Archive for January, 2010

Home Business – Start Organized, Stay Organized, Save Time

Home Business - Strategic Planning Ideas
When you start a new home based business, it is easy to overlook or put off some of the boring mundane chores while you concentrate on building up your business. One such chore is creating a proper home office filing system for your business documents. In all the excitement and hard work of the first weeks and months of running a new home business, it will be hard to find time for everything you need to do.

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Keys To Finding A Great Business!

Finding a Great Business | Business Strategic PlanningWith many home business opportunities available today, how do you find a truly great business? Rather than take a gamble with your future financial security, read on to find out exactly what to look for when choosing a home business.

1. How big is the market?
The larger the market, the more potential sales you can achieve. Look for a business where age, income and culture do not overly influence the customer’s requirement for your product or service.

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Outperform the Economy: New Strategies for a New Decade

The SBDC at UNF invites you to attend “Outperform the Economy: New Strategies for a New Decade” on February 11th from 8:30 a.m.

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Ten Things to Consider When Reviewing Your Business Plan

Strategic Planning Consultants
Once your Business Strategic Planning have been completed, it’s time to review your work. Remember, writing your business plan is a significant step in making your small business concept a reality. Therefore, you should review your plan carefully and ask others who you feel can provide sound advice to also critique your document.

Your business plan should include:

  • All key sections: Executive summary, business overview, sales and marketing, management team, competitive analysis, and financial plan.
  • A table of contents.
  • All key points explained clearly.
  • Concise language, eliminating any extraneous material, hype, or repetitive statements.
  • Substantiated facts, such as current and accurate data and verifiable claims.
  • A clearly defined target market and realistic goals to reach this audience.
  • A clear competitive analysis presented in a manner to show how you will gain a competitive edge.
  • Financial projections that are neither overestimated nor underestimated in a time frame suitable for launching the business.

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SBDC’s get their funding…

The Small Business Administration will provide more assistance and capital to small businesses. The FY 2010 Appropriations Bill shows the SBA will receive $824 million which is $212 million above 2009 and $45 million above the request. Highlights include:
· Overall Lending: Supports $28 billion in new lending to small businesses
· Microlending: $25 million in new microlending.

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SBA loan activity in North Florida is UP

According to our SBA North Florida District office, SBA loan activity is up 28% in the first fiscal quarter! Read about it here.

An interview with Lauren Little: Edible Arrangements








Lauren Little is the owner of two Edible Arrangements stores located in Avondale and Bartram Park (Mandarin).

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WTO Panel to Investigate U.S. Tariffs on Chinese Tires

by Edison Mandarin

The World Trade Organization (WTO) on Tuesday established an expert panel to investigate and rule whether punitive U.S. tariffs on Chinese-made tires breach WTO regulations.

The panel was established at a meeting of the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), at which China reiterated its position that the U.S. tariffs “run short of factual bases and breached the U.S. obligations under the WTO.”

“The Chinese government deeply regretted the U.S.

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