| How to Write a Business Plan for Internet Business Posted: 20 Jan 2021 04:00 PM PST If you need additional investment or a loan from a bank to start your internet business, you've probably been told you need a business plan. But even if you're not planning something that sophisticated, a good business plan is more than just busywork. Writing your business plan requires you to really think about the direction of your business and how you want it to grow. If your business really takes off, your business plan provides you a blueprint to follow so you can keep pace.[1] [Edit]Drafting Your Plan - Create an executive summary that outlines your business. The first page of your business plan is a brief summary of the entire plan. Use this summary to really sell your business, especially if you're looking for investors or bank loans.[2]
- Even though the executive summary is the first part of your plan, you'll typically want to write it last. It's far easier to summarize your business plan once you've got the full draft in front of you.
- Include an executive summary even if you're starting a small business and don't plan on seeking any outside funding for it. Writing it helps you think constructively about your business and where you'd like to see it go.
- Provide details about the background and current status of your business. This is the part of your business plan where you tell the story of your business. If you have a compelling story about how you came up with the idea to start your business, or if there's something particularly interesting about the people involved, you might include that information here.[3]
- For example, if you started making hair barrettes for your daughter and her friends and want to start selling them on the internet, you might tell the story of how all the girls in your daughter's school wanted the barrettes.
- Include the nuts and bolts of your business as well, such as how you're organized (if you've incorporated or formed an LLC, for example) and where you're located.
- You might think location isn't important for an internet business, but it impacts the types of funding available for your business as well as the regulations that govern you and the taxes you'll have to pay.
- Describe the products or services you plan to offer. Use plain language to explain what products or services your internet business will offer to the public. Avoid technical or industry jargon as much as you can and define anything you can't avoid. Include basic information about the market you're entering and who your primary competitors will be.[4]
- For small shops with homemade items, look at similar shops on the internet and think about how your products are different from theirs (besides the fact that you made them).
- In business lingo, this is the section where you identify the problem your target customers have and how your products or services solve that problem. If others are offering similar solutions, describe how yours is better or different.[5]
- If you're researching ways to improve your products or services, provide details about that work and how much money it will cost.[6] For example, if you're making hair barrettes, you might be looking into waterproof materials or elastic that doesn't pull hair.
- Discuss how you plan to market your products or services. Your readers know what you have to offer—now, tell them how you plan to sell those products or services to the people who need them. Describe your target customer and explain how you plan to reach them and convince them to buy from you.[7]
- Your target customers are the people you think are going to buy your products or services—they might not necessarily be the people who ultimately use them. For example, if you're selling handmade hair barrettes for little girls, your target customers would likely be their parents, not the little girls themselves.
- For example, if you're planning on buying targeted advertising on social media, you might include examples of the ads you're going to run and the types of people who will see those ads.
- Explain the day-to-day operations of your business. In this section, you'll discuss how various tasks will be processed and who will complete them. If you have specific requirements for the location of your business, you'll cover those here.[8]
- If you're running your business out of your home, you might not need any additional requirements for your location. At the same time, if your business expands, you might want to move it out of your home, so take that into consideration.
- Include information about any shipping or delivery services you plan to use and the costs for those services.
- Provide information about deadlines and how you'll get your products or services to your customers in a timely fashion. For example, in a crafts-based business, you might outline how long it takes you to complete a custom order.
- Outline your management structure. Give a little background for each of the people who will be in charge of your business, including yourself. Highlight the particular expertise that each member of your management team brings to the table. If you're starting your business on your own, simply describe your own background and skills.[9]
- As long as you're not seeking any outside funding from banks or investors, you don't have to worry too much about having any particular business management experience. Just keep in mind that if you want to scale up at some point, you might want to work with a professional, such as an accountant.
- If you're planning to hire employees or management staff, set parameters for when new people will be added—perhaps when you reach a certain sales volume. Briefly describe your minimum requirements for new people in terms of their skills and qualifications.
- List startup expenses necessary to get your business off the ground. Even an internet business has startup costs, including any organizational costs and the money you've already spent to reserve a domain, build your website, and set up advertising accounts.[10] These expenses might include money you've already spent.
- Don't forget capital expenses—things you'll use to operate your business. For example, if you have to buy computers and software to get your business up and running, those would be considered capital expenses. Likewise, if you're going to be selling quilts, your sewing equipment would be a capital expense (even if you've already purchased it).
