CCBDC Notebook

Tax Information for Businesses from the IRS Tax Center

As a entrepreneur, you'll have many questions about taxes while starting and operating a business. Read more

How do I find my target customers (target market)? How do I sell my product?

It all starts with understanding your product or service - what the features are, why it was designed that way, what the benefit to the user is of these features, which the item/service was designed for:
You must absolutely understand the person you hope will buy your product. Read more

A list of helpful small business websites

We compiled a list of websites that we refer to frequently. Very helpful sites for a small business. Federal, State and other great sites for finding information, gathering materials and more! Get the list.

Where can I get the expense numbers I need to complete my business plan? I'm starting a new business with no history.

Your business plan needs to have solid numbers. Forecasting your numbers is the only way you're going to know what's going on in your business. New business or not, you can work expense numbers from the bottom up, and then check them from the top down. Read more

How can I forecast sales for my business plan when I have a new product that has no history?

You can forecast sales for your new product like everybody else does: Bye estimating and making educated guesses. It may be hard to forecast, but it's even harder to run a business without a forecast. You don't have to spend thousands on market research, although that is a nice shortcut if you have the budget. Read more

I'm getting my business plan ready to take to the bank to apply for a loan. What do bankers or loan committees look for in a business plan? What can I expect?

Be prepared! Many people misunderstand what the bank can and can't do for you and why. Before you get to the bank with the plan, here are some ways to prepare yourself and your plan. Read more

I've noticed some business plan formats contain vision statements, mission statements, and objectives. What's the difference? Do I need all three?

The'OBJECTIVES' of the plan is the most important part. Every plan should spell out your goals. Every objective should specify results and activities that can be easily tracked. These may be increasing monthly sales or profits to some specific number or by a specific percentage, decreasing costs or operating expenses to a specific number or percentage, or maintaining cash flow, paying off a loan, or finding a specific amount of new funding. Read more

The CCBDC 2005 ANNUAL REPORT is available for download!

In 2005 the CCBDC restructured and refocused to provide more in-depth services to clients through counseling, training and educational classes, and internship programs for local business students. Download the report from the downloads section

What do I need to know before I make my business structure decision?

Selecting a business structure is one of the most important business decisions business owners will make. Your business structure affects the safety of personal assets, smooth continuation of the business upon ownership change and has differing tax implications. You should familiarize yourself with what each structure will -and won't -do for your business.

2004 Annual Report