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SWAM Sources
Cash Flow
- The Ins and Outs of Cash Flow Statements - Understanding your cash flow statement is key to tracking your business’s financial health.
[source: Entrepreneur.com] - Improving Your Cash Flow - Making these small adjustments can help expand your cash flow.
[source: AllBusiness.com] - How to Keep Cash Flow Healthy - Do you want your cash flow to be more consistent? Avoid these common small business cash flow mistakes.
[source: BusinessWeek.com] - 60-Second Guide to Managing Cash Flow - Got a minute? Want to learn how to manage your cash effectively and quickly? Read more to find out how.
[source: AllBusiness.com]
Marketing
- 10 Common Marketing Mistakes to Avoid - Mistakes: we all make them! Here are some marketing blunders to steer clear of.
[source: AllBusiness.com] - Advertising Basics for Small Businesses - 4 essential tips to get your first advertising campaign up and running.
[source: AllBusiness.com] - How to Create a Marketing Plan - Marketing plans aren’t just for big corporations. They’re vital for small businesses too. Learn how to write a basic marketing plan.
[source: Entrepreneur.com] - How to Market Your Business in a Sluggish Economy - Sometimes the economy can be unsteady, but that doesn’t mean your business has to be! How will you survive in a lethargic economy? Read more to find out how.
[source: AllBusiness.com] - How to Use Target Marketing to Grow a New Small Business - Learn how to identify which groups of customers you want to reach, and how to best access them.
[source: AllBusiness.com] - Inexpensive Market Research Methods - Market research doesn’t have to mean pricey consultants and surveys. We’ve found some techniques listed with the price-conscious small business owner in mind.
[source: Entrepreneur.com] - Sharpen Your Edge - It can be difficult for busy entrepreneurs to keep abreast of new trends, innovations, and technologies, but it’s vital to your long-term success. Here’s how to keep up.
[source: Entrepreneur.com]
Networking
- Networking with a Laser Focus - Why some sales representatives are shifting from general networking to smaller, more targeted associations.
[source: BusinessWeek.com]
Finance
- Accounting Basics - Your business depends on great accounting. Can you speak the language of finance?
[source: AllBusiness.com] - Budgets and Projections for Small Businesses - Accurate forecasting and budgeting can make a big difference in how you plan for the future of your business.
[source: AllBusiness.com] - Creating a Budget and Sales Forecast - More in-depth instructions on creating budgets and projections.
[source: AllBusiness.com] - The Fastest Way to Finance Your Small Business - You’ve won a contract and you need cash fast. What kind of loans should you pursue with the least amount of risk to your business? [source:AllBusiness.com]
- Finding Financing in a Slump - A lot of money can be made by making the right moves in a down economy. Here’s how to find financiers to fund your vision.
[source: Businessweek.com] - Forecasting Sales for your Business Plan - You can’t see into the future, but this article can help you more precisely predict your sales.
[source: AllBusiness.com] - Small Business Financing Basics - Tips from the Small Business Administration to avoid common financing mistakes by having sufficient funding, knowledge, and planning.
[source: AllBusiness.com] - What are Generally Accepted Accounting Principles? - Following these accounting best practices can help you prepare more credible financial statements for financiers and investors.
[source: AllBusiness.com]
Tips & Tricks
- Don’t forget that there are 27 University-related Foundations and subsidiaries that are responsible for their own purchasing, and are required to “utilize minority vendors whenever possible.” A listing and description of the Foundations may be found here: http://www.virginia.edu/foundations/policy.html
- Know that for as good as your company is, and for as much as UVa buys, there’s a good chance that you won’t be successful with selling to UVa.
- Get an email address with a URL that markets your business and the businesses of AOL, EarthLink, MSN, etc. For example, joe123@aol.com says nothing about your business; however, joe@bestpainterco.com says to the reader more about Joe.
- Learn how your business can benefit from the power of paperless transactions. They can be a source of savings to both you and your customer, and a way to differentiate your firm from the competition.
- Be able to speak readily about your firm’s strengths and weaknesses. Highlight those things that will make your firm different from similar firms.
- Don’t call to ask questions until you have search for the answers in the many resources available to the public.
- Ask for existing contracts and to review Request for Proposals from previous opportunities. Both can help you to formulate a business strategy.
- Ask for a debriefing after every unsuccessful submission.
- Attend a UVa Vendor Training session.
- Develop a business strategy that matches you’re firm’s competencies with the University’s needs.
