I wrote The Essentials Series to help new business owners cut through the vast world of information that seems to exist on the internet. The spirit of this series and the energy behind anything I do for small business owners like you is only to be helpful and share the things that I know will work from real world experience. I don't want you to fail in your first year. I don't want you to fail any year, but especially the first. Your first year is crucial. The first year is when your excitement and drive is at its peak, and it should also be the time that you setup a workflow that actually helps you stay ahead of the game. That is what this Do-It-Yourself Guide will help you do, in a very no-nonsense, straightforward kind of way, unlike a University approved entrepreneurship and small business development textbook filled with theoretical charts on organizational development that only Small Business Administrative technical writing officers and Harvard Business Review folks understand. Now, I feel I have to say this...I am not trying to offend any MBAs or CPAs or lawyers with writing my little DIY guides. I have worked with many and many are still my dearest friends and affiliates helping when I need their expertise. But honestly, most would probably laugh anyway at my lack of sophistication and my horribly improper usage of the words 'who' and 'whom' (I never could get that right ), so this little set of books is not for them or people looking for MBAs, CPAs or strict and academia-heavy legalese. There are many books out there for you already - have fun This book is meant to be functional and based on years and years of experience opening, owning and operating small businesses and assisting entrepreneurs in the real world to do so in a sustainable way - the everyday, nitty-gritty stuff that keeps us compliant and able to see a growing bottom line through do-it-yourself means. In other words, this book is for the rest of us. I am very confident in the information I have gathered, simply because it is from real world experience and I know you can use it. It always helps to have someone to shoot straight with you. We cover Motivation and some high points of Marketing. But I also tell you what you need to keep in your cabinet, at-the-ready, so that you can more easily get your bank account setup and be ready for tax season without headaches (see the Money In/Money Out Sections). Also, the fact that I have helped many other small business owners who were overwhelmed get caught up with their books, tax reporting and corporate paperwork and helped them have a streamlined workflow that is compliant for their industry makes me know that this will work for you. But only if you do what is recommended. Fill in the planners and checklists with specific items you need done regularly or items that you need to delegate to the right person or service. In other words, use this so that it can help you Implement the suggestions, email me and ask questions, bring your business just one level up from where it is now and see the profitable difference and the time and stress it will save you to do this stuff on a simple to follow, proactive schedule. You will be glad you did.