http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/08/make-money-in-business.

asp 9 Tips For Growing A Successful Business February 26 2009| To succeed in business today, you need to be flexible and have good planning and organizational skills. Many people start a business thinking that they'll turn on their computers or open their doors and start making money - only to find tha t making money in a business is much more difficult than they thought. You can a void this in your business ventures by taking your time and planning out all the necessary steps you need to reach to achieve success. Read on to find out how. 1. Get Organized To be successful in business you need to be organized. Organization will help yo u complete tasks and stay on top of things to be done. A good way to do this is to create a to-do list each day - as you complete each item, check it off your l ist. This will ensure that you're not forgetting anything and you're completing all the tasks that are essential to the survival of your business. 2. Keep Detailed Records All successful businesses keep detailed records. By keeping detailed records, yo u'll know where the business stands financially and what potential challenges yo u could be facing. Just knowing this gives you time to create strategies to over come the obstacles that can prevent you from being successful and growing your b usiness. 3. Analyze Your Competition Competition breeds the best results. To be successful, you can't be afraid to st udy and learn from your competitors. After all, they may be doing something righ t that you can implement in your business to make more money. 4. Understand the Risks and Rewards The key to being successful is taking calculated risks to help your business gro w. A good question to ask is "What's the downside?" If you can answer this quest ion, then you know what the worst-case scenario is. This knowledge will allow yo u to take the kinds of calculated risks that can generate tremendous rewards for your business. 5. Be Creative Always be looking for ways to improve your business and to make it stand out fro m the competition. Recognize that you don't know everything and be open to new i deas and new approaches to your business. 6. Stay Focused The old saying that "Rome was not built in a day" applies here. Just because you open a business doesn't mean that you're going to immediately start making mone y. It takes time to let people know who you are, so stay focused on achieving yo ur short-term goals and give the rest time to come together on its own. 7. Prepare to Make Sacrifices The lead-up to starting a business is hard work, but after you open your doors, your work has just begun. In many cases, you have to put in more time than you w ould if you were working for someone else. In turn, you have to make sacrifices, such as spending less time with family and friends in order to be successful. 8. Provide Great Service There are many successful businesses that forget that providing great customer s ervice is important. If you provide better service for your customers, they'll b e more inclined to come to you the next time they need something instead of goin g to your competition. 9. Be Consistent Consistency is key component to making money in business. You have to consistent ly keep doing the things necessary to be successful day in and day out. This wil l create long-term positive habits that will help you make money over the long t erm. Conclusion Starting and running and running a successful business can be rewarding and chal lenging. Success requires focus, discipline and perseverance. However, success w

ill not come over night - it requires a long-term focus and that you remain cons istent in challenging environments. Starting a Small Business Tips Starting a small business can be exciting and scary all at the same time. It is important to arm yourself with knowledge and tools to help enhance the success o f your business. It is prudent to create a business plan and secure appropriate funding that will last you for the first six months of the start-up process. Her e are some tips for starting a small business. Creating a Business Plan When starting a small business you have to decide what the purpose of the busine ss is. Who will you cater to and what area do you plan to target for business? A nother idea to consider is can you start your business from home. Having to secu re a location for your business will drive up your start-up costs. Creating a bu siness plan will help to give you direction and create a road map from which you can start and operate your business. There are many types of software available to assist in writing a business plan; however, the Small Business Association o ffers a free outline to assist in creating your business plan. Experience Another important aspect is what level of experience do you have to help ensure your success. Make sure that you have adequate knowledge to effectively compete with other businesses. Having enough knowledge of your business will help to fac ilitate your ability to be creative with business marketing. Financing One of the most important aspects of starting a small business is financing. The re are two types of expenses that your business will incur. The first expense is fixed, which includes rent, telephone, business insurance and any other expense that is considered your overhead, which is the money that you will need to oper ate your business monthly. The second expense is variable, which consists of inv entory, travel, salary, marketing and any other expense that is not incurred fro m month to month. Have fun with your business and think success. How to Start a Small Business with No Investment For many people who want to start a small business, their biggest problem is fun ding. It can be difficult to find an investor willing to support the business, a nd many would-be entrepreneurs may not be able to build enough capital on their own. Here are some tips for starting a small business with no investment. Instructions 1 Start a service-oriented business. You won't need to purchase inventory to sel l. You can buy supplies on a per-job basis and use your own possessions to do th e job. The key to starting a successful service-oriented business is to choose s omething where you are uniquely talented or it is something that you love to do. 2 Start an online business where your only expense is a computer and an Internet connection. Someone who is a natural writer or editor can find clients online t o work for and deliver their finished product online. Just about anyone who uses the Internet on a regular basis can find some way to make a few dollars online and grow it into a profitable business. 3 Launch your business while keeping your full-time job. If your business of cho ice will need a small but steady influx of cash you can use a portion of your pa ycheck to fund your startup. 4 Start small. This will require less money than a business that starts big. It will also allow you to fine-tune your business or service to what customers real ly want. Once you have your product and business model perfected, it will be tim e to grow your business. http://www.wisebread.com/250-tips-for-small-business-owners

