Web business development is at the top of the list of things to get right with your business and even today it amazes how many businesses still operate without a website or with one that does not work.

The balance to get right with any website is the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and the design of the site so that it looks pleasing to the eye.

So to optimize your website for search terms for your business you need to incorporate those words on your pages, in the title and in the description. Web Business Development is an ongoing process – so even if you have optimized once you will need to keep working on your site. One important side to website development is link building as this is one aspect of SEO that all search engines take account of.

Using blogs to build links is one good method as this can build ‘link-power’ if the links are ‘follow’ links, but even if they are not then you will help to build your Alexa rank by having people visiting your site from as many places as possible.

A web business directory is a great way of getting your business name out into the Internet.

By registering with a web business directory you will have a better chance of getting your business found on the internet.

One such directory is the Free Index – which allows for you to describe your business and provides for your main contact details, including telephone number, address and your website link.

Having your business phone numbers listed in as many places as possible is always a good thing – these are like free business listings and all it takes is a little bit of time and effort to complete the online forms.

So whether you have a new business or an existing business that you would like to list for free then try searching for free business listings or web business directory.

The power of the subconscious mind is quite incredible and how this can affect how you do in business is worth taking note of and thinking about very carefully!

Having seen a clip on GMTV about weight loss and how over weight people can be hypnotised into thinking that they have had gastric band surgery, I then realised just how powerful the human brain is and how the subconscious is very much in control of everything we do!

I ended up reading a website about the Hypno Band Weight Loss System where you will be able to watch a clip from the GMTV program and you too might be equally amazed!

So if this same phenomenon were to be applied to our brains and the subconscious in how we think about business and wealth then imagine Anything is Possible!

To do this, we need to be able to tap into the subconscious part of the brain and the easiest way is to be hypnotised, but not the only way. You can also use NLP techniques or you can use the power of the positive and change the way in which you allow your thoughts to control the way you behave and feel.

If you were to pay attention to the thoughts you have each day and change any negative ones into positive thoughts, you’d be amazed at what a difference this would make to how you feel about yourself and in how you begin to become more and more successful.

Imagine the wealth that your brain power could conjure up!

If you are selling your business as a going concern you are selling the business as an on-going trading activity.

If you are selling your business as a going concern rather than selling the individual assets of that business, you will need to be able to demonstrate to potential buyers that they will be able to walk into your business and take over without any major problems from day-one.

In accounting terms, “going concern” refers to a company’s ability to continue functioning as a business entity into the foreseeable future. If a company is not considered a going concern then it is required to disclose this fact in its financial statements or if there are any factors that may put the company’s status as a going concern in doubt.

So a buyer of a business will be extremely interested in the “Going Concern Value” aspect of the business, which is usually higher than the individual assets of the business, so long as the business is profitable and has good cash flow.

As a small business owner you might ask the question “Why should I sell my business through an agency?”.

You could easily sell your small business privately but in doing so you will be responsible for every aspect of the sale, including the valuation of your business, the marketing of your business, arranging the viewings and the final price negotiations.

The obvious saving you make by selling your business privately is you will not have any agency fees to pay and you don’t have to sign a contract giving anyone exclusive rights to sell your business.

However if you use a business transfer agent they will be able to advise you of the value of your business having regard to its size, profitability, its location, the industry in which it operates and any other factors they consider relevant.

Business transfer agents usually have business buyers already on their books actively looking to buy, so they will be able to immediately present your business to these active business buyers. Whether your business is sold to a registered buyer or a new buyer the agent will negotiate the sale of your business on your behalf and in some cases (depending on the business broker) they will attend the viewings.

Napoleon Hill talks about the wisdom the billionaire Andrew Carnegie shared with him some hundred years ago.

Napoleon Hill talks about his meeting with Andrew Carnegie

It is worth listening to this video and making notes about how to think yourself into a better and richer life,or as Napoleon Hill put it – ‘Think and Grow Rich’!

Owning your own business is a dream for many people and a dream that can come true if you take action.

The reasons for wanting to own your own business are many, but top of the list of reasons is usually a financial one or the desire to pursue a life long dream of being your own boss!

There is no doubt that owning your own business can be extremely rewarding and whilst a job does have its rewards, there is no ‘Value’ in a job. Let me explain – You could work for a company for any number of years and at the end of the day when you leave, you are left with nothing, except for knowledge and experience. However, if you have your own business then at the end of the day you have an asset to sell along with the knowledge and experience.

