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Samuel Muriithi

Our Contributing Authors

Samuel Muriithi

Samuel Muriithi is a business owner in Nairobi, Kenya. He has extensive international business experience in the United States and India.

Articles written by Samuel Muriithi

Samuel is interested in a wide-range of entrepreneurial issues with specific experirence in SEO and Business Plan writing.

20 Entrepreneurial Traits for Success - Through their actions entrepreneurs have the capacity to initiate and sustain economic growth as they run their various small enterprises. A number of entrepreneurial traits have been identified as being the core competencies for small enterprise success.
Accounting Systems for Small Enterprises - How can a small enterprise keep track of its expenses and sales, and the profits it made in a given timeframe? With what tools can a small enterprise estimate its costs of production and make a comparison of its present and past performance? An efficient accounting system is exactly what's required.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Buying a Business - One of the ways through which many successful entrepreneurs have entered the business world is the purchase of an existing business. There are a good number of advantages and disadvantages that come with such a decision and it is prudent to find out why this may or may not be the way forward for you
Advantages and Disadvantages of Franchising - There are many franchising opportunities in a diverse range of businesses and all these can be harnessed by willing entrepreneurs. Purchasing a franchise comes with varied advantages and disadvantages all of which must be carefully considered before the big decision on the way forward is made.
Advertising Options for Entrepreneurs - In determining the type of medium or media that will be used in an advertisement campaign the management must seriously consider the inherent characteristics of each medium. What are these characteristics that serve to set one medium apart from the others and thus form a basis for the selection of one and not the other?
An Assessment of the Entrepreneurial Leader - The desired entrepreneurial leader is the one who has an honest concern for the wellbeing of his/her employees and the organization at large. Such a leader does not engage in the suppression or exclusion of potential and will never seek to have solutions imposed on the team below him/her.
Aspects of Planning in Running a Business - Planning in business is one of the four facets of management, the others being organizing, leading and controlling/coordinating. Effective planning entails carrying out specific tasks in different but related activities crucial to the business.
Assistance For Technology Entrepreneurs - Is your entrepreneurial technology-oriented business idea stalling for lack of proper guiding advice and allied resources? A number of technical facilities can help you out but which are the right ones to approach and what kind of assisting services should you expect once there?
Basic Approaches to Advertising - There are so many products and services on offer in the market, many of which are similar, and some which are quite unique. These qualities will count for little if the customers expected to buy them have no knowledge of their availability. What does a business have to do to get the word out?
Basic Bookkeeping - Successful business owners are such that they personally handle their recordkeeping and bookkeeping requirements, or at least outsource these services. Basic bookkeeping skills should as a matter of priority be learnt by anyone with the intent of opening a business.
Before You Buy a Franchise - Before purchasing a franchise, the entrepreneur must seek satisfactory answers to a set of questions that basically act as the guidelines to operating such a business. The said questions involve the franchisor and the franchise business and the prospective franchisee and his/her market.
Business Plan Financial Basics - Of all the components of a business plan it is the financials chapter that gives the reader the best chance of assessing the viability of your business proposition and rightly so because the numbers really speak volumes. What does this chapter involve and how do you go about compiling it?
Business Plan PEST Analysis - PEST analysis is that technique which is used to draw a clear picture of what the external macro-environment that a proposed business or actual business will operate in looks like. What is involved in using this analysis technique for business plan development?
Business Plan SWOT Analysis - SWOT analysis is used in business plan development to vet the feasibility of a proposed business idea with respect to its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. What does this analysis technique involve?
Cash Flow Management - Effective financial and cash flow management practices are of the essence if the continued smooth running of a small business is to be assured. Surprisingly, the entrepreneur need not go overboard with complex practices all in the name of keeping the business financially secure -- there are basic initiatives that can be employed to achieve the same intents with resounding success.
Checklist for Starting a Small Business - Part 1 - In the rush to start a small business entrepreneurs do make some personal or business errors of oversight. Some of these errors/oversights may remain undiscovered during the early stages of the business but when wanting situations crop up the business owner may be caught flatfooted.
Checklist for Starting a Small Business - Part 2 - Starting a small business is a process that requires much thought owing to the rigorous preparations and many details that must all be addressed. What are some of these critical aspects that the entrepreneur must address before he/she opens shop?
