Part-Time Becomes Full-Time
These days, many of us choose to work more than one job.  Oftentimes this involves a full-time job plus something part-time.  The 40-hour position pays most of the bills, provides needed benefits, and offers a stable work environment.  The auxiliary job might simply be a way to put more money into your pocket, but more and more it represents the beginnings of a dream career as a business owner.  At some point, your success in building that part-time work into something self-sustaining will cause you to make two of life’s tough employment choices—when do I quit my regular job, and how do I leave it without damaging the relationships I have built there?

The Great Quit-Work Fantasy is a Fallacy
For any budding entrepreneur preparing to take that giant leap from worker to business owner, one of the fantasies involves charging into the boss’s office, shouting out all your past grievances, and storming off by tossing an “I quit!” over your shoulder before slamming the door behind you.  That scenario is fine for the movies, but it is likely the first mistake you would make as your own boss.

Every Business Relationship Has Value
As an employee, you are involved in four distinct relationships every workday.  These are with:
1. Employer / supervisor
2. Coworkers
3. Clients
4. The company itself

Each one of these associations has value to you as a future business owner.  Your employer is someone who can serve as an excellent reference or advisor in your new position.  Your coworkers can send you business leads or recommend your venture to their friends.  The people doing business with your existing company fall into a similar category.  And the company you are leaving is a potential future customer.

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Ready to Move On
Very few people start a business with the expectation of running it forever.  Although there is always the possibility that your children will take over once you decide to retire, most small business owners are anxious to cash out and live the good life - or else sink some of that newly acquired money into another venture.  Knowing when and how to sell your small business - and doing it the right way by avoiding the obvious pitfalls - can make the difference between turning a terrific profit or a so-so one, and perhaps failing to sell it at all.

Make a List and Check It Twice - And Three Times Is Better
There are many factors to consider once you have decided to sell your small business.  Here is a list of four top-line questions, each of which will be answered below:

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Stability, Benefits and Support
If you share the American dream of running your own business some day, chances are you have given some thought to the challenges that await you.  Since most of us are not independently wealthy or have a trust fund to fall back on—and knowing that it takes time to get a business off the ground and into profit mode—we need to have a reliable income stream.  Thousands of people every year start their own business while continuing to work a full-time job.  A regular paycheck and guaranteed benefits such as health care not only provide financial stability, but also give you enough peace of mind to devote positive energy toward your entrepreneurial goals.

Boundaries and Time Management
Very few companies prohibit their employees from having a business on the side, provided you will not be a direct competitor.  So long as you continue to work just as hard in your full-time position, there is no reason not to make the first move in what may prove to be your best-ever business decision—to become your own boss.  Managing the time you devote to that start-up is crucial, especially if you have other commitments to look after, such as raising a family.  Some companies expect you to tell them when you begin to run a side business, while others make no such demand on their workers.  Your employee handbook is usually a good place to find any such restrictions or requirements.

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Saving the Economy

One of the toughest domestic tasks to face the Obama Administration during its first 100 days involved getting the U.S. economy back on track.  The federal stimulus package has a number of prime elements to it, each one a broad overview designed to repair what many people consider to be damaged fiscal policy.  These factors include:

• Create New Jobs
• Move toward a greener (more environmentally responsible) economy
• Improve the country’s infrastructure
• Improve all levels of education
• Offer greater assistance to the unemployed
• Provide tax relief for 95 percent of Americans
   

Frozen Assets

Major corporations, notably those in the financial and automotive sectors, have received billions of dollars of taxpayer money in the form of loans and outright gifts.  The credit crunch that resulted from the collapse of a number of banks has had a devastating effect on the ability of American small business to conduct, well, business.  These companies rely on short- and medium-term financing to do everything from providing payroll relief to offering bridge loans for ongoing operations to funding new construction or remodeling.  Because so many banks are loaded down with “toxic assets”—loans that are unlikely to ever get paid back—they have no way to free up capital to provide new loans to the companies that need them.

Proposing a Small-Business “Bailout”

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Buying a franchise is undoubtedly an excellent way to get your first taste of business and a first chance to get your foot on the entrepreneurial ladder. Getting a start in business can be the hardest thing to do if you are at a loss as to where to begin or just do not have the means of setting up your own business without a little backing. As such, a franchise is a great place to start.