250+ Tips for Small Business Owners by Amy Lu 29 April 2011 It's not easy owning and running a small business, but Wise Bread can help. Here , you'll find expert tips for sales and operations, taxes and recruitment, tools and hacks, and more! Be sure to check out Wise Bread's Small Business Resource Center for more helpful articles. Starting Out How 16 Great Companies Picked Their Unique Names Ever wonder how companies like Google, Lego and IKEA found their names? Were they complete accidents or results of savvy marketing? The answer may surprise you. 8 Great Business Ideas You Can Start Today Become an environmental consultant an d teach companies how to make themselves more green. How to Write a Business Plan It's helpful to break the planning process down int o separate topics, and then look at how they fit together in the overall plan. How to Get a Business Line of Credit As with any loan, you must present reasonab le financial documents that follow standard accounting practices to obtain a lin e of credit. Tools and Hacks 7 Essential Small Business Tools to Save Money, Time, and Space With EchoSign, c ontracts can be filled in and signed, verified and secured, and a PDF copy distr ibuted to everyone in no time at all. Save Time and Money with Business-Friendly Smartphone Apps The iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and other smartphones are changing the way we do business. There are numerous apps for these devices that enable you to perform activities while onthe-go, which can save you both time and money. Cyber Security on the Road CrashPlan has a free option that lets you back up you r data to other (remote) computers. The data is encrypted while being transmitte d, and is easily recoverable should you need to access it. 14 Travel Hacks and Airfare Saving Tips Be sure to check out what the smaller re gional airports can offer. Regional airports often cater to business travelers, so the quality of travel and service can be superior. 30 Easy Ways to Go Green in the Office U.S. citizens alone throw out over four m illion disposable pens daily. Consider stocking reusable pens instead and only b uy refills for these pens. Cash Flow and Funding How to Raise Money on Crowdfunding SitesCrowdfunding enable entrepreneurs in artis anal and creative businesses to collect small donations from friends, family, an d acquaintances to bring a project to fruition. How to Think Like a Bootstrapper Good management practices are far more importan t to your success than big piles of cash are. Here are a dozen tips to help you start and grow your business with little or no money. 5 Ways to Earn More Every Week Use your social media pages for market research. They can be great places to float ideas for new products or services, so you can act on them quickly. 40 Tips to Accelerate Your Cash Flow Offer several convenient payment methods. C ustomers should never have an excuse for late payment related to your lack of co nvenient payment options. 5 Budgeting Ideas for Any Small Business Be as realistic in your cash-flow proje ctions as possible. It's better to underestimate your potential business income than to overestimate when you come to budgeting. 27 Money-Saving Tips from Successful Small Businesses Next time you put up a job ad, eliminate the line that says, "Must have X years of experience," and replac e it with "Recent graduates welcome to apply." Experience isn't everything, and it costs more. Taxes 31 Small Business Tax Deductions Not deducting all of the expenses that you are

