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How to Work Less Hours

It can feel like a distant, unachievable dream. But it is a real possibility for those who are determined to find a way.

Maybe you want to have more time to do things with the kids, protect family life, improve quality of life and just live life more.

But how do you go about reducing the hours you work when it seems that the demands of the business won’t allow it?

The first step to reverse this situation is to stop blaming the business.

The business operates the way it was set up. So with the risk of over simplifying the task, it is a matter of setting the business up to operate a different way and for you as the business owner to operate differently.

It isn’t about working hard, it’s about working smart.

Now, I am not suggesting you wake up tomorrow and decide you are working 50% less hours and just do it and to hell with the consequences.

What I am suggesting is that if managed correctly, reducing working hours is possible.

Here are some points that will influence how many hours you work:

1. Get clear on what you really want. Exactly how many hours a week and weeks per year would you ideally like to work? (Forget, “should” “must” and “ought to” – what is your ideal?).

2. How much revenue would you need to bring in each week if you only worked your ideal number of weeks?

3. Review your business model and revenue streams. Once you have the answers to question 1 and 2 brainstorm what changes you can make that will allow you to generate revenue more effectively to meet your ideal working hours. Get creative.

4. Increase your personal effectiveness. This factor is a significant contributor in reducing working hours so you can’t afford to ignore this area. Look for ways to upgrade the areas that directly impact your personal effectiveness.

5. Review your business processes and procedures. I know this subject bores the pants off many people, but like point 4, it is one of the keys to your ability to reduce your working hours. Look for ways to automate, outsource, simplify and improve the way your business operates.

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Capital Needs and Businesses

When you’re looking for investors, the best place to start is on the Internet especially when you are seeking individuals for business financing. Hard money may be an alternative for you as it relates to raising money from outside funding sources instead of angel investors. You can create a table at showcases all of the available assets that can be used as a security for the investors that you are seeking, which is extremely important when you are seeking private financing. Properly prepared financial statements are imperative to showcase to private funding sources. A great benefit of having a business plan is its ability to communicate to best articulate a business opportunity to others as it relates to outside funding.

Smaller business investors typically like to invest in local businesses that they can visit on a regular basis. Venture capital firms tend to invest in companies that are located within 100 miles of their location although this not always the case. If you are not successful in running the business on a day-to-day basis then an investor may be able to take control of the business from the very quickly due to clauses regarding your investment agreement. If you do find a private funding source that is willing to provide you with capital for your struggling business then you can expect that you will give up a significant amount of equity as it relates to your business venture.

Never give up too much equity in your business to a third party as it relates to angel investors or other private investors. In some instances, you may be able to sell preferred shares of your company is going to give up a controlling interest in your business, which is an option that you may want to consider as it relates to raising capital for your business. In many instances, entrepreneurs are seeking capital because they want to be able to expand their business interests or develop a new product line.

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Entrepreneurs and Angel Investors

It is inadvisable for an entrepreneur to wait for the launch of a new business to become knowledgeable in that field. Assure potential investors your business will yield a profit by having realistic financial projections. Business plans can be a tool for management to measure and monitor performance. No matter how ideal an opportunity might be, a business must developed by someone with strong entrepreneurial and management skills. It is extremely important that knowing that your products or services are in demand, who your customers will be, as well as industry trends will help you in becoming successful.

Forward looking financial statements are imperative to showcase to your angel investors. As such, many entrepreneurs turn to angel investors in order to receive the money they needed were to launch their business operations. Angel investors are an excellent source of funding for small businesses if you do not normally qualify for traditional funding.. Generally, these private funding sources want their investment to be no more than 50 miles from their primary residence as they are going to want to check in on their investment form time to time.

In limited instances, these private investors will syndicate their investment with other funding sources if the investment is large but not large enough for a venture capital firm that can provide your small business with the capital it needs to start or grow. The process of creating a business plan raises a critical question that helps the entrepreneur develop their original vision. A detailed table of contents makes your business plan as easy to read as possible. On a side note, we strongly recommend that you have an attorney draft a confidentiality agreement for you and your business so that you can ensure that any sensitive information that you are sending to a potential investor will be protected from a private funding source taking your idea and creating a business on their own.

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Differences Between Types of Capital

There are number of differences between working with angel investors versus working with venture capital firms as it relates to the capital that you need for your business. There are significant risks when you undertake a SBA loan as you will need to provide a personal guarantee for the debt funding if you decide not to use equity financing for your business. Hard money may be an alternative for you as it relates to raising money from outside funding sources for substantial tangible asset purchases.

You should first determine whether or not your business is considered to a small business as per the definitions outlined by the Small Business Industry. A business in the service and retailing industry would be considered small provided its annual sales do not exceed $6 – $24.5 million, depending on the specific industry.

Angel investors love to work with businesses that are already profitable as the risks are substantially less than a start up business. Outside investment can aggressively and rapidly deliver growth in your business if you need capital in order to increase your inventory, working capital, or marketing. It should be noted that you need to treat entrepreneurship as if it were a profession. A successful business must be able to offer an improved product or service at a better value than is currently available in order to remain profitable and cash flow positive.

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