Start your Engine! - install a search engine on your site

Whether you're running a large site for a company or your own corner of the Web, a search engine will bolster its usefulness. Dave Carter explains.

With billions of Web pages and mountains of data stored in online repositories, it's vital to include a search facility on all but the most basic of sites. Although Google offers a site search feature, building your own simple search engine is a more rewarding option.

Google's site search allows you to restrict searches to a singledomain, in effect providing a search engine for your site. Simply add "site:" to either the beginning or end of your search query.



Google it: Google can be used to search most sites on the Web, but it's a lot more professional and fun to build your own search engine.

For instance, the query for a search of "Business" on www.southwestcomputing.biz would look like this:

business site:SouthWestComputing.biz

What is needed now is a form on your own page that allows users to search your site without having to head over to Google. A simple HTML form will do the trick. Here is an example which keeps search results limited to www.southwestcomputing.biz:

[form action="http://www.google.com/search" method='GET"]
Search SouthWestComputing:
[input type="hidden" name="q" value="site:SouthWestComputing.biz"]
[input name="q" size="40"]
[input type="submit" name="submit" value="Search"]
[/form]

Please replace the '['' and ']'s with <'s and >'s

The "site:"option is passed to Google as a hidden input value. This ensures the search is always on the selected domain rather than the entire Internet, so the user doesn't have to enter the option every time. Google requires no other special values, just the query itself.

Note: Be aware that to search your whole site Google needs to have spidered it ALL. This can sometimes take quite a while so make sure every page has been checked and is in the Google database before using this approach.


Check out my IT & Business Info site at: http://www.southwestcomputing.biz/InfoBay/

The Tea Room Business Plan - Start Up

By Jon M. Stout

Although there are many opportunities for tea rooms as successful businesses, success requires planning. But before the planning process starts the budding entrepreneur needs to evaluate their personal psychological, emotional and financial preparation for the task ahead.

Start Up

Are You Ready?

Starting and running a business is not easy. If it were, because of the rewards, many would do it. And it takes more than a dream and planning skills.

Commit to undertake the effort and make it a success. There are many elements in the profile and below are a list of questions that must be considered before the entrepreneur devote time, resources and money to a new venture.

What are the similarities of successful entrepreneurs?
* persistence
* desire for immediate feedback
* inquisitiveness
* strong drive to achieve
* high energy level
* goal oriented behavior
* independent
* demanding
* self-confident
* calculated risk taker
* creative
* innovative
* vision
* commitment
* problem solving skills
* tolerance for ambiguity
* strong integrity
* highly reliable
* personal initiative
* ability to consolidate resources
* strong management and organizational skills
* competitive
* change agent
* tolerance for failure
* desire to work hard
* luck

Entrepreneurs are made, not born and these skills can be acquired over time. The financial and social benefits to the successful entrepreneur are many but perhaps the greatest benefit is the psychic rewards of being your own boss and accomplishing the goals of the business,

Are you ready?

Is Entrepreneurship For You?

In business, there are no guarantees. There is simply no way to eliminate all the risks associated with starting a small business - but you can improve your chances of success with good planning, preparation, and insight. Start by evaluating your strengths and weaknesses as a potential owner and manager of a small business. Carefully consider each of the following questions.

Are you a self-starter? It will be entirely up to you to develop projects, organize your time, and follow through on details.

How well do you get along with different personalities? Business owners need to develop working relationships with a variety of people including customers, vendors, staff, bankers, and professionals such as lawyers, accountants or consultants. Can you deal with a demanding client, an unreliable vendor, or a cranky receptionist if your business interests demand it?

How good are you at making decisions? Small business owners are required to make decisions constantly - often quickly, independently, and under pressure.

Do you have the physical and emotional stamina to run a business? Business ownership can be exciting, but its also a lot of work. Can you face six or seven 12-hour work days every week?

How well do you plan and organize? Research indicates that poor planning is responsible for most business failures. Good organization of financials, inventory, schedules, and production can help you avoid many pitfalls. Is your drive strong enough? Running a business can wear you down emotionally.

Some business owners burn out quickly from having to carry all the responsibility for the success of their business on their own shoulders. Strong motivation will help you survive slowdowns and periods of burnout. How will the business affect your family?

The first few years of business startup can be hard on family life. Its important for family members to know what to expect and for you to be able to trust that they will support you during this time.