allowed leaves money on table. Use the following checklist of rules to reduce yo ur taxable income as much as legally possible. When Is Lunch Deductible? There are many situations in which your lunch isn't de ductible, even if you're eating it at your desk. Knowing the difference can make a big difference in your tax burden. 6 Tax Penalties You Can Easily Avoid Pay the tax on time, even if this means req uesting an installment payment agreement on Form 9465 or by charging the outstan ding amount to a major credit card. 8 Invitations to an IRS Tax Audit Be especially careful to report all your incom e. If you've received a 1099, so has the IRS and their computers will notice if they don't match up. How to Choose an Accountant for Your Small Business The role of an accountant do esn't have to be limited to tax preparation. He can be a valuable adviser for yo ur business year round. Hiring 6 Steps to a Good Hire Calculate your revenue per employee, and compare where yo u stand with your historical performance and with others in your industry. This metric, more than any other, will let you know when you should hire, fire, or ho ld. 10 Tips to Landing the Right Freelancer Know what skills are required. If you're not sure, you probably need to think more carefully about what you want to acco mplish before you go looking for help. Independent Contractors vs. Employees: Keeping Them Straight For the IRS, tellin g the difference between a contractor and employee is a matter of determining ju st how independent the individual is from the company he's working for. Sales and Customer Service 16 Simple Ways to Keep Customers Present carefully-selected merchandise, broad e nough to cover a range of needs and style preferences in key categories but not overwhelming in choices. 5 Ways to Make Your Customers Feel Warm and Fuzzy Retaining customers is easy wh en you treat them well. Use these easy, low-cost ideas to make your customers fe el extra special. 10 Examples of Shockingly-Excellent Customer Service Some companies actually go above and beyond the call of duty to provide excellent customer support. Here ar e a few recent examples of companies that have decided to put consumers first. Get Rid of Bad Customers Bad customers are costing you more than you realize. He re are some types of bad customers and techniques to get rid of them (without al ienating your good customers). Please check out our Small Business Resource Center for more articles on small b usiness and leadership. http://www.wisebread.com/small-business/how-16-great-companies-picked-their-uniq ue-names How 16 Great Companies Picked Their Unique Names by Glen Stansberry 9 July 2010 Anyone who's ever had to form a company can sympathize with how difficult it can be to create a company name that is descriptive yet unique. However, some compa nies have gone a less-traditional route and used some pretty unique naming conve ntions. Here are some examples of interesting company names and the backstories behind them. Google The name started as a joke about the amount of information the search engine cou ld search, or a "Googol" of information. (A googol is the number 1 followed by 1 00 zeros.) When founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin gave a presentation to an an gel investor, they received a check made out to "Google." Hotmail Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith had the idea of checking their email via a web inte rface, and tried to find a name that ended in "mail." They finally settled on ho

tmail because it had the letters "html," referencing the HTML programming langua ge used to help create the product. Volkswagen Volkswagen literally means "people's car." Adolf Hitler initially came up with t he idea for "cars for the masses," which would be a state-sponsored "Volkswagen" program. Hitler wanted to create a more affordable car that was able to transpo rt two adults and three children at speeds of 62 mph. He choose the car manufact urer Porsche to carry out the project, and the rest, as they say, is history. Yahoo The word "yahoo" was coined by Jonathan Swift in the the book Gulliver's Travels . The term represented a repulsive, filthy creatures that resembled humans (thin k: Neanderthal). Yahoo! founders Jerry Yang and David Filo considered themselves yahoos, and thought the term would be appropriate for their joint venture. Asus The consumer electronic company is named after Pegasus, the winged horse of Gree k mythology. The founders dropped the first three letters for the high position in alphabetical listings. In 1998 Asus created a spinoff company named Pegatron, using the other unused letters of Pegasus. Cisco Contrary to popular belief and theories, Cisco is simply short for San Francisco . Their logo resembles the suspension cables found on the Golden Gate bridge. Canon When Canon was founded in 1933 under the name Precision Optical Instruments Labo ratory. Two years later they adopted "Canon" after the company's first camera, t he Kwanon. Kwanon is the Japanese name of the Buddhist bodhisattva of mercy. Coca-Cola Coca-Cola's name comes from the the coca leaves and kola nuts used as flavoring in the soft drink. Eventually Coca-Cola creator John S. Pemberton changed the 'K ' of kola to "C" to create a more fluid name. FranklinCovey The planning product line was named after Benjamin Franklin and Stephen Covey. T he company was formed in 1997 from the combining of the two companies FranklinQu est and the Covey Leadership Center. IKEA IKEA is simply a random collection of letters, based from the first letters of f ounder Ingvar Kamprad's name in addition to the first letters of the names of th e Swedish property and the village in which he grew up: Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd. Lego Lego is a combination of the Danish phrase "leg godt," which translates to "play well." Initially the company built wooden toys, and later switched to making pl astic bricks. Lego also means "I put together" in Latin, but the Lego Group clai ms this merely coincidence and the origin of the word is strictly Danish. Reebok Reebok is simply an alternate spelling of "rhebok," an African antelope. The com pany founders found the word in a South African edition of a dictionary won by t he Joe Foster, son of the Reebok founder J.W. Foster. Sharp The Japanese consumer electronics company is named after its first product, an e ver-sharp pencil that was created in 1915. Six Apart Six Apart's name has one of the most interesting origins. The web company's co-f ounders Ben and Mena Trott were born six days apart. Skype The original prototype of the company's flagship product had the name "Sky-Peerto-Peer," which was shrunk down to Skyper, then finally Skype. Verizon Verizon is a combination of the words veritas, which is Latin for "truth," and h orizon.

