash flow.

Quarterly Cash Flow Worksheet (by Month) MONTH:

STARTING CASH CASH IN Cash Sales Paid Receivables

TOTAL CASH IN CASH OUT Rent Payroll

TOTAL CASH OUT ENDING CASH CHANGE (Cash Flow)

CHAPTER 14

Chart Your Business Progress Once you’re open for business, how should you monitor your company’s health and progress? Besides sales and profits, what other indicators will help you measure performance? And how often should you track those measurements? As your company grows, it will be in a constant state of flux, with hundreds of variables at play each day. Each of them will have a pull on you and your employees, dictating behavior and priorities. But at the end of the day, which variables will really count? One of the most significant management tools for growing a company is the development of a clear set of performance indicators that represent the criteria from which the business is managed and monitored. These critical numbers are most often associated with financial performance—sales, margins and accounts receivables. But other important aspects of your business also impact overall performance, such as customer-service ratings, inventory, number of complaints, quality statistics, employee morale and satisfaction ratings, sales figures and collections. To ensure your success as a new business owner, make a list of the factors that are most important to your company’s performance and then select a group of key indicators to track on a regular basis. Choose those factors that are critical to sustaining your company’s competitive advantage as well as maintaining its general health. The tracking reports to which you refer most often should be kept short and, therefore, user-friendly. For instance, you probably should only track three of four key indicators—at most—on a daily basis. They should be the ones that can have the most significant impact on your business. A more detailed report may be more appropriate for weekly or monthly review. Areas to consider for performance measures include: • Sales growth (number of calls, close rations, etc.) • Cash management (accounts receivable/payable, cash balances, inventory levels, future projections) • Profit measures (key drivers of profitability) • Customer feedback scores (e.g., service ratings) • Employee feedback scores (periodic surveys measuring morale, commitment, communication, etc.) The development of performance measurements is one of the most important keys to long-term growth. It will facilitate management control and communication throughout your company and it will support your efforts to perform at the highest level. Once successfully launched and in business, re-evaluate your need to incorporate or form an LLC to protect yourself and your family. Get helpful business planning tools and templates on the SCORE Business Plans & Financial Statements Template Gallery (www.score.org/resources/business-plans-financial-statementstemplate-gallery).

Why Are You in Business? You and your employees should be able to articulate the true mission of your company and hence, its critical-success factors. Here are eight questions that will help you define your company’s core purpose: 1. What makes us different from our competitors? 2. Why do customers buy from us rather than from our competitors? 3. What are our best talents and strengths? 4. What are we most proud of? 5. What does our company do that others would want to benchmark? 6. How do we make life better for our customers? 7. How do we create competitive advantages for our customers? 8. What do we want our reputation to be?

How to Take Your Company’s Pulse Which numbers should you keep an eye on to monitor your business’s financial health—and how often should you check them? Here are 10 critical checkpoints: Weekly Updates 1. Current cash position (how much cash was received, when and from whom) 2. Cash disbursements (e.g., payroll, materials and purchasing) 3. New sales 4. Accounts receivable (beginning balances, outstanding credit and cash receivables) 5. Accounts-payable payments 6. Order backlog 7. Number of employees (with a productivity metric; e.g., sales per employee) Monthly Updates 8. Inventory (with accounting or physical tests of accuracy) 9. Accounts-receivable average days outstanding 10. Accounts-payable obligations (with aging breakdown)

The Company Corporation® Incorporating What’s Right For You CHAPTER 0

With more than half a million businesses formed, The Company Corporation provides affordable incorporation services to small businesses and entrepreneurs nationwide. In addition to helping form corporations and limited liability companies (LLCs) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, The Company Corporation offers a wide range of products and services, including license and permit assistance, corporate kits, business education books, corporate filing services, certificates of good standing, Registered Agent services, and business start-up services. As part of our commitment to America’s small business owners, The Company Corporation supports the SCORE organization and provides educational materials for use by SCORE mentors and clients. For more information about incorporating or forming an LLC, please visit our website at www.incorporate.com/score or speak with one of our Business Specialists at 866-544-6804 (toll-free). The Company Corporation is a service company and does not provide legal or financial advice

SCORE For The Life Of Your Business SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and mentoring small business owners during all stages of business development including formation, growth, and beyond. Founded in 1964 and serving as a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the SCORE association has helped more than 10 million entrepreneurs build, expand, and protect their small businesses. SCORE provides information, advice, and interactive workshops on topics such as business start-up, financing, marketing, and technology. SCORE mentors work directly with entrepreneurs to meet the needs of their small business as they continually evolve. More than 12,000 SCORE business mentors in over 340 chapters nationwide volunteer their time and expertise to provide free and confidential small business guidance. SCORE mentors are active and retired business owners and executives, with extensive experience in a wide spectrum of fields. For free and confidential assistance, contact your local SCORE office or get assistance online at www.score.org. To find an office near you or obtain more information on our business workshops, call 800-634-0245.

IN COOPERATION WITH

www.score.org 800-634-0245

SPONSORED BY

866-544-6804 (toll free)

Congratulations on your decision to live your dream. This workbook is brought to you by SCORE and The Company Corporation as a guide for your success.

16 Steps to Starting a Business While Working Full Time

WELCOME!

STEPS

Achieve Your Startup Dreams

elcome to the world of business ownership! Those who pursue the entrepreneurial route are of a different cut than the rest of the population: driven to pursue a passion and carve their own path to success. We’re so glad you’ve chosen this road.

We at SCORE exist to support your efforts as a small business owner every step of the way—from dipping your toe in the water of a great idea to the full-fledged launch of your venture. Use this guide to make exactly that leap and utilize the support of a SCORE mentor to make the transition as smooth and effective as possible. Thanks to the support of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), SCORE mentoring and resources are completely free. Get connected with a SCORE mentor and access more free online tools at www.score.org. Starting a business is a daunting route to take but you don’t have to go it alone. Arm yourself with the tools and expertise that will best guide your path.

