Of course there is a lot to consider when starting a business. Here are a few thoughts.

1. If your industry (or even a closely associated industry) has a trade group, association or annual convention consider attending it. You could learn a lot about the suppliers, customers and even about your "competitors" in the industry. A good opportunity to network.

2. Check the internet for "forums" where smart individuals from your industry might meet. Get a great glimpse of some of the important issues and problems in your industry.

3. Seriously consider getting an online presence. Many businesses today have websites as a central and crucial part of their business. Many industries will have a hard time surviving without a web presence.

4. Get a good lawyer and accountant before you need them. Do a business plan to help focus your thoughts.

5. Get yourself a good computer and the software that might help you run the business. Sometimes, specially when you are starting out, good decisions here can save you a lot of money.

6. Decide what you want to outsource and what you will do yourself. Do a self assessment. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Mitigate your weaknesses by perhaps outsourcing that task or working with others who complement you.

You do need to cover operations, cashflow/funding, and marketing. Businesses rise and fall on their customers. Make sure you have a solid plan to acquire customers with a timeline, budgets and goals. Once you get a customer remember it is far cheaper to retain a good, repeat customer than it is to acquire a new one. Treat them well.

The Federal Trade Commission has now completed its new revision of the Franchise Rule, a set of regulations, which has not been changed since the 1970s if you can believe it? Outrageous to think that the Federal Government could be so inept or non-responding to the needs of the free market or the Franchising Community, which represents nearly 1/3 of every consumer dollar spent in the United States of America.

One of the larger Franchise Organizations for the Industry, which is filled with lawyers, as well as franchisors, consultants and franchisees is the International Franchise Association, which recently put out a Press Release to its members about the new Law and Regulation changes by the Federal Trade Commission. In this press release they alerted media sources and the Industry of the phase in period of these new regulations in franchising, unfortunately the rules and regulations are still too restrictive and burdensome.

Indeed, it appears that after 10-years of input from the Franchising Industry on potential rule changes, not very much has actually changed other than the separation of the Business Opportunities from the Franchise Industry. This is because Business Opportunities have been the cause of so much consumer harm and the franchising industry none if any really.

If you are looking for a new career or looking to make money, then you might have heard of an offer to join the cash flow note industry. Perhaps you learned about people making thousands of dollars in a single deal. You may be wondering how this lucrative career field actually works. The cash flow industry is a legitimate market, taking in about 350 billion dollars a year, and has a definite target consumer: the note owner. Winning in the cash flow note industry is possible for anyone.

The note owner is the consumer holding the money, as an accounts receivable contract. Acting as a cash flow broker, you look for note owners who are willing to sell their notes to buyers searching for a long-term profit. You may wonder why a note owner would want to sell a note in the first place. However, the note owner has a great deal to gain from the transaction. He or she can exchange the concerns of a cash flow note for up-front cash.

The note owner might have a special arrangement for long-term loan financing. The note owner may not trust just any buyer that comes along wanting to buy the note, especially if the debtor is a close friend. Knowing the most common reasons why sellers do not sell can help you to succeed at winning in the cash flow note business.

The increased use of computers and e-commerce are changing business operations. This is mainly true within the travel industry. The travel industry encompasses several different businesses. These include travel agencies and franchises, online travel agent franchises and cruise franchises.

In the cruise travel market, cruise lines are launching expansion ventures to new places. This makes it very difficult to operate numerous centers simultaneously. Cruise travel business opportunities are comprised of a variety of concepts that prove to be feasible and profitable business opportunities for many. Advertisements are placed in newspapers, the yellow pages and on the Internet. They include vending offerings, home-based opportunities, cruise franchises and other travel business services.

It is very profitable to be a cruise travel agent. People can earn money by working from home or from their present place of business. Many home-based travel agents offer the same perks and benefits as store- front travel agencies. There are a number of companies who offer training seminars on cruise ships and vacation resorts all over the world, at reasonable costs. It is also possible for people to obtain training online. The companies provide comprehensive programs with the know-how, training and the tools that are required by a potential agent to succeed in the industry. Parent cruise companies offer first hand training, to uphold an already established business pattern and maintain uniformity in various smaller centers.

Cruise travel business opportunities offer the means to earn without managing any stock or personal selling. They do not involve learning complicated technical information and require a small upfront investment. Regardless of whether individuals are looking for a way to increase their income on a part-time basis, or hoping for a full-time business opportunity, cruise travel helps individuals to build an independent business under the guidance of the parent cruise travel group.

In the past many business opportunity sellers would use industry specific statistics on their Web sites, brochures and even in videos, which they would mail to potential buyers. The Federal Trade Commission looked into this and found that many business opportunity sellers overused these figures to sell their wares.

In the future this tactic of using industry statistics may become illegal and considered fraudulent due to a proposed rule that the Federal Trade Commission is considering which would govern business opportunities. In the rule business opportunity sellers would have to prove and have records to prove that the statistics they use are actual statistics of people who bought their particular business opportunity.

Why is such a rule being considered by the Federal Trade Commission? Well, because there has been fraud in the past uniform of unsubstantiated earnings claims, which has damaged consumers. Below is an excerpt from the rulemaking section report by the Federal Trade Commission on their potential proposed rule;

Proposed section 437.4(c): Industry statistics

“As noted above, proposed section 437.4(c) would address a problem that is prevalent among business opportunity sellers: the use of real or purported industry statistics in the marketing of business opportunity ventures. It is common for vending machine promoters, for example, to tout what are purported to be industry-wide vending sales statistics. A matrix of potential earnings based upon an industry-average sliding scale of “vends per day” is typical. The use of such industry statistics in the promotion of a business opportunity creates the impression that the level of sales or earnings is typical in the industry, and by extrapolation, that the prospective purchaser will achieve similar results.

