Monday, December 31, 2007

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all my readers.

You will see some more changes as we enter the new year. I will continue postings on Mondays (starting January 7th) the Starting a Small Business Series to help you get started on developing that business plan. Also one day a week I will post items to help you better compete against the big box stores.

I will be comment on important articles that will affect your business. You will also see some changes to the look of the blog in the near future to make it look better.

Thank you for reading and I look forward to hearing from you in the new year.

John Dornoff
Dornoff Consulting Group

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Do you need a virtual assistant?

Well you can be your own virtual assistant. The Bootstrapper blog has 100 tools in order to keep you organized during your day.

I have look through some of the list and all of them can be potential sources of help for you. Have have resources for to do lists, accounting, phone, email, scheduling, presentations, information, project and time management, and client relations.

Everything you can do to stay more organize will allow you to spend more time building your business.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Starting A Small Business Series-Profit and Loss Statements

Last week we talked about the Profit and Loss Statement.

Today we will take a look at the Balance Sheet. So what is the balance sheet? It shows you how much your company is worth. You start off with your assets on one side with your liabilities and net worth on the other.

On the asset side your first listing is your current assets. These are assets that you could turn to cash very quickly. This obviously includes cash in the bank, your petty cash, temporary investments such as money market accounts, inventory, accounts receivable (money you are owed), supplies, and prepaid insurance.

Next is your investment which is anything long term such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc.

Following up after investments comes your plant and equipment. This can include land, your building, and manufacturing equipment with your allocated depreciation taken out. After your plant and equipment come intangible assets. This could include goodwill and trade names which can be hard to calculate. Last would come to misc. assets.

Now you total up all of your assets and move to the next column.

The next section you work on is your liabilities and we start of with current liabilities. This includes Notes payable, wages payable, interest payable, taxes payable, warranty liability, and unearned revenue. Current liabilities basically cover anything that will be due by the end of the year.

Next on your list will be your long term liabilities which are anything that will be due past this year. This would include bonds payable and notes payable such as a mortgage on your business or a business vehicle.

You then add your current liabilities and long term liabilities and get a total.

Finally you have your owner’s equity. If it is just you then that is pretty simple. If you have stock you will have your stock and retained earnings.

Finally you add your liabilities and equity together. The number you get should be equal to the number you have for your assets. If they do not match something is wrong go back and figure out what is wrong. Once you are done you know how much you own, how much you owe and how much equity you have in your business.

To see what a balance sheet should look like you can go to Accounting Coach.

Next week we will move to the Cash Flow Statement.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Lessons to be learned from CompUSA

CompUSA has announced that it will be closing the remainder of it's stores at the first of the year. For those of us that have been watching this company, it is a surprise that it has made it this long (but then again K-Mart keeps going too).

The stores suffered not only due to issues within the stores but also with corporate management. The corporation could not decided what they wanted the stores to be. When they were not successful they looked to another successful chain and try to copy them instead of finding their own direction.

Today we will look at what the stores were and what they tried to be so that you can avoid the pitfalls that CompUSA made.

Just looking at the name you figure that CompUSA sells computers and computer supplies and that is what they started out doing. They also offered training and had a fairly good business department for many years.

However over the last few years (especially the last couple) CompUSA started losing their focus. They saw the success of Best Buy and like many companies instead of following their own path tried to copy someone else's and it failed.

Over the last year many of its stores have been remodeled and now look like a low end Best Buy. Instead of focusing on what they did best they tried to be all things to all people and started doing everything very poorly. Their business sector started to suffer which started costing them those type of customers.

In the end the store become the store for no one. The business people who used to buy their computer supplies there went elsewhere. The computer geeks could no longer find the supplies they need so they went to companies online like New Egg. Finally, the marketing they tried to attract with high end products such as LCD and Plasma TV's sought out stores with better customer service and a better selection. In the end CompUSA satisfied no one.