Choosing the Right Location for Business - Location is touted as being the most important ingredient required in starting a successful business. This may certainly not apply to all types of business but for some there is nothing more important. What are the aspects an entrepreneur needs to consider in terms of a prospective business location?
Computers as Business Tools - That each and every small business owner can do so much more and much better with a personal computer is hardly in question. What are the prerequisites to owning an appropriate business computer system and what functions can be handled much better using the same?
Contract Basics - Contracts are of many types with most common classifications being the formal or simple, express or implied, and the unilateral or bilateral types. What do these classifications involve and what is implied by breach of contract and assignment of contract?
Convenience and Its Implications for Business - Matters of convenience are paramount for the running of modern day businesses; simply put, convenience is an important societal demand that businesses must endeavor to offer. The entrepreneur who is likely to enjoy most success is the one who understands the importance of being at the right place at the right time.
Creativity and Barriers to Creativity - Creativity and innovation is a critical pair that should be embraced by any business that seeks to be successful in the modern global economy that is not only fast-paced but fiercely competitive. While not all creative entrepreneurial efforts will be a resounding success, sustained attempts at creativity will constantly result in equally creative solutions to a plethora of problems. The successful organization is one that proactively seeks to dissuade any barriers to creativity.
Determining Promotional Appropriation - In as far as determining promotional appropriations is concerned there are two main difficulties faced by business owners. It is quite difficult to establish the total amount that should be spent on a promotional mix and secondly, the amount that will be allocated to each activity in the said mix. Equally difficult to gauge are the results achieved after funds have been spent on the promotional activity.
Discounts for Entrepreneurs - In a bid to attract and retain customers the small enterprise may sometimes have to reduce its base prices albeit by small margins. What are the different types of discounts that an entrepreneur can use to his/her business' advantage?
Distribution Channels - Distribution and distribution channels fall under the 'placement' or 'place' aspect of the marketing mix. What should the entrepreneur know about these integral aspects that determine how their products and services will get to the final consumers?
Effective Promotional Campaign Planning - The campaign concept is the best platform on which a business can launch an effective promotional program. A promotional campaign comprises several sub-campaigns including advertising, personal selling, publicity and more. It is these separate aspects that must be strategically planned for to ensure success.
Enhancing Personal Creativity for Entreprenuership - The development of entrepreneurial capabilities calls for the development of critical and creative thinking. Both of these qualities can be taught to people but the real success will only be achieved when the individual can, on his/her own, manage to maintain a mind that is open, inquisitive or inquiring. The failure to develop personal creativity portends a significant threat to entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneur Research Skills - No small enterprise can prosper if the entrepreneur is inept at decision-making. To make the most effective business decisions you require entrepreneurship research skills to better understand what each unique situation involves and demands.
Evaluating Advertising Efforts - Modern day businesses are being forced to contend with the fact that there is ever-increasing competition and a subsequent shrinking of profit margins. This has forced managements across the business sector to enforce strict appraisal measures on every type of expenditure, including advertising. The aim here is to determine if indeed the advertising effort has been effective.
Evaluating Business for Sale Opportunities - The evaluation of 'business for sale' opportunities normally reveals information as to whether a given opportunity can be ranked as good, promising, or bad. The ability to categorize business opportunities in such a manner is helpful in that one is able to attach an informed value to the business and a suitable price that can be offered for the same.
Exit Planning and Valuation of a Small Business - There are several reasons which may prompt a business owner to implement an exit strategy and all these call for astute exit planning. In making such an exit it is absolutely vital to conduct a valuation of the business in as accurate a manner as is possible.
Facing the Strategic Challenges of Growth - The Greiner's Growth Model - The Greiner's growth model illustrates the well defined periods of crisis that small firms encounter as they progress from one phase of growth to the next.
Facing the Strategic Challenges of Growth: The Churchill and Lewis Growth Model - According to the Churchill and Lewis growth model a business goes through six stages of growth/development. These six stages involve conception/existence, survival, profitability/stabilization, profitability/growth, take-off, and maturity.
