By Ian Fisher

There are many major companies today that are household names and icons in our 21st century society. Microsoft, Apple, Dell, Wal-Mart, McDonalds and Amway to name a few very large and influential companies, which all started out with a simple idea or opportunity.

Where would we be today if these people had not taken the opportunity or idea and run with it, but failed to take the risk in starting their respective business or companies. We must realise that all of them started with a simple idea or opportunity, but they had one thing in common with each other, they disregarded the fear of RISK and set it aside and embraced faith, belief and optimism that just maybe something will happen IF I have a go.

Not all opportunities that come along are immediately identifiable, but the people who succeed are usually those that have been looking. Their minds are a playground of active thoughts and possibilities, their eyes scan the landscape like eagles, and their noses can smell it out and can pinpoint an opportunity as quick as a wink.

You might think that all this is impossible to you, but that is the key, that you think it is impossible, therefore it is. The method that all great leaders and successful business entrepreneurs have in common is that they think and have productive positive thoughts all the time.

Initially a thought may start as a fledgling idea, something simple, but as you ponder more over it, seeing it from every angle it begins to take shape and have deeper meaning, to where you can jot it down or sketch it on a pad or computer, which can eventually emerge into an opportunity for growth and success.

I know a fellow who had an idea for a new golf putter. He had this idea burning in his heart for years, when one day out shopping with his Father and their wives, they slipped off for a cup of coffee, while the girls continued to shop. As the coffee was being served to the table he began to share this idea of the golf putter with his dad. His dad became interested and they began to sketch the idea onto a napkin, looking at it from all angles.

Only a short time later he met up with a friend for lunch and they were chatting small talk when he mentioned the putter. Remembering the sketch on the napkin, which was still in his wallet, he showed his friend. ‘I know someone who can sketch this up on the computer and create a 3D image of it, if you like’ his friend said. ‘Wow, that’d be great’ was his reply, and he left it at that. Some time later he heard from someone else, ‘hey I’ve seen the 3D image of your putter, I like it and I know someone who could make up a prototype, if you like.’ Sure my friend said.

Well this continues until next thing you know he has a real life version of this putter in his hand and a friend rings up and says, ‘hey there’s an expo on this week and I can get your new putter a place in the expo; what do you think?’ Yeah that’d be great! And on the story goes to where he now has the putter endorsed with a well known golfing pro and the rest is history.

So are you looking for opportunity to change your life or your current situation? Are you sick of never having enough money to do whatever it is you desire to do? Then opportunity is waiting for you every day. It may be in the shape of a thought, a business opportunity or a partnership, buying and selling articles on online auctions like eBay, or unearthing an old dream or desire that you’ve carried for years.

Whatever it may be I guarantee that if you begin to engage focused thought toward what it is you really want to do, then you can accomplish anything.

Go put the kettle on, sit in your favourite chair and treat yourself to a cuppa and to thinking of exactly who you really would like to become. See it in your imagination, feel it, taste it and sense it and then allow your self to decide that this is really you, and GO FOR IT.

ALL THE BEST

About the Author: Ian Fisher is owner of TheFi5hFinance.com and writes on a variety of subjects. To learn more about this topic Ian recommends you visit: TheFi5hFinance.com

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=148578&ca=Business

Read the original: Opportunities – Are You Looking?

By Steve Phipps

Freelance writing opportunities are on a rapid rise these days and one may think that is a crazy statement since newspapers and magazines are going out of business in record numbers.

The reason I say that freelance writing opportunities are on the rise is due to the sheer amount of content on the internet.

Think about the billions of websites and blogs online that require a constant feed of written content to keep visitors coming on a daily basis. This actually presents more opportunities in freelance writing than were ever available in the off line print world.

The key is finding legitimate opportunities that require writing work from freelance writers. There is actually more work out there than most people realize and the reason you cannot find it is because you have to weed through the maze of scams and junk.

Many online business owners and even bloggers these days rely on the skills of freelance writers to provide a daily stream of content to their sites and blogs.

The reason for this of course is because we have become and “instant society”. The second a news story breaks or anything happens anywhere we want to know right now.

We also turn to the internet for information about a wide range of things we are interested in or want to learn.

Writers have to create all this content. Now maybe you can start to see there are an incredible amount of opportunities for freelance writing and beyond writing for others you can use your skill or passion for writing to make money in tons of other ways.