Once again it goes back to finding your niche, and sticking to it. While you can add items and possible move up or down, but do not alienate your existing customer base. While stores like Nordstrom and Wal-Mart can make mistakes and survive, you cannot afford to make mistakes like this.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Starting A Small Business Series Part V

In previous additions we talked about how to figure out what kind of small business you should operate and figuring out some of your start up cost. Now we are going to start getting into the financial statements you need to make.

The first one we will go over is the Income Statement with is also refereed to as the P&L with stands for profit and loss.

The first part of the income statement is estimated sales. You need to make realistic estimates of how much you are going to make. I would recommend doing estimated P&L statements for the first five years. It will usually take about three years before you start making a profit.

The Cost of Good Sold applies to retail businesses. Here is how you calculate your cost of goods Sold:

Beginning Inventory 100

Purchases 100

-Returns 50

Frieght 50

Ending Inventory 100

Cost of Goods Sold 100

Now the returns in the Cost of Goods Sold are returns to your vendors, not customer returns.

After you subtract your cost of goods sold you come up with your gross profit. After that you take out all those lovely expenses such as rent, power, insurance, phone, internet, and any other payments you may have then you end up with your net profit or (loss).

Sales 100

Cost of Goods Sold 50

Gross Profit 50

Rent 25

Electricity 5

Insurance 5

Phone 5

Total Net Expenses 40

Net Profit 10

Now of course yours will be a little more complicated but you get the general idea.

If you are a retail business I also suggest you subtract 10% off your sales to account for customer returns and put that in the balance sheet which I will talk about later.

Keep your income statements simple when you’re getting started. As you become more familiar with them you can get more creative with them.

Another source for more information is Accountingcoach

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Holiday Season Ideas

On my other blog I posted some ideas that could be of help to you this holiday season.

Holiday Season Ideas

The Start Up Spark Blog had this entry:

Get more holiday jingle by increasing sales this season

Monday, December 03, 2007

Starting A Small Business Series Part IV

In the last edition of the Starting a Small Business Series we talked about how to cost out the capital requirements for your business.

Now we need to figure out some other cost of running your business. The first cost you are going to get is rent. You should have a pretty good idea of what kind of facility you’re going to need whether it is a home office, store, industrial, etc. To get estimated rent cost you can check your newspaper, local business journal or call a commercial realtor to get some estimates. Some realtors can be real jerks but remember you are going to be in the market so find one that is nice and seem like you can work with. Just let them know that you are getting an idea for your business plan and will talk to him or her when you are ready to go.

Next estimate a phone bill. These days you can use the phone company’s website to estimate the cost of phone service. The variable will be if you have to pay per call like some places in the Midwest, the cost of long distance service, and the number of 800 call you will get if you decided to get an 800-number which I recommend.

Another factor to consider is electricity. One way to estimate the cost of electricity is to check with the power company. If you already have a specific building in mind they can tell you what the power cost was for the building for the past year. Otherwise talk to your real estate friend from above and get an address of a building you can use of an estimate and get it that way.

Other cost you need to is garbage, water, and any other incidentals to running the business.

Next week we will talk more about the financial statements.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Being part of your community...

Over the course of this blog we have talked about various ways in which you can have a competitive advantage over the big box stores. Today we are going to take a little different approach and talk about not only competing but also doing something for the community as a whole.

While I know that you are busy with running your business plus many of us have family to think about, but you should also think about your community.

Take a look at opportunities to help your community which could be anything from helping sponsor a little league team to being part of community partnership. Not only will be helping your community but you will also have the opportunity to network with other business people and promote your business.

Be sure that you find an avenue that you can not only support but really enjoy being a part of. If you have a child playing little league ball that could be your best opportunity. If you like getting involved in making your community a better place to live there is many community partnerships that you can join a part of making your community better.

What you must do is be behind what you are doing. If you are doing it only to find customers then it will not work, so be sure to find an outlet that you truly care about and want to be a part of.

