Misc.

• Will you be installing the product?
• Will you deliver the product to the customer? How?

Business Stuff

• Decide on a business name.
• Get a business license (may need state and local)
• Apply for a state tax number early in the process so you
  What Will This New Job Cost You?
  One of the most important (if not the most important) benefit of a job is the salary. The salary you earn is very important – it's how you pay your bills and support yourself and your family. When looking for a new job you'll often have a number in your head that you want to earn. It doesn't matter if this is an hourly rate or annual salary; it is very important to remain flexible when considering a salary offer for the following reaso
  If you are considering starting a small-scale cast stone manufacturing business, here is a checklist to help keep you on track.

  Before You Do Anything Else

  • Research any local regulations that might affect your business, including truck traffic, industrial zoning requirements, etc.
  • Do your local market research, including demand, competition, etc.

  Location

  • Make sure you have adequate shop space.
  • Be sure that you have a warm water supply near your mixing and pouring area.
  • Define a dry storage area for cement and coloring agents.
  • Get storage containers for coloring agents.
  • Set up a curing area in the shop to store molds for 12 hours.
  • Be sure that you have adequate table and shelf space for working and storage.
  • Have enough room in your "yard" for aggregate delivery.
  • Define an aggregate storage area, build bins if desired.
  • Locate an outdoors curing area to store product until cured.
  • Provide an adequate loading/unloading area in your yard.

  Locate and Acquire the Equipment Needed

  • Molds--get quality, or you'll have to replace them often.
  • Vibrating table.
  • Mixer--be sure it's large enough for your projected workload.
  • At a minimum, get a pallet jack--if you can afford a forklift, get one.
  • Build racks for working with corner molds. --Dry scale--preferably digital.
  • Make sure that your water hose has a storage reel and reaches your mixer and vibrating table.
  • Stacking pallets--specially designed pallets for holding molds.
  • Normal pallets for handling finished product.
  • Mold storage solution (industrial wire baskets, etc.)
  • Large, sturdy wheelbarrow.
  • Misc. buckets, shovels, gloves, putty knives, etc.

  Materials

  • Determine availability and choices of lightweight aggregate
  • Locate a wholesale lightweight aggregate supplier.
  • Find a coloring agent supplier.
  • Find an admixture supplier.
  • Find a wholesale cement supplier.
  • Set up accounts with the aggregate, coloring, and cement suppliers.
  • Explore various packaging solutions (pallets, boxes, etc)

  Misc.

  • Will you be installing the product?
  • Will you deliver the product to the customer? How?

  Business Stuff

  • Decide on a business name.
  • Get a business license (may need state and local)
  • Apply for a state tax number early in the process so you
    A Key Step For New Business Owners
    Many a guru has opined on the keys to business success. While everyone has an opinion, I am going to focus on a more practical step you can take that will make a big difference.So, what is this magical step? It is to find a good accountant. Not exactly what you were expecting, eh? Well, it is true. A good accountant can save you a ton of money. A decent accountant can save you a bit of money. Not having any accountant can end up co
    ply near your mixing and pouring area.
  • Define a dry storage area for cement and coloring agents.
  • Get storage containers for coloring agents.
  • Set up a curing area in the shop to store molds for 12 hours.
  • Be sure that you have adequate table and shelf space for working and storage.
  • Have enough room in your "yard" for aggregate delivery.
  • Define an aggregate storage area, build bins if desired.
  • Locate an outdoors curing area to store product until cured.
  • Provide an adequate loading/unloading area in your yard.

  Locate and Acquire the Equipment Needed

  • Molds--get quality, or you'll have to replace them often.
  • Vibrating table.
  • Mixer--be sure it's large enough for your projected workload.
  • At a minimum, get a pallet jack--if you can afford a forklift, get one.
  • Build racks for working with corner molds. --Dry scale--preferably digital.
  • Make sure that your water hose has a storage reel and reaches your mixer and vibrating table.
  • Stacking pallets--specially designed pallets for holding molds.
  • Normal pallets for handling finished product.
  • Mold storage solution (industrial wire baskets, etc.)
  • Large, sturdy wheelbarrow.
  • Misc. buckets, shovels, gloves, putty knives, etc.

  Materials

  • Determine availability and choices of lightweight aggregate
  • Locate a wholesale lightweight aggregate supplier.
  • Find a coloring agent supplier.
  • Find an admixture supplier.
  • Find a wholesale cement supplier.
  • Set up accounts with the aggregate, coloring, and cement suppliers.
  • Explore various packaging solutions (pallets, boxes, etc)

  Misc.