A great way to start taking advantage of freelance writing opportunities is to find a group of online business owners or site designers that simply do not have the time or skill to write their site content.

You can simply perform the topic research and craft article content for those business owners on a pay per submission basis. This approach alone could keep a writer busy on a full time basis while earning a very nice income.

Blogging about any topics you desire and adding in some paid advertisments can bring in a nice part time income and even grow into a six figure business as has been the case for many who started out freelance writing.

You have to be careful because there are a ton of “online informercial” type programs that target those who are looking to get paid as writers with opportunities that are not so great.

Either they pay pennies and you will literally have to write 10-12 hours a day to equal even a low paying hourly wage or they are simply a waste of time.

Just remember there is an entire world of website and blogs out there. Someone has to provide the content that visitors come to read. This means an incredible amount for real and legitimate freelance writing opportunities for skilled writers as well as those who simply have a passion for writing.

It can be a awesome way to make a living.

About the Author: Steve Phipps is an online business man that got his start as an online freelance writer. He has put together a nice video site and free newsletter for anyone interested in real legitimate freelance writing opportunities. You can visit his site at: http://www.authorsnook.com

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=381100&ca=Writing

Go here to read the rest: Freelance Writing Opportunities – Opportunities Online For Freelance Writers

Free Day Care Center business Plan for Loans

Obtaining Business Financing

 

When obtaining a business loan for a day care center business, it is imperative that you have a properly structured business plan that will assist you in showcasing how you intend to operate your Day Care Center, how the business will operate, how you intend to market the business, the anticipated financial results of your company, and how you intend to repay your debt obligations. This sample loan business plan will provide you with the framework that you need in order to acquire a business loan for starting or expanding this type of business.

 

Executive Summary

 

Introduction

 

When obtaining a business loan for a day care center, it is imperative that your business plan has a clear and concise executive summary that provides an outline of what are seeking to accomplish, how much capital you are seeking to raise, the management biography of the business owner, and an overview of the anticipated profit and loss statements of the business. Here is an example of how the title paragraph should be written:

 

Day Care Center, Inc. (“the Company”) is seeking a business loan of $100,000 in order to launch the operations of a day care center business that will be based in San Francisco, California. The Company was founded in (Insert Year). The business was founded by Mr. John Doe.

 

Products and Services

 

In the next segment of the business loan and business planning document, you should showcase the products and services that you will be providing to the general public. For instance:

 

The Day Care Center will provide round the clock childcare services to the general public of San Francisco. The business will serve meals, provide basic educational services, and after-hours care services for parents that need assistance caring for their children during daytime hours. At all times, the Day Care Center will remain within the letter of the law regarding the sale of Day Care Services especially as it relates to hiring individuals that work with children.

 

Business Loan Terms

 

Now it is time to discuss the anticipated terms of the business plan that you are seeking. An example paragraph of how this is stated:

 

At this time, Mr. Doe is seeking a conventional business loan in the amount of $100,000. The interest rate, loan terms, and loan covenants are to be determined during negotiation. However, this business plan assumes that the business will receive a seven year business loan with a seven percent interest rate due on the outstanding principal balance.

Management Biography

 

Now that the summary of the business has been provided, it is time to provide a brief overview of the owner of the business. An example paragraph summing up the owner is as follows:

 

Mr. Doe is a highly experienced business person that has years of experience regarding the direct ownership and management of business. He will be able to effectively bring the operations of the Day Care Center, Inc. to profitability while ensuring that the business loan’s payments and its covenants are met at all times.

Financial Statements

 

The most important thing to your lender when applying for a business loan is how you intend to repay the bank. In this section of the business plan, you should provide an overview of the finance’s of the business discussing the anticipated revenues, expenses, and profits/losses. You can also discuss the applicable collateral within the business plan that will be used to secure your business financing.

 

Expansion Plans

 

One of the most important aspects of your business plan is how you intend to expand the business over a three to five year period. Banks and finance companies always want to see that the business will experience a moderate to strong level of growth. This is especially true in business lending because as your business grows the cash flow that secures your business loan will decrease proportionality against your monthly credit obligations. An example of how this is stated is as follows:

 

The Day Care Center will continue to expand through organic means including increasing the Company’s advertising budget via the reinvestment into the after tax cash flows of the business. Additionally, if the business is highly successful then the Company may seek to establish additional Day Care Center locations after the third year of operations.

