Hopefully you will make a New Year’s resolution which includes building a business plan and in it, your personal and business goals.  You will also do a budget to make sure you can afford to execute what is in your plans.  Hopefully you are rested and as they say, “all dressed up and ready to go.”  You are also saying “Bring it on.”  My question is therefore, you know WHAT you want to do but HOW are you going to do it?

Chances are you have a list of projects and tasks you want and need to do.  It probably does not include answering phones, sending and receiving emails, reading articles and newsletters, attending conferences, staying on top of compliance items that affect your industry but numerous day to day activities that lead most entrepreneurs at the end of the day to say “Where did the day go?”  That’s the point of a Productivity plan.

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The sales and marketing plan is a document that most entrepreneurs don’t have time to put together.  I’m not sure why that is as it’s just as important as the business plan and indeed complements it.

The business plan outlines the vision, strategic direction and business and financial goals of the business.  The sales and marketing plan breaks down the business plan to show how you are going to get there and the tactics to use to attract the right customers.

The sales and marketing plan can be as complex and as detailed as you wish to make it.  It can include a list of tactics you could deploy, it can list and detail only specific tactics you plan to use or a combination of both.  It’s important, though, that you understand how each idea is to be used but you have some idea of the expected results each tactic should bring to the business.  There is an old adage in business management: If you cannot measure it you cannot manage it.  There is also a famous quote that says “I’m convinced that 50% of my marketing is effective, I just can’t tell which 50%.”
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The following article is re-printed from an email sent by Mike McGrane, an SBA lender with Wells Fargo based in Roseville, CA.

The Senate and the House have both passed various versions of the following improvements to the Small Business Admin 7a and 504 loan programs. This is a very good thing for Small Business, Entrepreneurs, Banks and Business Brokers and Developers. There is something for everyone in this Senate Bill outlines below. It still needs to be signed into law and the SBA needs to make their official guidelines public, but this should be what is coming.
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Just as there are different sellers with different motivations, there are also buyers with different types of needs and personalities. If you’re the seller of a business or looking to buy, understanding these different personality types may help you be more successful.

1. Unemployed
This is the best type of buyer. But there are some catches. They need to have enough money as a down payment to buy the business. Zero down payment to buy a home hasn’t been successful. As well as the down payment, they need a good credit score (FICO 700 plus), good credit report and if they want to qualify for a third party loan such as an SBA loan; they need to have industry experience. If you are the seller of a business, the unemployed are motivated and generally want to move quickly to make a decision and start earning an income again.
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Everyone hates to fail. Everyone hates to fail at anything. Sometimes it is difficult to find out if and when you are failing. It’s like falling over when you trip. Often you don’t even know you have tripped and fallen until you hit the ground. Owning and running a failing business can be the same. However, the process can be slower and more painful and possibly avoidable. If your business is struggling but you’re not sure how to tell if it is failing, bluntly and honestly answer the following six questions.

1. Do you have cash flow problems?
A quick look at the bank statements for the last few months will show the opening balance and closing balance. If the opening balance is higher than the closing balance for each of the last three months then you may have a problem. If the business doesn’t carry Accounts Receivables you do. If the business does carry Accounts Receivables and they are growing, your business has now become a bank for your customers and you now need to quickly manage this problem. If the Accounts Receivables are increasing quickly then you have an urgent problem that needs action now.
The other test is more frequent questions from your internal accounting person saying suppliers are calling for payment but we do not have sufficient funds to pay the Accounts Payable.
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The following is an article by Chrystal Jarvis of the Birmingham Business Journal about good news for Small Businesses looking for positive news about finance for their business.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is looking to offer more government-backed loans to commercial businesses.

The government agency has proposed increasing the size standards for 71 different types of businesses, two-thirds of them in retail trade sectors. The rest are in accommodations and food services and other services.

If adopted, more small businesses will become eligible for government loans and will have access to the SBA’s financial assistance, contracting and other programs.
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Buying or selling a business is complex task as there are so many moving parts. The moving parts obviously include the buyer and seller but may also include lenders, landlord, franchisors, attorneys, accountants, customers, suppliers, competitors, employees and others. Just as you can get help from a residential real estate to buy or sell a house, there are also business brokers or intermediaries who provide the services of an intermediary. If you are looking for the help of an intermediary or business broker, consider the following.
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A lot of new business owners like to move quickly. They work through their decision to move into business ownership, do a little research, decide how much money they have, how much they can borrow and then start doing “it”…whatever “it” means for them and their business.

There’s no question that research and understanding your finances are important. Going into business requires money and what goes on around it. However, if you want to borrow money to help fund your new business you are going to need at least 4 things. If you can’t be bothered getting these together you will not be taken seriously by sellers, landlords, business brokers, lenders or other related parties. Or worse still, you’ll be taken seriously, asked for these documents and when they found not to be in order, your dream will be shattered.
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If starting your business is in your immediate future you and are not sure where to start, there are five major areas I would suggest you consider. This article is just about one of those, which is the need to create a solid business plan, but the four areas to help determine your fitness for business ownership are as follows. First, are you a self-starter? Second, how well do you connect with other people? Third, how good are you at making decisions? Fourth, are you physically and emotionally ready to start and build your business?