- If you're planning to launch your business on a specific date, detail the expenses required for the launch.
- Create financial projections to demonstrate how your business will succeed. This section is particularly important if you're seeking outside funding from investors or banks. Since you don't have a lot of background financial information for lenders to base their decisions on, they'll look at these projections instead. Use the knowledge you've gained from your research of the market to make realistic projections of how much money your business stands to make once it becomes established.[11]
- If you're not seeking outside funding, financial projections aren't as important for your business plan. At the same time, it might be a fun exercise to predict how your business might grow.
- Charts and graphs in this section help your reader visualize your financial plans. They're also quick to understand simply by glancing at them so investors or banks don't have to read a lot of dense content.
- If you're asking for funding, include a funding request in this section that outlines how much money you're looking to raise and what you'll use the money for.
[Edit]Creating Appendices - Include appendices primarily if you're seeking outside funding. The documents in the appendices are typically required for investors and lenders. However, if you're just creating your business plan for your own personal use, you don't really need to fuss over these as much.[12]
- If you're creating your business plan for yourself, it can be helpful to include documents that you might need to reference later, so you have them all in one place. For example, if you include bank account and tax ID documents as appendices to your business plan, you'll always know where to find them when you need them.
- Organize an appendix for each section of your plan. Structure your appendices so that they follow the same order as your business plan. If you end up not having any documents for a particular section of your plan, you can just take that section out.[13]
- Often, your appendices will be longer than the business plan itself. It's possible that each section of your business plan is only a page or two, while you have 5-10 pages of documents to supplement the section.
- Organizing your appendices by section allows your readers to quickly find the documents they want to look at.
- Provide copies of tax, licensing, and other business documents. These documents support the section of your business plan that talks about the background and current status of your business. These documents are typically required by any lender or investor, so it helps to include them as appendices to your business plan.[14]
- You might include logos and branding in this section as well, although you could also put those with your marketing materials. However, you should include documentation of any trademarks you've registered in this section.
- Include documentation for any other intellectual property your business owns or has applied for, such as patents, copyrights, or trademarks.[15]
- If you have a partnership or sole proprietorship, lenders might require personal tax documents or financial information as well.
- Print copies of research or analytics that back up your marketing decisions. Your business plan only includes the conclusions you reached as a result of your research, but your readers might want to better understand how you arrived at those conclusions.[16]
- You don't have to include print-outs of all of your marketing research here—just reports that directly impacted your conclusions or were specifically referenced in your business plan.
- Add diagrams and schematics related to business operations. These appendices might not be needed for an internet business. However, if you're a product-based business that needs warehouse space, you might include a floor plan that details how much space you need and how that space will be used.[17]
- If you're going to have several employees in an office, you might include a layout of the floor space so your readers understand how your office will be organized.
- Attach the résumés of key personnel in your business. These documents help supplement the section of your business plan that discusses your management structure and the key personnel in your business. Résumés are especially helpful if you're introducing new personnel for the first time and your reader isn't likely to be familiar with them or their background.[18]
- Providing a résumé also helps you keep the plan itself short and simple because you don't have to go into so much detail about the person's background—you can simply refer to their résumé in the appendix.
- Include copies of any company or product literature. If you already have mock-ups of advertising or brochures you're going to use to sell your products or services, include them here. This helps give your readers a sense of how you're going to reach your target audience.[19]
- Customer service materials you've created are also helpful here and will help your readers understand how you plan to maintain customers and build a relationship with them.
- Close your appendices with supplemental financial reports. The financial information in your business plan shows your reader an overview with the basic information they'll need to make a decision on your business. The reports in your appendix get more in-depth, showing how the reports in the plan were generated and what information went into preparing them.[20]
- If you or any of your partners have run successful internet businesses in the past, you might also include financial reports from those businesses to demonstrate your expertise.
[Edit]Polishing the Finished Product - Proofread for typos and grammatical errors. If you hand over a business plan that's riddled with typos, you can forget about the funding you're asking for. But even if you're just creating your business plan for internal use, it doesn't hurt to have a polished final product.[21]
- It can be helpful to have something else proofread your plan as well. They might catch an error that you would've missed because you know what it's supposed to say.
- Read your plan from your target reader's perspective. It helps if you set your plan aside for a day or two so you aren't as familiar with it. Then, try to put yourself in your prospective reader's shoes as you read. Take notes as you read so you can go back and clarify anything that doesn't make sense at first glance.[22]
- If you have friends or family members that are closer in perspective to your target reader, you might have them read it over as well. Their questions or issues can help you revise your plan.
