Saturday, January 31, 2015

1/30/2015

$100 challenge - 1/26 I have been wrestling with what to do for weeks now.  My husband comes up with tons of ideas, but nothing just sets right. I am in school full time and study 50-60 hours a day so starting a business is not easy at this moment. I have to be careful that whatever I do I can handle the time to do it. Then early this morning, a little after 5 am, husband has just gotten up, I'm not quite awake, it comes to me and the name of the business also.  "Declutter De House"  Over the years I have had several friends /family ask me to sell their goods for them on Craigslist and they will give me a percent.  Well why not.  There is no boundaries of what to sell.  I already have 2 antique sewing machines and a piano a family member wants me to sell.  I am excited, mostly because the decision is made, right or wrong, it is made.  So the BIG QUESTION what % and how do I advertise to get the 'junk'?

1/31 Yahooooooooooooo I made a decision.  It came to me while barely dozing early morning this last week. "Declutter de house".  Sell others goods who are too lazy to sell their own. Oh wait, not too lazy just too busy.  I knocked it around, sent it out to friends for advice such as % etc.  Refined the name to

De Klutter De House ---------- And already I have 6 items to sell.  Way below is my Business Plan.  Along with my "Dream Business Plan"

***********Here are some things I have learned from the lessons this week:

*************GEM - to help your business grow and grow (my favorite)*********

Gather - - goods, people, materials, equipment, resources etc
Enhance -- add value to the resources you have gathered
Market - the materials that we have gathered and enhanced

*********Interview with Richard Branson words of advice for common mistakes entrepreneurs make when starting out.***********

1. Stay on Target -
2. Be realistic about costs
3. Hire the people you need, not the people you like
4. Know when to say Goodbye  (as a CEO role of the business)
founders should not hesitate to re insert themselves into their business when necessary.

**************E Myth revisited*******************

There are 3 roles in business
Entrepreneur -- sees the future
Manager --- organizes things and lives in the past
Technician --- lives in today and gets the work done.

Typically a technician will start a business but they do not have the skills or foresight to be the entrepreneur or manager.  After awhile he looks at his business no longer as his business but as a job, the very job he tried to escape from when starting his business.

We all have those three in us.  Our strengths will be one or the other.  We need to work at having a balance if we are to run our own business.

***************** love this **************



In the book Visionary Business, Marc Allen shares several principles and keys of what he calls a visionary business. Every business should begin with a sense of vision—what is your business really all about? This list is some visionary principles from the book that you can apply in your own business. Consider at least three and start applying them in your own business. 
1.     Every company needs a well-written business plan. It will set in motion your powerful subconscious mind. Have a vision where you want to take your business.
2.     The rule of three: Every start-up will take three times as long and cost three times as much.
3.     Have a higher purpose than just making money. Discover your unique purpose for living and the talents and abilities you have been given to achieve that purpose. Money is not the final measure of your worth; the life you lead matters most. Make the world a better place.
4.     A good manager can take any kind of business and make it successful. A poor manager can take any kind of business and run it into the ground.
5.     For every adversity there is an equal or greater benefit. There are opportunities in every problem.
6.     Put the company’s interest before your own. Take care of the company and it will take care of you.
7.     Create win-win profit sharing and generous benefits. Profit sharing gets everyone thinking like owners.
8.     Visualize success. If your visualization is stronger than your doubts or fears, you will succeed.
9.     Practice management by goals, not by crisis. Keep reinventing your company, establish good working relationships, and hire A People and empower them to lead.
10.  Keep people, planet, and profits of equal importance. 
Keep asking, what is God’s will, and you will be guided in your business and your life to do exactly the right thing for you. 

*********** Five mistakes in naming a business *************

1. Describing the business in literal terms
2. Basing the company name on a product or service
3. Letting the map determine your company's future direction
4. Using a meaningless acronym to spell out your identity
5. Relying on your Last name as your first alternative.

**************My business plans****************



Business Plan $100 Challenge

My Vision
Within the next 3 months I will grow “De Klutter De House” into a successful home business, selling friends and family’s unwanted items on craigslist.
My Mission
Helping friends and family unclutter their homes item by item by handling the sale of those unwanted items
Objectives


·       Minimum gross sales $300
·       Profit minimum $100
·       10 Customers
·       Keep my time to 3 hours a week
·       Make $10 an hour
·       Win the $100 class challenge


Strategies
·       Become known within my family and friends circle for selling unwanted items for them.
·       Effective advertising within my family and friends for items to sell.
·       Weekly reminders for more items to sell.
·       Clear and concise picture taking of items to be placed online.
·       Clear and concise write up of the items
·       Clear contract with the seller of how much they want for the item and the minimum price they will take.
·       Items to sell are in good and clean shape.
·        Items are placed online within 24 hours of receipt.
·       Resubmit the item on Craigslist every 48 hours.
·       Promote my business by giving a discount on the first item they bring and I sell.
·       Give the same discount for every 10th item they bring to sell.
·        Create a workplace in my home where I can setup and display the items for picture taking and to show off when selling.
·       Create a Craigslist account
It will be my role to advertise, prepare the items, place online, show the item, take the money, keep an accounting of what is sold, and pay the client for his share of the sale. I will also be in charge of my volunteer force (my husband) in training and overseeing his duties as my personal helper.
Plans
I have four projects I need to accomplish the first week of business:
1.     Make a Craigslist account
2.     Advertise for items – get the word out to my friends and family
3.     Prepare an area in my home where items will be stored and displayed.
4.     Get my camera into working order.
When a client brings an item to the home he will be given a contract where he will express how much he wants for the item and the minimum price he will take. He will understand that 1/3 of the selling price is the fee with a minimum of $5 per item and that fee will be donated to Kiva. The client will be paid within 7 days of the item selling.  I will keep a log of the items, date came in, asking price, dates put online, sold date and price, and date when the money paid to the client.  A copy of the completed contract with the price sold and the money he earned will be given to him at the time of payment.

Business Plan – Dream On
My Vision

Within the next three years I will grow “Visiting Angels” into a successful home business by helping elderly people with their needs.
My Mission
Committed to helping seniors accomplish the goal of independence with dignity and safety, while improving their quality of life; at the same time eliminating the stress and worry family members are experiencing over the care of their elderly loved ones. To be concise: take care of Mom and Dad.
Nearly 8,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day. By 2030, 57.8 million baby boomers will be between the ages of 66 and 84.  They want to stay in their homes as long as possible and this puts a strain on extended family members.  Home care provides support for the seniors with services such as:  light house cleaning, bathing, grooming, meal preparation, running errands and companionship.
Objectives
I will buy a franchise for $40,000 plus 2% royalty fees on gross income from Visiting Angels Corporation.  With that franchise comes a ten year contract, protected territory, 35 hours of training to get you set up. The franchise provides everything you need to create a successful business such as: premade contracts, an advertising program, goals, how to hire and train employees, and yearly training. Startup costs will be approximately $50,000 for the first year which includes the franchise fees, office space deposits and office equipment. My goal is to have the startup money paid back by the end of the first year.
To accomplish my goal I will need to add one client a week and hire caregivers appropriately. By the end of the year that will be approximately 50 clients and 10 full time equivalent caregivers. If I meet this goal the first year, I will have a net income of $23,000.
Strategy
            I will be the sole owner and manager and sales representative. My husband will do the books and I will hire caregivers as needed.  
To attract customers I will follow the guidelines from the franchise, they have a proven method and buying into the franchise gives you their expertise.  To retain the customers; quality and compassionate care is imperative therefore; hiring personable, competent, and compassionate care givers is priority.
Alliances will be important to gain clients.  Being active at the local senior center and business cards at doctor offices will be a start.
Plans
            Projects to accomplish the first month will be to acquire the franchise, locate and set up the office and go to training at the head office.  The second month I will work on advertising, obtaining clients, and hiring caregivers.

No comments:

Post a Comment