Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/An-Entrepreneurs-Best-Friend-The-MyBizHomepage-Financial-Tools-Dashboard.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/An-Entrepreneurs-Best-Friend-The-MyBizHomepage-Financial-Tools-Dashboard.html If you are looking for free advice from a retired expert, want to save money that you’d otherwise give to your accountant, or need tried and testing partnership agreements, presentations or tools, then read on. MyBizHomepage.com was launched in March 2006 that includes all three at No Charge. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Building-Your-Business-Top-Ten-Finding-the-Best-Partner.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Building-Your-Business-Top-Ten-Finding-the-Best-Partner.html Entrepreneur’s don’t have a lot of discretionary money to hire a consultant to research, identify and validate the right partner(s). They are too busy hustling new customers, cutting deals with vendors and ensuring a steady cash flow. So they do what every person determined to be the next Donald Trump does—gather data the old fashioned way, by hitting the streets. If you don’t have the time, there are a few other tricks of the trade and their pros and cons. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Building-Your-Business-Top-Ten-Exploiting-the-Power-of-Franchise-Systems.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Building-Your-Business-Top-Ten-Exploiting-the-Power-of-Franchise-Systems.html According to the International Franchise Association (IFA), franchise systems are responsible for more than forty percent of revenue in the United States yet make up less than 4% of the businesses. With less than fifty employees, the majority of these franchises are considered small businesses, generally run by entrepreneurs. Ambitious entrepreneurs often own three to seven franchises in the same city or region. Franchises offer a great businesses opportunity for entrepreneurs for a variety of reasons. Franchise owners are receptive to other entrepreneurs and will give honest feedback on new product ideas. Second, if they like your products, they can make the decision to carry your product on the spot. Yet many entrepreneurs overlook franchise systems entirely. Here are the top ten reasons to take a second look. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Ask-the-Expert-Partner-and-Alliance-Manager-Compensation.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Ask-the-Expert-Partner-and-Alliance-Manager-Compensation.html The debate continues to rage about the best compensation structure for partner managers. Recently BMG sat with a round table of chief executives, financial and alliance officers to discuss the merits behind the plethora of compensation structures available. The group didn’t agree on salary figures, commission percentages or bonuses, yet they did agree on one thing: the compensation structure MUST create the right motivation and this falls into two camps: strategic or tactical. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Zero-Down-Partnerships-an-Entrepreneurs-Key-to-Starting-a-Business.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Zero-Down-Partnerships-an-Entrepreneurs-Key-to-Starting-a-Business.html Learn how two entrepreneurs used smart partnerships to jump start their businesses with zero down. This article details how a Facilities partnership can be used to share risk and revenue as opposed to signing a five-year lease, and another used an Engineering partnership to develop and bring products to market, eliminating the need for outside capital. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Hooking-Up-Creating-a-Small-Business-Partner-Profiling-Tool.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Hooking-Up-Creating-a-Small-Business-Partner-Profiling-Tool.html You’re an entrepreneur starting or running a small business, barely keeping your head above water when suddenly, success hits in the form of two, five or twenty calls a day from companies that want to partner with you. At first you’re flattered until you realize you don’t have time to talk those firms you know will drive revenue for your organization, and now you are being asked to consider the business pitch of a group you’ve never even heard of. How do you ferret out the misfits and focus on the potential gold mine? You step back and consider creating your own partner-profiling program. It’s not as hard or time consuming as it sounds. And it’s absolutely critical if you are going to scale quickly and cost effectively through partnerships. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/The-Power-of-Two-Partnerships-in-the-Manufacturing-Industry.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/The-Power-of-Two-Partnerships-in-the-Manufacturing-Industry.html In the manufacturing industry, the term partnership used to apply to old-school joint ventures, now it can just as easily be used in the context of modern distribution, licensing or joint development deals. To start a new business in this traditionally cash-strapped, union-laden industry, it’s important to understand the attributes of a partnership in the manufacturing industry, and success stories from the most 4 beneficial types of partnerships for small businesses. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Ask-the-Expert-Getting-into-Costco-Wholesale.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Ask-the-Expert-Getting-into-Costco-Wholesale.html Every entrepreneur dreams of having his or her new product in the front aisle of warehouse giant Costco. Located in the backyard (literally) of this author, learn 5 key insights regarding this market leader before you seriously approach them as a potential partner. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Partnership-Success-Story-Joint-Venture-returns-100X-in-12-months.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Partnership-Success-Story-Joint-Venture-returns-100X-in-12-months.html The uniform manufacturing business is far from sexy. But any entrepreneur will tell you that a 100 times return on investment from a joint venture partnership turn heads, regardless of the industry. Blumenthal Uniforms realized the power of partnerships when it created a JV to expand its customer base, improve margins and gain a foothold in an entirely new industry. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Partnership-Success-Story-A-Life-Coach-Doubles-Business-in-30-days.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Partnership-Success-Story-A-Life-Coach-Doubles-Business-in-30-days.html Learn how a consultant used a marketing partnership with an outsourced human resource firm to double her client base and quadruple her revenue in less than thirty days.