The Small Business Bible

547 Pages·2009·3.56 MB·English

by  Steven D. Strauss

FM_1 07/22/2008 4
FM_1 07/22/2008 1
PraiseforTheSmallBusinessBible,SecondEdition
‘‘The Small Business Bible, Second Edition is packed with extensive,
relevant information for today’s entrepreneurs. Steve has provided a
comprehensive look at every facet of small business, including up-to-
dateresearchontechnology,e-commerce,andothergrowthstrategies.
Rule#1for every successfulentrepreneur istoputthis book on the
shelf!’’
—PhilTown,authorofthe#1
NewYorkTimesbestseller,Rule#1
‘‘Excellent!Nothingwasleftoutofthisdefinitiveguideonhowtostart
and build a successful small business. Whether you are brand-new to
smallbusinessoraseasonedentrepreneur,youcanlearnsomethingfrom
thisbook!’’
—HectorBarreto
FormerAdministratorofthe
SmallBusinessAdministration
andChairmanofTheLatinoCoalition
‘‘Youmightreadthisbookonce,butyouwillrefertoitforyearstocome!
Stevehasdoneawonderfuljoblayingoutwhatmightotherwisebedry
information in an easy-to-understand, lively format. Whatever your
business, there is no shortage of actionable, useful ideas in this great
book.’’
—BarbaraCorcoran,founder
ofTheCorcoranGroup
andTodayShowcontributor
‘‘As the former president of three fast-growth companies, I’ve learned
what it takes to start and grow a small business. Steve Strauss’s Small
Business Bible, Second Edition helps you understand what works and
avoid what could be lessons learned the hard way. Whether you are
startingorgrowingyourbusiness,TheSmallBusinessBible,Second
Editionishighlyrecommended!’’
—SteveLittle
TheBusinessGrowthExpert
andauthorofThe7IrrefutableRules
ofSmallBusinessGrowth
andTheMilkshakeMoment
FM_1 07/22/2008 2
‘‘Strauss has revamped his classic book with cutting-edge content—
from how to green your business to utilizing technology to your
advantage.Thisisatimely,practical,andreadableresource.’’
—KenYancey
CEO,SCORE
‘‘TheSmallBusinessBible,SecondEditionisrequiredreadingforany
business owner looking to do things quicker and better. It provides
straightforward advice and profitable information for both the startup
entrepreneurandtheseasonedmanager.’’
—GeneMarks,editorofthe#1
Amazon.comsmallbusinessbestseller
TheStreetwiseBookofLists
‘‘WheneverStevehasappearedonourshow,hehasprovenhimselftobea
knowledgeable,entertaining,lively,smartguest!Hisbookhasservedasa
great resource and I highly recommend this great compendium for
anyoneinthebusinessofsmallbusiness.’’
—J.J.Ramberg,hostofMSNBC’s
smallbusinessshow,YourBusiness
FM_1 07/22/2008 3
THE
SMALL BUSINESS
BIBLE
FM_1 07/22/2008 4
FM_1 07/22/2008 5
THE
SMALL BUSINESS
BIBLE
S E C O N D E D I T I O N
E
VERYTHING
Y N K
OU EED TO NOW
S
TO UCCEED IN
Y S B
OUR MALL USINESS
Steven D. Strauss
J W & S , I .
OHN ILEY ONS NC
FM_1 07/22/2008 6
Copyright (cid:2)c 2008bySteven D.Strauss. Allrights reserved
Publishedby JohnWiley &Sons,Inc., Hoboken,New Jersey
Publishedsimultaneously inCanada
Nopart ofthispublication may bereproduced, stored ina retrievalsystem,or
transmitted inany formor byany means,electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording,scanning,orotherwise,exceptaspermittedunderSection107or108ofthe
1976UnitedStates CopyrightAct, withouteither the priorwritten permission ofthe
Publisher, orauthorization throughpayment oftheappropriate per-copyfee tothe
CopyrightClearance Center,Inc., 222RosewoodDrive,Danvers, MA01923, (978)
750-8400,fax[phone],oron theweb at www.copyright.com. Requests tothe
Publisher for permissionshouldbeaddressed to thePermissions Department, John
Wiley&Sons, Inc.,111River Street,Hoboken, NJ 07030,[phone],fax(201)
748-6008,oronline athttp://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
LimitofLiability/DisclaimerofWarranty:Whilethepublisherandauthorhaveused
theirbesteffortsinpreparingthisbook,theymakenorepresentationsorwarrantieswith
respecttotheaccuracyorcompletenessofthecontentsofthisbookandspecifically
disclaimanyimpliedwarrantiesofmerchantabilityorfitnessforaparticularpurpose.No
warrantymaybecreatedorextendedbysalesrepresentativesorwrittensalesmaterials.
Theadviceandstrategiescontainedhereinmaynotbesuitableforyoursituation.You
shouldconsultwithaprofessionalwhereappropriate.Neitherthepublishernorauthor
shallbeliableforanylossofprofitoranyothercommercialdamages,includingbutnot
limitedtospecial,incidental,consequential,orotherdamages.
Forgeneral information onour other products andservices orfor technical support,
pleasecontactourCustomerCareDepartmentwithintheUnitedStatesat(800)762-
2974,outside the UnitedStates at [phone]or fax[phone].
Wileyalsopublishes itsbooks ina variety ofelectronicformats. Some content that
appearsinprintmaynotbeavailableinelectronicbooks.Formoreinformationabout
Wileyproducts, visit our web siteat www.wiley.com.
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Strauss, StevenD., 1958–
Thesmall businessbible:everything you needtoknow tosucceed inyour
small business/SteveD. Strauss. –2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN978-0-470-26124-8 (pbk.)
1. Small business–UnitedStates–Management. 2. Small business–United
States–Finance. 3. Newbusiness enterprises–United States. I. Title.
HD62.7.S875 2008
658.0202–dc22
2008012277
Printedin theUnited States ofAmerica
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
FM_1 07/22/2008 7
For my mom and dad,
and my third parent, Seymour
FM_1 07/22/2008 8