http://www.wisebread.com/small-business/8-great-businesses-ideas-you-can-start-t oday 8 Great Businesses Ideas You Can Start Today by Glen Stansberry 16 July 2010 Conventional wisdom says that starting a new business in an economic downturn is a bad idea. But we're learning that some industries are growing, despite the sh aky economy. Here are some of the best ideas for starting a business right now. Most of them don't require much startup resources or capital, and many can be ru n from your home (or backyard). All you need is a little innovation and some elb ow grease. 1. Mobile Design and Development The mobile world is heating up. The smartphone market has exploded, and with the introduction of the iPad, mobile usage for websites is going to keep going up. This presents a great opportunity for web designers and programmers to dip into a growing industry, and there are plenty of opportunities to develop things like custom branded web applications, design mobile sites for companies, and on and on. 2. Local Farmer "Local" and "green" have become incredibly popular buzzwords in ecommerce for th e past couple of years. What's more local and green than being a local farmer? L ocal farming has taken off as well. More and more stores are starting to stock l ocal food and promote local farming. There has been a massive push towards buyin g local, with major chains adding "locally grown" sections. Farmer's markets are becoming more popular too, with over 5,000 markets in the US, and growing. Ther e is plenty of opportunity to be a local grower, with many options for specialty crops with relatively low startup costs. 3. Environmental Consulting Because "going green" has become so popular among consumers, it's only natural t hat companies are jumping to make their products and services more environmental ly friendly. Teaching these companies how to make themselves more environmentall y conscious over the next few years is going to be booming business. IBISWorld e stimates that there will be a 9% growth year over year within the environmental consulting industry. 4. Handmade Goods Now that the internet has made the world a little smaller, it's much easier for individuals without physical storefronts to create and sell products solely onli ne. Sites like Ebay and Etsy have created entire marketplaces for buying and sel ling handmade goods. All you need is a Paypal account (which is free) to receive money, and you're ready to go. The best part about selling handmade goods is th at it takes very little startup capital. If you have a hobby that you'd like to turn into a business, selling handmade goods is a quick and easy way to go. 5. Small-Scale Food Producer Aside from being a local farmer, the small-scale food production industry is hea ting up. Typically these producers use a membership model approach to keep a rec urring revenue in place, offering weekly deliveries of hand-made food and keepin g a regular client base. The recurring model is great for maintaining a steady r evenue stream instead of relying on one-off sales. The goods offered might inclu de bread, fresh produce, dairy, and baked goods. 6. Bakeries Bakeries, pastry, and bagel shops are growing at a rate of 5%. AnythingResearch. com believes that the research shows that people aren't indulging on bigger purc hases and instead splurging on lower-priced niceties. Small, niche baked goods s tores are starting to grow rapidly. 7. Indie Video Games It's become much easier to self-publish any type of video game with services lik e XBox Live. Microsoft has provided a development platform for small-time develo pers to create games to sell on their marketplace. The $44 billion video game ma rket continues to grow, especially with the mobile and tablet markets taking off . Or you could try the iTunes App store for a mobile development platform. Niels

