| Foreword: Deborah Moore, C.B.I., Sunbelt Business Advisors Network |
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| Preface |
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| CHAPTER ONE Business Mind-Set: Your Key to Success |
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1 | (10) |
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2 | (1) |
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Women's Attitudes toward Money |
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3 | (1) |
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Being Realistic about Risk |
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4 | (1) |
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Career Ambition versus Life Ambition |
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5 | (2) |
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rnvision Your Future—Find a Female Role Model |
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7 | (4) |
| CHAPTER TWO Business Career Planning: A New Way to Work Smart |
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11 | (16) |
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Career Planning—Then and Now |
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12 | (1) |
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13 | (4) |
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SMART WOMAN PROFILE: FINDING OUT WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE |
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15 | (2) |
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Redefine What a Great Career Means |
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17 | (2) |
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Small Business Definitions |
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19 | (1) |
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Reasons to Love the Small Business World |
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20 | (3) |
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AUTHOR INSIGHT: TAKE A CONSULTING GIG TO FIGURE OUT IF SMALL BIZ IS FOR YOU |
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21 | (2) |
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23 | (1) |
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What You Have Going for You |
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24 | (3) |
| CHAPTER THREE Why Start from Scratch If Someone's Done It for You? |
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27 | (20) |
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Statistical Food for Thought |
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28 | (1) |
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Downsides to Starting from Scratch |
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29 | (2) |
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Review Your Goals and Compare Starting to Buying |
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31 | (1) |
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Not Invented Here—How Will This Make You Feel? |
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32 | (4) |
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AUTHOR INSIGHT: ARE YOU AN IDEA WOMAN OR A BUSINESSWOMAN? |
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34 | (2) |
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36 | (1) |
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Great Concept, But Can I Afford to Do It? |
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37 | (2) |
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Valuing Businesses for Sale |
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39 | (3) |
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BUSINESS BUYER PROFILE: REALITY CHECK-CAN I SWING THIS FINANCIALLY? |
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40 | (2) |
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Why Small Businesses Are for Sale |
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42 | (2) |
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Considerations When Beginning Your Search |
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44 | (1) |
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Talk to Other Women Who Have Done It |
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45 | (2) |
| CHAPTER FOUR Finding the Right Business for You |
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47 | (30) |
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BUSINESS BUYER PROFILE: FIRM CRITERIA PLUS RESEARCH LEAD TO THE PURCHASE OF A STAFFING COMPANY |
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49 | (2) |
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Which Business Type Suits You? |
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51 | (8) |
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59 | (3) |
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Working with Business Brokers |
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62 | (2) |
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BUSINESS BROKER INSIGHTS: A PROMINENT FEMALE BROKER SHARES HER TIPS |
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63 | (1) |
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Sample Ads for Businesses on the Block |
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64 | (2) |
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Evaluating the Industry and the Target Company's Niche |
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66 | (2) |
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The Process of Shopping for a Company |
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68 | (6) |
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Hmm...This Still Doesn't Feel Right |
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74 | (3) |
| CHAPTER FIVE Franchises and Direct Selling Companies |
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77 | (32) |
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78 | (4) |
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82 | (2) |
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Risk Profiles of Franchisees and Franchisors |
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84 | (4) |
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FRANCHISEE PROFILES: "NOT INTERESTED"-STORIES OF WOMEN WHO CHANGED THEIR MINDS ABOUT FRANCHISING |
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86 | (2) |
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Researching Franchise Opportunities |
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88 | (5) |
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FRANCHISING SUCCESS STORY: CASH FLOW RELIEF, BULK DISCOUNTS, AND FLEXIBILITY |
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92 | (1) |
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Franchise Consultants, Brokers, and Referral Sites |
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93 | (2) |
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95 | (3) |
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Is Franchising Right for You? |
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98 | (1) |
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Direct Selling: Franchising's Poor Cousin |
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99 | (1) |
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Direct Selling Industry Resources |
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100 | (1) |
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Party Plan Sales Model Examples |
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101 | (4) |
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DIRECT SELLING BUSINESS PROFILE: DO WHAT YOU LOVE, AND GET OTHERS TO DO IT, TOO |
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103 | (2) |
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Trunk Shows: Highbrow Direct Sales |
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105 | (3) |
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Final Thoughts on Businesses in a Box |
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108 | (1) |
| CHAPTER SIX A Piece of the Pie—Working for, Consulting for, or Partnering with Existing Business Owners |
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109 | (18) |
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PROFILES OF JOBS IN SMALL BUSINESS: TEMPORARY PLACEMENI TURNS INTO 13-YEAR CAREER; A COOL SMALL COMPANY FINDS HUGE DEMAND FOR TEMPORARY POSITION |
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110 | (3) |
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Common Consulting Opportunities |
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113 | (4) |
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CONSULTANT PROFILE: SETTING UP A PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE TO CONSULT FOR SMALL ENTERPRISES |
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115 | (2) |
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Consulting as a Stepping-Stone to Business Ownership |
