Of course, we all think we are irreplaceable, whether we run a business or not. In situations where you are the only employee of your business, however, you tend to feel like the business could not run without you.

Carl's Takeaway Blog today mentioned this Wall Street Journal article about tax preparation for small business.  Carl's conclusion:  "Basically, you need good recordkeeping."  After reading the article, I can say that Carl is right on with his summary.  All the "tips" in the article basically have to do with keeping your company's books in order throughout the year in order to make tax preparation as painless as possible.

Once you have thoroughly described your product or service, it is time to evaluate who your customer is. This is called the Market Analysis part of your business plan, not to be confused with the marketing plan. Whatever you are selling, there are groups of people that are much more likely to buy your product than others. You will want to spend your time selling to them, and spend your marketing dollars wisely.