A franchise is effectively a big company with an established brand that has been expanded by budding entrepreneurs. A franchisor is the business in question and the franchisee is the budding businessperson that takes on a sector of that franchise. Subway is a great example of a successful franchise, although the franchise available to you may be a food company or a retail outlet or any other form of store. You will choose from those available and then meet the prospective franchisor to discuss your prospects further. The franchisor would want to know whether you are able to make a success of your opportunity, and you should have peace of mind that buying into the franchise is in your best interests.

As such, the first meeting is a big deal. It is important that you make a good impression but obtain peace of mind, and so the tips below may help you when you meet a prospective franchisor:

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Effective communication has always been an important factor in career success, and the role of writing is more important today that ever before. The ability to write is one of the most important communication skills in the modern business world. Because so much business communication takes place via written methods of communication, writing skills are essential in virtually every field.

While it’s true that some people are naturally talented when it comes to writing, it’s a fact that writing skills can be learned. You don’t have to be a creative writing guru to create professional business documentation. Effective business writing involves the proper use of grammar, language, tone, and style. These skills can be improved with proper training and practice.

5 Reasons to Brush Up Your Business Writing Skills
There are many reasons to focus on improving your writing skills, particularly if career advancement is something that you are striving to accomplish.

1. Increasing Role of Writing in the Workplace
Historically, writing was viewed as a very formal type of workplace communication, taking the form of letters, reports, and other detailed documentation. Today, a great deal of customer and co-worker communication takes place via e-mail, instant messenger, text messages, and more. Many times, modern workers engage in written communication more than spoken interactions.

2. Writing Skills Reflect Professionalism
It’s a fact that there’s a strong association between writing skills and professionalism. People who are able to write clear, concise, and effective business messages tend to be viewed more favorably in the workplace than those who are less skilled in this area. To be seen as competent, the written messages that you create need to reflect both solid substance and proper form.

3.

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They say that there is no better option than buying a business that is already up and running, and to a degree that is true. When thinking about buying a car wash business there are several benefits and several drawbacks as well.  The decision of buying a car wash business is a very important decision, for both you and your family. Even though this is considered to be a small enterprise, you are still talking about a relatively large investment.  This decision may seriously affect not only your life, but also the lives of your family. Most business consultants suggest that before making a major decision such as that of buying an existing car wash you should find out everything you can about the business. Think about the time and the type of commitment you will have to make to such an endeavor.

Check out all Aspects of the Car Wash First
Look at the location where the car wash is. Is it a high profile location? Is there a lot of traffic? Does it have a lot of visibility? High visibility is a very important element to the success of a car wash business. Check to see that the car wash for sale has all the necessary permits, and this can be verified at the city or county offices. Go to the office that gives out business licenses, and make sure that everything is in order.

What kind of equipment does the car wash have and in what condition is it in? A fully automated car wash will have more equipment than a self service car wash, and the condition of that equipment is a deciding factor on the agreed upon price for the business. Ask to see employees’ records. Find out what they are like, and what kind of service they give the customer.

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I have summarised below the process that we use when acting as broker working for the buy side.  Although, the following assumes you will use a broker, you could consider following this process yourself, but I would warn you of two key things:
 
• Do not underestimate the time and effort absorbed by the buying process and recognise that it will divert you from running your own business with potentially damaging results.
• The process of negotiation involved in buying a business can get emotional and personal, risking damage to the relationship with the seller who will become your new partner or employee.

The main steps in the process are:

• Decide what you want to buy and why - Of these, why is the most important and it will feed into deciding what you will look for as targets.  What do you expect the purchase to do for you?  What will the purchase do that you cannot do without it? When considering the cost of the acquisition, you must also understand what else you could do with the money and then compare the returns that you will get from the different investment strategies always considering the risk profiles of each. 
• Finding targets -  The first stage helps you create a profile of the ideal target; business sector and location, customer base, offerings that serve a defined gap in your own armoury, revenue and profit ranges, private or public status, etc. Using the profile, identify potential targets that might match it.  Brokers do this through a combination of their existing network of contacts, recommenders and introducers, and specific searches using publicly available information.  They will also use additional sources of information such as memberships of trade associations, or attendees at appropriate trade fairs.

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