I've written a rather long article (!) on steps to change your life, however I've decided to post each step as a blog over the next 5 days for you to read - hopefully you'll find them interesting :-)

What do you want

At the end of December 2006 my husband and our launched our first company. My husband is an IT guru and my background is marketing, so using our combined skills we decided in May 2006 to develop a website. We chose on an auction website as our first company, as we thought this would be fun, engaging and challenging. We recognised the obvious dominance of other sites in this

As an entrepreneur you may find yourself wishing you had more time to work on your business venture. The thing is you already have the time; you’re just not using it properly. Time Management is vital to the success of any business; you need to get a grip on it from the start to ensure the success of your business and your sanity! If you

Firstly, find out whether family or friends could help you. This should be your first port of call, as you can agree to pay the amount back without monthly instalments or interest rates. Do however treat the loan with respect and honor the date you agree to return payment.

If you need to go to a professional body, make sure you do your research to find out which lender is best for you - which lenders offer the best service (for you), competitive rate etc.

You can apply the following questions to research carried out on line, or when speaking with the lender directly:-

1. What types of loans do they offer?
2. Which loan would the lender recommend and why?
3. Does the lender secure loans by assets of the company or by real estate or personal assets?
4. What type or repayments options are available?
5. What criteria are considered when the loan is first submitted? What documentation is required?
6. Are the interest rates and fees negotiable?
7. How long does the process normally take?
8. What other business services does the bank offer?
9. Is online banking available?
10. Find out how the bank will support you, if you take a downturn in your business?
11. What will happen if you miss a payment?
12. Make sure you read and understand all terms and conditions applied to any financial loan – you don’t want to get caught out once you’ve agreed it.

Below are some key pieces of information a lending officer is likely to require:-

1)Cash flow projections
2)Business Plan
3)Current balance sheet and income statement
4)Pro Forma balance sheet, income statement
5)Three year history of all financials

Working from home sounds very appealing and is more common nowadays than ever before. Before deciding to set up your business from home you should ask yourself a few questions:-

1. Do you have the space at home to run a business?
2. If you