KEN YANCEY, CEO SCORE

16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

CONTENTS

STEPS

2-8

PART 1:

Get Ready

2 STEP 1: Select a Business STEP 2: Write Your Business Plan 4 STEP 3: Goal Setting and Planning 5 STEP 4: Choose Your 6 Marketing Methods STEP 5: Figure Out Your Finances 7

9-18

PART 2:

Get Set

9 STEP 6: Know the Rules STEP 7: Set Up Your First Office 10 STEP 8: Business Licenses, Taxes 11 and Insurance STEP 9: Invest in Your Image 12 STEP 10: Find Your First Customers 13 STEP 11: Manage Your Money 14 STEP 12: Manage Your Time 15 STEP 13: Manage Your Energy Level 16 STEP 14: Create Work/Life Balance 17 STEP 15: Work Your Business Network 18

19-20 PART 3:

Start

19 STEP 16: Go for It!

All images are used under license from Shutterstock.com http://www.shutterstock.com/licensing.mhtml 16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

STEP

PART 1: GET READY Do you dream of being your own boss? If you want to start a business, but aren’t quite ready to give up

your job and its accompanying security, salary and benefits, don’t worry; you don’t have to. Working full time doesn’t have to mean giving up on your entrepreneurial dreams. In fact, starting a business while working full time is a great way to test the waters of entrepreneurship and gradually grow your startup into a full-time business.

Select a Business

erhaps you already know what kind of business you want to start; perhaps you just know you want to be an entrepreneur. To find the perfect business, consider:

3. Your personality traits. It’s important to select a business that fits you. If you’re shy and dislike talking to strangers, a consulting business that requires cold calling and constant networking to attract clients may not be the right fit. If you’re social and love interacting with people, on the other hand, you probably won’t enjoy running an ecommerce site from your spare bedroom and connecting with customers only on-screen. Is your heart set on a business that requires traits you lack? Partnering with someone who possesses those qualities can put you on the road to success. Assess your experience, interests and personality traits, then brainstorm possible business ideas to develop a list of options.

1. Your skills and experience. Many people start businesses related to past jobs. For example, if you’re an IT manager for a big corporation, you might start an IT consulting service. This approach simplifies startup because you already have the skills, knowhow and business connections to get your business off the ground. On the other hand, after working all day in IT, will you want to spend nights and weekends doing it, too? Also keep in mind that you can’t approach your employer’s clients as potential customers. 2. Your interests and hobbies. Some entrepreneurs decide to change course entirely and start businesses based on their hobbies or personal interests. After a long day at work, it’s energizing to shift gears to a completely different business. On the other hand, your fun hobby may not seem as much fun when it becomes a serious business.

Will It Work Part Time? When starting a business while working full time, you must choose a concept that lends itself well to part-time operation and meshes with your personal and job commitments. For example, if you work 9:00 to 5:00 in your full-time job, it’s probably not realistic to start a retail store that has to be open from 10:00 to 8:00. However, with a few adjustments, many business concepts (even retail!) can be made to fit your needs. Take these factors into account when selecting your business idea:

16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

PART 1: GET READY

10 SMART STARTUP IDEAS Looking for a business idea? The following businesses don’t need a commercial location and can easily be run from home. Any meetings with customers can take place in the early mornings, evenings or on weekends, at their homes or businesses. 1. Ecommerce website 2. Tutoring service 3. Children’s extracurricular activities (i.e., language, art or music lessons) 4. Catering business 5. Housecleaning/home services

6. Personal training 7. Interior decorating 8. Writing/editing service 9. Pet grooming 10. Photographer

free, you have more time to spend on a business. If you travel frequently for your job, work very long or unpredictable hours, or have a spouse and young children, you may need to start very small or find a business partner to help out. ■■ Would your business require an outside location such

as a store or office? Where there’s a will, there’s a way. For example, if you’re determined to start a retail store, you could enlist a partner who can run the store while you’re at work. However, choosing a business that can be run from home—at least at the beginning—will make your life a lot easier. If you’ve always wanted a retail store, you could start with an ecommerce site and add a physical location when your business goes full time.

■■ When and where will customers or clients expect to

meet with you? Businesses where most interaction with customers takes place over the phone or by email; at customers’ homes or places of business; or during the evenings, nights or weekends are ideally suited to part-time operation. Since customers won’t expect to meet with you during normal business hours, you can keep your day job.

■■ What days and hours do you currently work? Unless you

can adjust your work schedule (for example, requesting an early morning shift so you have afternoons off), you’ll need a business you can operate outside your current work hours.

■■ What days and hours can you devote to your business?

Consider personal commitments as well as job responsibilities. If you are single, childless and have nights and weekends

16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

STEP

PART 1: GET READY

Write Your Business Plan

hen you’re starting a business part time, you may think you don’t need a business plan. However, a business plan is important for any startup—big or small. Much more than a tool for obtaining a business loan, the business plan is the road map you will use to keep your startup on the right track.

■■ Describe the sales channels you will use to sell your product

or service.

■■ Detail who your competition is and what characteristics will

enable your business to compete effectively.

■■ List your experience and background, and that of any co-

founders or partners.

2. Financial Forecasts: Explain how much it will cost to start the business, where the money will come from and how you will spend it, and your financial projections for growth. ■■ List the equipment you’ll need to buy and any other investments

you must make to get started.

Business plans typically include these sections:

■■ Explain where your startup money will come from, such as

personal loans, savings or salary.