- Spend additional time on your executive summary. Your executive summary is the most important part of your business plan if you need to present it to lenders or investors. Many of them will make up their mind based solely on what they read in the summary. Make sure this part of your plan is perfect and really sells your business and how successful it will be.[23]
- Use active language to make your executive summary really pop off the page and get your readers excited about your business. Allow your enthusiasm for your business to shine through.
- You might have friends or colleagues read just the executive summary. Ask them if they would invest in your business based solely on the information there. Then, use their questions and comments to tweak the executive summary further.
- Create a cover page and table of contents for your business plan. On the cover page, type the name of your business and contact details, including the business's address, phone number, and email. Most word-processing apps have a function that will create a table of contents for your sections based on the page numbers and section headings you've used—although this template might require some tweaking depending on how you formatted your business plan.[24]
- After you've created the table of contents, flip through the business plan and make sure the page numbers line up correctly. Expect your readers to use the table of contents to quickly access the sections they want to look at.
- If you're delivering your business plan digitally, make the page numbers in the table of contents links so that your readers only have to click the page number to move to that page in the document. Most word processing apps will format this for you—just check the options on the editing menu.
- Check for consistent formatting and correct page breaks. Look at the print preview of your final business plan and make sure all of your graphs and charts are formatted so they don't cut off between pages. Make sure any explanatory text is included on the same page as the graph or chart it explains, so your readers won't have to flip back and forth to make sense of the visual.[25]
- If you have to make any changes or add page breaks, go back and check your table of contents to make sure it still lines up correctly.
- Use the same font and page margins throughout your business plan. This is especially important if you worked on it in pieces or farmed some of the sections out to a partner or other business associate.
- Print your business plan and put it in a presentation cover. Even if you're delivering your business plan to potential investors or lenders digitally, it's still a good idea to have at least one formal print copy, plus another copy for internal use.[26]
- If you're giving a presentation to potential lenders or investors, create formal print copies for each person who will be in attendance—even if you submitted your plan digitally before the presentation.
- Don't skimp on printing! Using quality paper and a professional printer will help your business plan stand out from the rest. This is especially important if you're presenting the plan to banks or potential investors.
- While this article follows the traditional structure for a basic business plan, you might find that some sections don't really apply to your business. If a section doesn't make sense in the context of your business, feel free to leave it out.[27]
- Before you start your business plan, search the internet for sample business plans that you can look over. Your local small business association might also have sample plans and other resources.[28]
[Edit]References |
| How to Stop Getting Emails from LinkedIn Posted: 20 Jan 2021 08:00 AM PST This wikiHow will teach you how to stop getting emails from LinkedIn using a browser or the mobile app. When you create a LinkedIn account, you might be getting a lot of emails that you don't want. If clicking Unsubscribe at the bottom of the email does not work for you, then continue to your account settings to change the notifications. [Edit]Using the Mobile App - Open LinkedIn. This app icon features white text that says "in" on a blue background that you'll find on one of your Home screens, in the app drawer, or by searching.
- This works for both Android and iOS phones or tablets.
- Tap your profile picture. This is above Stories in the top left corner of your screen.
- Tap . You'll see this at the top of the menu.
- Tap . It's in the middle of the menu.
- Tap . This is under the header, "How you get your notifications."
- Turn all the notifications off. Tap each category, like Safety and Reporting and Conversations then tap the switches off if you want to turn off those email notifications.
- Tap the back arrow when you're done, then repeat this step to turn off notifications for all the categories you want.[1]
[Edit]Using a Browser - Go to https://www.linkedin.com/feed/ and log in. You can use any web browser to access your account settings and change your notifications.
- Click your profile picture. It's in the top right corner of the page next to "Me."
- Click . You'll see it under the "Account" header.
- Click the tab. It's in the vertical menu on the left side of your screen next to Data Privacy and Visibility.
- Click . You'll see it under the "How you get your notifications" header.
- Turn all the notifications off. Click each category, like Safety and Reporting and Conversations then click the switches off if you want to turn off those email notifications.
- Click Back to Email when you're done, then repeat this step to turn off notifications for all the categories you want.
