Articles & Whitepapers
Successful entrepreneurs know that it takes a wide range of skills to start and grow a thriving business. Here are a few articles and whitepapers that may be of interest to entrepreneurs and business owners.
Environmental Scanning
By: Greg Curtiss
No successful company can survive and grow without a well researched and clearly articulated strategy.
Top 10 Business Plan Mistakes
By: Andrew Clarke
When it comes to creating a business plan that attracts investors, these tips will help you get it right the first time.
Should You Bring In A Consultant To Help
Develop Your Business Plan?
By: Andrew Clarke
You've decided you need a business plan, but you've been struggling so much with it that you're ready to drop the whole thing. Now may be the time to ask yourself: should I complete the plan by myself or should I hire a consultant? If you decide to hire a consultant, what skills and qualifications should you look for? What services should they provide? Finally, how much should you expect to pay? Let's explore the answers.
The Pros and Cons of Forming a Board of Advisors
By: Andrew Clarke
Entrepreneurs often ask if they should form a Board of Advisors (or "Advisory Board"). My answer is always the same: it depends.
Exit Strategies for Small Business Owners
By: Andrew Clarke
Although there are many variations, there are really only a few realistic exit strategies for most business owners. Most strategies only make sense for certain classes of business, so for any given business, even fewer options are viable. Here we review these basic options, which types of businesses they work for, and outline the pros and cons of each.
Due Diligence Checklist for Business Buyers
and Investors
By: Andrew Clarke
You've decided you want to either invest in or buy a privately held company. You've researched the company, the market, the management team, and their products. You've decided to make an offer.
Pay Per Click vs. SEO: Which is Better?
By: Andrew Clarke
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, and Pay Per Click advertising, or PPC, together comprise the bulk of Search Engine Marketing, or SEM. SEO is all about boosting page rankings on search engines through third party links, articles, directory placements, and other means. PPC, on the other hand, involves an auction. With PPC, an advertiser pays whenever someone clicks on an ad appearing in the "Sponsored" or "Paid" area of the search engine results page. The more the advertiser is willing to pay per clickthrough, the higher that ad's position on the search page.
Twenty Questions to Ask Your Customers
By: Scott McGarvey
Your customers can help you unlock the true potential of your business. Knowledge is power, and talking to your customers can help you gain essential knowledge about your markets and competition, maintain and defend your positioning within your industry, and spot new opportunities for growth. Best of all, the knowledge you gain becomes your exclusive property and is not available to any competitor. There are certain symptoms that indicate when there is a special urgency to talk to customers:
