KNOWLEDGE BASE:

Starting a business plan before you are crystal clear on your business model is a waste of time. The business plan is supposed to provide detailed procedural and financial information about how you will implement your business model in the markets you are pursuing. If you don't know the model inside out the business plan will change over and over in response to new discoveries you make about what your model really is. Make sure you are solving a problem people care about A

The term COSS, (Cost Of Services Sold) is not a generally recognized accounting term and is likely to frustrate your accountant if you use it with them in an accounting conversation. However, as a method to help entrepreneurs think specifically about the financial and operational inputs required to perform a service; especially for the purposes of budgeting and setting prices, it is completely valid and widely accepted regardless of where the inputs show up on financial sta

By breaking down your costs to the base (smallest) unit of production you can determine what it takes to make a profit on a selling 1 units of a product. You can then scale that up to make sure you always make a profit, no matter how many units are involved. Cost per production unit or cost per sales unit? Yes. To really understand your costs and profit structure you need to know both, but start with the cost per production unit. After you break down your input costs to t

Who do you provide overwhelming value to? Make sure you are solving a problem they care about Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Donec quam felis, ultricies nec, pellentesque eu, pretium quis, sem. Nulla consequat massa quis enim. In enim justo, rhoncus ut, imperdiet a, venenatis vitae, justo. Nullam dictum felis eu pede mollis pretium. Get very specific, then back out till your value proposition isn't as

Who do you provide overwhelming value to? Make sure you are solving a problem they care about Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Donec quam felis, ultricies nec, pellentesque eu, pretium quis, sem. Nulla consequat massa quis enim. In enim justo, rhoncus ut, imperdiet a, venenatis vitae, justo. Nullam dictum felis eu pede mollis pretium. Get very specific, then back out till your value proposition isn't as

Customer discovery... The best way to know what customers want is to ask them Don't fool yourself into hearing what you want: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Donec quam felis, ultricies nec, pellentesque eu, pretium quis, sem. Nulla consequat massa quis enim. In enim justo, rhoncus ut, imperdiet a, venenatis vitae, justo. Nullam dictum felis eu pede mollis pretium. Once you know what customers want: Yo

Stengthfinder... Do the math: See if it makes more sense (and money) to do it yourself or hire it out elsewhere. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Donec quam felis, ultricies nec, pellentesque eu, pretium quis, sem. Nulla consequat massa quis enim. In enim justo, rhoncus ut, imperdiet a, venenatis vitae, justo. Nullam dictum felis eu pede mollis pretium. Outsourcing: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetu

One of the most important thing you can do as you plan you business is to intentionally stop thinking like an employee and start thinking like an owner. If you have always worked for someone else it may take a little while to make the switch but if you want to succeed long term it has to happen. Employee thinking: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Donec quam felis, ultricies nec, pellentesque eu, pretium