It is important that when you set about starting your own business you plan it and have in mind the concept of building value. There are thousands of businesses in the world with business owners that end up owning a job, rather than owning a business. Let me explain this by way of an example – The typical plumber or electrician set up in business and instead of thinking ‘Business’ they end up doing the all the work themselves, so they do the plumbing work for their customers, they do the quotes, they raise the invoices, they chase the debts and pretty much do everything else. A business of this nature will have a value and there are people that would buy this type of business, but only by someone else with the right trade qualifications.

Now compare this to a business whereby it employs people to do the work of the business, it has office staff to deal with invoicing and debt collection, staff to deal with customer services, a business with a management team in place and so on – a business of this nature has true value and is a more attractive proposition to many potential business owners.

The image in this article is a ‘Business in a Box’ and if I were to sell a business in a box, as it were, I would include a business plan template of how to set about building a business of value and not one where you move from having a job to owning a job!

Business Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis or SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture.

A business can use a SWOT analysis for the business as a whole of an individual venture and by using a SWOT analysis helps a business to focus on that project in such a way that highlights both sides and not just the upside.

This technique was originally developed by Stanford University by taking data from Fortune 500 companies and accredited to Albert Humphrey.

The analysis is designed to identify both internal and external factors that affect your business or the venture and is an extremely powerful planning tool.

For a SWOT analysis template tool in PDF format for you to use for your business. A SWOT analysis can be used for setting up a business, buying a business, starting a new project, launching a new product or service and many more reasons. They are a relatively simple thing to complete and work by getting you to think carefully about all sides of the project, both favourable and unfavourable, at hand.

When you consider the analysis keep in mind the following:

Strengths: The attributes of the person or company that are helpful to achieving the objectives of the venture.
Weaknesses: The attributes of the person or company that are potentially harmful to achieving the objectives of the project.
Opportunities: Any external conditions that would be helpful to achieve the objectives of the venture.
Threats: All the identified external conditions which could be damaging to the objectives of the project.

Free sample SWOT analysis tool (pdf format)

There are many business performance management software products out there and each working in a different way, so depending upon what you are looking to do will depend upon which software product you buy.

If you are looking for business performance in terms of identifying your key performance indicators and your key profit drivers then Bowraven’s Increase Profit Software is the ideal product for your business.

As with having a business plan, having accurate and appropriate business intelligence is critical in the attainment of both the short- and long-term goals of a business.

Having a piece of software that helps to make you focus on data about customers, how much they spend, how many customers you gain each year and how many you lose. How often do your customers return to your business, for example is another crucial statistic to give an enterprise the ability to make the best decisions to ensure their present and future success – to make sure the profits are maximised.

Business performance management software that is designed to increase your businesses performance and one of the key steps down the business development process.

Small business software is an essential tool for any business and we have two examples of excellent software designed for good business management.

Business management software would include forecasting software and business software designed to improve profits together with having a good business plan, which does not necessarily have to be produced using software.

Forecasting software

Cash Forecaster is great easy to use small business software designed for cash flow and profit planning. If your small business needs a quick projection for the next 12 months then you could purchase the Basic Version.

However, if you are looking for some longer-term financial projections then other versions will forecast for three, five and seven years forward.

It is important to have an excellent tool to project those cash flow highs and lows that running a small business has.

Many small business owners think to use forecasting software only at a time when they are looking to raise finance or to borrow from a bank, but this is not the case. All small businesses should have a business plan with a detailed cash flow forecast attached.

Profit improvement software

Another element of running a successful business is to manage the profits and to work on ways to increase those profits. Understanding the business Key Performance Indicators and the 7 ways to grow the business is half of the journey to having a truly successful and profitable business.

Understanding how to increase business profits aligned to projecting profit and cash flows of your business will be like having a Satnav (GPS) to direct your journey to a chosen destination.

This might sound a little abstract, but if you understand the importance of using an efficient tool for your car journeys, i.e. a Satnav (GPS), so that you do not waste time getting lost on the way, save fuel and arrive on time, then you will understand how important it is also to have the rights small business management software too. By having the right small business software, your business will not get lost on the way, save money and arrive on time at your chosen profitability level!