There also may be financial difficulties until the business becomes profitable, which could take months or years. You may have to adjust to a lower standard of living or put family assets at risk in the short-term.

Not everyone can or should be an entrepreneur and it is hard to imagine a society with total entrepreneurship all of the time. Nevertheless, those who elect to start a business can reap many psychological and financial benefits. Proper planning is the best way to improve your chances of success.


Jon M. Stout is Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, green tea and wu long tea go to http://www.goldenmoontea.com

The Tea Room Business Plan - Basic Concepts

by Jon M. Stout

Business planning and the start of a new tea room venture is more of a process than an event. A new business is a separate entity that is very much like a garden: planning is required to start, certain mandatory steps are required and constant management and pruning must occur to produce a successful venture.

This plan addresses the basic steps as well as business structure and management steps that are required for success.

The Basic Concept

The basic concept of the business plan is simple:
* An Entrepreneur senses a market opportunity
* To capitalize on this opportunity the entrepreneur establishes a business entity
* The entrepreneur has a vision of the company for the future that foresees a healthy, growing, profitable company
* In order to reach that future vision, a roadmap is required that can be reviewed to determine progress to achieve the ultimate goal

Just like any important trip, a roadmap in the form of a business plan will improve chances of arriving on time and safely. An additional benefit of the business plan is the control function evidenced by the ability to measure progress against the plan.

The critical feature of any plan is not its complexity but its use. Since this document is focused on building a tea room business, a basic document should be prepared and used as the basic guide to the growth of the business, The business plan should be the business owners bible and should be read and consulted frequently to determine the mid-course adjustments that are always required in the life span of the
business.

TEA ROOM TIP: Believe that the business plan is your guide to success. The completion of the plan is only the start of the business. The plan will act as the guide to success and will constantly change as conditions require. The plan will never be complete but will always be useful.

Simplicity

Business planning is a universal discipline and there are as many plans as there are companies. The complexity of the business plan can vary from simple to overly complex to Byzantine. A classic case study is the story of Compaq Computer, a multi billion dollar computer manufacturer that was launched based on a business plan written on the back of a cocktail napkin. Many companies however focus on the trees of the planning process and overlook the forest of building a business. Often, the business plan becomes one more document for the corporate bookshelf or the drawer of the planning executive and is not used as it should.

Most effective business planners add only that detail that is informative and productive but does not distract the reader from the core ideas of the plan. Since each plan is a living document that represents a guideline to grow a business, changes can be made as often as required by business conditions. Excessive detail may become irrelevant in the light of new conditions.

TEA ROOM TIP: Start with a bare bones plan that can be expanded or enhanced as conditions warrant. Dont attempt to create an overly detailed plan that may become obsolete as conditions change.

Jon M. Stout is Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, green tea and wu long tea go to http://www.goldenmoontea.com

Protecting Yourself From Illegitimate Wholesale Suppliers

By Chad Thompson

While many fantastic wholesale sources can be found online, there are also a huge number of sites developed specifically to scam sellers looking for a good deal.

So how do you tell whether you are dealing with a real wholesale supplier?

First of all:
* A supplier may be selling fakes of big name brands but this doesn't necessarily mean he is out to scam you. There are many suppliers in China and other countries selling fakes, but as long as you realize what you are buying, that is not a problem in itself.
* The supplier may say they can only accept Western union and wire transfers as payment. These are insecure payment methods, but for Chinese suppliers, these are often the only two options available as credit cards (and therefore Paypal) are almost impossible to get. You should always take the precaution of ordering only a small amount when dealing with a supplier who only takes Western Union and wire transfer for the first time, but many legitimate manufacturers and wholesalers use these methods out of necessity rather than because they are illegitimate.

The Warning Signs

Warning bells should start ringing if you come across any of the following:
* Fake address - either it doesnt exist or it exists in a poor or residential area.
* No contact details listed on the website
* When you call, the telephone is answered by an individual who does not identify himself on picking up the phone.
* You are not asked for a business or tax number
* The company suddenly stop replying to your emails
* Parts of the text or images on their site are copies from other websites.
* When you place an order, the company claims they do not have any stock, but want to receive the money before ordering any in.
*Your contact becomes shifty when you ask for a product sample

Steps to Protecting Yourself

To find out whether you are dealing with a scammer, try these tips:
* Copy and paste some text into Google. If it is copied from another site, youll soon discover it in the search results.
* Check that the website gives a full business name and a registration number.
* Ring them to verify the phone number given is good, but don't accept a mobile phone number as enough, all companies should have a land line number.
* As for a photograph of the stock with the company logo in the background.
* Go to http://www.coolwhois.com and search for the name of the website. A legitimate company will have been operating for over a year (at least!) and their expiration date will be for several years time. Most legitimate companies reserve their domain names for 3-5 years or more at a time.
* Use secure payment methods such as Escrow, Cod and Paypal Verified whenever possible.
* Ask other sellers what their experiences have been with the company on forums.


