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Doing this while you have a full time job is the perfect way to start. More on that here.

Step 1: Do a quick and dirty market study - start searching and calling competitors. Use trends.google.com to find out which company in your town is the largest (most search volume) and study them. Are they doing digital marketing? Are they putting out good content (content marketing) on their website? Call them and play a customer. Ask them 100 questions about their process and their lead time. Lead time is the most important. If they are booked out a few weeks you know they are overloaded with customers. Thats a good sign. Move on to step 2.

Step 2: Buy a web domain and hosting for $1.99 per month and build a WordPress site. Get a Google My Business location at your home. Get some reviews on here as fast as possible. I wrote down all the early tools I used here if you'd like to check it out. Google is going to power your business early on. Get a logo and some door hanging flyers put together using a freelancing site. Get your logo embroidered on a nice polo shirt.

Step 3: Write some great content focused around keywords in your town here. Use ahrefs.com to research the keywords you want to target and build some DIY guides for homeowners in your town using those keywords. Some really useful stuff that people will engage with. Thats content marketing and its the best way to get a leg up on google. More on that here.

Step 4: Consider getting a part time for a painting company that specializes in interior and/or exterior on the weekends. Get a feel for the sprayers, rollers equipment, methods and get better at painting. Speed is the key in this business. Offer to do some painting for friends for free (if they buy the paint). Get those friends to take pictures of your work and leave you a nice detailed review on your Google My Business location. Get at least 5 reviews. Have them call you and get directions to your location and click through to your website before leaving the review so Google knows it isn't fake.

Step 5: Marketing. Watch Zillow and Realtor.com and filter for homes that are recently sold in your target areas. New homeowners are exponentially more likely to want interior and exterior painting services than a random joe off the street. Put on your polo and a pair of khakis and go to the homes that recently sold and knock on the door. Smile at them and shake their hand firmly. Tell them about yourself and that you’d love to offer them a free quote to touch up or re-paint some rooms. If they don’t answer hang the flyer on the door and go to the next house.

Go to a paint store and make friends with the employees there. Give them your business cards and your flyers and ask them to spread the word. Offer them $20 cash each time they bring a customer that says they sent you.

Get some nice lawn signs made and ask customers if you can put them in the lawn. Some will let you if they like you. If they don’t offer them a discount on a future painting.

Ignore getting a social media following. Not worth your time or money. Post videos of your work on youtube with local keywords instead. Experiment with social media marketing and PPC marketing by hiring a freelancer who specializes in this sort of thing.

Get creative with your marketing. You know where your customers are and who your perfect customer is. Go find them.

When you get some interest move on to step 6.

Step 6: Purchase used equipment and a cargo van. Here is my used cargo van buying guide (i've purchased 15 or so used vans all under $7500 and they are amazing assets. Get a sprayer, rollers, brushes, a ladder etc. You're about ready to go.

Step 7: Housekeeping stuff. Register with the state as a sole proprietor and get liability insurance. Before you hire your first employee get workers compensation insurance and consider incorporating. Get accounting software like quickbooks and outsource your payroll to a service like Gusto or Paychex. Keep very detailed records of everything and read this book. Consider hiring a bookkeeper but make sure you understand most of it yourself as well. Become a licensed contractor in your state.

Step 8: Get out and paint.

A few notes:

Its competitive. A lot of companies are painting. Answer the phone every time with friendly, eager professionalism and enthusiasm and you’ll be in the top 10%. Nurture your Google Business location. Its your most important asset. Reviews with photos are worth 10 regular reviews.

Play around with the pricing you charge. Price your time at what you estimate would be $40 per hour at first but make sure to charge by the job and not by the hour. You will get better at quoting over time and you will also get much faster at painting.

When you start to get some momentum set up a CRM like Jobber. It allows you to look way more professional than you are. Do all of your billing online. Attach photos of the jobs as they are completed.

You are not going to compete on price. You are going to compete on speed, professionalism, customer service and quality. They are going to like you as a person and want to do business with you. Learn more about this concept in my episode#13 "never compete on price again".

How about a text message when you are on the way to service a customer? How about a link in that text to a picture of the smiling clean cut person who will be stepping onto their property? And a note about what you can expect from the person and how the appointment will go? How about instead of a t-shirt and dirty jeans you have a collared shirt and khakis? How about hair up in a pony tail, tattoos covered, and beard neatly trimmed? How about a giant smile, a firm handshake and an enthusiastic opening statement?

Eventually you will get some momentum. You will be able to upgrade your equipment and get a nicer sprayer. You'll need to hire some help on the weekends you work. Pay well, $15+ per hour, and get competent people. Oversee them for a while until you trust them to paint without you being there.

