Business Plan

Web site for information security company opensRisk Management Associates, a Columbia-based information security company, has a new Web site: www.relyonrma.com.The site highlights the firm's services, which include assisting companies with computer security and evaluating information system vulnerabilities.The Web site also provides details on the staff and a map pinpointing the company's Guilford Road location.RMA was founded in September by Charley C. Baggett, a longtime resident of Howard County and former National Security Agency employee.

Chamber to give awards at membership dinnerAnnapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce will hold its first Beacon Awards Membership Dinner on Thursdayat the Radisson Hotel in Annapolis.The event will begin with a reception at 5: 30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6: 30 p.m.The chamber will present awards including business leader, entrepreneur and minority business person of the year.Entertainment will be provided by comedian Roger Mursick.Cost is $50 per person. Information: 410-268-7676, Ext. 100.SCORE seminar teaches how to make business planA one-day seminar, "Let's Prepare a Business Plan," will be presented by Service Corps of Retired Executives Chapter 390 from 8: 45 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 7 in the first-floor training room of the Heritage Office Complex at 2660 Riva Road, Annapolis.

Long before Tim Allen made it big with his hit show "Home Improvement," it was "Tool Time" in the Enger household.As soon as Kyle Enger was able to, he helped his father, an entrepreneur who ran a bank consulting business, tackle home improvement projects around his Seattle house.Years later, Enger has come up with an entrepreneurial venture of his own, and it's enough to make any do-it-yourselfer -- or father -- proud.Enger's plan for Superbuild.com, an online resource for the purchase of home improvement products, beat out 24 other entries to win the Chief Executive Officers Club of Baltimore's third annual business plan competition.

David Meltzer had a marketing strategy but no formal business plan.Patrice Hooper had a business plan and a proven idea but no start-up money.And Victor J. Norris had an idea for an invention, though unproven, but no investors.All three were bitten by the entrepreneurial bug after years of working for someone else. And they made the jump from employee to business owner with the help of Maryland's Small Business Development Center Network, a joint state and federal program that counsels small-business owners for free.

As his friends enjoyed the final days of their summer hiatus from algebra and history, 17-year-old Latsavon Chandavong pored over accounting problems and worked feverishly on a business plan for his new company.At the Reginald F. Lewis Summer BizCamp at Morgan State University, youths from Dunbar High School learned how to start and run their own businesses -- a record company, a sporting goods store and a $5 million asbestos-removal firm."The biggest obstacle is going to be finding someone who's willing to give me the money," said Latsavon, an honors student who hopes to launch the asbestos removal business this fall.

At least three small new Baltimore-area firms will get a few thousand dollars each this year to help them get into business lines that serve the needs of minorities, women and local communities, AT&T Capital Corp. and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants are to announce tomorrow.The grants will be available under Partners for Growth, a program sponsored by the telephone company's lending arm and the national association of accountants, which is making Baltimore one of two U.S. cities where community-oriented start-ups will receive grants.

The 22 women seated on the dais in the Hyatt Regency Hotel ballroom shared the same dream -- to become self-reliant through owning and operating their own businesses.The chances of attaining this goal, slim at best, mattered not. The graduation ceremony last week of Class Eight of Women Entrepreneurs of Baltimore was a joyous occasion.Proud relatives dressed to the nines watched as each woman collected her diploma and certificate of appreciation from the mayor's office. Hearty exclamations of "Congratulations!"

If the United Way of Central Maryland did not exist, we'd have to invent it. There is no substitute for an all-embracing appeal to generosity and neighborly concern to meet the health and human services needs of many thousands of us that government cannot or will not address. And there is no donation as efficient as payroll deduction at the workplace after a carefully thought-out decision.Without these, everyone would be besieged by a chaos of appeals for an unmanageable array of unexamined organizations.

The Senior Employment Referral Service is teaming up with SCORE, Chapter 390, to offer a special May edition of the Senior Job Network."A Business Starter Kit for Seniors" is being offered for the over-55 job seeker who is considering going into business for himself.The workshop meets from noon to 5 p.m. today at the West Street Library, 1410 West St., Annapolis. Bill Geiger of the Anne Arundel County Office of Economic Development will be joined by three people from SCORE, Chapter 390, Women's Business Ownership Program.

