SBA's Free Online Tool Helps Small Businesses Develop an Export Business Plan

Small businesses interested in starting or expanding sales of their goods and services overseas now have access to a new, free online tool that will gauge their readiness to export and help them develop an export business plan.

The Export Business Planner, developed by the U.S. Small Business Administration, offers a ready-made, customizable and easily accessible document that can be updated and referenced continuously as the business grows.

The Planner, located at www.sba.gov/exportbusinessplanner, allows users to:
* Determine their export readiness;
* Learn about training and counseling opportunities;
* Complete worksheets for global market research;
* Obtain financing information and options;
* Customize export marketing plans, and;
* Access resources for exporters

"Creating jobs through exporting is one of the nation’s top economic priorities, as the President indicated when he launched the National Export Initiative," said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills [pictured]. "Giving exporters the tools to do their part in this effort is essential. The new Export Business Planner is one such tool and will serve businesses in the critical process of planning for their success."

The Planner is a PDF file that can be easily downloaded, accessed, customized and updated every time you use it. It features an extensive compilation of export research and information -- including quick links to websites, video profiles, training podcasts, trade statistics, contact information to counseling resources such as SCORE and SBDCs, a list of current SBA lenders, plus much more.

The tool is organized in comprehensive chapters that are cross-linked and indexed for efficiency and easy access to related topics.

The chapters include:
* Introduction to Exporting
* Training and Counseling
* Getting Started: Creating an Export Business Plan
* Developing your Marketing plan
* Financing your Export Venture
* Accounting Worksheets: Costing, Financial Forecasting and Product Pricing
* Utilizing Technology for Successful Exporting
* Your New Marketing Plan: Summary, Timeline
* Updates, Transportation and Documentation

A distinct and very useful feature of the Planner is the customizable worksheets. These documents provide templates for developing your export business plan; conducting business assessments and foreign market research; creating your marketing plan; costing and sale projections; goal-setting; and much more.

Additional SBA Programs Available
For more information about all of the SBA’s programs for small businesses, call the SBA Answer Desk at 1-800 U ASK SBA; or, TDD 704-344-6640. Or, visit the SBA’s website at http://www.sba.gov.

SOURCES: U.S. Small Business Administration, The White House
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New SBA-Microsoft Technology Guide Helps Entrepreneurs Grow Their Small Businesses and Create Jobs

A new technology tool for small businesses is now available to help them grow and create jobs. The new education resource, Business Technology Simplified, helps small-business owners connect the dots between entrepreneurship and technology to give them a competitive edge.

The U.S. Small Business Administration and Microsoft, a GoodBiz113 advertiser, have teamed up to develop this free, comprehensive guide on how technology can improve the small-business owner’s chances for success. The Business Technology Simplified guidebook includes fundamentals on the importance of technology, and on how it can be used to achieve a business’s goals.

In the guidebook’s foreword, Earvin "Magic" Johnson writes about his journey in developing a multimillion-dollar company and the value of technology to remain competitive.

"Our goal as an agency is to get information, tools and services into the hands of small-business owners more quickly, so they can spend more time doing what they do best -- creating the jobs that will drive our economic recovery," said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. "This new guidebook is one more tool available to support small-business growth through access to information and resources."

Business Technology Simplified offers straightforward tips on how to use technology and innovation to make businesses work more efficiently. The guidebook incorporates relevant and practical material on simplifying work tasks; do-it-yourself marketing; cloud computing; time management; finding and cultivating customers; plus much more.

"Small businesses, which employ nearly 50 percent of the U.S. workforce, rely on trustworthy technology that is easily adaptable and scalable to support growth, and give them freedom to focus on the innovation and passion that drives their businesses," said Cindy Bates, Microsoft’s vice president of U.S. Small and Medium Business [pictured]. "We are thrilled to continue our longstanding relationship with the SBA and small businesses by providing this free resource that will arm this community with the technology know-how to safely and smartly grow their businesses in many strategic ways."

Business Technology Simplified is available in a printed format in SBA district offices and local SBA resource partners, or may be accessed online as an electronic publication and as an electronic distance learning course. The new online course has been created for self-paced access to practical guidance on applying technology to build and grow strong companies.

The Business Technology Simplified online course allows quick access by small-business owners to learn more about basic technology tools that can help their companies run more efficiently. The course features an audio guided lesson, indexed by modules, that includes information on how to use technology to save time in day-to-day tasks; how to better manage a business; mobile solutions that work; and tips on expanding customer base.