Avoid being a subcontractor. General contractors only care about one thing - price. You aren't competing on price. You are adding service the the equation so your business only deals with the customers one on one.

Focus on what you do best and outsource everything else.

Form a personal relationship with your customers. Know the names of everyone in the family. Show up with a teddy bear for the little guy. Send a thank you note a few weeks after the job.

Maybe partner with a few realty shops in town or watch the MLS and visit homeowners the week before an open house. A home looks a lot newer with a fresh coat of paint. Use google maps and street view to quote exterior jobs instantly over the phone with customers.

Consider learning Spanish so your customer and employee base is expanded.

Consider expanding to other services like sealcoating and deck staining. Partner with deck builders and pavers and send them business and they will return the favor by sending business your way.

Study and emulate businesses in other towns or cities that are doing an amazing job. Take bits and pieces from each business and build your business as a hybrid that takes the best practices from the best companies.

Eventually you will build a great little business. You will compete on speed and quality and not price. You will charge more than the average joes who offer painting on craigslist and people will be happy to pay it. You can chose to stay small and charge a high price or try to grow and scale the business.

“On demand” is going to be your competitive advantage so you can charge a higher price. Make sure you can offer next day service or same day service. As soon as you get too busy to do that you need to raise your prices or hire another employee. Make sure that person is presentable and clean cut.

Remember that its not about finding great people. Its about simplifying the job so your employees can thrive. Train them to do their core task really well. Don't ask them to do 20 things or they'll do them all poorly. Don’t forget workers comp.

Now spend all of your time answering the phone, dealing with clients, and quoting jobs and managing the marketing. Build a series of youtube videos targeting your city and the keywords so you show up on the second largest search engine in the world (Youtube).

When do you quit your job? That is all up to you. Lean out your life and your business so its less risky and you can get by on earning less. Stay lean as you grow and keep your expenses variable so you can change, pivot and close up shop if things go poorly.

Don’t like painting? Check out this list and take your pick.

Recommended reading

Here is my suggested reading list for anyone who ever wants to be a small business owner. I like audiobooks but you can get some of these in print also.

Entrepreneur Mindset

There are several books that talk about the entrepreneur mindset. “Rich Dad Poor Dad” was one of the first that I had encountered. “Four Hour Work Week” is a popular one among young adults and lazy millennials now. But I think this one below sums it up in a relatively fast and easy way. To me there is nothing wrong in this book, but in my opinion it’s a little incomplete and inaccurate and won’t work for some people. It doesn’t say how to switch lanes, or say that you can be in two lanes at the same time. Still, it should be required reading for anyone remotely interested in business. It’s at the top of my list because the correct mindset is required before anyone can think about actually doing business.

http://www.audible.com/pd/Business/The-Millionaire-Fastlane-Crack-the-Code-to-Wealth-and-Live-Rich-for-a-Lifetime-Audiobook/B0143BEDUO


Business and Marketing

These two combined are basically an MBA in a box and then some. They are long audiobooks that go over the lessons of an MBA program, and the first one also covers a lot of life hacking and mind hacking theories such as how to stay motivated etc. Some of this stuff is very interesting, some if it is boring to slog through. But knowing what is in here will have you well versed to communicate about business at a high level. I have listened to both several times, I keep coming back because it’s a lot and I can’t learn it all at once.

https://www.amazon.com/Personal-MBA-Master-Art-Business/dp/1591845572

http://www.audible.com/pd/Business/Critical-Business-Skills-for-Success-Audiobook/B00UY842O8


The E Myth series basically describes how many entrepreneurs fail to implement systems in their business. It has a couple other important business concepts and is geared mainly for beginning entrepreneurs or those who have not yet studied a lot about business at a high level.

http://www.audible.com/pd/Business/The-E-Myth-Revisited-Audiobook/B002V1LGZE

Mike Michalowicz, Solid principles, Some are regurgitations of Seth Godin and E-Myth, but some are original and insightful. Not very efficient in delivery of material, but I would highly recommend.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Business/The-Toilet-Paper-Entrepreneur-Audiobook/B00FKCI3I4

https://www.audible.com/pd/Business/The-Pumpkin-Plan-Audiobook/B008CHN41K

https://www.audible.com/pd/Business/Profit-First-Audiobook/B06X15WX5B

In the world of marketing, Seth Godin is well known as a forward thinker. He has a new perspective of thinking about marketing in the internet age.
Seth Godin Startup School. This is a series of 15 short podcasts, maybe 15 to 20 minutes long each. It’s a good cliff notes version of a lot of his other books.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/seth-godins-startup-school/id566985370

http://www.audible.com/pd/Business/Purple-Cow-Audiobook/B002V0QOJS

http://www.audible.com/pd/Business/All-Marketers-Are-Liars-Audiobook/B002V1NIMI

Gary Vaynerchuk is well known in online entrepreneur forums, especially with a younger audience. He is interesting to listen to and talks at a basic level mostly about social media marketing.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfA33-E9P7FC0AoARnMLvgFgESJe4_Ngs