Planning to go into business for yourself? Now is a good time to get underway -- industry consultants say -- despite a weak economy that has many established businesses reeling. New businesses are opening their doors in record numbers across the nation."A young, aggressive company can come in without all the baggage carried by older, bigger competitors," says John Freyhof, director of venture development for Enterprise Corp. of Pittsburgh, Pa. "They're already fighting for survival, so they have to be lean and sharp.

Howard Tech Council to present awards Nov. 11 The Howard Technology Council, in partnership with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, will present the 2008 Technology Awards at an event scheduled from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 11 at APL's Kossiakoff Center, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, North Laurel. The awards program recognizes innovative companies and their contributions to the Howard County community and to the economy. The keynote speaker will be Aris Melissaratos, special adviser on enterprise development to the president of the Johns Hopkins University.

If you have been affected by the economic swings of the past few years, this may be a good time to consider starting that small business you've always dreamed about building. Ask yourself, "Can I be my own boss?" Try to objectively assess the pros and cons. Running a business is different from working for one - even if you are an experienced manager. Every responsibility - generating new work, paying taxes, locating office space, buying paper clips - falls on you. That is in addition to doing the work itself.

Database agency opens headquarters Merkle Inc., a growing database marketing agency based in Columbia, celebrated the grand opening of its new corporate headquarters June 23 at the new five-story, 120,000 square-foot building in Columbia Gateway Business Park. The facility is equipped with a 10,000-square-foot data center, a gift shop and fitness center. The company has additional locations in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, Seattle and Hagerstown. Merkle recently named Ron Park as winner of its highest level of employee recognition, the 2008 Chairman's Award.

A business plan is an indispensable management and operating tool for using your time, capital and energy most effectively. The plan of action for building a successful small business examines the environment where you expect your business to operate, including potential problems, cyclical trends and growth opportunities. If you plan to seek financing, it is certain that a lender will require a business plan as part of the loan application. Putting your objectives in writing as you build a business plan also forces you to think realistically about sales, expenses and short- and long-term goals.

You have a great business idea. And your well-crafted plan is ready to go. Now comes the even harder part: Finding money. Or, rather, securing the right type of financing. It can be a daunting task. The U.S. Small Business Administration says "inadequate and ill-timed financing is a close second" among the most frequently given reasons why businesses fail. (Poor management is No. 1.) But seed money is out there in many forms if you know where to look. And even if you find a source or two, there are big decisions to make.

Chamber to hear economic forecast The Howard County Chamber of Commerce will hold its second Economic Forecast Breakfast at 8 a.m. today at the Sheraton Columbia Hotel. A panel of local and national experts will discuss economic indicators and forecasts for the coming year. On the panel are Richard Alter of Manekin LLC, Steve Adler of Savage Mills, Larry Davis of Aronson Capital Partners and Suzi Padgett of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage's Columbia office. Jeffery Schappe of BB&T will speak about the national outlook.

LONDON -- Mittal Steel may be finished with the friendly approach. Mittal, the world's largest steel company, said yesterday that it planned to take its $27 billion bid for its rival Arcelor directly to shareholders as soon as next week, after an offer to sweeten the deal received no response from Arcelor's management. Mittal said it was open to reducing family control over the company, splitting management and the board evenly with Arcelor, and sweetening the price if Arcelor's management would discuss a deal.

It wasn't quite as dramatic as a boardroom meeting with The Donald on The Apprentice, but the third annual Business Plan Competition at Anne Arundel Community College still had its moments of excitement. About 30 students submitted business plans, and a selection committee of six business leaders from the community winnowed the choices down to three. Those finalists were invited to present their plans to the judges: Michael Williams, senior vice president of BB&T, which sponsored the competition; Griff Hall, executive director of Leadership Anne Arundel; and Patricia Troy, president of FacetsWoman Inc., a Web-based organization for women.

Increase housing for those with moderate incomes and create a loan program for low-income homeowners in historic districts to renovate their properties. Create transit hubs in areas where people have few cars and increase the number of water taxi stops. Plant more trees and establish wireless technology zones in select parts of the city. These are among the dozens of development strategies for the city over the next six years that are laid out in a draft copy of Baltimore's comprehensive master plan.

Beginning Farmer Series set to start next month The Maryland Cooperative Extension will offer its Beginning Farmer Series, a four-week, 10-hour seminar for those interested in developing agricultural-related businesses on a full- or part-time basis. Information will be provided on how to farm, how to begin a new farming operation, opportunities for small-scale farming, where to get help, low-cost start-up strategies, market potential, production techniques, pasture management and developing a business plan.