Business: Start, Expand, Operate or Move

Business: Start, Expand, Operate or Move

Made one decision and it will cause many other actions to occur. I will have to travel and many places will not have a – what you call them? – hot spots: so I can get access to the Internet. I must down load WordPress to be able to write my posts 24/7 and publish it when I can connect to the Internet. This Blog will have too be transferred to a Host that can handle Word press. Therefore it will remain here until I can get all requirements met.

Once I get setup on the new host, I will proceed with my efforts to find and post about all the opportunities for Veterans and other small businesses I can discover. Since I have a need for the same information and work on compiling it almost daily, it will be made available to anyone that can use it, without charge. Mainly be cause it could help someone else if it proves beneficial to me, and partly because I believe a “Small American Business Is the Only American Business.”

Every new or expanded business will provide income for the owner and jobs for the people employed by the company. Now the question is, can you log on and use this Blog to start or expand your business? For me the answer is yes, but I became aware at the outset that the starting point is the first post published, so either rearrange the post or make an index page linking to each post. I am going to attempt just that. Hopefully I will get all this finished before my birthday in April.

Also finish the post on e-stores, once I get the book the Library order for me. Next I will write posts about Pensions, Disabilities and other benefits. Well, all this is in the discussions, with many of us thinking we can make this Blog a major source for veterans and other small business owners. Personally, I will try to make it a first stop for business-start-ups and expansions, linking to every other source available. Maybe add an index page, linking to all the posts, in an order that goes from start-to-finish.

Sales and Marketing

Sales, Products and Services
In your business you will sell a product or provide a service to generate income to pay your bills and earn a profit. You will decide what product or service will be needed by the people you plan to attract to your store or sell to by mail order, or via the internet. Many newly owned companies have a product or service that the owner created in his shop or office. This is the number one consideration on my planning list: what will I sell and where will I fine a vendor that make that product? I am considering having a contract or an exclusive territory agreement with a manufacturer. Or maybe I will hear about, or fine a new product to make in a shop I can purchase and the owner would stay on for six months or a year. Better yet, maybe a Franchise is available, it could be a drug store. I could purchase the drug store, get a contract with the Government, sell everybody as DOD (Department of Defense) an aspirin. Well — you get my thinking.

The VA (Veteran Administration) challenged us to come up with new products or services. If you can make a product, fine, or buy it from a vendor. Maybe you want to provide maid service, lawn care or landscaping. Here is one, Interior decorating, or remodeling. As for me, my mind is on an out-patient clinic for veteran, with an attached drug store. Next, I want to do landscaping and maintaining parks, rest area and recreation sites. And last, but not least, financial and career counselor. Many Vets come home with stacks of Photos, just stop in the PX —- what do they call them now? I am talking about the store on the Base where you can purchase films and food, yes that place, look at the Post Cards that all GIs like to mail home, if your’s look as good or better talk to VA about a contract to market them with the Veteran Administration.

For the first three months in this year, I have logged four hours on the phone; three discussing business and one discussing benefits. If I could rate the result based on help I received from the VA (Veteran Administration) in a score 1 to 10 with ten being the highest, I would give them an eight over all. The benefits score is below the business score. The reason is because my military records burned in the fire, nothing remained but the ashes, so they haven’t being much help in that department. That said, I can state with assurance that when we had all the information, the service were professional. As we get into the phase where I will talk with the people at the VA at least three time per week, I look forward to the conversations, because they have been very helpful. For instance, when I called three difference locations this week each gave me the information I needed or the phone I could call and get the needed help. Just to give you some incite about the information I need to complete the planning, I asked how to get the business on the fast track? She explained that if two veterans are starting a business and one is disable, make the disabled veteran the 51% owner and automatically qualify for fast track. Or Section 8 (a) the Small Business Act establishing a program that authorize the SBA (Small Business Administration) to enter into a contract with other agencies and to negotiate subcontracts with small disadvantaged business concerns eligible for the program participation. She also stated that a new Public Law #109-461 will be signed, then the VA (Veteran Administration) can determine your eligible at the time you register. This is the place where you can get almost any information you need to plan and run your small business. Again to sure how helpful they are I told her about my need to fine someone that serviced in Korea with me because my military records were destroyed by fire, at least half an hour she gave me Korean Veterans Organizations, including the name of the President, his assistance, phone number and Web Page address. Any information you or I need to start or manage our business, we should call this Department. The phone # 866-584-2344, Web Page is, www.vetbiz.gov Or select Vetbiz in the Blogroll. I will post on sites that will provide support so we can get up and running with the Best-Start-Ever.
Also, I will add two pages, one named (Read My Notes) and the other (F Asked Qs) here I will compiled information until I have the business plan completed and the business is in full operations