To access the course, go to www.sba.gov/training, then click "Business Technology Simplified" in the Highlighted Courses section. It is one of nearly 30 online tutorials offered by the SBA, and is available 24/7.

About SBA
The U.S. Small Business Administration is the nation’s largest financial backer of small businesses. The SBA’s programs and services help business owners start, run, and grow their businesses, and provide a range of financial, technical, and management assistance. SBA also plays a major role in the government’s disaster-relief efforts by making low-interest recovery loans to both homeowners and businesses.

For more information on SBA’s programs and services. visit http://www.sba.gov/.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Microsoft serves millions of small and medium-sized businesses in the U.S., helping them start, grow and thrive by leveraging today’s powerful and affordable technologies. At the pillar of these technologies lies cloud computing, in which Microsoft has more than 15 years of experience. The company understands how to meet the demands of SMBs for simplicity and impact, with enterprise-grade capabilities, flexibility and affordability in a familiar environment.

For more information on Microsoft technologies for small and mid-sized businesses, visit http://www.microsoft.com/business.

SOURCES: Microsoft, U.S. Small Business Administration
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Businesses That Plan Ahead May Have a Better Chance of Accessing Billions in New Small-Business Loans, Study Says

A recently reissued study reports that business plans can make the difference between getting and not getting a loan, or securing investment capital.

The small-business legislation that President Obama recently signed into law was good news for small businesses looking to access a newly established $30 billion loan fund.

It’s even better news for small businesses who took the time to complete a business plan, according to the results of a recently reissued June 2010 study conducted by researchers affiliated with the University of Oregon Department of Economics.

The paper found that companies completing business plans were twice as likely to successfully grow their business, get investment capital, or land a loan. Researchers examined data on nearly 3,000 users of business plan software.

"The bottom line is that completing a plan correlated with increased success in every one of the business objectives that came up in the study," said Tim Berry [pictured], founder of GoodBiz113 ad partner Palo Alto Software, and author of the business planning software Business Plan Pro.

The news comes at a time when the Small Business Administration estimates more than a half-million businesses fail annually.

Despite the tough climate businesses are facing, there are loans available for small-business owners -- many of them at record-low interest rates. But with less capital available, more companies are fighting for a smaller piece of the pie, and smart businesses are finding that it pays to be prepared with a plan. With talk of a double-dip recession and other uncertainty clouding the air, business planning has become less a one-time event and more of an ongoing process, business experts say.

"It is important to remember that business plans are living documents," Berry noted. "Those who take the time to complete a plan, follow it, and update it often are most likely to be successful."

Patricia Schaefer, of BusinessKnowHow.com, cites lack of planning as one of her top seven reasons why small businesses fail. And in a challenging business environment, completing a plan properly is just as important as having a plan in the first place.

"[A plan] must be realistic and based on accurate, current information and educated projections for the future," she writes. "Many small businesses fail because of fundamental shortcomings in their business planning."

The Oregon study looked specifically at planning completed, using business plan software. Researchers Eason Ding and Tim Hursey -- who prepared and presented the paper as part of the requirements for their honors degrees, under the supervision of professor Joe Stone -- looked at a questionnaire answered by 2,877 respondents. Of those people, 995 had completed a plan, and:

* 297 of them [36 percent] secured a loan
* 280 of them [36 percent] secured investment capital
* 499 of them [64 percent] had grown their business.

The study found that, among firms of varying ages, the amount of business planning was related to success. Ding and Hursey also found that Web-based firms had "a significant correlation of success with business planning."

The study did not examine differing rates of success between individual firms. Across the board, businesses completing plans scored higher -- suggesting that, with the right planning, craft beer brewers or tattoo parlor owners could achieve success as readily as lawyers or medical professionals.

Results suggest that business planning "is highly correlated with subsequent successes for a variety of firms," the paper states.

About Palo Alto Software
Palo Alto Software Inc. helps people succeed in business. It develops, publishes and markets software products for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Its suite of products includes Business Plan Pro, the best-selling business-planning software in the U.S.; Marketing Plan Pro powered by Duct Tape Marketing; Email Center Pro; and their newest product, Start, Run & Grow Your Business. Email Center Pro is Palo Alto Software’s first SaaS product, an online e-mail management tool for small businesses.

Palo Alto Software also runs a website network, which includes http://www.bplans.com/ -- one of the highest-trafficked business planning content sites in the world. Its website network receives approximately 1 million unique visitors per month and offers users unique, valuable content and free business planning tools.

Tim Berry, the founder of Palo Alto Software and a co-founder of Borland International, is a recognized expert in business planning. His popular Planning, Startups, Stories blog is featured on AllTop Small Business. He also writes the Up and Running blog for Entrepreneur.com and contributes regularly to Business in General, All Business, the Huffington Post, and other publications.

