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Plan for zero

By Becky McCray

  There will be times in business when your income is zero. You might as well plan for that right now. For farmers, a wheat crop might be entirely hailed out, and they may lose the entire year’s income. They have to plan for that or it’s going to put them out of business. The […]

July 27, 2015 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, planning, rural, survivors

Think Process, Not Product, When Doing Small-business Planning

By Glenn Muske

Is 2015 the year you want to start your small business?  If so, have you sat down to develop your business plan yet?  Check out most how-to business guides and you will find a section on writing a business plan. Yet ask business owners and you often hear that they did a plan only because […]

April 9, 2015 Filed Under: planning, rural, Small Biz 100 Tagged With: business plan, change, plan, planning, strategic plan, success

Your weekly appointment with your business

By Becky McCray

"Do not disturb please" sign. Photo by Becky McCray.

Today, you have unprecedented support available to help you build and improve your business and to survive any economic conditions. No matter how small a town or isolated an area you live in, internet access connects you to astounding resources. You can read advice from experts, including those in your own field. You can connect […]

February 23, 2015 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, management, planning, rural, success Tagged With: building a business, business success, continuous improvement, distance learning, effective management, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, good management practices, improvement, learning, management, small business, small business success, success

How to cut down on the nasty surprises in business

By Becky McCray

The Inuit Year includes hunting and gathering seasons year round.

  I hate surprises in my liquor store business. “Oh, no! We’re almost out of sacks!” “We need to come up with money to cover the insurance payment!” “Why didn’t you remember to order the Oktoberfest last month?!” No one likes surprises like that, so I started using a perpetual calendar. Hanging above the current […]

January 12, 2015 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, planning, rural

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