While you competitors may throw some money at things here and there, in the long run the chain stores are not part of the community but you are and you can make a difference that will not only help the community by you in the long run.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Outsourcing?

Yesterday on my Biz Plan Hacks website I discussed Outsourcing.

Outsourcing for small businesses is nothing new. We are not talking about the outsourcing that is getting a bad rap right now such as sending your customer service to India but instead are talking about such items as secretarial services.

What I mentioned in that blog was outsourcing is fine, just do not outsource an area that deals directly with your customers. This is were many technology companies are making a mistake as they outsource customer service and tech support.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Starting A Small Business Series Part III

In the previous entries we talked about finding the right business for you. Now we are going to get into the finances of your business.

So what are you going to need to start your business?

Today we will not talk about an actual building but what would be needed to go inside the building or other things you may need.

Some items to take into consideration:

Fixtures: What kind of fixtures are you going to need? If you’re running a store you may need display racks, display cases, clothing racks, cash register or POS system, etc.

Office Furniture: If you will just have a office then you would need just office furniture but this could include a desk, desk chair, guest chairs, rugs, file cabinets, white boards, cork boards, etc.

Computer Equipment: No matter what kind of business you’re looking to open up your going to need computer equipment. If you are starting a retail business you should consider a POS system which QuickBooks has for $1500 or more. If not then you should still have a computer to keep track of customers and finances. Remember it’s just not the computer itself but you will also need a printer, possibly a scanner, and other computer related supplies.

Other Supplies: Along with the above mentioned you need to take into consideration the supplies you will need to get started. Office supplies can consist of paper clips; file folders, pens, pencils, janitorial supplies, and much more.

This is just a basic list and will vary with the type of business you are looking to open. For fixtures and office furniture you should be able to find items used from a variety of stores that will save you money.

This will get you started. Figure out the cost of each item you’re going to need and then next week we will start working on financial statements.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

What Niche?

One of things you will here me talk about all the time is how important it is for you to have a niche to drive your customers base. Wal-Mart has it’s low price niche (even if it really doesn’t have the lowest prices), Nordstrom is known for it’s customer service, and K-Mart is know for?

Now let’s look at one type of chain store that none of the competitors have set themselves apart and that is office supplies. There are three big stores when it comes to office supplies and that is OfficeMax, Office Depot, and Staples.

The problem is what sets these stores apart? I have to admit I used to work for OfficeMax, my wife worked for Office Depot at one time and her sister worked for Staples. So in other words we have all three covered.

If you ask a majority of their customers, they would say that they shop at the store that is most convenient for them. If there is a couple of stores close to each other people may choose one store over the other because of customer service but beyond that they have done little to set themselves apart. In fact I have never seen a market segment in which customers will when writing a check will not remember what store they are in and mistake it for a competitor.

While OfficeMax has tried to set itself apart by not having mail in rebates and Staples is pushing its Easy Button advertising, there is still little to set these stores of apart. They pretty much have the same product and services, at pretty much the same prices.

So what could these stores do to set themselves apart?

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Capital Budget Needs...

In a previous entry I talked about the importance of having an emergency fund consisting of six months of expenses. This is not to be touch except in an extreme emergency. Today I am going to talk to you about another savings account you should have but this one you will tap into on a regular basis and that is your capital equipment fund.

Depending on the type of business you have you will either have a great need for capital or a small need but you still need to have a fund set up to save the money for these important purchases.

One regular reoccurring capital expense is computers. Computers either have to be replaced or heavily upgraded every three to five years. Every month you should be setting aside money for future computer needs. This not only includes the computer itself but also printers, copiers, scanners, etc. and anything else your business may use.

Here are the steps to take in order to start saving for your capital needs. First thing to do is figure out when you’re going to need a new piece of equipment. Then you set a budget for how much you’re going to spend. If it’s something that you buy on a regular basis you have a good basic idea on cost. If not, do some research and add a little padding incase of price increases or changes in needs.