en found that of all the mobile applications that are being downloaded, 65% are games. There is plenty of opportunity and a low barrier of entry for game develo pers to tap into the massive mobile platform that Apple has created. 8. Pet Sitting Americans spend more than $34 billion annually on their pets. When it comes to p ets, Americans spend freely. This explains why niche industries like pet sitting have grown exponentially. Instead of owners leaving pets in a kennel, pet sitte rs feed, walk, and provide companionship while the owner is away at work or on v acation. For more information on how to set up a pet sitting or walking business , check out Pet Sitter's Center. Conclusion There are plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs to start successful business es in unstable economic times. With the recent emphasis on buying local, things like mom 'n pop niche shops are becoming successful. You don't even need a physi cal shop anymore to sell physical goods to people around the world thanks to the power of the Web. http://www.wisebread.com/small-business/how-to-write-a-business-plan How to Write a Business Plan by JoAnne Berg 21 April 2011 It's not the plan that is important, it's the planning. Dr. Graeme Edwards Going through the process of writing a well thought out business plan is one of the most important things that you can do to ensure the success of your business . Unfortunately, many business owners find this process to be difficult and confus ing, in part because they are focused on the end product and not on the process of getting there. It s a journey, not a destination! I ve found that it is helpful to break the planning process down into separate top ics, and then look at how they fit together in the overall plan. It s also a good idea to think of yourself as an investor in your business (which, of course, you are) and review what you come up with from that point of view. Here are the planning topics that I believe are important, presented in the orde r in which you should approach them. The Problem and the Opportunity There has to be a current problem (need) and the solution your business is provi ding. Who is the customer? What is their problem? What is your solution? Why is it better than other solutions on the market? What s the market opportunity? Business Model Your business model is how the business turns an idea into money. A typical exam ple of a business model is the razor and the razor blade. Razor companies sell raz ors inexpensively, because what they really want to sell you are the razor blade s now and in the future. What is your unique business model? What makes it special? Why are you different from the competition? Do you have intellectual property that gives you an advantage? Competitive Market Analysis Good market research is the key to a solid business plan. Who are your competitors? What do they do better than you do? How will your business be able to take a piece of their market? In this section you will also need to address the market pricing of your produc t. Marketing and Sales Strategy Be specific design a detailed plan that can be put into action easily and accord ing to your budget.

How do you plan to market your product or service? How will you get the word out and create demand? How will you turn a prospect into a customer? If that doesn t work, what else will you try? Operational Strategy Describe how you are going to execute your business model and deliver your produ ct or service. How will you run this business on a day-to-day basis? Who will do what? What operational metrics will you track to ensure that your plan is working out ? Clearly address the risks of the business, and how you will deal with them when they arise. Don t forget the external risks that you don t have control over (interest rates, t he economy, etc). The Team Your people are your most important asset! Include short bios including relevant industry experience in the body of the pl an. Include your outside advisors as well as employees. Detailed resumes go in the appendix. Include an organizational chart. Timeline Successful execution of a plan often depends on timing. Be specific about when you will be executing the various pieces of the plan. Yo u need this for the financial projections as well. Financial Goals and Projections A good plan includes 3 to 5 years of financial projections. If you do not have a strong financial background, it s a good idea to get professional assistance with this part of the plan it s really important that it be done properly. Include projected income statements, balance sheets, and statements of cash flo w. The projections should include expected investor returns and/or clearly show th e repayment of anticipated loans. Include the money you have put into the busine ss in these calculations. The results of the projections should make financial sense in relation to the e arlier parts of the plan. The Executive Summary This should be a one page synopsis of all of the above. This should be written l ast, but be presented at the front of the published plan. Why this business? Why Now? Why should an investor (including YOU) put time and money into this venture? Include brief financial highlights. With these parts in place, you ll have a great roadmap to follow as you manage you r business, as well as a document that can be used to obtain financing or invest ment, communicate with employees, and continue planning for the future. But most importantly, what you learn through the process of putting the plan tog ether about yourself, your team, your idea, your competition, and your business strategy can make all the difference between success and failure. It s one of the best investments of time and effort that you can make.

http://www.investopedia.com/articles/financialcareers/08/business-owner-relation ships.asp Small Business: It's All About Relationships February 26 2009| Filed Under Customer Relations, Entrepreneur, Small Business As the world of business becomes more complex, a small-business owner can no lon ger be an expert in all of the specialized disciplines a small business needs. D espite the fact that small-business owners must necessarily focus on producing a nd managing enough cash flow and on getting customers in the door, it is also cr itically important for them to cultivate and nurture relationships with a suppor