SaleHoo is one of the fastest growing wholesale sites on the internet. It contains a database of wholesale suppliers and manufacturers offering thousands of products to consumers. For more information see SaleHoo

Networking Your Way Out Of Your Business Comfort Zone

By Frank Martinez

What motivates somebody to set up a small business?

You are often on your own, lacking a lot of start up money in
hand, without the full set of skills to build your business and most
often without sufficient experience of the competitive market you are
getting ready to jump into.

Regardless of all these barriers to launching a small business
we still in confident, if not foolhardy, fashion.

It is the basic desire of what we want that drives our
inner-direction. If the basic desire is to reap a little money to add
to our current earnings or actually to provide our main income then
most people can start a small business and do justice to their hopes
and dreams.

It is when our wants become something greater, perhaps to
arrange an education for our children and give them a better start to
life than we did, that our business goals become more daunting.

Starting a small business and being successful with it often
demands us to pull away from our comfort zone.

In larger organizations, men and women are virtually able to
decide for themselves whether they wish to leave their comfort zones or
not. Major enterprises oftentimes have enough capacity to provide
another individual to fill in for others who refuse to move out of
their zone of comfortableness.

Whilst I may perhaps insist that this is wasteful behavior in
a large corporation, in a small one, it is commonly fatal.

Comfort zones appear in a lot of distinct forms in small
business.

If the purpose for beginning a small business is somehow
related to our love of a certain field of commerce, technology or idea,
we will be starting a business where what people get in return for
their money is generally our personal service and knowledge. This is
frequently how small businesses start.

The problem with opening a business in this way is that to
further build the business we need to spawn mirror images of ourselves.
Or else we need to work 16 hours per day, or employ someone who has
similar knowledge and skills that we do. But it can be hard to see for
yourself when you are immersed in the day-to-day running of your
business.

Letting go of what you believe will make money quickly breaks
small business owners out of their self-imposed internal limits. They
might, as a result, enter another market area, create an additional
product or even reach a point where they do not put themselves forward
as the sole channel of the skills and expertise that deliver the income
opportunities.

Small businesses which rely upon marketing to give rise to
product or service sales and do not have the monies to extensively
investigate opportunities or advertise their goods and services will
need to concentrate on direct contact with clients and use electronic
methods of reaching out to their potential customer base.

This is where networking comes in. Some people find business
networking really easy. They are naturally amiable and become the
centre of attention no matter when they enter a room. The rest of us
find it a bit of a pain to be so gregarious. This could be for the
reason that chit-chat is not our thing or because we do not want to be
seen to be 'selling' continually.

The wish not to sell continuously is natural and is the key to
getting out of this comfort zone. Selling is not what the aim of
networking is. What networking is about is having many and varied talks
with a lot of different people regarding problems, issues and
opportunities. Going to the effort of having conversations will as a
natural result give birth to business opportunities. It is unneeded and
unnecessary to have a sales pitch to hand for every occasion.

Small business owners ought to, at every turn, be clear about
what they want to attain by starting a small business. They must use
their social know-how, their insights and self-knowledge in the world
in which they act. This will help them safely navigate through the sea
of self-learning that is needed to be assured of success.

Otherwise, their internal limits will become a safe harbor of
underachievement.

For more information, visit the Free Small Business Advice page. To search through all the pages of the website, visit Guide To Starting A Small Business

Key Components of Your Small Business Plan

By Michael Saunders

One of the best ways of achieving lasting financial prosperity is through entrepreneurship. The financial, lifestyle and personal advantages of starting your own business make doing so an excellent way of controlling your destiny.

Starting a business requires you to complete a number of steps and make some key decisions. Though part of your overall plan, youll need to decide on a business structure, and obtain the necessary licenses and permits. In addition, determining which financing options will meet your short-term needs and long-term goals is crucial.

