Which Accounting Method To Use (Part 1)

The IRS gives small startups considerable latitude in their choice of accounting methods. Part 1 of this tutorial lays out the IRS guidelines governing which method your startup is free to use. It then contrasts the way income and expenses are reported in the two primary methods, cash accounting and accrual accounting.

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Which Accounting Method To Use (Part 3)

The third part of a three-part series on determining whether an accrual accounting system or a cash accounting system is best for your business. This installment looks at the trade-offs in choosing one of these systems over the other and shows how inexpensive accounting software allows you to draw on the unique advantage of both systems to monitor the health of your business.

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Values, Vision, Mission (Part 2)

Vision and mission statements should be developed as part of a process that also spells out the values on which your business functions. Moreover, there are three different tiers of values in your company. Each of these tiers interacts in a unique way with your vision and mission statements.

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Values, Vision, Mission (Part 3)

For businesses (or any other human enterprise) our values serve as our navigational buoys. They keep us in the right channel moving forward. As encore entrepreneurs, we’ve had enough life experiences that our values are well-established. And when we start a small business, these values flow into its operation.

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Values, Vision, Mission (Part 4)

Vision statements come in two varieties. One type describes what you want your business to become at some distant date in the future. The other describes what you want your company to be known for. Whichever type of statement you choose, your mission statement then lays out what you are doing currently and in the foreseeable future to carry the vision forward.

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Unique Positioning Statement (Part 4)

This article (Part 4 of a four-part series) takes you through the final stages of our step-by-step guidance for creating your Unique Positioning Statement. In these steps you identify your most compelling competitive advantage for your primary target customer. You are given a checklist for defining your customer’s buying criteria.

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