The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, and assist small business. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States.

A wonderful volunteer organization that works as a resource partner with the SBA is SCORE. SCORE considers itself as the “counselors to America’s small business”, offering confidential advice to help owners make a potential successful small business idea into a reality.

WHAT IS SCORE?

It was founded in 1964 and since then as helped more than 7.5 million small businesses. They offer face to face small business counseling at 389 chapter offices nationwide. They ensure that their volunteers (who are usually successful business owners who have retired) have a broad range of skills to help solve all types of business problems they offer small business online solutions at www.score.org.

HOW CAN SCORE HELP YOU?

The following are a couple of examples of businesses that SCORE considers as “small business success” stories.

Little Scoops – Recently listed in Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the “Hot New Franchises for 2005″ Little Scoops started only 5 years ago. One of the founders Michelle claims that “without the help of the volunteer counselors at SCORE, her success never would have happened.

Prior to opening her first store, the counselors insisted she and her partner think long term, and helped them develop a plan to set up finances and how to evaluate potential locations. Just recently, the SCORE counselors have helped them begin the process of franchising their 9 locations into a national concept.

Ahi Sushi – Jimmy Hu had dreamed of opening his own Japanese restaurant and sushi bar for a long time. Prior to signing an agreement to purchase an existing restaurant business he contacted SCORE. His volunteer advisers recommended he not purchase the restaurant business, especially since he intended on changing the whole concept anyway.

Not buying another business, limited his startup costs and allowed him to patiently and thoroughly evaluate the best location. They taught him to visit potential sites during the different times of the day and night to observe customer traffic in the area. They also explained to Jimmy the value in visiting potential nearby competitors to evaluate their menus, ambiance, pricing and marketing strategy. Finally, they recommended techniques and technology for effectively managing cash flow and inventory, tracking labor costs, and planning for expenses like advertising. Now, three years later, Jimmy is doing double the business he expected when he first thought of buying an existing restaurant.

HOW CAN I INSURE MY SMALL BUSINESS IDEA WILL BE BRING ME SUCCESS

The following are some suggestions by SCORE methods.

1. ATTITUDE – Having a positive, optimistic outlook is the foundation for success. Be willing to learn, ask questions, do research and brainstorm, all with a positive frame of mind. And always reflect on mistakes, and learn to do better.

2. CUSTOMER FOCUS – Put you in the place of a customer and considers what aspects of the product or service you like and dislike and what elements might add value.

3. FEEDBACK – Try to get expert or objective advice from a person who will ask the right questions, and not feel guilty about offering criticism. (This is one of the big benefits of score, or for more convenience you can use online business plan software that gives you evaluative feedback)

4. RESEARCH – Learn everything you can about the areas or types of businesses that you are interested in. Being immersed in the field is a huge advantage. This is why most lending institutions you go to when applying for a small business loan, would feel much more comfortable if you had a couple of years of experience in the field of business you are entering.

5. STRUCTURED BUSINESS PLAN – Incorporate your idea and the sales and marketing plan you have in your head, into a formal business plan. A good quality plan will help you asses the opportunities and limitations of your business ideas.

Remember that translating your idea into a successful business entails a process that takes time, labor and attention to detail. But with by following a system s and checking for advice from others, you have the right tools in hand for success.

Morris N. Mann

Family Business Consultant

SUCCESSFUL SMALL BUSINESS IDEAS

Creating an atmosphere is one of the main elements of decorating. The atmosphere that you create will greatly depend on what type of food you will be serving. If your main specialty is pizza, and your target patron is that of the younger generation and families, you would probably decorate your restaurant differently than you would if you were going to be opening a very upscale café.

Restaurants with themes are becoming increasingly popular. For an Italian restaurant you may want to have a street café theme, or an old world theme. Both of these are wonderful for setting the atmosphere in an Italian eatery.

Once you have a general idea of what theme or atmosphere you hope to create, start from the ground up. Your walls and floors will have to be an appropriate color to help you create that atmosphere. Earth tone colors are very popular in Italian restaurants.

Next on the list is your furniture. Decide what types of tables and chairs will help to set off your décor. You can choose anything from medium to dark wood, or even tables that depict classic Italian art. There are specialty tables available from some distributors that include those with a specific Italian theme.

Now you will want to add to your atmosphere by choosing just the right artwork. One of the obvious choices would be a replica of famous sculptures, and artwork from Old Italy. Maybe you don’t want anything that fancy and would prefer art that depicts Italian country life, or an Italian kitchen. Your options are many and varied but it basically comes down to personal preference and the atmosphere that you hope to create.

Greenery is very important in an Italian restaurant, especially if you are going for the “old world garden” atmosphere. Silk plants can be placed in strategic locations to not only compliment your décor, but to give the patrons of your restaurant the feel of semi- private tables.

No matter how you ultimately decide to decorate your Italian restaurant, keep atmosphere in mind. Providing an environment that allows your customers to lose themselves for the duration of their meal is as important as the quality of food that you serve.

Jessica Ackerman is a senior staff writer for Padrino’s Pizza and Pasta – one of the best pizza places in Seattle. There are countless options for late night food delivery in Seattle but make sure to order from our pizza – Voted the best pizza in Seattle by Seattle Magazine.

To find more pizza and pasta tips and recipies visit our Seattle Pizza Blog

First of all you have to make the list of all the things you will need in your restaurant. Every restaurant has its own requirements. There are many sources which can help you in selecting the right equipment. You can start your search with food service equipment dealers. Nowadays every food equipment dealer is having a website. It is a good idea to got trough their website before you shop anything. There are many equipment dealers online but your job is to find the one which offers affordable supplies and equipment.

There are many companies out there which are offering latest equipment for restaurant business. But not every one of them offers proper customer service. The customer service offered by the company should be professional, efficient and helpful.

You should know about all the equipments you will need in a restaurant. If you are new to this business then you should spend some time with a professional or a restaurant owner. Basic things you will need are dining area equipment, bar supplies, refrigeration, ice machines, coffee and tea equipment, bakery equipment, kitchen equipment, ventilation equipment and dish washers. There are many more things you will need but above stated things are most important supplies.

Have you fixed your budget? Planning a budget is very important step. A proper budget can help you in saving a significant amount of money. You should fix the amount of money you are planning to spend on different types of equipments and supplies. You should always opt for an authenticated shop or an online store. The websites should provide a secure mode of payment.

Shopping from the internet is not a difficult task. Nowadays everyone prefers to shop online due to large number of benefits. Choosing a product is very easy. Reputed websites are easy to navigate. All you have to do is to go through all the categories provided by the website. The products you like can be added to your cart and payment can be made with the help of a credit card. The equipments you will buy will be delivered to your door steps. There are many online stores which are offering significant discounts and gift coupons on bulk orders. But never compromise with the quality of the supplies you are buying. The equipment used in the restaurants should be long lasting and durable.

If you want to know more about Restaurant Equipment then it is a good idea to visit Restaurant Equipment Supplie