Business Partners and Contracts

Business Partners and Contracts:

First you should get your company registered and then complete your business plan, or continue to work on it To start the registering process click on Registering above and follow the process. This is where my focus is for this and the next posts. This post will look at procedures we can use to get the business partners, contracts and subcontracts needed to get the company qualified to do business with the Federal, State and Local Governments. My questions are why do I need partners? And why can’t I just sign all contracts with the governments? One answer, I can as long as I can provide the products or services with the staff and crew I have employed or can hire when needed to preform the required work or deliver the products.

That is why I am concern as I complete the overall plan for the business organization we need to put in place. One company, an (umbrella company), will handle all the administrative functions including preparing all the contracts, subcontracts and other agreement to insure a smooth operation to yield the maximum number of contracts and sales. For example, in the Mississippi Flood Disaster, I saw and heard a man with the ability to prepare contracts, but owned only one truck, negotiate and agree with a man that owned four trucks, resulting in a contract with the Feds and a subcontract between themselves, therefore securing a large contract with the Feds to haul the debris from the sites where homes once stood. For instance, We know we can handle all administrative work, but have to contract any works that require construction, landscaping, shipping and warehousing. Presently, we don’t make any products or apparels, so sales agreements are needed to have a viable sales and marketing divisions.

This is very encouraging, for these reasons, all enabling legislation establishing these programs have built in a legal requirement that all companies with a government contract more than a million dollars are required to make at least 21% available to veterans and other minorities. Veterans, woman and disadvantaged can seek help from departments established by VA (Veteran Administration) and the SBA (Small Business Administration) to aid them in starting or promoting their small business ventures. All branches of government make some efforts to insure that all small and minority businesses get paid for products or service they provide to majority firms. In the state of Maryland the Lt. Governor Michael S. Steele, while appearing on the NAACP panel stated that he met with the large contractors to insure that they not only make timely payments to the subcontractors, but also provide training. Lt. Governor Steele said he told the Large Companies he wanted them to train their competitors.

Economically disadvantage can seek help in applying for recognition by the Federal Government. You can contract to buy a company presently during business with the Feds.

Veterans, Business, Blogging

After reviewing the posts on this Blog over the weekend, to determine if I should continue this Blog, I concluded I will continue Blogging. After consultant with the Veterans in my family, they feel this is the best procedure to use in my effort to locate some one that serviced in Korea with me in Company “L”, 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team. Also, we all agree, this is the best place to store the information, so all can access it, if and when some one have a question about the information I am posting. And we do see a benefit in the business opportunities, burial requirements and safe guarding military records.

Just watch the news about the veteran’s benefits and the rights mandated in the enabling legislation. The VA has the assigned duties and responsibility for implementing the programs for the veterans, with no other tasks, yet neglecting to do so in Walter Reed Hospital and in the combat areas. No time should be wasted in getting all the problems, encounter by the people in the military, solved, and with all delivery speed.

Once I get the book from the library and post the other two companies that is operated on-line, the business organizational planing will be complete. Then we will work on operational plans. To began and get a good start on the operational plans click here Registering your small business and follow the plan on the page. If this link fail click SCORE in the Blogroll, then select Registering Your Small Business from the Posts. This is all the procedures for registering with the Federal Government. When I get started I will post my steps on a Page named “Registering”, with any other information I glean in the mean time.