Executive Summary

■■ Project your income and expenses for the first year in business

1. The Business

and estimate how long it will take to break even.

2. Financial Forecasts

■■ Include any outside investors or grants as an option of where

your startup money may come from.

3. Supporting Data We’ll explain the Executive Summary last, because you’ll write it last. 1. The Business: This section explains your business model—what your business does and how it will make a profit. ■■ Describe your business, your product or service and why there

is a need for it.

■■ Explain who your target market is and how you will market to them.

3. Supporting Data: Like an appendix for the business plan, this section provides backup evidence for the information you included elsewhere, such as the size of the market for your product or service. Executive Summary: As the name implies, this sums up all the information in the business plan. If you show your plan to investors, lenders or potential partners, this is the first and perhaps the only part they’ll read, so it must convey all the key information needed to convince them your business is worth their consideration.

BUSINESS PLAN RESOURCES ■■ Visit BPlans for hundreds of free sample plans you can use as templates. ■■ Check out Business Plan Pro, popular business plan software that comes with more

than 500 business plan formats for different business models and industries, as well as financial formulas, charts, graphs and tables built in.

■■ Need more assistance? Wise Business Plans is an online business plan service where

writers with MBAs use your ideas to write a business plan for you.

■■ Visit the SCORE website (www.score.org) to download free business plan templates and

get help from a mentor in putting your plan together.

16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

STEP

PART 1: GET READY

Goal Setting and Planning

tarting a business can seem overwhelming, especially when you’re also holding a full-time job. Goal setting and planning are crucial to success.

Use your business plan to map out your goals and the steps necessary to achieve them. When you know your overall business goals, such as how many sales you expect to make in your first quarter of business and when you anticipate reaching profitability, you can set smaller, interim goals to reach these larger milestones.

Each of these goals can be broken down into smaller steps. For example, steps to developing a website would include: ■■ Choosing a domain name for your website ■■ Registering the domain name ■■ Finding a web hosting company ■■ Finding a web designer, website development company or website

templates to create your website

■■ Determining what elements your website needs and how they will

be laid out

For instance, suppose your business model is an ecommerce website selling apparel and accessories for teenage girls. In order to get this business up and running, there are several goals you’ll need to accomplish, including:

■■ Choosing shopping cart and inventory software for your website

The more detailed you can be in laying out each step to startup, the better. For example, “Choosing a domain name” could be broken down into even smaller steps: ■■ Brainstorm domain names by myself ■■ Brainstorm domain names with friends and family ■■ Choose top five to 10 domain names ■■ Visit domain registrars to see which names are available ■■ Narrow down options and select one

If you break each step into smaller steps, achieving bigger goals will seem more manageable. When you’re starting a business part time, you’ll have limited time to work on your startup each day. Creating tasks you can complete quickly will give you a feeling of accomplishment and generate forward momentum.

■■ Developing a website ■■ Finding sources of inventory ■■ Finding prospective customers ■■ Setting up mailing and shipping systems

Once you’ve listed your goals, sub-goals and the specific steps needed to reach each milestone, plan a timeline for your startup’s launch. Create a timeline that is challenging enough to keep you energized, but realistic enough that you don’t get discouraged. Perhaps you’ll commit to accomplishing one small task each day, or one intermediate goal per weekend. Your SCORE mentor can help you develop a realistic timeline and keep you on track. 16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

STEP

PART 1: GET READY

Choose Your Marketing Methods

arketing spreads the word about your new business to potential customers. It includes print and online advertising, direct mail, public relations, social media, word-of-mouth and more. Start by creating a mission statement that succinctly and memorably expresses your business’s purpose, your target customers and what differentiates your business from the competition. For example, if you’re starting a children’s tutoring business, your mission statement might be, “Our mission is to help children grades K-12 reach their full potential through fun, individualized instruction that develops a lifelong love of learning.” The next step is to develop a consistent brand identity for your company. Your brand is the “personality” of your business. Visual elements such as your logo, packaging and website design; your marketing copy; and even the marketing methods you use all help convey your brand. In the example above, the brand is educational, personalized, caring and fun. Warm, bright colors; friendly, conversational copy; and lively design will all help convey this brand. To choose your marketing methods, ask: ■■ Who are your target customers? (Are they businesses or

consumers? What are their demographics?)

■■ What media do they use? (Do they read print newspapers or prefer

online blogs? Which radio or TV stations do they tune in to?)

■■ Where do they normally buy products or services like

yours? (Online or in stores? From big-box retailers or small independents?)

■■ How will you sell your product? (Online, by wholesaling to stores,

through sales representatives?)

The answers to these questions, as well as your available time and budget, will determine what marketing methods work best. For

example, if your children’s tutoring service has a target market of young, well-educated moms who are avid online shoppers highly influenced by social media, you should focus most of your marketing efforts online. If you provide financial consulting services for retirees, on the other hand, and your target market reads print newspapers and magazines and enjoys getting direct mail, you should use print advertising and mailers. Every startup needs marketing collateral, which can include: ■■ Logo ■■ Business cards ■■ Letterhead and envelopes ■■ Website ■■ Brochures ■■ Fliers ■■ Mailers or sales letters ■■ Print or digital presentations ■■ Product packaging or labels

You don’t have to develop these all at once; start small with what you need now. Your SCORE mentor can help you fine-tune your mission statement and business brand, choose the perfect marketing methods for your startup and determine what marketing collateral you need to get started. Visit www.score.org.

16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

STEP

PART 1: GET READY

Figure Out Your Finances

s a part-time entrepreneur, you’ll rely on your own savings and loans or investments from family or friends to finance your new business. Banks rarely lend money to part-time startups. Managing your business finances professionally not only helps you make the most of your precious startup funds, but also prepares you to obtain loans or investors as your business grows.