This is a link about fashion, but it could just as easily be about restaurants or any other business. As you read it, substitute the product for your product or widgets and it makes sense.

https://moz.com/ugc/how-to-build-a-great-online-fashion-brand-34-things-that-really-amazing-fashion-retailers-do

It’s probably not necessary to read this whole book, but it’s widely referenced and it’s important to understand the theory. This guy basically coined the phrase “Lean Startup” to describe businesses that start small and apply the scientific method to determine which direction to grow. Not to be confused with LEAN Manufacturing methodology made famous by Toyota, but follows similar principles.

https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Startup-Entrepreneurs-Continuous-Innovation/dp/0307887898


There are a lot of great posts in reddit. There are a lot of crappy ones too. But worth trolling.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Entrepreneur/

https://www.reddit.com/r/smallbusiness/

https://www.reddit.com/r/restaurateur/ (yes it’s spelled wrong)

For example, this post basically has a step by step guide to start a small business.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Entrepreneur/comments/5lfy6n/4_years_ago_i_wrote_a_case_study_on_reddit_on_my/

Other links
21 Lessons From Jeff Bezos’ Annual Letters To Shareholders

https://www.cbinsights.com/research/bezos-amazon-shareholder-letters/#2000


E Commerce, Design, Online Marketing
This guy has a very interesting perspective on display tactics.

https://www.nickkolenda.com/

A good source for tactics. Also offers one of the better wordpress themes

https://thrivethemes.com/6-brain-hacks/

These guys offer great information and insight in their podcast.

https://ecomcrew.com/episode-1-welcome-to-the-ecom-crew-podcast/

Landing Page Optimization
Important for all businesses even offline, for example with restaurants these principles could help for menu design or digital signage, for other businesses this knowledge can help with advertising layouts etc.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-brand-strategies-uniquely-position-your-ecommerce-above-bhardwaj

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/7-landing-page-design-tips

https://blog.kissmetrics.com/landing-page-design-infographic/

https://moz.com/ugc/how-to-build-a-great-online-fashion-brand-34-things-that-really-amazing-fashion-retailers-do

https://thrivethemes.com/6-brain-hacks/

This book discusses apps, especially networking apps like Uber.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Business/Platform-Revolution-Audiobook/B01DDX7MJ2

Also

http://andrewchen.co/marketplace-startups-best-essays/

A good page of links

http://www.themissionmarketer.com/digital-marketing-resources/


For Restaurants

http://www.restaurantowner.com

Very valuable stuff here. Business plan templates, etc. $30 a month for a subscription but well worth it if you are starting or running a restaurant.

https://www.restaurantmastering.com

http://www.typsy.com

Not worth the paid membership yet, but it's growing. And you can get a free trial for like a week and binge watch everything.

Dealing with delivery aggregators

https://www.reddit.com/r/restaurateur/comments/76sd1i/uber_eats_what_percentage_you_paying_em_anyone/

Edit: spacing

Are your parents willing to help? One of my very best friends started an online business with the help of his parents when he was still a minor. You can be listed on a bank account, you just can't be the primary. You could start the business with one of your parents, make them a 5% partner for their willingness to help, draw up a simple partnership agreement, and have them help you open the bank accounts and sign up for hosting, vendor accounts, etc.

You could put a clause in the operating agreement or partnership agreement that upon your 18th birthday, you could buy them out for $XXXX or a specific calculation like 3x their % of net profit. That would give you a way to get 100% control once you are an adult (or you could just let them keep their percentage for being willing to help).

As for bookkeeping and financial aspects of business, I highly recommend reading the book Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs.

About pay - if you start out as a standard LLC or sole proprietorship, you are not required to pay yourself a salary. You just take profits out of the business (be sure to save for taxes!). Only in a C-corp or LLC with S-corp election would you be required to put yourself on payroll. I definitely don't recommend that when you're just getting started, payroll is complicated and you should put it off until you're making decent profits.

For more information on the difference between different business entity types, check out this free ebook - Taxpayers Comprehensive Guide to LLCs and S-corps.

Side note: I started my first (real) business at 19, and dabbled in some different business ideas as a minor. It can be overwhelming at that age, so if you have any questions don't hesitate to message me. Happy to answer questions and lend some advice.