One of the keys to a successful business startup is having a business plan that provides a roadmap for your enterprise.

There are many different formats for business plans, and you will have to play around with structure and layout to find the perfect look for your company. However, when you are starting a new business, there are certain aspects that you absolutely should include in your plan, no matter what format you ultimately use. By remembering to include these things in your plan you can show stakeholders that you have thought out your business, since you answer all of their questions before they can ask them.

First, answer 'What business are you in?' by describing your business. What is the market need that you are addressing? Will there still be a need for this service or product in five years, or will your company evolve to change with the needs of the consumer? Also remember that 'what' includes a mission statement. What are your goals for the company and for yourself within the company? The most important of the 'what' questions deals directly with potential investors-what are your start-up costs and projected earnings over periods of time?

************************************

Did you know?

In starting a small business you should never think you can do it alone! One of the best ways to increase your chances for success is to find and work with a mentor, someone with business experience who can guide and assist you.

A good resource are the Small Business Development Centers run by the US Small Business Administration which can link you to organizations to help your small business grow and prosper.

************************************

Next, clearly identify your customer. Answer the question 'Who?' by noting what groups of people you will target with advertising and what groups are most likely to buy your product. Also be sure to address other 'who' issues. Who are your investors? Who will run the company? Who will be the employees? Who is your competition? Answers to all these questions indicate that you have a clear understanding of your business operations.

Talk about 'why' questions as well, although these may be more indirectly implied within the business plan. Why is there a need for your product or service? When talking about competition, explain why your product or service is superior or why yours targets a different demographic. Stakeholders will be asking 'Why should I be involved in this enterprise?' so be sure to answer that question with as many positive details as possible.

Lastly, and most importantly, answer 'How?' with great detail. Youve said what you wanted to do, who your customers would be, and why the business would be an asset to the community, but this means nothing if you dont have a straightforward plan as to how you will go about doing this.

Again, try to answer questions before they arise. Assuredly, your potential stakeholders will still think of questions that you have not addressed, so be sure to know your plan, the business, and the market before you attempt to present your plan. Remember, lay the groundword and always be positive. If your plan is solid and youve answered the previous four questions, you are well on your way to positive reactions to your business idea.

Remember, that one of the keys to success in any endeavor is have the proper attitude and expecting success. Make sure that your business plan exemplifies this positive approach. Constantly visualize what your operation will look like when its up and running and how you will feel at that point. Never waver from your pursuit.


Michael Saunders has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He edits sites on Starting a Small Business and Articles on Small Business Management.

In the Workplace, 'Swim or Sink' Isn't the best Measure of Competence

By Aldene Fredenburg

If 'The Apprentice' and other work-based TV reality shows are to be believed, the most aggressive, self-confident workers are the ones most likely to succeed. That attitude accurately reflects the beliefs of many employers. Employees who can survive the 'swim or sink' approach to job training are valued over employees who are more cautious.

Unfortunately, the charge-ahead, jump-in-with-both-feet employees are not necessarily the best workers long-term. An employee who needs more extended training and more hand-holding may ultimately prove to have the depth, perseverance, and organized work habits that will let him or her succeed over time, while the aggressive, take charge types may lack the foresight, planning ability, and judgment required to excel in their jobs.

I once worked for an employer who believed firmly in the 'swim or sink' concept of on-the-job training, and hired people who could jump in and pick up skills fast. Unfortunately, these same employees often had other, negative work habits, and many ended up producing careless, sloppy work that needed many revisions before going out to the companys clients. A lot of time was wasted by these supposedly 'speedy' employees, and the employer suffered a high turnover rate, which led to a vicious cycle--hiring the much vaunted 'swim or sink' employees, seeing the quality of work go down, getting into trouble with the clients, firing these less than competent workers, and then hiring more of the same type of employees, while turning down people who seemed to need more detailed training.

Of course, some 'swim or sink' employees turn out to be great workers; but an employer who narrows his or her vision to a small percentage of the potential workforce to avoid the expense of formal training is really risking the companys reputation. Hiring a range of employees with a variety of approaches to learning and performing the work, and making sure all these employees receive the training they need to succeed, will benefit the company much more over time.

Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire. She has written numerous articles for local and regional newspapers and for a number of Internet websites, including Tips and Topics.