For more information, visit http://www.paloalto.com/ or call [800] 229-7526.

SOURCE: Palo Alto Software Inc.
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OPEN from American Express® and SCORE® Partner to Create Mentorship Program and Workshop Series to Help Enhance Small-Business Growth

This morning, OPEN from American Express® announced a national partnership with SCORE® "Counselors to America's Small Business" to create the "Small Business Speed Coaching Test Drive," a multi-city seminar tour designed to support small-business growth, and trigger success through complimentary educational and mentorship programs.

The "Small Business Speed Coaching Test Drive" series offers small-business owners exclusive, 30-minute, one-on-one evaluation sessions with experienced business coaches from SCORE, and interactive workshops focused on areas that directly affect small-business growth -- including strategic business planning, effective marketing and business finances.

Growth is an important issue facing small businesses today, with more than one-third [37%] of small-business owners reporting growth of their business as their company's single most important priority over the next six months, according to the OPEN from American Express Small Business Monitor, a semi-annual survey of business owners conducted in Fall 2007. In addition, 70% of business owners believe their marketing investments are effective in promoting growth, but less than half report seeing a direct uptick in sales from their marketing efforts.

"For small-business owners, growth requires innovative thinking and a customized approach," said Marcy Shinder, vice president of OPEN from American Express. "OPEN is proud to partner with SCORE to provide small-business owners across the country with individual counsel from seasoned experts with the ultimate goal of helping to identify new avenues of strategic growth."

"SCORE is bringing speed coaching to cities across America," says Ken Yancey, SCORE CEO. "Entrepreneurs can test drive our free services and discuss their greatest challenges with a seasoned business counselor.

"We are pleased to have the support of OPEN from American Express to host this national speed coaching tour, starting in Orlando -- one of our nation's most vibrant communities."

More than 250 small-business owners are expected to attend the seminar kick-off in Orlando, Fla., on Thursday, Nov. 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Walt Disney World® Swan Hotel. Complimentary parking will be provided. In 2008, additional seminars will take place in Phoenix, Ariz.; Atlanta, Ga.; and Chicago, Ill.

Featured topics and speakers of the series include:

* "Building a Business Plan for Growth" by Skip Honigstein, SCORE assistant district director. Honigstein held high-ranking leadership positions in the health-care services industry during his 28-year career, which focused on strategic and financial planning, operations, budgets and turnarounds.

* "Marketing Your Business" by Jerry Ross, Disney National Entrepreneur Center executive director. Ross is an entrepreneur and business executive, whose two decades of experience include leadership positions with major corporations and ownership of several successful companies in Central Florida.

* "Success Stories," a Q&A-style workshop with established business owners.

* "Following the Money" by Jennifer Wybraniec, OPEN from American Express

* Luncheon keynote speaker: Jacob Stuart, Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce president. During his 20 years as president, Stuart has guided the chamber to a prestigious five-star accreditation from the Accrediting Board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He has worked to provide lifelong learning opportunities for business and community leaders in Orlando.

In addition to meeting with a SCORE counselor at the event, attendees will learn about local SCORE chapter resources and can continue counseling sessions in the future.

More information about the workshop is online at www.score.org/OPEN_events.html.

Registration is free and available on a first-come, first-serve basis at www.bmmreg.com/amex. A maximum of two people per company may attend the event. Limit one coaching session per business. All attendees are eligible to participate in the coaching, workshops and luncheon.

About SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" has helped more than 7.7 million aspiring entrepreneurs and small-business owners through counseling and business workshops. More than 10,500 volunteer business counselors in 389 chapters serve their communities through entrepreneur education dedicated to the formation, growth and success of small businesses.

For more information about starting or operating a small business, call 1-800-634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you. Visit SCORE on the Web at http://www.score.org/.

About OPEN from American Express
OPEN from American Express, one of GoodBiz113's premier ad partners, is dedicated exclusively to the success of small-business owners and their companies. OPEN supports business owners with unparalleled service. With tailored products and services, the team delivers purchasing power, flexibility, control and rewards to help customers run their business.

Specifically, business owner customers can leverage an enhanced set of products, tools, services and savings -- including charge and credit cards, convenient access to working capital, robust online account management capabilities, and savings on business services from an expanded lineup of partners.

For more information about OPEN[SM], visit OPEN.com; or, call 1-800-NOW-OPEN to apply for a card or loan. Terms and conditions apply.

Source: OPEN from American Express
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