It's not required. If you want to have it approved, you can. As far as I know, (I'm no lawyer, just a girl making butters out of my kitchen) as long as you aren't claiming it is anti aging or anti wrinkle you are alright. Basically don't claim that it WILL do something, but it could instead help. Most reputable suppliers sell color additives that have been approved by the FDA (like iron oxides) so you do not need to get it reapproved (as far as I know, I don't use colorants so that's just a guess). The book I recommended goes into great detail about drug vs cosmetic claims and which agency governs what. It also goes into amazing detail about what your label needs. If you are selling by weight, many states require you use a NTEP approved scale, which they then test yearly for accuracy (at least Oregon does).

Book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0979594561/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1518997182&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=soap+and+cosmetic+labeling+marie+gale

Thanks for reading! Now, this is an interesting point for me - I'm very much into small businesses. As a psychologist and a small-scale entrepreneur, I examined them both from personal experience and as a general idea (I even wrote a book on starting small, one-person online businesses I call micro ventures). In my view, being intensely passionate about a venture is also often problematic, as it can lead to burnout - too much emotional investment of any kind into a business is an issue (sometimes an asset, I agree with that, but it always comes with a price).

I tend to think of it this way - the people you deal with in any business are the thing keeping it afloat. Just appreciating this fact should help you stay authentically courteous towards them. In many ways, they are all your partners. You should respect your partners of any kind, no matter how they might behave at some point or the other. The same should apply to a business you're personally really into or one you started because you think will be profitable down the line.

Please, please, please do yourself a solid and read The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber. It has nothing to do with e-commerce but rather what happens when ambitious individuals start their own business and the pitfalls they encounter as the business grows and has to hire people and do boring business stuff that founders generally don't like. Seriously, it's super useful.

Even if you don't agree with the main thesis of standardizing and automating your business, having a road map of the challenging mental space that you will navigate as a founder will be very useful.

Don't make me buy it for you ;)

You should do it! I just launched a cosmetics business this year, but I first got the idea way back in 2008, when I first learned about indie makeup. I thought I was too busy with school, but now I realize if I'd started working on it back then, even just a few hours per week, my business would be further along today.

Your first steps are writing a business plan, developing your products, and learning about FD&C cosmetic regulations, so you can sell your products legally. For the last step, I recommend these 2 books: Soap & Cosmetic Labeling and Good Manufacturing Practices by Marie Gale. Some people have mentioned liability issues, you can get liability insurance relatively inexpensively if you join a trade association for small businesses (for example HSCG) and purchase it through them.

You also mentioned buying and reselling products from other brands. I used to work as a buyer for a cosmetic retailer, and I can tell you, it's not easy. In order to get wholesale prices, brands need to approve you as a retailer. And beauty brands, especially popular brands are very selective about who they allow to retail their products. You'll also need to meet their MOQ's (minimum order quantities) which are sometimes thousands of dollars. If you take this route, you'll probably have to start by sourcing small indie brands, and then work your way up to the bigger brands as you gain credibility.

What an interesting question.

I don't think I've ever read before of a business idea to start a brick and mortar business where you will cut and run if you are not making money within 3 to 6 months. And then start another, and then another. Most leases are for 6 months or a year.

The start up costs for day trading are a computer or your cell phone, a few hundred dollars, and you fill out an online form with a broker. I don't think day trading is a good example to use when looking at a brick and mortar business.

I spent almost a full year doing market research before I started my small business. It was time well spent.

The E Myth Revisited is a book that was very helpful to me. There are many web sites that have reviewed this book over the years so you can find great summaries of the book if you don't want to buy it.

Best of luck.

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Oh, and I have $0.01 starter auctions each week for different items that my companies sells in case you're interested in checking those out as well: https://secondamendmentuniversity.com/echo-shopping-link/

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I have to draw a lot of conclusions from your post, but I have to second therapy or talking to someone about your thoughts. It seems like you might be doing that already.

About your business, it sounds like you're so stressed out because you don't know how to deal with problems that arise or why they're happening in the first place. First thing is you need to learn how to blame the process, not the person. When someone makes a mistake, you need to figure out how your process has allowed them to make that mistake in the first place. I think if you had better tools to solve your business problems, your passion for the business might spark up again. Hiring an additional person as people are suggesting I don't think is the right move. You'll have to pay them a large salary to deal with the stress and then you'll be held hostage when they quit or ask for a huge raise. The real problem is the stress itself and that's what you have to focus on getting rid of in your business.

Read the book The E-Myth Revisited if you haven't already. I think that can relate to a lot of your struggles and will help you to hopefully work more on your business than in it.

