Positive Money Ideas

I have compiled ideas and concepts that people have used to generate income either as a part-time activity or as a full scale business. Some may seem very ordinary, some a little offbeat - but every one of our ideas to make money can be developed into a successful home based business or small business! These home business ideas and small business opportunities are realistic and practical, waiting for the someone like YOU to make money at home with them!

Art/Design :
Artist (Draw Art)
Color Consultant

Automobile :
Antique Car Rental
Car Maintenance Classes
Business
Used Business Equipment
Business Incorporation Service

Childcare :
Mall Creche
Kid Hotel
Communication
Training Video Producer
Freelance Copywriter

Computers :
Electronic Scrapbook
Ink Cartridge Refilling
Education
Education Finance Consultant
Home Schooling Consultant

Employment :
Temp Employment Agency
Sports Recruiter / Scout
Entertainment
Bionic Animal Rides
Story Teller

Environment :
Flower Planting Kits
Prosperity Plants
Financial
Retirement Financial Consultant
Venture Capitalist

Food :
Sandwich Bar
Steamboat / Hot-Pot Diner
Healthcare
Personal Menu Service
Personal Weight Loss Consultant

Home Improvement :
Custom Storage Cabinets
Power Cleaning
Internet
Cafepress Store
Kontera

Personal/Public Services :
Costume Making and Rental
Lactation Consultant
Pets
Home Made Dog Treats
Boarding Kennels

Real Estate :
Vacation Rentals Broker
Mortgage Portal
Real Estate
Vacation Rentals Broker
Mortgage Portal

Recreation :
Inflatable Bouncers
Portable Pool Rental
Transportation
Motorbike Maintenance Classes
Disco Taxi

Wholesale/Retail :
Beekeeping
Specialty Book Store

Top Ten Do's and Don'ts

• TOP TEN DO'S

1. Prepare a complete business plan for any business you are considering.
2. Use the business plan templates furnished in each session.
3. Complete sections of your business plan as you proceed through the course.
4. Research (use search engines) to find business plans that are available on the Internet.
5. Package your business plan in an attractive kit as a selling tool.
6. Submit your business plan to experts in your intended business for their advice.
7. Spell out your strategies on how you intend to handle adversities.
8. Spell out the strengths and weaknesses of your management team.
9. Include a monthly one-year cash flow projection.
10. Freely and frequently modify your business plans to account for changing conditions.

• TOP TEN DON'TS

1. Be optimistic (on the high side) in estimating future sales.
2. Be optimistic (on the low side) in estimating future costs.
3. Disregard or discount weaknesses in your plan. Spell them out.
4. Stress long-term projections. Better to focus on projections for your first year.
5. Depend entirely on the uniqueness of your business or the success of an invention.
6. Project yourself as someone you're not. Be brutally realistic.
7. Be everything to everybody. Highly focused specialists usually do best.
8. Proceed without adequate financial and accounting know-how.
9. Base your business plan on a wonderful concept. Test it first.
10. Skip the step of preparing a business plan before starting.

BUSINESS PLAN

The primary value of your business plan will be to create a written outline that evaluates all aspects of the economic viability of your business venture including a description and analysis of your business prospects.

Keep in mind that creating a business plan is an essential step for any prudent entrepreneur to take, regardless of the size of the business. This step is too often skipped, but we have made it easy for you by providing this ready format to build your plan as you progress through this course.

Business plans can vary enormously. Libraries and bookstores have books devoted to business plan formats. This course is a starting point. You can then go on to design one that would be ideal for your particular enterprise.

Be aware now that most start-up entrepreneurs are reluctant to write down their business plan. It is, therefore, strongly recommended that you complete each segment of the plan as you progress through this course. We make it easy for you by providing sample plans for both product and service businesses and also an attractive blank form that you can download onto MS Word and customize yourself.

Your business plan will become your roadmap to chart the course of your business. But at the outset you cannot predict all of changing conditions that will surface. So after you have opened for business, it is important that you periodically review and update you plan.


A. Why Prepare A Business Plan?

Your business plan is going to be useful in a number of ways

* First and foremost, it will define and focus your objective using appropriate information and analysis.

* You can use it as a selling tool in dealing with important relationships including your lenders, investors and banks.

* Your business plan can uncover omissions and/or weaknesses in your planning process.

* You can use the plan to solicit opinions and advice from people, including those in your intended field of business, who will freely give you invaluable advice. Too often, entrepreneurs forge ahead ("My Way!") without the benefit of input from experts who could save them a great deal of wear and tear. "My Way" is a great song, but in practice can result in unnecessary hardships.

To help get started in lining up appointments. Names include your investors, family members, banker, lawyer, attorney, business mentors, trusted business friends, potential customers, competitors (distant ones), potential landlords, and the U.S. Small Business Administration.


B. What to Avoid in Your Business Plan

Place some reasonable limits on long-term, future projections. (Long-term means over one year.) Better to stick with short-term objectives and modify the plan as your business progresses. Too often, long-range planning becomes meaningless because the reality of your business can be different from your initial concept.

Avoid optimism. In fact, to offset optimism, be extremely conservative in predicting capital requirements, timelines, sales and profits. Few business plans correctly anticipate how much money and time will be required.

Do not ignore spelling out what your strategies will be in the event of business adversities.

Use simple language in explaining the issues. Make it easy to read and understand.

Don't depend entirely on the uniqueness of your business or even a patented invention. Success comes to those who start businesses with great economics and not necessarily great inventions.