Factors Influencing Promotional Mix - A small enterprise owner who intends to embark on business promotion must know what components of the same will be most effective in helping him/her achieve the desired agenda. It is quite challenging to know what proportions of advertising, sales promotion, or indeed personal selling will combine perfectly for success. The said combination is what is referred to as the promotional mix. What factors must be assessed so as to get this mix right?
Financial Ratio Analysis Definitions and Descriptions - Financial ratio analysis involves the computation and comparison of ratios which are drawn from the information contained in a business' financial statements. These different financial ratios are helpful in making assessments about a business' overall financial soundness, the effectiveness of its operations, and its attractiveness as an investment consideration.
Finanicing and Cost Management - Sound financial and cost management practices are crucial to the successful running of any business big or small. What do these practices involve and of what significance are they to a business that is just starting out?
Finding Inventory Suppliers - It is of essence that entrepreneurs find inventory suppliers with whom transactions that foster the success of the business can be made. What qualities should these inventory suppliers possess and where can they be found?
Future Prospects for Service Industry - The service industry scene has witnessed growth progressively thanks to the stimulation effect brought about by several factors. Some of these include decreased government interference, the introduction of new technologies, an increased supply of service providers and the subsequent competition that this has brought. What does the future hold for the service industry?
Gaining the Edge Through Customer Service - The type of customer service that you receive when you visit any business premise regardless of whether it is physical or even online will almost always inform your decision to or not to do business with that product/service provider again. What are the elements of superior customer service that you and your employees should adopt to keep ahead of the competition?
Handling the Interview Process - Once potential employees have been found and their applications screened, it is up to the business owner to conduct an interview with an aim to establishing more pertinent information that is not highlighted on a resume. What is the best way for an entrepreneur to handle an interviewing process?
How to Create a Retail Enterprise - The success stories of retail empires like Walmart and JC Penney are all too familiar -- everyone is appreciative of the fact that the founders of these retailing giants invested lots of effort and sacrifice to create these household names from scratch. You may have the ambition and passion to create a successful retail enterprise of your own -- what are the factors for success that you should be keen on?
How to Create Customer Enthusiasm - Ensuring that your customers get a memorable shopping experience every time they visit your premises is one of the surest ways of securing repeat business and by extension new business from new customers who've been told about you. What are those things that you should start doing to create customer enthusiasm?
How to Stimulate Innovation within the Organization - While there are a host of external support structures that can be used to kindle innovation within the organization, first develop the organizational capacity innovation from within.
How to Stimulate Innovation Within the Organization - While there are a host of external support structures that can be used to kindle innovation within the organization, it is agreed that the best way forward should first be to develop the organizational capacity innovation from within first.
How to Write an Effective Marketing Plan - The marketing plan is the blueprint by which the entire marketing effort of a business for a year is run. Getting this plan right means that you have to be clear on what will be done and how it will be done. What are these factors that must be considered in creating a marketing plan?
How to Write the Market Analysis Section of a Business Plan - It is from the market analysis chapter of your business plan that the reader will be able to gauge your knowledge and understanding of your target market. What are you supposed to know as you go about writing this chapter?
How to Write the Operations and Production Chapter of a Business Plan - This chapter of the business plan details how the production of a given product or service will be done and the operations that must be accomplished for this to happen. It is a narrative describing what and who is required for production, how and how much of this will be achieved, and what measures will be implemented after production.
Improvements to the Small Business Sector - To improve the small enterprise sector a favorable climate must be created via a number of interventions. The required solutions are not simple applications but the general idea is to minimize the items of policy that tend to favor industries and discriminate against small enterprises.
Maintaining the Entrepreneurial Spirit as the Business Grows - The entrepreneurial sense that defines the nascent organization in its infancy might in some firms start to gradually grow dim as the organization begins to grow and enjoy success. The onus lies with the entrepreneur in as far as finding ways to maintain the entrepreneurial spirit is concerned as it is only by doing so that stagnancy can be avoided.
Managing Cash Flow in a Small Enterprise - While many businesses go under for lack of customers and for a consistent inability to make useful profits, there is a third reason for business downfall that lurks behind the two. This reason is negative cash flow and it is that situation where a business' operation costs are always greater than the payments being received.
Managing Sales Promotion - Just like advertising and personal selling, sales promotion is an important component of a small enterprise's effort to get more customer outreach and sales. This means that equal effort should be invested in managing all the aspects involved in sales promotion to preempt any conceptions of misunderstanding and misuse from being attached to the same.