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Get Even Brows Posted: 20 Jan 2021 12:00 AM PST Eyebrows, eyebrows—it seems like they're everywhere and always on point. If you struggle with shaping your brows and getting them to look wonderfully even, there are a few helpful tips that can up your brow game and get them Instagram-ready. Grab an eyebrow pencil and a mirror—even brows are just a few minutes away! [Edit]Mapping and Shaping - Mark the tail end of your brows on each side. To make this easy, grab a brow pencil (or eyeliner, or lip liner—you get the idea). Line it up diagonally between your left nostril and the outer corner of your eye—where the pencil hits your brow bone is where the tail should end. Repeat on the righthand side; just move the pencil over to your right nostril. Make a mark with your pencil at this point on either side.[1]
- Using your face's natural symmetry to shape your brows makes them beautifully even and proportional.
- If you'd rather not deal with shaping your brows freehand, check out eyebrow stencils. They're a smart way to experiment with different shapes and styles, and following a pre-made outline guarantees your brows will come out evenly every time.[2]
- Measure the distance between your brows to make sure they're even. Grab that brow pencil and hold it vertically over the center of your nose. Take a close look at how far your brow on either side is from the pencil and make a mark where each of them should start.[3]
- A good rule of thumb is to look at where the inner corner of your eye hits and make your eyebrow start at that same point on your brow bone. Though, some people prefer their brows to begin further in toward the bridge of their nose. Test out the different options to see which you like best!
- Because our faces aren't perfectly symmetrical, one brow might be a little further away from the brow pencil than the other one.
- Pencil in your arches at the same point on each side of your face. Take the brow pencil and line it up with the tip of your nose. Make a diagonal line so it goes across the center of your eye, all the way to your brow bone. Where the pencil hits is where your natural arch should go. Make a mark at this point on both sides.[4]
- This tip helps you get those arches in the same spot on each side, thus creating more even brows.
- If you find your arches look unnaturally high once you fill in your brows, you can remedy this by extending the ends out just a little further. This'll save you time from having to completely redo your brows.[5]
- Trim overlong hairs with a pair of brow scissors. Take a spoolie brush (a small comb for your eyebrows—find one at your local beauty store), and push your brow hairs straight up. Carefully trim any hairs that extend past your brow line.[6]
- If your eyebrows tend to the shorter side, feel free to skip this step!
- Pluck stray hairs that are outside of your shaped brow line. Now that you've marked the shape of your brows, you're ready to pluck. Leave anything inside the shaping alone, and instead, look for hairs creeping below, above, or to the sides. Getting these hairs out of the way makes your brows look neater.[7]
- To make this process as pain-free as possible, pluck your eyebrows after a hot shower. Your hair will be softer and easier to tweeze.
- While magnifying glasses seem like a great idea, they can lead to over-plucking. Put them to the side and use your regular bathroom or bedroom mirror to spot those stray hairs.
- If possible, do your eyebrows in natural light. If that isn't an option, avoid dimly-lit rooms and make sure to turn on any overhead lights.
[Edit]Filling and Finishing - Choose a product a shade darker than your natural brow color. Whether you use an eyebrow pencil, cream, pomade, or wax, picking the right color makes the difference between brows that wow and brows that are lackluster. Using a shade that is darker than your natural brow color gives your eyebrows more definition and makes them pop.[8]
- It's possible your brows might end up several shades darker than the hair on your head. For example, it's common for people with blonde hair to have dark brown eyebrows.
- Use short, flicking motions to fill in your brows. Long, heavy strokes make your brows look overly dark and clunky. For even brows that look natural, practice using a light hand to replicate strands of eyebrow hairs.[9]
- This rule goes for any application method, like wands, brushes, and pencils.
- If you're new to shaping your eyebrows, this process might feel a little foreign, but that's okay! With practice, you'll get the steps down and learn to shape your brows with just a few minutes.
- If you over-apply and fear your brows have gone from full to fake-looking, don't worry! Use a spoolie brush or cotton swab to diffuse and soften the product. Use light, short motions to avoid smearing the makeup around your brows.[10]
- Go with the grain as you fill in your eyebrows. Meaning, follow your eyebrow's natural growth pattern. If it helps, take a close look at your eyebrows and pay attention to how the hair is growing. Generally, you'll notice an upwards and diagonal pattern. Mimic that pattern to fill in your brows so they look realistic.[11]
- Do your best to stay inside the eyebrow map you made earlier.
- If you find your pencil or brush pushing your eyebrows askew, you're probably not going with the grain.