The rest is pretty simple. Just divide the amount you need by the number of time periods before the purchase and you have the amount you need to save each time period. If you need a $1000 in 10 months and you will put away money every month then you need to put away $100.00 each month.

By using this system you will be ready for those major purchases and they will not take you by surprise. By budgeting for your big purchases and having your emergency fund, you will be ready when something major happens. After all like Dave Ramsey says, it’s when your not financial prepared that Murphy will come calling.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Starting A Small Business Series Part II

In the first part of the series we talked about getting ideas for you to start your own business. Now that you have a general idea of what direction you want to do, now we will see how marketable the idea is and where you should go with it. We are keeping this very basic for those going from a blank sheet.

Here is a series of questions to ask to start developing your business plan and to insure that your idea is something to run with.

  1. Who would buy your product or service?
  2. How big is the market for your product or service?
  3. Who is your competition?
  4. How will you set yourself apart from your competition?
  5. What is your niche?

Once you answer these basic questions you will have a better idea of were to go with idea for a product of service.

Be sure that you are very detailed when answering your questions. We will go through each of these questions in the coming weeks.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Business Events Calander from the Seattle Times

Coming business events

What Kind of Business Should I Go Into?

So you have decided to start your own business because you are tired of corporate culture, you want to control your destiny, or a range of other reasons for starting your own business.

So what kind of business should you go into?

Maybe you already have some ideas of what you are going to do but if you don’t here are some helpful hints to find that right business for you.

Ask yourself some questions:

  1. What kind of experience you have?
  2. What are your hobbies?
  3. Do you have an innovative product or service that is not out there yet?

Look deeply into yourself to figure out what would be the best options for you.

In my case, I had a varied amount of experience from different fields and I could never find a job where I could put all of my assets to use, or I should say find a company that was willing to allow me to use all my experience and knowledge. After some deep thinking I decided to become a consultant so I could put all of my assets to use.

The most important thing to remember when deciding what business you are going into is to find something you are going to enjoy. When you start your own business you are going to be working many hard hours so it is so important that you enjoy what you are doing. If you do not enjoy what you are doing in the long run you will not be a success at it.

There is many opportunities out there, so do a deep search to find what is right for you.

Business Articles of Note

Save 20% on Web.com web hosting packages using code TWC287


World's largest online seller of promotional items

Retail sales up only 0.2 percent

McDonald's to take on Seattle's best


Zillow signs deal with newspapers

Ready to shop?

Burn while you earn: Desk treadmill keeps you walking at work


Hyatt's break with tradition

Wal-Mart gain may be sign of recovery

Safeway joins in liquor sales

For the Guy Who Wants More Than a Little Off the Top

Keeping Up With Customers: A Phone List Is So Yesterday


Paying to Hear the Complaints

Personal Assistants on Call, Just Not in the Next Office

Benefits in a Pension, for Now and Beyond


A Little Planning Can Mean More for Heirs Later


Winemaking That Doesn’t Require a Mortgage

Your Computers Are Down? No Problema

These Angels Like to Work as a Team

Taking a Whack at Making a Car


From Boutique to Big Time

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Seattle Coming Business Events from the Seattle Times

Name of event: Key Metrics for Product Managers

Date and time: Oct. 24, 6-8:30 p.m.

Place: Community Center at Mercer View, 8236 S.E. 24th St., Mercer Island

Cost: $55

Web site: www.pmcnw.org

Description: Join the Product Management Consortium for a discussion on the key metrics that product managers need to measure and communicate throughout the product life cycle. Guest speakers will provide examples from several companies to help you sharpen your use of metrics.