To prevent this type of deceptive earnings claim, proposed section 437.4(c) would prohibit the use of industry financial, earnings, or performance information “unless the seller has written substantiation demonstrating that the information reflects the typical or ordinary financial, earnings, or performance experience of purchasers of the business opportunity being offered for sale.” Accordingly, before a seller could use industry statistics, it must be able to measure the performance of existing purchasers and document that the industry statistics reflect the existing purchasers’ typical performance. For example, a start-up business opportunity with no or very limited prior sales would probably not be able to use industry statistics because it would lack a sufficient basis to demonstrate that the industry statistics reflect the typical or ordinary experience of the start-up’s prior purchasers.”

If you are looking to increase your business and income (and chances are that your trying just that), joining associations and professional groups in your industry can help you accomplish just that. These organizations are set up to help members of the industry and by becoming a leader of an organization like that, you can increase your reputation, prove your expertise, generate publicity and free advertising for you and your business and increase your income all at the same time.

No matter what industry you are in, chances are that there is an industry association that you can join and work with. In the vast majority of cases, there are several. Mortgage brokers can join the National Mortgage Brokers Association and other professional can join similar organizations. These associations can help you advertise your services, decrease your costs and show your expertise to the community.

If you are a salesperson, you most likely introduce yourself to potential customers in a variety of different ways, but using your position in an industry association to show your expertise can help you in whatever way you introduce yourself. If you write a letter to a potential customer, you can include your position and the association or associations that you belong to. If you meet people in person, you can include a short list of organizations that you belong to on your business card.

By showing that you are a member or even a leader of an industry association, you are showing customers that your job is more than just a job. You are showing them that it is a vital part of your life, which it needs to be if you want to achieve unparalleled success. By joining industry associations, you can easily prove your expertise, save money through cooperative agreements, increase free advertising and publicity for you and your business all while increasing your income and improving your social standing. These are all things that you need if you want success, and something that you should do today.

As a decision-maker in the construction industry, weighing all equipment acquisition options is a critical aspect of the job - especially given today's fluid marketplace.

With construction equipment leasing you don't have to worry about the overhead of the purchase while keeping your cash accessible. No matter how big or small your project you can always find leasing options from the financial institutions who specialise in this type of product. Plus, payments you make under an operating lease are tax deductible.

65% of the top businesses lease equipment, according to an ELA survey. The top reasons these businesses cite for leasing include consistent expenses in budget management, increased cash flow, and the ability to have the latest equipment.

As businesses prepare to compete and grow in a new millennium, many are searching for proven new ways to address their equipment financing needs. And the choice for an increasing number in construction is clear: equipment leasing.

If structured properly, as a "true" lease, construction equipment leasing has some very important tax benefits. The payments can be considered a rental resulting in a 100% expense write-off. At the end of the year you would simply total your payments and deduct them entirely as an expense. This is a much more rapid write-off than interest expense and depreciation.

Most leases do not have to be shown on your financial statement as a liability, since theoretically it is a contingent liability, and only has to be shown as a footnote. This keeps your financial statement from becoming overloaded with debt and is important if your bank lines require maintaining certain ratios.

The biggest benefit, however, is that you can get the most money with the least information.... Up to approx. $100,000 with a single page application!

For many in construction equipment leasing makes perfect sense. Especially when you consider the upside: Leasing allows you to keep your machine stock flexible. When your work changes, your machines can too.

It provides a planned schedule for equipment replacement, helping you run newer, up-to-date equipment so you'll have less downtime. It generally requires smaller amounts of money up front and monthly payments on your construction equipment leasing are generally lower than installment payments, thus freeing up cash and increasing the liquidity of your assets. And it doesn't lock you into a long-term commitment to purchase.

Let's face it, we are all in business to make money-right? That is the very reason that leasing your heavy equipment is the best choice. Compared to purchasing your equipment using a traditional loan, leasing allows you to keep more of your money on hand in your pocket. A traditional loan is going to require a down payment (sometimes a hefty down payment of 25% or more). If you opt to lease your equipment, it can often times be done with nothing down or a very small down payment. If you keep your cash on hand, how much money can you make with that capital? This is an excellent question to ponder.

Another wonderful benefit is the fact the lease payments are tax deductible. A traditional loan is only partially tax deductible. Once again, because of the tax implications you can hang on to more of your money. What can the money in your pocket do for you? Leasing your heavy equipment is the right choice. Always remember to consult your tax professional to summarize the tax savings available to your company.

If you buy your heavy equipment, you run the risk of being left with something that may become obsolete in the near future. If and when that happens, you can't get your down payment back. Also, you don't need to worry about selling your semi-useless equipment. If it's not working for you, then you may have a tough time finding someone that can put your obsolete equipment to use. At the same time, many leases are structured so that there is a one dollar buy-out at the end of the lease term. If you decide you'd like to keep what you have been leasing, you can probably come up with one dollar so that you can become the titled owner.

Last but not least, when you choose to lease the process is very simple. Many times one can acquire a heavy equipment lease with just a simple application (up to $250,000). This means that no financial statements or tax returns are required. Also, start-up companies and those with credit challenges have found equipment leasing to be their best option. If you've been turned down by a bank or credit union and were not able to buy the equipment that your business needs to survive, give leasing a try.

When it comes down to it, heavy equipment leasing is the best choice. This type of financing allows you to hang on to more of your money, has excellent tax benefits, eliminates the threat of obsolescence, and can be very easy to obtain. Take your business to the next level and choose leasing.