Sales Projections To project sales, figure out the units in which your products or services will be sold. Depending on your business, units could be products, hours or discrete services (such as preparing a tax return). Next, estimate how many units the average customer will buy. For example, the average tutoring service customer might buy two units (hours) per week. Finally, project when you will get paid. This varies depending on industry. For instance, an ecommerce business gets paid immediately via credit or debit card, while a tutoring service might bill monthly, with payment due in 15 days.

Financial information you’ll need to get started includes:

Gross Profit Margin

Projected Startup Costs How much it will cost to launch your business, and where is the money coming from? Startup costs include equipment, inventory, legal costs (such as incorporating the business or obtaining licenses), insurance, wages and taxes.

Your gross profit margin is the dollar amount of sales, minus the direct costs of sales. Direct costs vary based on sales volume; for example, an ecommerce’s business’s direct costs include shipping and handling. Indirect costs (also called fixed costs or overhead) are those not affected by sales volume, such as salaries.

16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

PART 1: GET READY

FINANCIAL AID SCORE has free, downloadable tools and templates to help with all aspects of financial planning, bookkeeping and accounting. To access these tools or get advice and assistance from a SCORE mentor, visit www.score.org.

should monitor your cash flow statement monthly or even weekly to make sure your business brings in more money than it spends. You’ll also need the following tools to manage your business’s finances.

Business Bank Account Even the smallest startup needs a business bank account. Keeping business and personal expenses and accounts separate avoids problems at tax time and ensures you can take all the business deductions you’re entitled to. A business bank account also shows customers and vendors you’re a real business, builds your business credit rating, and is essential if you ever apply for a business loan.

Accounting Software Simplify startup and prepare for growth with an accounting and invoicing system that’s easy to use. QuickBooks is the big name in small business accounting; Sage One, Freshbooks, AccountingDepartment.com and FreeAgent are popular solutions for small startups, one-person businesses and companies that use freelancers or independent contractors.

Breakeven Analysis The breakeven point occurs when your gross margin (sales minus cost of sales) equals your fixed operating expenses. To calculate the breakeven point, divide Total Operating Expenses by Gross Margin (as a percentage of sales).

BREAKEVEN SALES = TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES / GROSS MARGIN PERCENT Think of this as an algebra problem where X = breakeven sales. You should reach the breakeven point after six to 18 months in business. If not, you may need to rethink your business model.

Cash Flow Statement The cash flow statement details collections and payments—that is, cash coming into and going out of your business. Similar to a checkbook register, the cash flow statement shows your opening balance, expected deposits and withdrawals, and an ending balance for the month. As with your personal bank statement, you

Payment Processing How will customers pay you? You may be selling products online and taking payment at the time of purchase, selling services or products in person and accepting payments at the time of delivery, or sending invoices after services are provided. No matter how you ask for payment, your goal is to get paid as fast as possible. To speed things up: ■■ Find a credit card processor so you can accept credit and debit

card payments. Look for one that can grow with your business, is convenient and has low fees.

■■ If you invoice customers, choose software that lets you invoice by

email to get paid faster, and set up your business bank account to accept online payments.

■■ If you get paid in person—for example, if you’ll be visiting

customers’ homes or selling products at a crafts fair—use a tablet or smartphone to take debit or credit card payments on the go with apps such as Square, Intuit GoPayment and PayPal Here.

16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

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PART 2: GET SET

It’s time to put the nuts and bolts of your startup in place. From buying business equipment and setting up your office to finding your first customers and managing your time, the tips on the following pages will help you juggle the responsibilities of your job, your life and your new business so you succeed in every area.

Know the Rules

o stay on your current employer’s good side while launching your business, here’s what you need to know.

Terms of Agreement If you signed a contract or employment agreement when you were hired, review these documents. (They should be in your employee manual, which you should also review). You may be prohibited from starting a competing business or soliciting your current employer’s clients. Your employer may even claim ownership of your business or product if the idea was developed on company time, using company resources or while you worked for the company. If you’re uncertain about your legal rights, consult an attorney. Breaching terms of employment could put your job and your new business at risk.

What about using personal devices to do business at work? You may not think you’re “stealing” from your employer, but if you pick up your personal smartphone to answer a business email during work hours, you are on your employer’s clock, not yours. To protect your reputation and your business, confine working on your startup to your own personal time and space. You can bring your laptop to work and use it to work on your business during lunch—as long as you go out to a coffee shop; you shouldn’t do it while eating lunch at your desk. Don’t slack off at your job while starting your business. In fact, you’ll need to work harder than ever. Volunteer for new duties or projects to gain skills and experience that will make you a better entrepreneur. Maintaining your reputation at work will be invaluable as you transition to full-time entrepreneurship. Treat them right, and your former employer and co-workers can be powerful allies to your new business, providing referrals, giving you glowing references and even becoming customers themselves.

To Tell or Not to Tell? Should you tell your employer you’re starting a business? In most cases, it’s wisest to keep quiet. Your boss might assume that you’ll quit soon, that you’re less dedicated or that you’re expendable if he or she knows you have a business of your own. In addition, it’s best not to mention your new business to your coworkers. Don’t ask co-workers to buy products from you or refer clients to you. Rumors travel quickly, and gossip from co-workers could spread and harm your reputation.

Do the Right Thing Never use your current employer’s time, premises or equipment to work on your startup. This applies not only during work hours, but after hours as well. You can’t work at your desk from 9:00 to 5:00, then work on your business until midnight just because you’re “off the clock.” Nor should you use employer-provided computers, tablets, smartphones, networks or email accounts to do anything related to your business. Your current employer can legally access these devices and communications.

