“In Six Steps to Small Business Success, five seasoned CPAs combine over one hundred years of experience in order to provide practical advice, step-by-step guidance, and proven ideas for entrepreneurs ready to embark on the exciting journey of starting and managing a successful business.”— Tim Nolan, President, Professional Association of Small Business Accountants Many entrepreneurs fail, not because they have a bad idea, but rather because they don’t have the knowledge and skills it takes to convert their ideas into success. Six Steps to Small Business Success offers a series of simple steps that business owners should take as they work to convert their dreams into reality. These steps are: 1. Pre-Business Planning. You’ll learn from the experiences of others who have succeeded how a little planning on the front end goes a long way to ensuring the dream you pictured becomes a reality. 2. Start-Up: Finances, Budgets, and Numbers. You’ll discover the key fundamentals and tracking mechanisms you must put in place to keep things on track and grow your business. 3. Human Resources (People). You’ll learn best practices in hiring, training, managing, and even terminating employees. 4. Operations: Work Flow, Customers, and Sales. You’ll get answers to dozens of questions that will help you make good decisions about your products, services, and customers. 5. Building a Salable Business and the Sale. Successful entrepreneurs often sell their businesses (and move on to the next business). Learn how to plan for that eventual sale. 6. Transitioning to Life after Business. Finally, you’ll learn how to plan for life after work—personal adjustments, wealth management, leaving a legacy. The book is designed so you can jump in and start with the chapter that fits where your business is today. But everyone can gain from reading the whole book, which is filled with personal anecdotes, inspiring quotes, and thought–provoking questions that will help any small business owner remember to dream big, think realistically, and plan carefully, ultimately achieving more than ever imagined. The first edition of this book won the 2011 Book of the Year Award presented by the Professional Association of Small Business Accountants.
Bert Doerhoff, CPA, started his own CPA firm in 1978, which was later named one of the top fifty most innovative firms in the nation by CPA Digest. David J. Lucier, CPA, is an entrepreneur, real estate investor, and business adviser who has worked with hundreds of start-up and emerging companies over the past thirty years. Lowell G. Lillge, CPA, started his own accounting firm in 1983, specializing in bookkeeping, tax preparation, and accounting, and has worked with hundreds of clients. R. Sean Manning, CPA, owns an accounting firm and either owns or invests in several other businesses. In 2008 his firm was awarded Innovative Accounting Firm of the Year. C. Gregory Orcutt, CPA, has owned an accounting firm for over twenty-five years. He was recently awarded the Small Firm of the Year from the Professional Association of Small Business Accountants.
Bert Doerhoff, CPA, started his own CPA firm in 1978, which was later named one of the top fifty most innovative firms in the nation by CPA Digest. Bert lives in Jefferson City, MO.
Lowell G. Lillge, CPA, started his own accounting firm in 1983, specializing in bookkeeping, tax preparation, and accounting, and he has worked with hundreds of clients. Lowell lives in Grafton, WI.
David J. Lucier, CPA, is an entrepreneur, real estate investor, and business adviser who has worked with hundreds of start-up and emerging companies over the past thirty years. David lives in Johnston, RI.
R. Sean Manning, CPA, owns an accounting firm as well as several other businesses. In 2008 his firm was awarded Innovative Accounting Firm of the Year from the Professional Association of Small Business Accountants. Sean lives in Littleton, CO.
C. Gregory Orcutt, CPA, has owned an accounting firm for over twenty-five years. He was recently awarded the Small Firm of the Year from the Professional Association of Small Business Accountants. Gregory lives in Cincinnati, OH.