Marketing Characteristics of Service Businesses - Service-oriented businesses are denoted by distinctive characteristics which in turn elicit the need for a different approach in as far as the marketing effort is concerned. What are these characteristics and how do they make service marketing different from product marketing?
Marketing Information System Basics - It is common and basic knowledge that each business needs to have its own strategy for gathering market information so as to stay abreast with or be ahead of the competition. This calls for the adoption of an effective marketing information system, quite akin to the intelligence machinery of the diplomatic and military corps, but non-clandestine and very socially acceptable.
Marketing Mix Basics - It is with a strategic marketing mix that a business will be able to satisfy the requirements of its target market and retain the ability to achieve its set marketing goals. The said marketing mix, in its design and implementation, is what forms the bulk of the marketing effort.
New Product Development Steps - Before something can be sold there must be something to sell. This remains true regardless of whether this 'something' is a product, a service or a concept. New product development does not happen overnight; it is a stage-wise process.
New Product Image - The successful product is commonly one who's planning and development process was well-rounded from the outset. What are the desirable attributes that must be incorporated into this process to ensure that the end product has a winning image?
Open Bar Coding for Your Retail Business - We all have seen bar codes on all the products we buy from supermarkets and other retail businesses. These products are automatically identified as such through the open bar coding system. What are the benefits that you can accrue by incorporating this system into your own retail business?
Operations Management Issues in a Small Business - Operations management has to do with the small business' creation of value added products in accordance to strict quality control measures and subsequent inventory management. The small business owner has to ensure that the right raw materials are purchased and that the intended products are produced efficiently and effectively. Issues of maintenance also arise here.
Organization and Management Issues for the Small Business - Every member of a given organization is tasked with a number of management functions as part of his or her job description. What are these organizational and management aspects that a small business must incorporate for success?
Organizational Strategies - After deciding on the plan of action for the business the next thing is obviously to determine the manner in which those objectives will be attained. Doing so requires the adoption of an effective organizational strategy for success that will ideally cover all the plans of action required in achieving the set aims and goals.
Organizing for Advertising - Regardless of the resources that a business chooses to use in the creation of its advertising campaigns, the skills required are basically identical. These are in terms of the creativity needed for effective copy writing, the illustrations and the overall layout of an ad, the selection of the appropriate medium/media to use, and the overall managerial skill needed to oversee the entire activity.
Outsourcing Your Business Plan - There are multiple opinions to consider on both sides of the coin whether you are for or against outsourcing a business plan writing service. What are these pros and cons and could they help you rethink your current stance on the matter?
Planning for Business Growth - Once your business is beyond the start-up phase you must start thinking about the next level to which you would want to elevate your operations. How important is business growth and what does this effort entail?
Planning in Business Management - Planning in business management is ideally no more different than what is done for other aspects in life. As a business owner you need to know what you have to achieve in the present and what you want for the business in the future. More than that, you have to know when, how, and who will do what you have in mind.
Presenting Your Business Plan - It is in business plan presentation that the effort that you have invested in compiling the document may bear fruit or become entirely wasted. In addition to ensuring that what you intend to present is of great quality and accuracy, what are the other prerequisites that you have to keep in mind?
Price Setting and Pricing as Part of the Marketing 4Ps - Of all the marketing decisions that a firm has to make, settling on the most appropriate price is perhaps one of the hardest. At all times the firm should endeavor to adopt a pricing strategy that will give the consumer confidence to buy a product/service, and one which will take on the competition effectively while still realizing the set profitability objectives.
Product as an Ingredient of the Marketing 4Ps - The management and marketing aspects of a given product are integrated with the specifications this particular product whether it is a good or a service. A firm offering a product will endeavor to create awareness and consolidate a market for the same.
Product Branding - It is brands that help us identify and distinguish various products and services. The same brands assure us of a similar quality every time we choose to buy the same product/service again. What does product branding entail for a small enterprise?
Product Innovation - To ensure that its operations in the market remain relevant, a small enterprise must have the perpetual ability to satisfy its customers' needs. This can only be achieved if the business' products/services are what the customers require. What then are the reasons that make product innovation so important an issue for small businesses?
