According 2 Plans+

How to Start a Business When You’re Starting Your Whole Life Over - Bplans Blog Starting your own business, especially for the first time, is a major life transition—and even positive transitions are by definition stressful. If you're considering starting a business after a major life transition (you've been fired, you're getting divorced, and so on), here's what to keep in m...

a2p+ 2018 CISP Pitch Finals

Thinking about starting a business? A side hustle? Don't jump in blind, ask yourself these 3 important questions!

3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Start a Business - Bplans Blog Do you know the answers to these three questions? If so, there is an excellent chance that you are ready to start your own business.

I see this ALL the time with startup and early stage small businesses. When developing financials you need to be conservative on sales forecasts and aggressive on anticipated, forecasted expenses.

Common Mistakes with Startup Financial Projections I was glad to be asked about common mistakes with startup financial projections. I read about 100 business plans per year, and I have this list of mistakes.

A great night last Thurs at the a2p+ Social Media workshop put on by Tim Campbell of Relation Media. A full house which is no surprise, Tim is not only knowledgeable but also entertaining!

9 Entrepreneur Habits That Lead to Long-Term Success An angel investor identifies some of the traits he looks for in potential business leaders.

So important but so often not understood and/or appreciated.

Infographic: Branding for small business and startups Here is branding for small business. You don't have to be a big enterprise to pay attention to logo, colors, tag lines, and images.

Choke the Churn: How to Prevent Employee Turnover in Startup Businesses - Bplans Blog Losing and replacing employees is expensive. Here's how to reduce employee turnover (or "churn") in your startup business and build a strong culture.

A good article. Very clear, concise steps to take, focus on when building your company's brand.

How to Build a Boss Brand [Part I] - Bplans Blog Want to fast track your business success? Here's how Katrina Julia combined all she learned into a smart approach to helping businesses start and grow.

A fun, quick quiz to take even if you are an entrepreneur. Requires a wee-bit of honest, soul searching!

Bplans Quiz: Are You Entrepreneur Material? - Bplans Blog Do you have the right combination of skills to start your own business and become a successful entrepreneur? Take our entrepreneur quiz to find out!

An exceptional video that I often share with clients. There are 2 types of consumers and a business MUST know which they are targeting and marketing to. If a business believes they can effectively market and appeal to both, they will be marketing to no one! Well worth the 10-min.'s to watch!

A Tour Guide to The Two Planets: NEO and Traditional Here is the video that Benoit Simard presented at this year's AGM in Vancouver. Please feel free to share your comments about how you think this new way of…

How to Set Smart Business Goals for 2018 - Bplans Blog If you’re ready for 2018 to be your most impactful business year yet, then that all starts with setting yourself up for success with SMART goals.

If you're thinking about writing a business plan, this is a must read short article!

Industry Research Versus Market Research: What’s the Difference? - Bplans Blog Writing a business plan? You'll need to analyze your market and industry. But, what's the difference between industry analysis and market analysis?

20 Good Reasons to Write a Business Plan. Startup or Ongoing Business. Here are 20 reasons for a business plan. Most of them apply to all businesses, not just startups. Manage the money, set strategic, tactics, milestones, etc.

7 Steps to Starting Your Own Business - Bplans Blog Here are our seven steps to starting your own business. The key, regardless of what type of business you’re starting, is to be flexible!

4 Smart Ways Small Businesses Can Gain a Competitive Edge With the market sphere filled with similar products and services, businesses have no other option but to join the tough competition. The established businesses often have the best of connections, sol…

5 Steps for Entrepreneurs with an Idea, but No Funding - Bplans Blog Every business starts with an idea. But, what if you don't have funding to bring your idea to life? If that sounds like you, follow these five steps.

Do You Know How Your Business Is Doing and Where It’s Going? - Bplans Blog How much do you know about your business's health? It's important to understand what’s going on within your business—because it’s how you plan for growth.

Fantastic article worthy of sharing. All too often startups do NOT do a market analysis and as a result, jump into their new venture blind and fail.

Validate your business concept, do the research!

How to Write a Market Analysis - Bplans Blog Many new entrepreneurs fail because the market for their product or service isn't as big as they thought it was. Conducting a market analysis can help.

How to Create an Elevator Speech (With Examples) - Bplans Blog A great elevator speech can spark interest in your business and hopefully lead to a deeper conversation—and maybe even a partnership or funding opportunity.

How to Master Entrepreneurship Without Breaking a Sweat - Bplans Blog The SBA says that about two-thirds of businesses fold within the first ten years. So, how does an entrepreneur beat the odds?

6 Sales and Marketing Tips & Ideas to Grow Your Business To grow a business these days, one needs to understand why traditional sales and marketing strategies are failing and how to develop a sales marketing strategy that works. What is Sales Marketing? A…

4 Reasons You Might Not Want to Be VC Funded - Bplans Blog Venture capital funding sounds like a dream come true—but is it right for your business? Here are 4 reasons why you might not want to consider VC funding.

How to Write an Executive Summary - Bplans Blog Your executive summary can make or break your chances of getting funding. Here's how to write an executive summary that sets your business plan apart.

Marketing vs. Sales: Their Major Difference and How They Work Together Business guru and well-known provocateur Tom Peters once addressed a crowd of over 400 sales and marketing executives saying: “I hate sports analogies. They’re just a bunch of male macho…” Ye…

6 Things to Consider Before Entering a Market Being an entrepreneur is a stressful, risky profession. Here are 6 questions to ask yourself to give your new business the best chance of success.

How to Launch a Successful Startup in 5 Easy Steps (and Keep It Afloat) Starting a new business at this time is not easy, but not impossible either. Entrepreneurship requires time, effort and resources. This is why you find many startups failing. A recent study by Allman…