Then I would try and read 2 Second Lean. I don't know what kind of business you have, while this book is geared towards manufacturing, it doesn't matter. Lean is all about making work struggle free and even fun. The concepts can be applied to any business and for me implementing the ideas has made my business fun for me and gave me a new found purpose within it.

I'm sure you can turn things around for yourself. It's impressive you've gotten as far as you have and you're bound to have bumps along the way. Just have to keep looking forward.

I can relate to your story and have found myself in this situation a few times before...who hasn't?

Recently I've been reading Profit First by Mike Michalowicz and it's given me a different perspective on managing my businesses.

For me it's early days in implementing the method he preaches and to most it'll seem bonkers. It appeals to me because I respond better to strict budgets and regular tracking.

The author talks a lot about how we, as business owners, are in this cycle of: business is great -> more staff and more expenses -> have a quiet month and start to panic -> do ANYTHING to make a sale -> business is great ... and so forth.

The "Profit First" method tries to break this cycle by making us focus on our expenses and PROFIT first so that we don't find ourselves allowing expenses to creep and having to chase a sale, any sale, I'll even wash your car!

It may not be the answer to your problems but I'd certainly recommend giving it a read.

This guest post on Forbes should be helpful: What's The Secret To A Successful Coffee Shop?

Don't forget to build a well thought-out Business Model before starting up.

Best of luck

How are you marketing your business currently?

Here's some good books to read although they're geared more towards managing and motivating a workforce. Others may have better recommendations for books on growing as a startup or small business. Ultimately, you need to focus on marketing your company and targeting your ideal customer.

Turn the Ship Around by David Marquet
https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Ship-Around-Turning-Followers/dp/1591846404

How to Become a Great Boss by Jeffrey Fox
https://www.amazon.com/How-Become-Great-Boss-Employees/dp/0786868236/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484506909&sr=1-2&keywords=how+to+a+great+boss

How to Be a Great Boss by Gino Wickman
https://www.amazon.com/How-Great-Boss-Gino-Wickman/dp/1942952848/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484506909&sr=1-1&keywords=how+to+a+great+boss

Good to Great by Jim Collins (I just started this)
https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484507074&sr=1-1&keywords=good+to+great

EDIT: Here's another one.

Traction. Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman. I haven't read this but the CEO did and we use the structure and methods from this book to run our company. https://www.amazon.com/Traction-Get-Grip-Your-Business/dp/1936661837/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Your idea of expanding your current content studio sounds exciting, however there should be clear reasons why you need to divide your brand into subsidiaries.

Here are the questions that can help you:

1. Are you willing to give up control of a particular component of your business, for instance the editing team, to someone who will run that studio?
   
   
2. What would be the motivation behind dividing your studio into subsidiaries? The usual case would be to focus on growing other bits of the business. However, remember that as subsidiaries, you are potentially creating competition for resources provided by the umbrella brand, and if a competitor offers a cheaper rate in a particular business (ie. production), then it makes financial sense for Subsidiary A1 to work with External Company B, rather than with Subsidiary A2.
   
   Hope this helps.
   
   (Everything you need to know about building a business: The Strawberry Startup)

It really depends on what the language of the non-compete is. Are they basically a local company? Do they limit the non-compete to a geographical area? Do they specialize in one type of marketing? Do they limit the non-compete to those types of marketing? As somebody who worked at a marketing firm, left, and started my own gig, I would say don't sign it. As others have stated, a non-solicit agreement makes more sense.

If they are serious about the non-compete, offer to sign it for a $10,000 bonus. Nothing is free. They don't get to dictate your actions for 2 years after you quit working for them without paying you something beyond your salary for it. At least, not in my eyes.

Don't think it's a yes/no question. Negotiate. If you don't feel like you have good negotiating skills, check out the book Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss. But you have to be prepared to walk away and find a different job. It's a calculated risk and you know best whether it's worth it or not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVkLVRt6c1U - contracts are great, but you have to spend effort and time to enforce them.


NOW, most of the time once you have a proper contract you are showing how well you are willing to protect yourself. So people behave accordingly.

Then, you have to actually use your contract to enforce the terms. This should be no surprise.

And, you can also bend the rules a bit, but you should always get something out of it for bending the rules.

​

This is a good book for having conversations. https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-Conversations-Talking-Stakes-Second-ebook-dp-B005K0AYH4/dp/B005K0AYH4/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=

I agree with the other comments; this is a relationship issue. No amount of resources will help her if she refuses to use them. I suggest buying her a copy of the E-myth book because it sounds like she just wants to work for herself, instead of actually running a business.