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117 | (3) |
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Buying a 50-50 or Minority Stake in a Business |
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120 | (7) |
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AUTHOR INSIGHT: JUMPING INTO A NEW ROLE AT AN EXISTING COMPANY |
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122 | (5) |
| CHAPTER SEVEN The Family Business Advantage (for the Lucky Few) |
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127 | (12) |
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128 | (2) |
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Transitions in Established Family Businesses |
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130 | (2) |
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Newly Established Family Businesses and Husband-Wife Teams |
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132 | (1) |
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Are Family Businesses More Family-Friendly? |
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133 | (1) |
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How to Evaluate Opportunities in Family Businesses |
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134 | (1) |
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Negotiate in a Professional, Ann's-Length Manner |
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135 | (1) |
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136 | (3) |
| CHAPTER EIGHT If You're Sure You Want to Start a Business |
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139 | (18) |
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When You Feel a Mandate to Start a Business |
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141 | (1) |
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Confirm That You Want to Work in the Business You Start |
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142 | (1) |
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Work Smarter, Not Harder: Narrow Your Range of Products or Services |
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143 | (3) |
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Reduce the Company's Dependence on Its Founder |
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146 | (3) |
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START-FROM-SCRATCH PROFILE: HADLEY POLLET, INC. AND ITS FOUNDER, HADLEY POLLET |
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147 | (2) |
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The Role of the Owner: Sales, Sales, and More Sales |
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149 | (2) |
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Professionalize with Off-the-Shelf Technology |
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151 | (2) |
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Seek Good Advice, Advisers, and Mentors |
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153 | (2) |
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STARE-FROM-SCRATCH PROFILE: SMART WOMEN PRODUCTS FIND A NICHE AND A MENTOR |
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154 | (1) |
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155 | (2) |
| CHAPTER NINE Smart Financing Strategies for Your Business |
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157 | (24) |
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Why and When to Seek Outside Funding |
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158 | (3) |
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161 | (1) |
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Credit Risk and Personal Guarantees |
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162 | (1) |
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163 | (4) |
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ENTREPRENEUR COMPARISON: THE BIG COMPANY VERSUS SMALL COMPANY APPROACH–TWO DIFFERENT RVIIIS ILLUSTRATE THE VALUE OF LEVERAGE |
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164 | (3) |
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Is Seller Financing in the Cards? |
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167 | (1) |
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Overview of the Bank Loan Process |
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168 | (4) |
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SBA Loans versus Regular Loans |
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172 | (1) |
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173 | (5) |
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BUSINESS BORROWER PROFILE: BUYING AND REVITALIZING SHELTER ISLAND GARDENS |
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176 | (2) |
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178 | (2) |
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Alternate Sources of Financing |
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180 | (1) |
| CHAPTER TEN You're Not Alone: Why Women Consider Business Partners |
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181 | (20) |
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Share the Burden, Share the Spoils |
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182 | (2) |
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Hope for the Best, Plan for the Worst |
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184 | (1) |
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Finding the Perfect Partner |
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185 | (4) |
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PARTNERSHIP MODELS: FOUR STORIES AND THEIR LESSONS LEARNED |
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186 | (3) |
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The Biggest Challenge: Interpersonal Relations |
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189 | (4) |
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AUTHOR INSIGHT: HOW A BUSINESS CRISIS CAN REVEAL THE FRAGILITY OF A PARTNERSHIP |
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191 | (2) |
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Essential Elements of a Successful Partnership |
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193 | (1) |
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Ownership, Control, and Governance |
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194 | (1) |
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Setting up a Board of Advisers |
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195 | (1) |
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Legal Documents: How Far Can They Take You? |
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196 | (3) |
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Formal Conflict Resolution |
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199 | (1) |
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Women's Natural Talent for Partnerships |
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200 | (1) |
| CHAPTER ELEVEN Don't Get Discouraged, Just Get Started! |
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201 | (6) |
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The Great American Labor Shift |
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203 | (1) |
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203 | (1) |
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204 | (3) |
| APPENDIX A Sample Business Plan—Revitalizing Shelter Island Gardens |
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207 | (10) |
| APPENDIX B Start-Up Business Plan Outline |
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217 | (4) |
| APPENDIX C Top 10 Reasons to Contact an Attorney When Starting a Business |
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221 | (2) |
| APPENDIX D Choosing a Legal Business Entity |
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223 | (4) |
| APPENDIX E Business Information Sheet |
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227 | (2) |
| APPENDIX F Sample Business Valuation—Main Street Florist |
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229 | (6) |
| APPENDIX C Sample Term Sheet for 100 Percent Asset Purchase of an Existing Business |
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235 | (6) |
| APPENDIX H Multiple Shareholder Legal Questionnaire |
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241 | (6) |
| APPENDIX I The Partnership Charter Process |
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247 | (10) |
| APPENDIX J Books Worth Reading |
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257 | (4) |
| Notes |
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261 | (8) |
| Acknowledgments |
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269 | (2) |
| Index |
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271 | (10) |
| About the Author |
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281 | |