Small Business Management

Lesson 1: Starting Your Small Business. The planning process; our 16-step formula for preparing a business plan; the secrets of market research: a vital first step; operating plans; financial plans; the vitality of home-based businesses.

Lesson 2: Family-Owned Businesses. Developing an understanding of family owned businesses; operating a family-owned business; explain how family relationships can affect business; preparing for the next generation; tax and estate planning.

Lesson 3: Forms of Small Business Ownership. Explore the differences between proprietorships, partnerships, corporations and other forms of business by examining case studies.

Lesson 4: Becoming the Owner of a Small Business. Choosing a product or service; how to evaluate an existing business; new ventures versus buyouts; intellectual property; patents, copyrights, and trademarks.

Lesson 5: Planning, Organizing & Managing a Small Business. Finding the right accountant, lawyer, banker, insurance agent, and computer consultant; building a staff; the organization chart; the essence of TQM; sources of outside help.

Lesson 6: Obtaining Financing for Your Business. Antitrust laws; Fair Housing Act, equal housing, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and others; obtaining credit reports; provisions of Megan's Law.

Lesson 7: Marketing Strategies. How co-ops and condos work; differences between co-ops and condos; managing multi-owner communities; government regulations on subsidized housing; office property; marketing office space; building standards; intelligent buildings.

Lesson 8: Promotion & Distribution. Methods of setting prices; using advertising, publicity, personal selling, and sales promotion to build your business; the marketing mix; entering the global marketplace.

Lesson 9: Managing Human Resources & Employee Relations. Putting employees first; motivating employees; "musts" for managers; setting wage, salary, and benefits policies.

Lesson 10: Obtaining & Laying Out Operating Facilities. Market research in site selection; ideal sites for retail, service, and manufacturing companies; best cities for a small business.

Lesson 11: Purchasing, Inventory & Quality Control. Purchasing and inventory management; the purchasing cycle; measuring inventory-control performance.

Lesson 12: Basic Financial Planning & Control. How financial analysis fits into planning and control; tests of profitability and financial health; earning a satisfactory return; evaluating investment opportunities; deciding when to extend credit; setting credit and collection policies.

Lesson 13: Using Computer Technology. How to select the right computer hardware for your business; useful software programs and their applications; installing a computer system; using the Internet.

Lesson 14: Business Security. Developing a risk management program; risk transfer; kinds of insurance coverage; selecting an insurance agent.