  • Will you be installing the product?
  • Will you deliver the product to the customer? How?

  Business Stuff

  • Decide on a business name.
  • Get a business license (may need state and local)
  • Apply for a state tax number early in the process so you
    Brand Components
    Your brand is the culmination of everything about you and your business. It is how people come to know you. It is your business name, logo design or other symbol that identifies your goods and services. It’s what makes you different from everyone else in business. What are some of the components that come to make up your brand?1. Who I am. Your brand is a representation of who you are, including your talents, g
    oading/unloading area in your yard.

  Locate and Acquire the Equipment Needed

  • Molds--get quality, or you'll have to replace them often.
  • Vibrating table.
  • Mixer--be sure it's large enough for your projected workload.
  • At a minimum, get a pallet jack--if you can afford a forklift, get one.
  • Build racks for working with corner molds. --Dry scale--preferably digital.
  • Make sure that your water hose has a storage reel and reaches your mixer and vibrating table.
  • Stacking pallets--specially designed pallets for holding molds.
  • Normal pallets for handling finished product.
  • Mold storage solution (industrial wire baskets, etc.)
  • Large, sturdy wheelbarrow.
  • Misc. buckets, shovels, gloves, putty knives, etc.

  Materials

  • Determine availability and choices of lightweight aggregate
  • Locate a wholesale lightweight aggregate supplier.
  • Find a coloring agent supplier.
  • Find an admixture supplier.
  • Find a wholesale cement supplier.
  • Set up accounts with the aggregate, coloring, and cement suppliers.
  • Explore various packaging solutions (pallets, boxes, etc)

  Misc.

  • Will you be installing the product?
  • Will you deliver the product to the customer? How?

  Business Stuff

  • Decide on a business name.
  • Get a business license (may need state and local)
  • Apply for a state tax number early in the process so you
    Advertising to Promote a New Tech Product
    Advertising a new tech gadget or toy is much different than advertising a more well established product. The customer needs to be excited and put it on their must have list to buy; to be the first on the block to have one. Advertising a toaster, microwave oven or pick-up truck is a lot easier than a new high-tech toy or computerized widget.One thing that advertisers try to do is to demonstrate to you how frustrated you are with the
    e.
  • Stacking pallets--specially designed pallets for holding molds.
  • Normal pallets for handling finished product.
  • Mold storage solution (industrial wire baskets, etc.)
  • Large, sturdy wheelbarrow.
  • Misc. buckets, shovels, gloves, putty knives, etc.

  Materials

  • Determine availability and choices of lightweight aggregate
  • Locate a wholesale lightweight aggregate supplier.
  • Find a coloring agent supplier.
  • Find an admixture supplier.
  • Find a wholesale cement supplier.
  • Set up accounts with the aggregate, coloring, and cement suppliers.
  • Explore various packaging solutions (pallets, boxes, etc)

  Misc.

  • Will you be installing the product?
  • Will you deliver the product to the customer? How?

  Business Stuff

  • Decide on a business name.
  • Get a business license (may need state and local)
  • Apply for a state tax number early in the process so you
    Tips for Law Graduates – Getting a Legal Job
    More and more people are graduating from university with a degree in law & looking for legal jobs. As a consequence it’s worth thinking about what legal job you would like after you graduate and how well prepared you are. We’ve put together 10 top tips to get a graduate legal job.1. Gain some work experience – it can be really hard to get legal work experience, sometime legal firms have more applicants for work experience than they
    li>
  • Find a wholesale cement supplier.
  • Set up accounts with the aggregate, coloring, and cement suppliers.
  • Explore various packaging solutions (pallets, boxes, etc)

  Misc.

  • Will you be installing the product?
  • Will you deliver the product to the customer? How?

  Business Stuff

  • Decide on a business name.
  • Get a business license (may need state and local)
  • Apply for a state tax number early in the process so you can purchase wholesale.
  • Get a business bank account, even if you'll be a sole proprietorship.
  • Develop a marketing plan.
  • Carefully research your costs and set several price points: wholesale, contractor, and retail.
  • Set up a bookkeeping system.
  • Design or purchase invoices, estimate forms, etc.
  • Business cards and stationery.

  Assembling all of the stuff and getting all of the paperwork done can be intimidating, but if you break it up into smaller chunks with a checklist, you'll find the process much more manageable--and maybe even enjoyable!

  Copyright 2006 by Dave Sharpe Permission to use this article is freely given as long as it remains unchanged and the resource box remains attached.