Author: Ethan Theo

Abe WalkingBear Sanchez is an International Speaker / Trainer / Consultant on the subject of cash flow / sales enhancement and business knowledge organization and use. Founder and President of www.armg-usa.com, WalkingBear has authored hundreds of business articles, has worked with numerous companies in a wide range of industries since 1982 and has spoken at many venues including the Shakespeare Globe Theater in London.

Categories
Starting Up

Now Your Passionate Job

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BusinessWeek: You’ve worked hard, you’ve invested well, and now you have the financial means to exit early. While others might be perplexed by the unscheduled blocks of time in retirement, you know exactly what you want to do. For years you squeezed it into the spare hours of your workweek or daydreamed about it at your desk. Now you’d like to turn that hobby or passion into your life’s work.
What can go wrong? Just about anything that hampers a startup. Launching a business is never easy: Around half close within four years, according to the Small Business Administration. But it can be especially difficult for early retirees who allow emotions to trump smart decision-making.
Unlike younger entrepreneurs, retirees don’t have a long time to recover from a failed business. A money-losing enterprise can eat up savings, force you into debt, and even send you back into the workforce. But intelligent planning can make all the difference between success and stress.
Here are stories of three people who looked at the numbers, planned their exits, and made the transition with ease. Look at THE WINEMAKER, THE BONSAI GROWER, THE BOOKSELLER, THE NOVELIST.
And Now For That Dream Job [BusinessWeek]

Categories
Finance & Capital

Entrepreneur Accountants Uprising

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Business Opportunities: Greg Ford, managing director, Sage accountants division comments, “The research confirms what we have believed for quite some time, in that accountants can’t be bracketed into one stereotype. We are seeing the rise of a new breed of accountant, one for whom technology and an entrepreneurial spirit is extremely important in the running of the practice they work for or own. We feel that accountants should always be regarded in this manner, recognising that these new breed are looking for ways to help diversify their business.”
Supporting the theory that accountants are aiming to diversify their business, a healthy proportion considered that technology is an important revenue opportunity. Nearly a third (28%) regard technology as a big source of potential income, whilst 52% acknowledge that it has certain benefits. Indeed 40% of accountants admitted that they regularly use online news sources and blogs for work purposes.
Zoe Walsh of TPH Accountants adds, “The accounting profession is becoming increasingly entrepreneurial, and the stereotype of an accountant is changing fast. Accountants are looking for more ways to diversify their offering, and are increasingly giving general business advice to those wanting to set-up in business as well as the traditional accounting services. As a result the skill-set of an accountant is changing, making them an important part of the business lifecycle.”
There is a New Breed of Accountants [Business Opportunities]

Categories
Franchise

Work From Home

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StartupNation: With over 2,500 franchise concepts in the US alone, business owners are finding ways to appeal to investors. And one major way to do that is offer them the benefits of working from home. Several of our clients have perfected the system, including:
At Matco Tools, franchise distributors of automotive tools and diagnostic and service equipment have utilized home based offices for 61 years. Their franchisees utilize a mobile distribution system that features weekly sales and service contacts with pre-identified potential customer in an exclusive area. I’d say Matco has perfected the work-from-home business model.
Another example is FocalPoint Business Coaching. The FocalPoint model requires no inventory and has low operational overhead, while obtaining premium margins for the service your franchise will provide to the clients. A quiet place to work, a computer and phone and you’re set.
And there are dozens more. When you’re considering owning your own business, don’t forget about the franchise opportunities like these and many others that allow you the flexibility and benefit of owning your own business and working from the comfort of your home.
Home Based Franchising [StartupNation]

Categories
Online Business

Offline Crediting

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BizReport: New data released by PayOffline, from market research conducted by Shape-the-Future, demonstrates just how many U.K. shoppers avoid online shopping for fear of identity theft and credit card fraud.
When told of a new offline payment system, PayOffline, that is soon to be introduced in the U.K., the interest from those surveyed was huge with 80 percent asking to be informed when the service was launched.
“PayOffline has mass market appeal; all our extensive research indicates that there is a huge pent up demand from all sections of the U.K. population,” said Steve Berry, Managing Director, PayOffline. “PayOffline will also make Internet prices available to everyone and provide a safe and secure payment option without the risk of fraud or identity theft.”
The new service will allow those in the U.K. who have no bank account (c. 4 million) and the one-third of the population who have no credit card, to shop online. It is also an option for those worried about giving out their personal financial information on the Internet and the youth market that may not be eligible to use credit services.
The offline payment system is also an opportunity for online retailers to increase business from existing online shoppers, 65 percent of those surveyed claimed they would shop more online if an offline option was available.

Offline payment system for online purchases to launch in U.K. [BizReport]

Categories
Sales & Marketing

Online Advertising Picking Up

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BizReport: The report, called “U.K. Online Advertising”, puts broadband penetration, mobile Internet access, ad-serving technology and a healthy U.K. economy as the key drivers fuelling the growth of online advertising.
Online ad spending in the U.K. is forecast to reach 18 percent of total advertising spend this year, over double the percentage in any other European country, or even the United States. In fact, the U.K will account for just over 50 percent of all European Internet advertising this year and that figure is expected to rise to 52.6 percent in 2011.
U.K. online ad spending on the rise [BizReport]