16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

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PART 2: GET SET

Set Up Your First Office

our home is the logical place to set up a part-time business—but first, find out if your community is zoned for home-based businesses. Many communities restrict or prohibit: ■■ Storing hazardous materials ■■ Creating nuisances (noise,

odors, waste)

■■ Doing business outside ■■ Modifying a home’s structure or

adding signage

■■ Creating traffic ■■ Taking up excessive street

parking with delivery, customer and employee vehicles, or commercial vehicles

Stay in your neighbors’ good graces by keeping your business as unobtrusive as possible.

Find Your Space Take the time to create a home office space that fits your needs.

MEET AND GREET If you need to meet with clients, but don’t have space for a separate office at home, search online for executive suites or co-working spaces where you can rent conference rooms on as as-needed basis.

16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

■■ Do you need to meet with clients

at home? You’ll want a separate office (such as a converted garage or guest house) or a room with an outside entrance.

■■ Do you need to make products or

package items for shipping? You’ll need plenty of space to spread out, or you may want to consider having your shipping services outsourced to a shipping expert if your product category or volume requires it.

■■ Do you need inventory or

materials? Make sure you have a secure space to store them.

If you don’t have a spare room, create a separate workspace by curtaining off a corner of the bedroom, screening off a spot in the dining area or buying a desk armoire for your business. Separating business and personal space helps you and your family see your startup as a real business, not just a hobby.

Business Equipment and Services You probably have some of the equipment you’ll need to run your business, such as a computer, printer and smartphone. It’s best to have a computer just for your business so you don’t risk your kids accidentally deleting key client files. An all-in-one printer that scans, copies and faxes is an affordable printing solution. Or, save on startup costs by handling printing, faxing and copying at a business service center. If your equipment needs are more specialized, talk to a SCORE mentor who can help you prioritize your purchases and find affordable sources of equipment, such as liquidators or equipment leasing companies.

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PART 2: GET SET

Business Licenses, Taxes and Insurance

hoose the legal form of your business with an eye to future growth. Your options include sole proprietorship (one individual owning and operating the business) or partnership (two or more individuals owning the business). These simple forms of business are fine for most startups’ needs. However, you should also take the time to understand other options, including the C corporation, S corporation and limited liability company (LLC). In these more complex forms of business, the business is a separate legal entity independent of its individual owner/s. While these forms of business have more paperwork and legal requirements, they provide important tax and liability advantages that can protect your personal assets. They can also make it easier to attract investors as your business grows.

■■ Equipment and furnishings ■■ Office supplies ■■ Business travel, entertainment and meals ■■ Mileage traveled for business purposes ■■ Health insurance

If you want to take a home office deduction, 1) your home must be your principal place of business and 2) the part of the home you deduct must be used exclusively for business. In 2014 the IRS introduced a simplified home office deduction option that streamlines recordkeeping. Get details by visiting IRS.gov and searching for “home office deduction.” Keep detailed expense records; this simplifies accounting and protects you in case of a tax audit. Talk to an accountant or tax preparer to make sure you’re filing your business taxes correctly for your form of business.

Licenses and Permits

Business Insurance 101

Every business must register for a business license either in the state where it does business (for LLCs and corporations) or the county of residence (for sole proprietors and partners). Registration fees are typically less than $200; you’ll also pay annual renewal fees. Depending on your industry, you may also need state, county and/ or municipal licenses. Visit your state, city and county websites for more information.

Most homeowners’ or renters’ insurance policies don’t cover business equipment or furniture. If your equipment is minimal, such as a computer and printer, adding a rider onto your homeowners’ coverage may be sufficient. However, if you have a separate office space, store inventory at home or have customers or suppliers visit, you will need additional protection.

Tax Time You can deduct many of the costs associated with starting a business when you file your taxes. Deductible business expenses include:

Property coverage and general liability coverage protect you against loss, damage and lawsuits if anyone is injured on your premises. If you provide services such as consulting or accounting, investigate errors and omissions (E&O) insurance. This covers claims by clients who are harmed by an error you make, such as miscalculating their taxes. Talk to an insurance agent to determine your needs.

MAKE IT LEGAL Legal websites such as Nolo, RocketLawyer and The Company Corporation offer information and resources explaining business formation options, advantages and disadvantages. Your SCORE mentor can help you make a decision; visit www.score.org.

16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

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PART 2: GET SET

Invest in Your Image

f you want people to take your startup seriously, you must present a professional image. Fortunately, technology makes it easier than ever to give the impression that your business is bigger, more established and more successful than it really is. To create a professional image:

■■ Invest in

professionally designed and printed business cards, brochures, fliers, letterhead and marketing materials. Business cards or letterhead printed out on your computer create a low-budget image you want to avoid. Visit your local print shop or business service center for help with your printing needs.

■■ Get a full-service business mailbox. When your business is

run from your home, a full-service mailbox gives your business a professional mailing address, as opposed to an obviously residential one like 22 Cherry Tree Lane. It also keeps important business packages and mail such as checks and bank statements safe when you’re away from home or out of town.

■■ Obtain a

separate phone number for your business. Smartphones typically let you host more than one number on a phone. Record a professional message on your business voicemail. Use a different ringtone for your business line and always answer calls to that number in a professional manner.

■■ Set up a separate email address for your business. It’s

best to use an email affiliated with your website domain (such as yourname@yourbusinessname.com), but using a Gmail address is widely accepted as well. Just make sure your email sounds professional, such as businessname@gmail.com, not blakefamily@ gmail.com or kittylover123@gmail.com.