 

 

The Financing

 

Use of Business Loan Proceeds

 

In this section of the business plan you should focus on how the proceeds of the business loan will be used. An example of this would be as follows:

 

Day Care Center Establishment – $50,000
Day Care Center Licensure and Professional Fees – $10,000
Working capital – $40,000

 

Management Equity

In this section of the business plan you should discuss the percentage ownership of the business among the owners of the business. For example:

 

Mr. Doe will own 100% of the Day Care Center.

 

Board of Directors

 

When applying for business financing, the bank will also want to know who serves as the board of directors. For small businesses, usually the owner serves as the director of the business. An example of how this is worded:

 

Mr. Doe will be the sole director of Day Care Center, Inc.

 

Exit Strategy

 

Any bank or financing company is also going to want to know what you intend to do with the business over a set period of time. Many business owners will develop and expand a business with the intent to sell the company to a third party at a later time. When drafting this part of the business plan you should focus on what you intentions are in regards to potentially selling the business. This is often worded as:

 

Mr. Doe would most likely sell the Day Care Center to a third party for a significant earnings multiple. Day Care Centers usually sell for approximately one to three times earnings given the financial strength of the business. In this event, the business would be sold by a business broker and the business loan sought in this plan would be repaid according to the covenants of the business loan agreement.

 

Products and Services

 

When developing a business plan that is appropriate for obtaining a business loan or other business credit facility you need to clearly showcase the services or products that you will be offering to the general public. An example of how this section is worded goes as follows:

 

As stated in the executive summary, the Day Care Center will provide a broad spectrum of daycare services to the general public including round the clock support for parents that cannot care for their child on a full day basis. The Day Care Center will serve meals, provide general education services, and provide transportation services for children when needed.

 

At this time, the business is seeking to obtain the appropriate licensure to ensure that the business can commence operations as soon as the Day Center receives the financing sought in this business plan.

 

 

Industry and Market Analysis

 

The Current State of the Economy

 

It is important to let your financial institution know that you are well apprised of the financial situation of the general economy when you are applying for a business loan. This is especially true in today’s environment where lending has become more difficult and will remain more difficult in the foreseeable future. Specifically, you should gear this section of the business plan analysis towards the industry that you are operating within. For example:

 

The current economy has remained difficult over the past few years. However, Day Care Centers typically operate with a strong level of economic stability as parents will continue to require to have their children cared for on a regular basis despite the current state of the economy. As such, the Day Care Center will be able to remain profitable and cash flow positive during any economic climate.

 

The Day Care Center Industry

 

In addition to providing your business loan officer with an understanding of the general economy, it is important that you showcase that you have an equal understanding of the industry in which you are operating within. As such, you will need to provide you business loan institution of a brief overview of your industry and any potential changes that may affect the way that your company does business. An example of how an industry overview is as follows:

 

There are over 62,400 childcare establishments in the United States. These businesses produce over $18 billon dollars a year in gross receipts. Additionally, the business employs over 628,000 people, and generates payroll figures of $7.2 billion dollars a year. Approximately 42,000 of these businesses operate as for profit businesses with the remainder of these companies providing services in a not-for-profit setting, such as a religious institution.

 

The industry has experienced a tremendous rate of growth over the last ten years. The industry from 1999 to 2005 experienced growth of more than 18% over the five year period. This industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States. This is primarily attributable to the extremely high divorce rate in this country. As single parent families have become normalized, the need for daycare services has grown immensely as the traditional nuclear family has become a rare breed. Additionally, many more families are two income families, and as such, the need for daycare centers among these demographics is immense.

Target Market

 

In this section of the business loan application and business plan analysis, you should focus on the demographics of your localized market (or national market if applicable). This section should discuss how many people live in your area, the anticipated number of people that would require the use of Day Care Centers, the median household income of people living in the area, poverty line statistics, and any applicable laws that would apply to your operation of Day Care Centers.

 

Competition

 

Many people that are developing new businesses or expanding existing businesses often feel that their business does not have any competition or limited competition at best. However, this is almost never the case. Unless you have re-invented the wheel

Read this article: Network Marketing Business opportunities – The Biggest Mistake Marketers Make