Workbooks

The National Indian Business Association has produced and developed four essential business workbooks to help you start your business.  

How to:

             * Develop a Business Plan

             * Develop a Marketing Plan

             * Develop an Advertising Plan

             * Develop a Management and Sales Plan. 

The contents of the workbooks have been prepared in easy to understand basic business principles.  Industry-specific terminology will assist you wherever presented in the workbooks. The workbooks are offered in user friendly format.  Each section of the workbook provides essential facts, such as the main business idea, key financial and marketing facts, profit projections and capital requirements.  Sample worksheets and examples are provided to aid and guide the individual along the process towards completion of each respective plan.

These workbooks will assist, strengthen and inspire the entrepreneurial spirit throughout Indian Country.  NIBA will continue to help perpetuate the continued success and development of Native American businesses establish themselves in the corporate world.

Business Plan

A business plan helps you think through your strategies, balance your enthusiasm with facts, and recognizes your limitations.  An effective business plan will help you avoid potentially disastrous errors like undercapitalizing, creating negative cash flow, hiring the wrong people, selecting the wrong location, and pursuing the wrong market.  A winning business plan requires time.  Plan on fifty to one hundred hours of work to write a complete and comprehensive business plan, including research, documentation, analysis, and review.  Start planning at least six months before you plan to open your business.

More information on Business Plans is available at the following:

See an example of a business plan

Microsoft BCentral- Business Plan Samples

Microsoft BCentral- Sample Website Designs

Microsoft BCentral- Business Plan Helpful Links

It�s the plan to improve your company!

Marketing Plan

Marketing is the manner in which product development,  promotion, sales, distribution, and pricing are bundled together into an overall plan designed to deliver your company�s products or services to the marketplace and hence to the ultimate customer.

These five key components make up the marketing process: product development, promotion, sales, distribution, and pricing.

Advertising Plan

Advertising is a program of paid messages designed to inform and educate large numbers of prospective consumers on the features and benefits of your product or services.  Although the ultimate long-term purpose of advertising is, of course, to persuade the consumer to purchase your product or service, some short-term advertising strategies may focus on the development of name recognition only.

Management and Sales Plan

Management is working with and through other people to accomplish the objectives of both the business and its employees.

Management is a challenge.  It requires people skills.  Managers promote to inspire their employees to be their best and establish a working environment that allows them to perform their best.  The best manager will obtain the resources and training needed for their employees to do their jobs effectively.

Sales Plan:  A sales proposal is the seller�s written plan or offer presented to a buyer to exchange property, goods, or services for money.  A sales proposal can be a simple price quote on a product to a written proposal to sell very costly and complex products or services.  The buyer either accepts or rejects your proposal.  Naturally, you hope the buyer accepts!

For more information, contact [email protected]