My advice to you would be to isolate your finances from hers if you can do it without destroying your marriage. If her business goes down / gets sued, your (both of yours) money can go down with it even if she's under an LLC. Best of luck with this! Let me know how it turns out.

very interesting reply, i also work with my dad and brother. would you mind if i DM you and ask you some questions? hard to find places for relevant information on improving a company with such a specific family environment.

also, i read this book recently (fairly commonly read i believe), it talks about the three roles within a startup/small business. may be of interest to you if you have not seen it before. very easy read. some parts focus more on creating franchises IIRC, which is not relevant to our business, but an excellent read regardless.

If you are going for a internet business or any product-oriented business here a are the best books



BEST ONES

"The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses" (Eric Reis) - 2011

https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Startup-Entrepreneurs-Continuous-Innovation/dp/0307887898/

"Running Lean: Iterate from Plan A to a Plan That Works" (Ash Maurya) - 2010

https://www.amazon.com/Running-Lean-Iterate-Plan-Works/dp/1449305172

"Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days" (Jake Knapp - Google Ventures) - 2016

https://www.amazon.com/Sprint-Solve-Problems-Test-Ideas/dp/150112174X/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1550802301&s=gateway&sr=8-1

​

ALSO GO FOR (these are the ones that started organizing the Startup world)

"The Four Steps to the Epiphany" (Steve Blank) - 2005

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0989200507/

"Business Model Generation" (Alexander Osterwalder) - 2008

https://www.amazon.com/Business-Model-Generation-Visionaries-Challengers/dp/0470876417/

My favorite is Business Model Generation. To me, it really lays the foundation about before starting your business. In my opinion, a business makes or breaks during the initial planning stages. There are exceptions, but this book helps guide the thinking and really helps with understanding why a business will be successful or not.

I used to struggle about "what was right" and figuring out the right profit distribution. I stumbled upon this book called Profit First (https://www.amazon.com/Profit-First-Transform-Cash-Eating-Money-Making/dp/073521414X) a while back and decided to try it out.

The part where Alex and Bob are splitting money should be a little more complex so that you know exactly what you owe for taxes, operating expenses, income, profits, and potentially savings. It's a quick read but definitely changed how I do distribution for the better.

Note that I am not affiliated with this book whatsoever, it just really helped me out.

Good luck u/GameofCHAT selling a business is a lot of fun and will hopefully net you guys some cash while making you much better at building your next business.

​

If the buyer knows that you intend to wind the thing down, it puts you at a considerable bargaining disadvantage as he knows that you are basically working to minimize your losses. I think that the last bit of /u/drunkengolfer's post is the most salient. Your buyer will be looking at this transaction through the lens of what it would cost him to acquire that many customers. You can charge a premium for bundling them together, but that's likely the extent of it.

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Curious to ask, has he made an offer? Has he acquired other cleaning service books of business in the past? If that's the case, you should have no problem getting him to put out the first few offers and negotiate with himself. "How do I know what's fair here? Help me understand," etc.

​

Also, read this book ASAP. Calibrated questions and mirroring (tactics from the book) are very much your friend if you're going into a situation where you have a disadvantage in terms of experience and sophistication.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Never-Split-Difference-Negotiating-Depended/dp/0062407805

Fwiw, I sold a business on a similar scale (less than 100k) last year and have bought two others since.

There are many powerful resources available at no cost for small businesses including counseling and mentoring with experienced business owners.

One of the largest organizations that offers assistance is here

www.score.org/mentors

If hiring someone is not an option you could work with a mentor to understand the basics and then discuss bringing in someone to coach you. Operating a business day to day isn't rocket science once you have some basic systems in place. It's the building and trusting those systems that takes time to learn.

A POWERful book you could read would be the E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber. It's short and to the point. Most importantly it shows you what NOT to do. Then you can follow up with reading the E-Myth Mastery to learn what it takes to operate a successful business. These two books have guided me on building 6 different businesses and help me coach several organizations with great results.

When I was 22 I was handed these books by a teacher of a class I was attending because I wouldn't stop asking business questions. He told me that if I read and applied those two books I'd be ahead of most 6 year MBA students. E-Myth Revisited is a powerful story about a lady named Sarah who owns a pie shop. She opened it because everyone told her she was good at making pies. So she opened a pie shop. She hates pies now and wishes she never had to make a pie again. Not because she hates pies, but she had no idea how to run a pie business, only how to make pies. Through the book Michael helps her understand her anger and frustration, not with pies, but with the business of pies and how to turn her pie business from a pie job into a business that runs without her. 10 years later I still use Sarah in my day to day life as I build new businesses and coach others.