Name of event: Dealing with Difficult Situations with Tenants

Date and time: Oct. 24, 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Place: Good Shepherd Center, Room 202

Cost: $150, includes lunch

Web site: www.kcdrc.org

advertising

Event phone: 206-443-9603

Description: Landlords and managers: Come learn how to become more effective in handling the most common conflicts with your tenants. This one-day training was designed specifically for landlords and managers to learn to become more effective in handling the most common conflicts with residents.

Name of event: OfficeShui, a peaceful productive workspace

Date and time: Oct. 24, 7-8:30 p.m.

Place: My Day Office, 2820 Elliott Ave.

Cost: $30

Web site: https://biznik.com/events/2007/10/24/officeshui-tm-a-peaceful-productive-workspace

Event phone: 206-228-0780

Description: In just an hour and a half, you'll walk away with the tools to transform your workspace into a work haven. Advance online RSVP required.

Name of event: Your Money, Your Business, Your Life

Date and time: Oct. 24, 6-8 p.m.

Place: AGC Building (Starbucks level), 1200 Westlake Ave. N.

Cost: $30

Web site: https://biznik.com/events/2007/10/24/your-money-your-business-your-life

Description: Learn about how your beliefs shape your financial success and how you can reap the most rewards from your efforts. Advance online RSVP required.

Name of event: Alliance of Technology & Women, "Being a Person of Influence"

Date and time: Oct. 24, 6 p.m.

Place: Hyatt Regency, 900 Bellevue Way N.E., Bellevue

Cost: Preregistered ATW Members $25. Nonmembers $35

Web site: http://www.atwinternational.com/chapters/seattle/upcoming_events.aspx

Description: ATW Seattle invites you to join us for a presentation by Marja Brandon, Head of School at Seattle Girls School. Marja will share her story on empowering young women through education and becoming a nationally recognized Woman of Influence.

Name of event: Intuit's Just Start Event

Date and time: Oct. 24-25, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Place: Westlake Center

Cost: Free

Web site: www.IWillJustStart.com

Description: Budding Seattle small-business owners can draw inspiration from local entrepreneurs, obtain expert advice from local business experts and get a free copy of QuickBooks software. In addition, aspiring Seattle business owners can enter the Just Start contest by submitting a letter or video describing their business dream, what they need to do to make it happen and how they would use Intuit's Just Start $50,000 business grant of cash and professional services to get started. For those not able to make the event, a letter or video entry can be submitted to www.IWillJustStart.com.

Name of event: The Success Blueprint Workshop

Date and time: Oct. 25, 7:30-10:15 a.m.

Place: The Coast Bellevue Hotel

Cost: $29

Web site: http://www.procoachsystem.com/index.html

Event phone: 800-983-8041

Description: Join Master Certified Coach Andrew Barber-Starkey, for breakfast and a workshop in learning proven strategies to accelerate your business results and maximize your profits. Seating is limited.

Name of event: Women Business Owners Power Lunch

Date and time: Oct. 25, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Place: Washington Athletic Club

Cost: Members: Prepaid, $31. After deadline, $38.

Web site: www.womenbusinessowners.org

Event phone: 206-575-3232

Description: Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna will discuss the problem of identity theft

Name of event: Eastside Business Networking Happy Hour

Date and time: Oct. 25, 5-8:30 p.m.

Place: Twisted Cork Wine Bar, 900 Bellevue Way, Bellevue

Cost: Free; online registration required in advance

Web site: http://biznik.com/events/2007/10/25/eastside-happy-hour-3

Description: Join business adviser Pete McDowell and Michelle Hayden Bomberger for food, talk and some new business connections.

Name of event: Bellevue Chamber Business After Hours

Date and time: Oct. 25; 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Place: RE/MAX Realty Professionals; 3025 112th Ave. N.E., Suite 100

Cost: $12 members; $20 nonmembers

Web site: www.bellevuechamber.org

Event phone: 425-213-1205

Description: Make lasting business connections at this after-work, networking focused event.

Name of event: Presentation with CEO of SolutionsIQ: The Ripple Effect

Date and time: Oct. 25, 6 p.m.