■■ If you sell or ship

products, quality packaging makes a big difference in how customers perceive you, and can even enable you to charge more than you otherwise might. Pay attention to everything from the box your products ship in and the padding inside to the color and fonts of the label on the outside. ■■ There’s nothing less professional than losing an

important document. Ensure you always have key data or customer files accessible by using cloud storage options to securely store your data online. OneDrive, Dropbox and Google Drive are popular options for small business use. To protect yourself in case of a computer crash, invest in a backup solution that automatically backs up your computer data online; Carbonite, Mozy and SugarSync are popular with small and home businesses.

IN THE CARDS Unique business cards can make a big impression, especially if your startup is food, design or crafts-related. Consider business cards made of unusual materials like wood, plastic or metal; in unusual shapes or sizes; or with 3-D effects such as embossing or textured surfaces.

16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

■■ Last but not least, invest in yourself. If your new business involves meeting with clients, make sure you are well groomed, dress professionally and carry quality accessories. Keep the vehicle you use for business clean inside and out.

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PART 2: GET SET

Find Your First Customers

■■ Market with email: Ask prospects and customers to sign up

ou’re raring to go—all you need are customers. How to find them? Try the following tactics:

for email messages from your business. (Be sure to comply with the FTC’s CAN-SPAM laws.) Email marketing service providers such as Campaigner, Constant Contact and iContact let you create and send professional-looking emails.

■■ Get a business website:

Keep it simple with all-inone website packages that include a domain name, hosting services and design templates. Popular options include GoDaddy, Web.com and Yahoo Small Business. If you’re starting an ecommerce business, look for a website builder specializing in ecommerce, such as Shopify, Volusion or 3DCart.

■■ Use word-of-mouth: Start your search for customers by

asking friends, family members and acquaintances for leads. You never know who might introduce you to your first customer.

■■ Publicize it: Tapping into existing networks of bloggers who

speak to your target audience, making connections, and offering content or services such as writing guest blog posts can align you with your target audience.

■■ Get social: Use social networks such as LinkedIn, Twitter,

Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to get your target market’s attention. Create a social account for your business, and post useful content providing information, advice or entertainment. Interact with followers regularly, and link posts to your business website so followers can learn more about your business.

■■ Advertise: If your business targets local customers, use

print ads in community newspapers, local directories or local magazines to reach them. You can also get customers by advertising on websites your target market frequents. For instance, a children’s tutoring service can advertise on websites targeting moms of school-aged children, limiting the ads to moms in nearby ZIP codes.

■■ Collect customer data: Save time and market more

effectively by maintaining data about prospects and customers. Customer relationship management (CRM) tools like Really Simple Systems, ZohoCRM and ContactMe let you track every interaction, set reminders and schedule follow-up contacts.

■■ Offer deals: Offering discounts for your first customers can

build a foundation for attracting more. This works especially well for businesses that provide recurring services. For example, a lawn-care service could offer six months’ services for the price of three.

■■ Become an expert: Get attention from prospects by building

a reputation as an expert in your industry. Offer to speak to local groups your target customers belong to about topics relevant to your business.

■■ Buddy up: Form alliances with established small businesses to

help each other get customers. For example, if you have a dog grooming business, you could partner with a local dog-sitter to refer clients to each other.

16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

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PART 2: GET SET

Manage Your Money

ou developed a financial plan and forecast as part of your business plan. As you launch your new business, use them to stay on top of your finances—both business and personal.

Business Budgeting Create at least a one-year business budget, broken down by months. Bookkeeping and accounting software simplify this task. How do you develop a budget before your business even starts? If you need help coming up with estimates, your SCORE mentor can help you determine: ■■ How you will price products or services ■■ The costs of producing your product or providing your services ■■ Your operating expenses ■■ Your startup equipment costs ■■ How much you’ll pay yourself ■■ Your expected tax liability ■■ How many units you can expect to sell in the first year

■■ Show future lenders or investors that your business is well managed

Look at budgeting this way, and you’ll be excited to do it because it’s a way to measure your business success—and get closer and closer to making your business your full-time job.

Personal Budgeting While working full-time and running a startup, you’ll need to keep personal expenses to a minimum. (Maybe it’s a good thing you won’t have much time for socializing, entertaining or vacations!) Develop a personal budget that takes into account expenses such as: ■■ Rent or mortgage payment ■■ Insurance ■■ Car payment and insurance ■■ Food ■■ Utilities ■■ Child care ■■ Personal expenses ■■ Retirement plan contributions

Last, but not least, be sure you budget a percentage of your paycheck to put into personal savings each month. This will build up a fund to help support you during the transition from part-time to full-time entrepreneurship. If you’re tempted to spend the money instead of saving, have a set amount automatically transferred from your checking account to your savings account each payday.

Review the budget each month to ensure you have enough cash to meet business expenses. Also review it quarterly so you can spot larger trends and make adjustments if your income or expenses vary substantially from your projections. Think of budgeting not as a chore, but as a tool for business growth. Careful budgeting ensures your business always has cash on hand to meet expenses. It also enables you to: ■■ Spot potential problems, such as upcoming cash shortages, and

come up with solutions

■■ Set sales goals to help your business grow ■■ Determine if your profit margins are adequate to meet your

income goals and adjust prices and expenses accordingly

■■ Plan for tax time

16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

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PART 2: GET SET

Manage Your Time

s a full-time employee and part-time entrepreneur, your time will be at a premium. Make the most of every hour in the day with these strategies:

Structure: Setting a regular schedule makes you more productive. For example, plan to work on your business for three hours a day after dinner, or devote all day Saturday to it. Measure: When you’re switching focus from job duties to business duties and back again over the course of a day, keeping track of your time gets confusing. Use time-tracking software such as Harvest, HoursTracker and PayDirt to track time spent on different tasks, clients and projects. This not only simplifies invoicing if you bill clients hourly, but also lets you see how well you are using your time.

assistant. Choose one in a different time zone so your customer communications can be covered when you’re at work. Assess your business model and budget to determine if the productivity you gain from outsourcing is worth the price you’ll pay. You can find independent contractors and freelancers in a wide range of specialties at websites including Elance, Freelancer and The International Virtual Assistants Association. Delegate: If you outsource, you’ll need to manage your independent contractors and freelancers. There are many tools to help you delegate effectively while keeping tabs on your virtual team. ■■ Project management tools such as Basecamp, Wrike and Trello let

you assign tasks and deadlines, check in with contractors via email and chat, view progress and more.