Hope this you find something in this that strikes a note and helps you along your way.

In your scenario, I feel like simplicity is going to be key because this your first time doing it.


I discuss your question in my video: https://youtu.be/tvK0BYO-9R0?t=529

1. Before anything, have your own books/accounting in place. That way you can just print off reports as needed.
   
2. Keep it simple, use a one page business plan as you can find from the books Traction or Scaling Up. Read the first half of Traction (a really easy read) and you will be off to a great start. You can find the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Traction-Get-Grip-Your-Business/dp/1936661837/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=traction&qid=1554999664&s=gateway&sr=8-3
   
   ​
   
   A lot can get lost in extravagant business plans. The important thing is that you can PROVE what you have done and that it works. Basically, will putting more money into this engine = a return?

Thanks for your response!

Unfortunately, I do not think the business has much opportunity to grow (aside from opening another location). It is a retail store, so there isn't a lot of equipment or machinery.

Just the fact that I needed to ask this question means that I need to read up on small business finances. Just went to the library and checked out this book. I think it will help me to break everything down and figure everything out! Thanks again!

I believe beard oil is considered a cosmetic, so you'll need to follow practices as such. I highly recommend two books by Marie Gale.

Soap and Cosmetic Labeling: How to Follow the Rules and Regs Explained in Plain English
https://www.amazon.com/Soap-Cosmetic-Labeling-Explained-English/dp/0979594561

Good Manufacturing Practices for Soap and Cosmetic Handcrafters
https://www.amazon.com/Good-Manufacturing-Practices-Cosmetic-Handcrafters/dp/0979594545

It's also highly recommend to carry liability insurance. Indie Business Network offers $1,000,000 and $2,000,000 plans. You may also find better rates through your own searches.

I've read a lot of business books in the past year. These include:

7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Rich Dad Poor Dad

Think and Grow Rich

How to Win Friends & Influence People

Secrets of Closing the Sale

How to Master the Art of Selling

The E-Myth Revisited

The Compound Effect

The Slight Edge

The $100 Startup

The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

I have 4HWW waiting to be read, in addition to about 15 other books that are sitting there, waiting to be read.

The $100 Startup is very inspiring, especially for people who have no chance at securing a "normal" job (I dropped out of college). The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur is also very informative. But out of this list, by far, my two favorite books are The Compound Effect and The Slight Edge. #1 going to The Slight Edge. Read this book. Maybe it won't apply to everyone as much as it did to me, but it totally changed my attitude towards life.

Yes! (All caps!)

The author suggest asking questions and letting them sell how your service/product can help them. Asking the right questions is better than hard selling them.

link to Amazon not affiliated.

I would recommend Small Time Operator. It is a great resource that touches on a variety of important items and issues.

Hey mate, i just read the first 2 paragraphs and I instantly recommend you read the book "The E - Myth Revisited" http://www.amazon.com/The-E-Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses/dp/0887307280

Im in the process of drawing up a business plan for a food service vehicle dishing up fruit and juice to customers along busy beaches. I have no business experience although this book has given me a lot of confidence to move forward. I hope this helps.

The E-myth revisited, by Michael Gerber. I'm sure this will be recommended many times, and for good reason.

https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280

The Hard Thing About Hard Things -- Ben Horowitz. GREAT as an audiobook.

Traction: Get a grip on your business -- Gino Wickman. Good for unknotting the reasons for constantly stalling out on progress. It's meant for large offices, apparently, but even my little office benefited since the habits are universal.

The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph -- Ryan Holiday

I believe the majority of the business owner does not come from the business background, some start with the hobby sell the hobby stuff, some start to sell stuff with the friends.

I would recommend you to understand the business,
I start my business with this book >>> http://amzn.to/2sio9VS <<< $100 Startup.

I like the following book. It reenforces the difference between being in business to work vs being in business to reach your goals. It also lays out steps to take to migrate towards being able to delegate effectively mainly by thinking of everything you do as a checklist.

I'm ESTJ though so the checklist ideas feed my appetite for order.

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It https://www.amazon.com/dp/0887307280/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_QCCwyb4EX21TM

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

The Strawberry Startup

---

^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot

Work on your branding and messaging first, target a specific audience and make sure that you are somehow different before you go investing a ton of time into marketing something that is bound to be doomed.

​

I recommend you read the books The 22 laws of marketing, Magnetic Marketing, and the e-myth by michael gerber.

​

Yes those are links to amazon, if you don't want to buy it on amazon just go to the dollar store. Get the books and learn marketing. It will help you avoid the guru speak and start building a real business.