- Smooth and blend your brows by going over them with a spoolie brush. Think of the spoolie brush as your finishing tool. Brush with the grain of your hair, and gently go over your brows until they look softer and there are no more discernible lines from the shaping process.[12]
- Keep a spoolie brush with you while you're out and about. It can come in handy to brush brows back into shape and give them a quick refresh during the day.
- If you don't have a spoolie brush, use a cotton swab.[13]
- Swipe a lightweight gel over your brows to hold hairs in place. These gels come in bottles with wand applicators, making them super simple to apply. Use clear gel or colored, just depending on your preference. If you use colored gel, match it to the color of your eyebrow pencil. Make sure to let the gel dry before getting dressed or doing anything that might smudge it.[14]
- You can find eyebrow gel at your local drug store.
[Edit]Products to Try - Opt for a classic eyebrow pencil for natural, soft-looking brows. The fine tip of the pencil gives you optimal control over shaping, and you can layer as much product as you want to get the right depth of color.[15]
- Make sure you have a pencil sharpener handy if you don't get the twist-up variety!
- If you have a lot of space to fill in, look for a fork-tip pencil. It'll help you cover more surface area quicker.[16]
- Use a brow marker if you live in a more humid climate. This kind of product is great in warmer areas because it stays in place better than some other products. Use a light tough to replicate the look of natural hairs.[17]
- Some products, like pencils or pomade, might smear or smudge in high humidity.
- Fill in sparse spots with brow powder for a fuller finish. Brow powder can give you a softer, more natural look than using a pencil.[18] Brow powder is an excellent option if your brows tend to be on the thinner side and you need something to cover the skin beneath them. Use an angled brush and short strokes to apply the powder to your brows.[19]
- When picking the color for your brow products, go a shade darker than the hair on your head.[20]
- Try using a tapered brush to draw a line with the matte powder just under your natural brow line. Then, use the brush to blend the powder up into your eyebrows.[21]
- Choose brow pomade for bold, defined brows. Grab an angled brush and a pomade that's a single shade darker than your natural brow color. Use short, light strokes to apply the pomade.[22]
- Pomade is a nice option to create a defined look when you don't want to wear much makeup.
- Tame wilder brows with clear wax to keep the shape perfectly even. Pick up a specialty brow wax pencil and use it to line the bottom of your eyebrows. For extra staying power, use it along the tops of your brows, too.[23]
- Wax is an excellent product for those who want super even brows but don't want to sacrifice on length.
- Most waxes are clear, so you'll want to use a separate product to fill in sparse areas first.
[Edit]Professional Options - Have your eyebrows threaded and shaped so all you do is fill them in. Having someone else shape your brows for you is luxurious and removes some of the guesswork when shaping them. Make sure to visit someone experienced at threading for the best results.[24]
- Most people need to revisit and have threading done every 2-3 weeks.[25]
- Threading is a great option if you have sensitive skin. It won't irritate you nearly as much as waxing would![26]
- Schedule a waxing appointment to add definition to your brows. You can also do this at home yourself, but if you're a newbie, it might be safer to have a professional do it for you the first time—it's easy to get wax where you don't want it accidentally! This option is best for people with thick, heavy brows who need to have a significant amount of hair removed.[27]
- 5 days before a wax, stop using any retinol or acne products. They tend to make your skin super-sensitive and make it more likely that your skin will react to the waxing.[28]
- Most people need to get their eyebrows waxed every 3-4 weeks.
- Get your brows microbladed for semi-permanent shaping. This process can be expensive and doesn't last forever, so you'll have to get it redone every 12-36 months, but it's a fantastic option for people who want super even brows and don't want to worry about the upkeep.[29]
- Make sure to do your research and book an appointment with an experienced and well-reviewed professional!
- If you use a brush to apply your eyebrow makeup, choose one that is thin and angled. This style makes it a lot easier to draw thin, realistic-looking hairs to fill in your brows.[30]
- When using product, start with a light hand. You can always add more if needed for definition and shape, but it's harder to take it away if you used too much.[31]
- We know you want even brows, but keep in mind that there might be a little variation, no matter what you do! Because our faces aren't exactly symmetrical, brows tend to look slightly different from side to side. If it helps, think of them as sisters instead of twins![32]
- Make your brows look more defined by using a white or salmon pencil to draw just along your lower brow line. Then, blend that highlighter down.[33]
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Brow scissors (optional)
- Spoolie brush
- Eyebrow pencil
- Other eyebrow products (optional)
[Edit]References |
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