■■ Use cloud storage tools such as OneDrive, Dropbox and Google

Outsource: Startup business owners wear many hats. When Drive so you and your contractors can access data and documents you’ve got a full-time job, too, you may not be able to handle online 24/7. everything you want to. Outsourcing to freelancers or independent contractors can save time and decrease stress. IS IT TIME TO HIRE? You should never outsource the core functions of your business, but you can outsource duties you dislike or aren’t good at. Administrative tasks, such as scheduling or answering routine calls or emails, can be outsourced to a virtual

Hiring permanent employees is typically a bigger commitment than a part-time business owner should make. If you need more hands-on assistance than an independent contractor can provide, see if you can enlist family members and friends to help out.

16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

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PART 2: GET SET

Manage Your Energy Level

hen you’re running a business and holding down a full-time job, you may feel like you don’t have time to do anything but work. Keep in mind, though, that at this point you are your business—and if you neglect your health, your startup will suffer. Try these sleep, diet and exercise tips to help keep your mental, physical and emotional batteries recharged while you work on getting your new business off the ground.

1. Know your peak productivity. Whenever possible, find the most productive time to work on your business based on your natural rhythms. Some people focus better early in the mornings; others come alive late at night. If you’re exhausted after work, you may need to dedicate weekends to your startup. If you need some work-free time on the weekends to recharge, put in a few hours each day before work, after work or at night to focus on your startup tasks. 2. Get quality sleep. Once in a while, you might have to pull an all-nighter for your business—but try not to make a habit of it. Without adequate sleep, you’ll be less effective. Get more

restful sleep by keeping your bedroom cool and dark; banning smartphones, tablets and laptops from the room; and “winding down” with a relaxing activity half an hour before bed. Also try to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day—even on weekends. This will help you stay more energized. 3. Eat right. Heavy, greasy or fatty meals slow you down. Instead, eat lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and whole grains for maximum energy. Since your busy schedule will likely mean grabbing meals on the go, pack snacks like energy bars, raw nuts and fresh fruits or vegetables—they’re portable and provide sustained energy. Avoid sugar and excessive caffeine; they pep you up briefly but you’ll quickly crash. Stay hydrated with plenty of water, and drink herbal or green tea instead of soda and coffee. 4. Make time for fitness. You may have to cut back your fitness routine to fit in your startup duties, but don’t give up exercise altogether. Many entrepreneurs get their best ideas and insights when working out. Instead, find ways to squeeze in short workouts. If driving to the gym, changing, swimming, showering and driving back takes too long, substitute 15 minutes of calisthenics in the morning, a quick walk around your office park on your break and a brisk walk with your family after dinner. By getting shorter, but more frequent, sessions of activity in during the day, you will enjoy many of the physical and mental benefits of longer workouts, without feeling as if you’re taking time away from your business. 5. Build in downtime. Schedule at least 30 minutes a day for an activity that restores you, such as reading, pursuing a hobby or spending time outdoors. Avoid pastimes that drain rather than recharge your energy, such as watching TV or surfing the Internet, in favor of more active pursuits.

16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

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PART 2: GET SET

Create Work/Life Balance

tarting a business while working full time requires a delicate balancing act. You not only have to manage your job and your startup, but also make time for your personal life. This is easier if you’re single and childless, but if you have a significant other and/or children, you’ll need to take them into consideration, too. Here are some suggestions to keep things happy on the home front.

4. Do one thing at a time. When you’re trying to accomplish so much, multitasking may seem like the answer. In reality, giving every task your undivided attention will get better results. When you’re working, focus on work; when you’re not working, focus on what you’re doing. You’ll feel far less frazzled. 5. Involve family members in the business. If feasible, get your family involved in your startup so they’ll feel invested in its success, too. Can your spouse design your business website or handle your bookkeeping? Can your children stuff envelopes, make copies or help package products? Getting the help you need while spending time together is a win-win for everyone. 6. Cut back on non-essentials. Your focus during startup must be on your job, your business, your family and your own wellbeing. Eliminate anything that doesn’t support these priorities. That may mean eliminating or drastically curtailing activities such as socializing, volunteering or attending cultural events.

1. Get real. Be honest with your family about what the business will require from you and how it will affect their lives. Don’t try to minimize the challenges you’ll face, or you’re just setting them up for disappointment later. 2. Work together. Before starting your business, brainstorm with your family about problems that might arise and ways you can handle them. For instance, if you won’t be able to attend all of your children’s sports events because you’ll be meeting clients after work, can you promise that you’ll still attend the playoffs? 3. Keep lines of communication open. Ask your family to let you know when your business is negatively affecting them so you can nip the problem in the bud. When people don’t communicate, resentment festers. 16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

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PART 2: GET SET

Work Your Business Network

ou may be keeping your new business a secret at work, but you need to spread the word about it to the outside world. Networking is essential for every business owner, especially those in the startup stage. You can network to: ■■ Build or expand your

mentorship resources for further guidance and advice in your new industry/for your new business

■■ Find potential contractors, freelancers or even future employees

they’re still essential networking tools). Gradually, you’ll find one or two organizations where you feel at home—and where your networking really gets results.