Not sure if it fits into your conception of what you're looking for, but consulting is your own business.

Get 1-2 clients while at your current job and then dive in headfirst.

As long as you stay vigilant about treating it like a company and not a job (read the E-Myth). You don't want to wake up 5 years later and realized you've owned a job. Look to hire. Look to scale. Look to outsource. Look at your margins.

I started that way and now there's 30 people here.

If you're only going to read two, I'd recommended: E-Myth and Positioning.

The first will teach you how to think about, structure, and systemize a business.

The second will teach you how to create products / services that customers actually WANT and how to market to them. It captures very succinctly everything I learned about developing products and brands at P&G.

Credentials: I've worked in the consumer product industry for 10+ years and have started multiple businesses of my own.

I don't know where you're doing your research, but these things should be easy to find. Pick up a copy of Small Time Operator - that will give you the basics of bookkeeping and the sort of issues you'll need to cover.

Then check with your county office, and the secretary of state - they'll tell you about applicable tax requirements. Check with your city or village to see if there are specific licenses they require, or ordinances you have to comply with.

Don’t know, but it’s a popular book.
Amazon Link They also have an audiobook version

I'm going to check out the other book listed below (Built to Sell), but I highly recommend reading the E-Myth. You can check out the website below:
http://emyth.com/

And/or the book:
http://www.amazon.com/The-E-Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses/dp/0887307280

They really emphasize building a system that you teach your employees to mimic what you would do and then finding the right employees so that the product never changes.

May I suggest the book "The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It"
It seems to cover this topic really well. Recommended reading to any mom and pop business.

You have some ideas that remind me of this PDF (48 Low-Cost Business Ideas).

Take a look at Chris Gullibeau's $100 Startup for inspiration, too.

It's a tad geared towards software and B2B SaaS, but it can apply to anyone: Four Steps to the Epiphany

It focuses on finding your customers and developing products for them. Reads like a textbook from college somewhat, but my #1 go-to business book by far.

This book: The $100 startup is insanely motivating and outlines all the things you need to make it happen.

I opened my business in September of 2015. My accountant was speaking a foreign language to me.

This book was a game changer for me.

Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs: What You Really Need to Know About the Numbers

https://www.amazon.com/Financial-Intelligence-Entrepreneurs-Really-Numbers/dp/1422119157

First, read the E-Myth Revisited. Never turn something you love into a business.

If you still want to tackle this, what need are you filling? Are there no rescues or animal shelters in your county currently? Are they inadequate/corrupt? Are there grooming/boarding businesses that are thriving? What about dog walking services? Is there an organized network for pet sitters? Are there illegal breeders on Craigslist?

Zoning laws are going to be a big hurdle. It's probably not allowed to have too many animals in one place that isn't a farm.

Any advice I'd give is better presented in this essential book: E-myth

What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team, NY Times - http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html

One-On-One Meetings - https://getlighthouse.com/blog/how-to-start-one-on-ones-your-teams/

Growing Great Employees, Erika Andersen - http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Great-Employees-Extraordinary-Performers/dp/1591841909 (though I hate the stupid comparisons with plants)

The Year Without Pants, Scott Berkun - http://www.amazon.com/The-Year-Without-Pants-WordPress-com/dp/1118660633

The E-Myth Revisited, Michael E. Gerber http://www.amazon.com/The-E-Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses/dp/0887307280

Congratulations, your business is growing.

You need to systematize whatever it is you do. Stop blaming employees, start fixing what doesn't work.

Most small businesses don't work because their owner can't or won't share knowledge. Sit down, breathe and read this s .

You need to read this book: https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280

The E-Myth Revisited: https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0887307280&linkCode=as2&linkId=OKQNEFFPLTGGYABL&redirect=true&ref_=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl&tag=writin08-20

Presumably this book: http://www.amazon.com/The-E-Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses/dp/0887307280

(From googling)

> The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It

Read the E-Myth before you quit your job or invest any real money into starting a business: https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280

this book : E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It

Sorry about the loss.....

I recommend two books.

1. A Grief Observed by CS Lewis https://www.amazon.com/Grief-Observed-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652381
   
   
2. The E-Myth Revisited https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280/

These are the books I recommend to start with:

All direct amazon links, no referral links.

• E-myth
  
• Richest man in babylon
  
• Rich Dad, poor Dad
  
• Cashflow Quadrant

> I think the primary problem is that the business is "me" and I'm having a difficult time transitioning from a "freelancer" to a "business" in a way that still keeps me flush with reliable income.

Read The E-Myth Revisited.

The first chapter or so will resonate with you deeply as the whole book is about turning your business into an actual business that can function without you so you can get your life back.