As I mentioned above, this article is about area number five, that is, how well do you plan and organize. If you plan on going into business you should, at a minimum, look at the following. First, you’re going to need to build a business plan. Just as you’ve heard Look before You Leap, you should have heard “If You Fail to Plan you Plan to fail.” I think a business plan is one of the best kept secrets. Everyone knows you need a business plan but so few business owners actually put one together. And if you’d like to test this out, call three people you know who own and run a business and ask them if they have a business plan. I will be surprised if one out of the three does. And if you find one business person that does have a business plan either ask if you can borrow it to model off it, or if that’s too sensitive, ask if you can meet with this owner to go over yours as I would guess the owner that does have a business plan is successful. And it’s always good to talk to successful business owners.
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The reality of the current downturn in the economy is that many companies will need to restructure to create the private sector jobs President Obama is talking about. At the time of writing this article there is 7.2% unemployment or the good news, 92.8% full employment. That’s good news if you’re one of the 92.8% but bad news if you’re one of the 7.2%. And these are national figures so if you live in some States in the US the unemployment rate is higher.

Regardless of your local unemployment statistics, if you have lost your job or are concerned your company may downsize but you need to make some money to put a roof over your head, feed the family, buy the gas to get around plus all the other things you need to do in life, perhaps you are thinking it’s time to get off the employment rollercoaster. This means putting yourself in control so you can work the hours you want, work in an industry you want to be part of and ultimately be in control of your own destiny. If that makes sense, what are your options?
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A business plan is a critical document for any business. PERIOD

SCORE – the Senior Corps Of Retired Executives lists the lack of a business plan as one of the top three reasons a business fails. Any creditable book on owning or running a business ownership states its importance.

If you put a business plan together there are two types. The first is a business plan for a brand new business with second type for an existing business. If you would like a free template to use for either business plan, please visit my website; www.RogersonBusinessServices.com/sample documents. Items 7 and 8 are the respective business plans and come from documents created by SCORE and are available for free.

To create the best business plan that you can, consider the following ten tips.
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If you plan on selling your business, it will help you to understand the different types of buyer. Each buyer who inquires will have their own unique reason to want to buy. By talking with the buyer, understanding their needs and then placing them in one of the categories below, will help you understand what they are looking for so you are better prepared to discuss and negotiate the transaction.

Individual Buyer

This is generally one person with good financial resources and background or experience for managing and leading a particular business in a particular industry. This type of buyer is usually looking for a particular business that is financially healthy. They are looking for a return on their investment and some flexibility in lifestyle choices. They also believe they can buy and at least maintain the current performance of the business or take it to a higher level.

Corporate Executive

This is a buyer who has many years of service with a large corporation and has concerns that downsizing may occur. In some cases, they are getting older and have their retirement money tucked away and would like to see what it would be like to run their own business. Franchise businesses are particularly attractive to them as they like the structure and organization that comes from working in this business model.
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There are five critical areas an SBA lender considers in detail when deciding whether to underwrite an SBA loan. These five areas are Cash-flow, collateral, credit, management experience and liquidity. If you plan to apply for an SBA loan make sure you consider each of these areas. You don’t need to be perfect in all these areas but if you are weak in one area you will need to be so much stronger in another.

Let’s have a look at each of these in a little more detail.

1. Cash-Flow

This is one of the most important areas. The lender is using a concept called Debt Service Coverage (DSC.) In simple terms, the lender wants to know that the business is producing enough positive cash flow to service the costs to run the business, provide an adequate income to the buyer so they can pay their personal bills and feed the family etc plus service the debt that will be incurred if a loan is approved. To use some numbers to provide a specific example, if the buyer of the business wanted to make an SBA loan that required an annual loan payment of $100,000 for the loan only, the bank would want to see the business generate a positive cash flow over and above all expenses to run the business of at least $120,000 per annum or at a Debt Service Coverage ratio of 1.2.
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Selling a business or buying a business is rarely a simple and straightforward process. When I sit down and try to categorize each of those experiences, be it from my own personal experience as a Business Broker in Sacramento or the experiences I’ve heard from the 14 Business Brokers that are part of my office, the different experiences tend to fit into one of the categories below.

The seller expects to:

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Are you looking for tips for a successful business loan? Money tends to rate high up on the list of needs for people planning on starting or moving into business ownership. Here’s 7 tips if you need financing for your business.

1. Clearly identify how much you have available.
The best place to start is yourself. If you have some capital available to invest in a business this is a great start as other parties you approach will take you more seriously. They will take you more seriously as they want to see that you have “skin in the game.” Once your position is clear, family and friends are the next to approach. If you say they have money make sure it truly is available. There is nothing more frustrating than approaching professional lenders with your well thought out business plan showing a clear financial plan that includes a partial capital injection from family and or friends. The lender then approves their loan subject to the other parties contributing but then everyone finds out the family and or friends have changed their mind and all the planning by all parties has been a waste of time.
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