Passion * Curiosity * Work Ethic * Energy * Flexibility * Balance * Mental Toughness * Egotism * Greed * Building Trust * Integrity * Creativity * Communications Skills * Salesmanship * Decision Making

Company Snapshot * Cash Flow * Product Cost Analysis * Break-even Analysis * Other Analyses

Thinking About Risk * Mitigating Risk * Staging Risk * Converting Fixed to Variable Costs * Getting Outside Advice: Mentors, SCORE, Incubators

Three Kinds of Ideas * Testing Ideas

Starting Your Own Company Versus Buying an Existing One * Franchising * Direct Selling * Best Company Structure * The Business Plan * The Mission Statement * Getting the Money: Savings, Friends, Family, Banks, Leasing, Credit Cards, Factors, Venture Capitalists, Angels, SBA, Barter, Suppliers, Strategic Alliances * Getting the Right People * Locating Your Business * Insurance * Minorities

Planning * Culture * Managing Suppliers * Managing Professionals * Gaining Credibility: Publicity, Trade on Someone Else's Good Name * Licensing

Profits * Product Ideas * Product Construction * Packaging * Pricing * Product Extensions * Product Knock-offs * Barriers to Entry * Product Testing * Product Timing * Products Introduction * Close-outs

Who Should Sell * Preparing for the Sale * Defining a Sale * Effective Selling Techniques * Why the Buyer Buys * Using Sales Representatives * Selling Without a Field-Based Sales Force: Direct Response, Advertising Internet, Trade Shows

Getting Sell-Through * Word of Mouth * Advertising: Co-op Ads, Multiple Retail Listing Ads, Statement Inserts, Per Inquiry Ads, PR, Demos * Sales Training * Packaging * Events and Promotion * The Offer * Keeping the Customer Satisfied: Quality, Instructions, Service * Managing Your Inventory * Controlling Knock-offs

Defining Success * Five Options: Keeping Company As Is or Shrinking It, Growing the Company, Going Public, Selling the Company, Closing the Company * The Checklist