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Small Business Thought of The Day - Business Plan Software Benefits

The backbone of any successful business is a strong business plan. With the wealth of software options on the market, writing a great business plan is easier than ever.
Take care when choosing your business plan software, however, to ensure you are getting what you need at a good price. Evaluate each software option to determine the one with the best price for the features you need. Consider the following when researching your business plan software:

Usability: How much training does the software require? Does the program integrate easily with programs you are familiar with, such as Microsoft Office? Is the software easy to navigate? Can you easily retrieve and update your business and market information?

Features: Can you build the type of reports you want? Does it help you design or use your own logos throughout the business plan? Does it include tutorials or other extras, like newsletter or blog subscriptions? How much can you customize your business plan with the software? What technical support is provided?

Relevance: Is the software specifically designed for your type of business? Does it include the forms and graphs you need? Are the business plan headings and its organization relevant to your business? Does the software company upgrade its software and information regularly?

Consumer Electronics, the Better Business Bureau, and software publications like PC World are excellent sources for business plan software reviews. Don't overlook the importance of a reputation for reliability.

A strong business plan will provide a reference for you to refer to again and again as you grow your business. Choose business plan software that will take the journey with you.

See Also: Business Plan Software - Tips for choosing the Right One

 

Small business loans for new business ventures are not as easy to get as personal loans, because of the failure rate of new businesses.

Small business loans require a lot more paperwork. They require a business plan and will require collateral.

Sometimes it's easier to get a personal loan and use it for your business. From an accounting point of view, the business has borrowed money from you, therefore when the business makes a profit, you repay the loan, and to yourself, and the money is tax free.

When you can get a small business loan, then it's the way to go. If you find you have to go through a lot of red tape, then get a personal loan and use the money in your new business as you see fit.

That's The Way I See It!
Acey Gaspard
A Touch of Business.com

For More on This Topic See:
Small Business Loans and Where You Can Find Them

I believe good business ethics are easy to abide by if there the right ones for you.

Have you heard the term, "it's nothing personal, it's just business"?

I don't like that expression, because to me it means if it wasn't business I could help you out, or things would be different.

Here's my point of view on business ethics: You should run your business the way you run your life. The beliefs should be the same.

When you have business ethics that are different from your personal ethics then you always have to choose and be conscious of what to do.

If you abide by one set of ethics for your personal decisions and your business decisions, it's easier to stay on track. Not to mention, less stress on you.

So you don't need to abide by a personal set of ethics and a business set of ethics.

This whole idea doesn't mean that you shouldn't be making a profit or making business transactions that are at a loss.

It does mean if just because you are in business, it doesn't give you an excuse to harm others and tell them it's only business.

Business can be profitable while sticking to good business ethics.

That's the way I see it!

Acey Gaspard

 

See Also
Business Ethics - 10 To Keep in Mind
www.atouchofbusiness.com/tips/biz/WorkplaceBusinessEthics-0015.html

Sometimes getting frustrated is a good in business, because it drives to change.

Naturally when you're frustrated, it's no fun at all! When you're frustrated, you don't think "This is a good thing, and now it's time to change!"  Rather, you are fed up with the situation and want things to get better.
 

So here's a tip, the next time your feeling frustrated, skip the uncomfortable feelings and go straight to the solution state. This way you don't have to feel frustrated but rather you'll know you need to change. Rather than burn energy on the frustration, shift that energy and find a solution. Simply ask questions like:
 

How can I make this better?

What can I do to make things better?

What would ______ do in a situation like this?
 

Although this will not feel natural, it will help because you'll find a solution quicker, and avoid focusing on the state of frustration - you'll learning to stay solution focused.
 

When you train yourself quickly go to a solution focused state, your business will flow smoother; you can tackle problems quickly, not to mention you build your confidence and personality.
 

That's The Way I See It!
Acey Gaspard

http://www.atouchofbusiness.com 

Good customer service is more than just taking care of the customer. I think good customer service is analyzing what your customers want, and catering your business to work in favour of your customers.

Here's a Simple Customer Service Plan

Here's what I would do. I would keep track of all the complaints made by customers, and I would look for trends in those customer complaints.

When I identity similar complaints, then that tells me something is wrong with the way I'm treating my customers. Let's say I had 3 complaints about the same issue. You can't say "it's just a couple picky customers." You need to look into the matter and make changes.

This doesn't mean you need to give in to all the customers' complaints. You may need to present your product or service in a different way. You may need to add benefits, change your product, or simply eliminate whatever people are complaining about.  Each case is different and you need to take action, and create a solution.  You can't just let it go.

Also you have to keep in mind, many customers are unsatisfied, but they won't do anything about it. So if you have three that told they are unsatisfied, you can be certain there are more.

Good customer service and accurate customer feedback go hand in hand. You can learn a lot from customer complaints and customer feedback.  But it's no use getting feedback if you don't act on the information.

Without customers, you have no business, so be sure to monitor your customer's satisfaction and make the necessary adjustments to give good customer service.

Good customer service takes patience, understanding, and investigations. Those business people that practice good customer service are ahead of the game.

That's The Way I See It!
Acey Gaspard
A Touch of Business
See Also:

Good Customer Service - Tips For Keeping Happy Customers