Place: Qpass corporate headquarters, 2211 Elliott Ave., Suite 400, Seattle

Web site: www.SeattleScrum.org

Event phone: 206-447-6000

Description: Join the Seattle Scrum Users Group at its October meeting for a presentation by Charlie Rudd, president and CEO of SolutionsIQ, whose topic is "The Ripple Effect: How Adopting Agile Practices Has Created Interesting & Positive Ripples Throughout The Company."

Name of event: CEO Roundtable

Date and time: Oct. 30, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. luncheon

Place: Washington Athletic Club

Cost: Members $40 before Oct. 26 and $45 after; nonmembers $45 before Oct. 26 and $50 after

Web site: www.womenbusinessowners.org

Event phone: 206-575-3232

Description: Roundtable discussion with six women CEOs of companies with $1 million to $25 million in sales, plus time for Q&A.

Name of event: Seattle Graphic Artists Guild October luncheon — Creating Continuous Cash Flow

Date and time: Oct. 31, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Place: Rock Salt Steak and Seafood on Lake Union

Cost: Preregistration: $25, guild members and students with ID; $30, nonmembers. Walk-ins: $30 members and students with ID; $35 non-members.

Web site: http://www.seattleguild.org/">www.seattleguild.org

Description: Jeanette Smith presents an action-packed talk on targeting marketing, licensing and publishing so your art can make money while you sleep. Reservations by noon Oct. 26 at http://www.seattleguild. org/meetingPaypal.htm

Name of event: Certified ScrumMaster

Date and time: Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Place: Seattle Harbor Club

Cost: $1,200 per attendee

Web site: http://www.solutionsiq.com/scrum/training_events.html

Event phone: 800-235-4091

Description: This two-day ScrumMaster certification course, delivered by SolutionsIQ Agile thought leaders, provides everything you need to get started with Scrum and Agile. On completion, participants are registered as Certified ScrumMasters (CSMs).

Name of event: Vision House Fundraising Breakfast

Date and time: Nov. 1, 7:30 a.m.

Place: Bellevue Hilton Hotel

Cost: Complimentary; but donations are accepted.

Web site: www.vision-house.org

Event phone: 425-945-0350

Description: Join us for breakfast with Nordstrom President Blake Nordstrom and learn how Vision House is working to end homelessness in our community.

Name of event: Money Wi$e Women Forum

Date and time: Nov. 3, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Place: Green River Community College, Auburn

Cost: $25

Web site: www.moneywisewomen.net

Event phone: 360-204-0982

Description: All-day financial conference featuring three keynote speakers and 12 breakout sessions taught by professional experts.

Name of event: Alliance of Angels 10-Minute Pitch Clinic

Date and time: Nov. 6, 2-5 p.m.

Place: Rainier Tower Building, Suite 2500, 1301 Fifth Ave

Cost: $95

Web site: www.allianceofangels.com

Event phone: 206-389-7258

Description: Workshop on how to pitch a startup business plan to angel investors, including developing a pitch, what elements resonate with angels, and how to provide essential information in a limited time.

Name of event: Training Course: Psychology of an Internet Customer

Date and time: Nov. 7, 7-9 p.m.

Place: Bellevue Community College, Building B, Room 101

Cost: $75 online registration or $100 at the door

Web site: www.regonline.com/awdtrain

Event phone: 425-770-5533

Description: This course will outline how to convert more Web site users into customers by understanding how Internet users' brains process information differently from when they read a printed publication.

Name of event: Megatrend for Megabucks: Business Alliances that Grow Revenues

Date and time: Nov. 7, 8-11:30 a.m.

Place: Columbia Tower Club

Cost: $55 through Oct. 26; $75 through Nov. 6; $85 day of session.