t team. This group includes: customers employees a banker an accountant/tax specialist a lawyer an insurance broker a sales and marketing professional a training provider an enterprise systems and IT specialist Because it is unlikely that all of the above expertise will be available in-hous e, it is crucial for the owner to develop and maintain close working relationshi ps with the outside caregivers of the business before any emergency need arises. Employees Although thinking in terms of a "relationship" with employees might seem a littl e odd for a business owner, that relationship could be the most important of all of the relationships for the owner to cultivate. Because good employees represe nt a major resource in a small business, the time and effort the owner invests i n nurturing that relationship has a huge return on investment (ROI). Employees w ho feel seen, respected and appreciated almost always produce more than anticipa ted. (Doing More With Less: The Sales-To-Employee Ratio gives insight into a com pany's productivity and financial health.) Employees represent - in fact they are - the company to the customers. The busin ess relationship with customers largely depends upon their experience and intera ction with the employees. Happy employees tend to want to satisfy the customers, want to do a good job and want to stay in the job. This is important to the con tinuity of high-quality customer service and avoids the significant expense of e mployee turnover, employee retraining and the expensive but inevitable "rookie m istakes" of new, inexperienced employees. In addition, having trusted, long-term employees can free up the owner to handle off-site duties as needed. (Establish ing a retirement plan can benefit you and your employees. Read Plans The Small-B usiness Owner Can Establish to learn more.) Banker A banking relationship is an obvious need, not only for routine business banking , but particularly when capital is needed to grow, increase inventory, buy a bui lding, bridge a short-term gap between payables and receivables or to address th e seasonality of the cash flow in the business. The banker that an owner goes to for a loan should know the business owner, unde rstand the history of the business and have an understanding of the owner's judg ment and credibility regarding the use and payback prospects for a loan. If the long-term relationship is there, or it is at least in the process of being built , the loan request has a much better chance of being approved. If the business h as borrowed and repaid loans in the past, the established track record and relat ionship greatly enhance the approval prospects. (Loan protection insurance can h elp in the event of financial difficulty. Read Is Loan Protection Insurance Righ t For You? to find out more.) Accountant or Tax Specialist A relationship with an accountant is equally important if the business owner is to be confident in the quality, clarity, timeliness and understanding of the fin ancial reporting provided. A relationship with an accountant can also enhance th e business's credibility with a banker when the business is seeking additional c apital. Many small businesses combine the accountant and tax-specialist functions in one outside entity for convenience, time-saving and cost reasons. This is fine if t he accountant has the requisite tax experience for the industry and the tax expe rtise for the specific business it serves. (To learn more, read Crunch Numbers T o Find The Ideal Accountant.) Lawyer Every business owner should have a relationship with a business lawyer, liabilit y attorney or legal firm. When an owner invests money and effort in building a b usiness, it must be safeguarded from loss as a result of a lawsuit. (To learn mo

re, read How To Pick The Right Lawyer.) Insurance Broker As part of business risk management, the business also should have a relationshi p with and the trusted advice of an insurance broker who will provide the optima l coverage in the relevant areas within the constraints of the business budget. (Learn more about minimizing the threat of litigation on your business assets in Asset Protection For The Business Owner.) Marketing Professional Depending on the owner's sales and marketing expertise, a relationship with a ma rketing professional is highly advised. Most small businesses start with an entr epreneur who has a specific technical skill, a trade certification or has built up a following of customers for good work done. When the owner wants to grow the business beyond the established customer base, he or she should have a well-def ined marketing plan that addresses the following issues: targeting the market optimizing the media used considering branding issues assessing the competition getting the best value for the marketing money spent Few small-business owners possess all of these skills. Business Trainer A similar situation often exists with training both the owner and the employees. In a small business, especially in a startup, the owner often hasn't had time t o acquire the management skills necessary for managing a growing business with m ore employees, larger or additional computer systems, enlarged inventory, additi onal vehicles and more customers to manage. A relationship with independent busi ness skills trainers can fill that need. (Tips For Boosting Your Business shows how financial professionals can win clients and improve their business.) IT Specialist A more recent arrival on the needed-relationship list is the enterprise systems or information technology (IT) specialist. The business owner should have someon e who can come in, analyze the systems and suggest ways to effectively and effic iently manage costs. That person (or organization) should also suggest ways to k eep the business competitive in terms of administrative, project-management and operating costs and maintain the scalability of the business model through proce ss productivity and system capacity and flexibility. Summary This might seem like a lot of relationships to sustain for the busy small-busine ss owner. However, although these relationships aren't necessarily time-consumin g, they are absolutely essential to long-term business success and are worth the ir weight in gold when the business needs experts to help solve problems or to t ake full advantage of a business window of opportunity.