■■ Build your image and reputation in your industry and community

Mentors and Advisors

■■ Learn about resources that can help you grow your business ■■ Meet potential clients and customers ■■ Get introduced to vendors and suppliers

for your business

■■ Discover new business opportunities

Get Social Social media is an ideal networking tool for busy startup entrepreneurs. You can make valuable connections anywhere, anytime you have a spare moment. For business networking, LinkedIn is the place to be. The work-oriented social site enables you to connect with, learn from and get introduced to industry leaders, potential clients or partners and more.

Person to Person Meet new prospects or partners who can help your business grow at the local chamber of commerce; leads clubs; industry-specific networking groups; or organizations for minority, women, homebased or veteran entrepreneurs. Attend networking events with an open mind, a friendly attitude and plenty of business cards (yes, even in today’s high-tech world,

Advice, ideas and moral support from a mentor or advisor who’s “been there, done that” can make a huge difference during startup. Your friends and family may have encouraging words, but sometimes you really need to talk to someone who knows what it’s like to start and run a business. SCORE mentors (www.score.org) can offer the encouragement and assistance you need to reach your goals. They can also connect you with attorneys, accountants and veteran businesspeople experienced in every aspect of running a small business.

16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

PART 3: START

STEP

Starting a business while keeping your full-time job is challenging, but it’s also one of the best

ways to discover if you have what it takes to be a true entrepreneur. If you can handle the hard work and long hours needed to juggle your business, your job and your personal life, you’ll be well prepared for the demands of running a full-time business. How do you know when it’s time to make that transition?

Go for It!

efore you take the leap to full-time entrepreneurship, ask yourself these questions:

■■ Growth opportunities have presented themselves, but you need

to move out of your home-based office into a commercial or retail space to take advantage of them.

Are my operations ready? Before you quit your job, make sure that you have the following in place:

Is my business ready? When you wrote your business plan, you set goals you wanted to achieve. If you’ve reached those milestones, it’s probably time to devote yourself full time to your business. Here are some common milestones you might use to determine your business’s readiness.

■■ Systems and processes you can use to scale your business ■■ Adequate equipment, software and other tools for full-time operation

■■ You have developed a new product, produced it and successfully

■■ A solid business credit rating and a good relationship with a business banker

found a market for it.

■■ You have obtained outside financing to take your startup to the

next level.

■■ You have more business than you can handle.

■■ Professional advisors such as an accountant, attorney and mentor

■■ You have expanded as far as you can working with freelancers

and independent contractors, and need to hire employees.

■■ Adequate vendor and supplier relationships to meet the needs of a growing business

■■ Your business has reached a certain level of sales. In general,

if your business is making enough to pay yourself one-third of your current salary, you are probably in a good position to leave your job.

WHAT IF…? ■■ If you need to devote more time to your

business, but also need the income from your job…see if your current employer will hire you as a part-time independent contractor. You’ll still have income, plus the freedom to devote more time to your business.

■■ If you need to devote more time to your

business, but also need the benefits from your job…see if you can work part time at a level of hours that qualifies you to maintain your benefits.

16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

PART 3: GO FOR IT!

Am I emotionally and mentally ready?

■■ Do you need to make any major personal financial moves, such as

Take stock of how you and your family feel about your business so far. The challenges of running a full-time business are different than you’ve faced so far, but equally demanding—so don’t expect life to get easier (although it will get even more exciting and rewarding). Consider:

Say Goodbye...and Hello

■■ Are your personal relationships suffering as a result of your

obtaining a home equity line of credit or refinancing your home? Do so before you quit your job. It’s harder to do these things when you are self-employed, especially when your business doesn’t yet have a financial track record.

■■ Do you feel excited and energized about quitting your job? (It’s

When it’s time to say goodbye to your full-time job, be sure to leave on a positive note. Thank everyone you worked with and stay in touch with your former employer, co-workers and other colleagues. These valuable contacts may be able to refer you to clients, become clients or serve as references to help you get new business.

Am I financially ready?

Then say hello to your exciting new life as a full-time entrepreneur. You’re the one in control of your destiny now … and your business’s growth is limited only by your imagination, ambition and energy.

business?

■■ Do you have a strong support system of friends, family and

mentors to encourage you in your transition? OK to feel a little bit nervous, too.)

Insufficient capital is the number-one reason startup businesses fail. Before leaving the security of your full-time job, make sure your new business is on firm financial footing.

SCORE mentors can help you start and grow the business of your dreams. Visit www.score.org to connect with a mentor today.

■■ Have you put enough money aside from your paychecks to

support yourself until you can draw a full-time salary from your business?

■■ How will you replace essential benefits that your employer

offers, such as health insurance or life insurance? Assess the cost of continuing your existing health benefits through COBRA or buying similar benefits on the open market.

■■ If you have not yet reached breakeven, do you have enough

working capital to keep the business going until you do?

16 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME

Starting a Business?

The First Step is a Simple Step. SCORE’S Simple Steps for Starting Your Business program is a 5-part series of 3-hour workshops designed to give you the tools, information and advice you need to succeed. Join a workshop at a chapter near you to: • Evaluate Your Idea • Discover the Elements of Success • Get Expert Advice and Assistance • Network and Learn

Find success with SCORE: learn more at

SCORE.org

or call 1-800-634-0245

Free and Confidential Business Mentoring Local, Instructor-Led Workshops Online, Expert Resources

The Largest Network of Volunteer Mentors Helping American Small Businesses Start, Grow and Succeed.

In 2015 SCORE Helped

53,000+ New Businesses Get Started

And Fostered

65,000+ New U.S. Jobs SCORE can help you achieve your dreams with: • In-Person or Online Mentoring • Local Workshops and Seminars • Webinars and Courses On-Demand • Downloaded Business Templates • Library of Online Resources

Find a mentor today at SCORE.org