A Roadmap To Get Your Business Going
 By Stephen A. Lanvil

For those of you just launching your small business—congratulations and welcome to the club!

Being a self-employed entrepreneur is exciting. It’s challenging. It’s rewarding. Unfortunately, it can also be a dicey way to make a living.

Businesses fail every day. And most failures can be traced directly to the owner of the business.

But many more businesses succeed. And like failures, successes rest on the shoulders on the owners.

You can increase your opportunities for success by following a few tried and true guidelines.

Weigh Your Risks
Successful entrepreneurs take risks. But those risks are calculated.

Always look at the pros and cons when evaluating whether to take a risk on a new product, new employee or new market. Weigh the consequences.

Only when the pros outweigh the cons should you take action.

Be Adaptable
Life changes. So does business. To succeed, you must learn to identify and adapt to the changes.

Watch constantly for changes in:

• The economy
• The market for your product and services
• The evolution of new products and services in your industry
• Marketing strategies, such as the emergence of social media
• Federal, state and local regulations that impact your business
• Tax rules that apply to your business
• Employment practices for small businesses

Don’t be afraid to try new ideas as you adapt.

Don’t Go It Alone
Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur working from a home office or a small-business owner with a handful of employees, you need support and advice to strengthen your company.

And you can find it through AFS. Here are four ways AFS can help.

1. Legal Club of America - Small Business Plan
As an AFS Member, you have access to a national network of attorneys in every field of law at either no cost or reduced rates.

For no additional charge, AFS Members enjoy these attorney-provided services:

• Quarterly review by a plan attorney of up to five independent documents (10 pages each)
• Two initial phone calls per month made on behalf of your business
• Initial collection letters per quarter (10 maximum)
• Consultation for each new legal matter (30-minutes each)

Plus, you’ll find more services available at discounted rates.

2. ADP EasyPay Payroll Service
ADP EasyPay was developed to provide cost-effective payroll services specifically for small and emerging businesses.

ADP can handle your payroll tax deposits and filings as well as your paychecks—all while saving you time and reducing your paperwork headaches.

AFS Members enjoy flexible reporting via fax, phone or online. And ADP offers discounted rates for AFS Members.

3. ProTax Online
As a member of AFS, you have online access to advice from certified public accountants who can answer all of your business tax questions at no additional charge.

Through the AFS website, the ProTax CPAs offer complete and confidential answers to your questions within two business days.

4. ProTalk
The professional small-business consultants at AFS ProTalk have the answers you need about:

• Startup marketing and social media
• How to pricing your services
• Tips for getting a business loan
• How to find and apply for federal contracts
• And much more

Just ask your questions through the AFS website and receive a confidential answer—at no additional cost to you.


(Posted October 2011)

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