Q&A

Q&A: I Need a Loan to Fill Orders

April 5, 2013

This is another question I received via the ask-me form on my website: I have master service agreements with [omitted for confidentiality] in the midwest.  I am also working on an agreement with a company in South America.  I have a great reputation with upper management and they want to use my services.  The only [...]

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Q&A: Keep Your Business Plan Simple and Short

April 1, 2013

I received this question on my ask-me form at timberry.com I have a question about writing a business plan for my [business]. How do I write a business plan reflecting very little start up costs and a loss so far? I have been putting off writing a business plan, but I feel as if I [...]

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Q&A: Who Do I Follow For Business Twitter

December 11, 2012

(Note: This is my post from smbplans.com, where I posted it yesterday. I was asked to repost it here.)  Here’s another good question I received from my Ask-me form on my Timberry.com website:  If I’m trying to build my Twitter presence to support my [omitted] business, who should I follow? How do I find them? [...]

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Q&A: How Do I Finance My Company Without Losing Control?

September 5, 2012

Question: I need $250,000 to get my business started, but from what I see on the web, I’m going to have to give away the business, practically, to get that money from investors. And I don’t want to borrow the money because it’s a startup and I can’t be sure I’ll succeed. My answer: You [...]

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Q&A: Are There Business Classes That Busy Smallbiz Owners Can’t Afford Not to Take?

August 13, 2012

Over this weekend I was in email with a college student who asked me to answer some questions about business education, as part of a class project. I found this one interesting, and one that comes up a lot, so I decided to post the question and my answer here today.  The question:  On your [...]

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Q&A: When to Quit the Day Job and Start On My Own

July 24, 2012

This Q&A post is different. Usually I highlight questions here for my answer, meaning I’m answering a question I think others are asking, for which I’m hoping my answer might be useful. In this case, however, I’m posting because of the question itself: It’s extremely common, very important, and doesn’t have any obvious single answer [...]

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Help Me Answer This Deep Question From a Young Entrepreneur

May 24, 2012

What would you say to this question? I think it’s too deep for me to answer by myself. Please join me in the comments, with your answer.  Here’s the question:  I have an idea that I am hopelessly passionate about, but I question the wisdom of trying to execute at this point in my life. [...]

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Q&A: What To Do With Those Web App Ideas

April 16, 2012

This is question I received over the weekend via my Ask Me page at timberry.com: I have 3 great app ideas that I think many people will benefit from. I am only 18 and I am absolutely clueless on how I am going to turn my ideas in to a reality…. Any sort of advice [...]

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Q&A: Valuing a SaaS Business

March 26, 2012

This question was posted on my “ask me” page on my timberry.com site. I can’t promise to answer all the questions I get, but I try, and I’m particularly happy when I get one whose answer might be useful to other people. So here’s a question: Do you have any idea how to value a SaaS [...]

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Q&A: The Perfect Letter to Potential Private Lenders

January 12, 2012

This is another question received in my ask-me form on my timberry.com website: I’m hoping you might be able to help direct me in finding the perfect letter that I need to send out to potential private (mainly friends) lenders for a start-up I’m involved.  I need this letter to spell out the details of [...]

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