Accounting & Finance
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Cash flow statement
Cash flow statement

Estimate your expected net profit or how much money you will actually make.

Startup budget
Startup budget

Learn to how to estimate the costs of starting a business aka creating a startup budget and review our list for typical business expenses.

What's the difference between a PO, an Invoice, and a Sales Receipt?
What's the difference between a PO, an Invoice, and a Sales Receipt?

Learn about the importance of purchase orders, invoices, payment terms and sales receipts and create an invoice template that meets your business needs.

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Business Plan
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What's a Good Side Hustle?
What's a Good Side Hustle?

The best side hustle ideas are flexible, pay well for the work you’re doing and can be built into a larger, and possibly full-time, business. Here are a few ideas…

10 Business Ideas You Can Start Today
10 Business Ideas You Can Start Today

If you want to start your own business but just don’t know where to begin, we can help you get the ball rolling. You don’t need a lot of money to start your own business, but using your skills, talents and interests and find the right support can set you on the path to success. So, if starting your own business is your dream and you’re ready to work hard, here are 10 ideas to help get you started…

What do expert entrepreneurs do? Using effectuation in entrepreneurship
What do expert entrepreneurs do? Using effectuation in entrepreneurship

Effectuation is a logic of thinking that helps entrepreneurs in starting businesses - it provides a way to control a future that is uncertain. Fill out your “effectual entrepreneurship” form to get ahead of the curve!

Steps to starting a business
Steps to starting a business

If you're willing to put in the effort to build a business, you're going to want to know the steps needed to reach your goals.

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Branding
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Building a brand
Building a brand

These steps are naming the business, creating a tagline, figuring out how to talk about the business to other people, creating a logo, designing how the business looks (i.e. colors, style, etc.).

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Build a Team
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Hiring someone to help you with your business
Hiring someone to help you with your business

Make a list of the most important tasks you need help with, things you don’t have the experience or don’t know how to do, and things you simply don’t want to do.

How to write a job description
How to write a job description

A job description is a useful, plain-language tool that explains the tasks, duties, function and responsibilities of a position.

How to interview candidates
How to interview candidates

Having an established process for interviewing candidates will help you identify the best candidate quickly.

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Customers
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How to design a business that solves your customer's problems
How to design a business that solves your customer's problems

Understanding your customer’s problems will greatly impact what business to build and how well you build it. Start a business that will solve a real problem people actually have to increase your chances of success.

Customer segmentation
Customer segmentation

Learn to group your customers and assign characteristics that distinguish them from one another.

Customer types - define your target audience
Customer types - define your target audience

Your target audience, or customer types, defines the market you want to enter. This foundation will help you prove that a market exists for your product or service and narrow the range of potential customers to the ones who are willing and able to buy your product.

Customer survey
Customer survey

Find people who you think have the problems your business will solve. Reach out to these people and set up a time to either call or meet face-to-face for an “interview”. This information is crucial to how you develop your product or service!

Customer relationship management tool
Customer relationship management tool

In order to keep track of your customers and their feedback, it’s helpful to have a central database of information in something like a customer relationship management, or CRM.

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Marketing and Sales
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Create a marketing plan
Create a marketing plan

Your target marketing plan is a plan of action designed to promote and sell a product or service, reach customers, and build brand awareness and loyalty.

16 ways to sell
16 ways to sell

As you look at the 16 Ways to Sell your product or service, think of which ones you would use, and when. We’ve also created four key steps to help your marketing and sales strategy succeed.

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Funding
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How to start a business with no money
How to start a business with no money

While some entrepreneurs are blessed to have a team of investors lined up around the corner or an aunt with deep pockets, not having money is no excuse. By knowing your product or service, understanding the basics for your business, and knowing where you’re headed, you can bootstrap your way to a successful business.

Small business loans
Small business loans

Loans are exactly that, money you borrow from someone else in the form of personal loans and and bank loans. Learn several small business loan options and the advantages and disadvantages for each!

Investor pitch deck
Investor pitch deck

A pitch deck is a brief presentation used to provide your audience with a quick overview of your business plan. You will usually use your pitch deck during face-to-face or online meetings with potential investors, customers, partners, and co-founders.

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Pitch an Idea
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How to write an elevator pitch
How to write an elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is a short explanation of your business, which you should be able to complete in the span of one elevator ride. It includes a basic description of your business and what makes it different and special.

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Rules and Regulations
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Licenses and permits
Licenses and permits

There’s a high chance that you will need some sort of permit or approval from the federal government. At the local and state level, there may be more specific requirements for permits, like for restaurants or retail vendors.

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Strategy
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SMART goals
SMART goals

We’re going to learn a method for helping you set specific goals for yourself as well as a method for how to achieve them - SMART goals and the SPAR Goal-Attainment Process.

What is a SWOT analysis?
What is a SWOT analysis?

SWOT analysis is study undertaken by an individual or business to identify its internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as its external opportunities and threats or those of competitors.

Competitor research - identify your competition
Competitor research - identify your competition

Competitor research is the backbone of a strong marketing strategy. After all, if you can’t identify your competitors and their marketing tactics, you’ll struggle to differentiate yourself and your product from the crowd.

How to do a competitive analysis
How to do a competitive analysis

Competitive analysis is the act of analyzing your competitors’ behavior and actions.

Grand opening ideas
Grand opening ideas

A grand opening is a social event that is intended to introduce the community to a new business.

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