Web site: www.megatrends4megabucks.com

Event phone: 206-972-0265

Description: Breakfast plus a targeted presentation on three topics relating to starting and growing business alliances for CEOs, company presidents, and those responsible for overall revenue in their organization. Part 1: Choose the right people for the team. Part 2: Tactical steps to build alliances. Part 3: An attorney's view of how to craft successful agreements for alliances that last.

Name of event: Bellevue Chamber Morning Buzz Networking Breakfast

Date and time: Nov. 6, 7-9 a.m.

Place: The Bellevue Club Hotel 11200 SE 6th St., Bellevue

Cost: $25 members, $35 non-members

Web site: www.bellevuechamber.org

Event phone: 425-213-1205

Description: A structured and effective networking event, The Morning Buzz is the Eastsides most energetic and results-oriented business breakfast!

Name of event: Cleantech Investing in the Pacific Northwest

Date and time: Nov. 8, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Place: Westin Seattle

Cost: $295

Web site: www.stoel.com/cleantechinvesting

Event phone: 503-294-9506

Description: A one-day forum hosted by Stoel Rives and Nth Power featuring keynote speakers Dan Reicher, Google.org; Mike Eckhart, president of the American Council on Renewable Energy; and Ron Pernick, author of "The Cleantech Revolution."

Name of event: Northwest Entrepreneur Network's Entrepreneur University 07

Date and time: Nov. 8, 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

Place: Bell Harbor Conference Center

Cost: $275 for NWEN members and $375 for non-members with early bird discounts available until Oct. 19.

Web site: www.nwen.org

Event phone: 425-564-5701

Description: This year's keynote speakers are Martin Tobias, CEO and Chairman of Imperium Renewables and a venture partner at Ignition Partners, plus Sunny Kobe Cook, founder of Sleep Country USA. Entrepreneur University (EU 07) features two complete tracks for the distinct stages of creating and growing an entrepreneurial venture.

Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company

Business Articles of Note

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Incorporate Online for as little as $149. Click here!

Web could make buying a car fun

Economic growth slowed in Sept.; inflation in check

Green Plastics Find Cautious Market

Orders for big-ticket manufactured goods post unexpected back-to-back declines

Health food entrepreneurs gather to advise and learn

What's new: Buy or sell brand-name clothes at new shop


Ambitious designer should ask self: Why sew much?


PacSun to close footwear chain

Blazing a Trail Out of Chaos

A Battle Over Venture Capital for Small Businesses

Experience-Based Ventures Help Fight the Frustrations of Fighting Breast Cancer


For luxury yacht business, the tide is high

Monday, October 22, 2007

Business Articles of Note

$10 off $50 + Free Ground Shipping for Back to School at FranklinCovey.com. Valid 6/26-9/14/07. Use code 17114.


Assurant Health: FREE Online Quote


Family of candy makers help keep Billings sweet

Rancher banking on sod as newest cash crop

Knowing when to slow down key to managing the rat race

Technology powerhouse Tektronix seeded Silicon Forest

I-mate is stepping into the spotlight


Hollywood stars receive belts from Sheridan store

Self-employed enjoy tax benefits

Distinction between gifts and bonuses

In-air Wi-Fi firm copes with growth

Executives take do-it-yourself approach to business air travel

Vizio founder follows his TV vision

Selling ads is Google's bread and butter, but buying them is not its cup of tea

Want the best? Give your best


Producer Danja is helping reshape music industry's hit-making machine


Avon's latest scent sweet smell of success?

Wireless wiggle room may be on the horizon

What's going on in the Boise area business community this week?


Entrepreneur rides technology wave out of garage and into marketplace

Grocer pushes Earth-friendly store design

How Many Site Hits? Depends Who’s Counting


A Little Mexican Cafe, Built on Persistence

New Ways to Think About Selling


A Headache for Small Drug Makers

Salt Lake Convention Calendar

Office life without cubicles can take some getting used to

Retail Notebook: Fresh tofu in your backyard

Inside Entrepreneurship: Partnership tiffs can kill a startup