Product Lifecycles - Different promotional strategies are required for each of the four stages that a product's lifecycle entails. It is of essence to understand what each of these stages entails so as to get the promotional mix right. What are the promotional strategies to use in each of the said stages?
Product Positioning Strategies - The ability to come up with accurate product positioning strategies on the part of the entrepreneur is a crucial element in the small enterprise's quest for profits. Positioning refers to the effort invested in creating an image for a given product. This image becomes the product's assessment point in relation to competing products as well as other products offered by the same small enterprise.
Product Promotion for Small Enterprise - We often hear talk about the importance of promotion in business as one of those fundamental aspects that must be undertaken if commercial success is to be achieved. What does the promotion activity comprise of and of what use is this activity in pushing the business agenda forward?
Proper Employee Management in Small and Large Enterprises - Small enterprises usually start out as one-man operations but as the business grows the owner finds it imperative to hire extra hands to lighten the workload. How does a business owner get to hire the right persons, what does it take to delegate duties and responsibilities, how best can staff be managed?
Putting Motivation into Practice within the Small Enterprise - Different theories of motivation have been posited by various scholars. What theories will actually work well in the real world of your comapny?
Putting the Clamp on Theft - Businesses are often the victims of customer and employee theft is a fact hardly in contention. In the event that the entrepreneur fails to take appropriate security control measures against inventory theft there could be considerable negative effects not only on the inventory control structure but to the business' overall profitability.
Reasons for New Product Success or Failure - We all know of products that have been launched, some amidst much festivity, but have since gone on to become terrible market flops. Similarly, there are new products whose launches have been equally festive or quite low-key but whose market success has been nothing less of stellar. Why do new products fail or succeed and what factors are responsible for this?
Recruiting the Right Personnel - The task of finding and recruiting the best personnel for a new business outfit is not an easy one. Entrepreneurs who are just starting out face severe limitations in as far as the salaries and benefits they can offer to new employees -- as compared to larger establishments. This means that small businesses have to contend with hiring persons with minimal work experience. How does an entrepreneur find and recruit quality personnel?
Reviewing the Benefits of Small Enterprises to the Economy - Thanks to their unique organizational and economic traits, small enterprises are well placed to bring about positive gradual changes to any economy. It is for this reason that small enterprises must be promoted as a matter of necessity in the implementation of national development plans.
Reward Systems in an Entrepreneurial Organization - Reward systems are a critical fundamental of the entrepreneurial organization. This is because they have the ability to shape the behavior of the employees and the overall organization culture in the same way as the attitude of the business owner can. It is therefore imperative that management look into the organization's various reward systems with an aim to establishing whether these are working for or against the desired enterprising culture.
Sales Forecasting Basics - As an entrepreneur who is just about to start a business venture you need to have a good idea, albeit projected, of what profits to expect. Estimating these profits will require you to first make estimates or forecasts of the sales you expect.
Selecting an Advertising Medium - In selecting an advertising medium certain decisions must be made. Firstly, the general type of medium must be identified. Secondly, the class/category of the media must be chosen. Thirdly, the specific medium must be settled upon. What are the factors that aid in making these three decisions?
Small Business Insurance Basics - The fact that accidents occur when they are least expected should prompt the entrepreneur to secure his/her business with several relevant types of insurance cover. Obtaining these right types of insurance cover begins with an understanding of the business insurance needs i.e. what the probable risks to the business are.
Sources of Financial Assistance - There are different sources of financial assistance for small enterprises and these take the form of institutions that vary in terms of ownership, operations and management. A number of operating handicaps hamper these institutions and small enterprises intending to seek help from them will be prudent to take note.
Staff Motivation - After the entrepreneur has identified and selected the required number of persons to staff the business, the next thing will obviously be to manage this team. Being able to direct the team successfully will largely depend on the entrepreneur's management skills and leadership abilities. What techniques of motivation and management can the business owner summon?
Steps in Buying a Business - Just like the process of starting a business from scratch requires intense prior research and preparation, the decision to buy a business is no less rigorous. What are the steps that a potential business buyer should follow so as to go about this process correctly and successfully?
Strategies For Business Expansion - Every small business owner seeks to one day expand the scope of his/her business interests. What are the different business expansion strategies that one can summon and what do these involve?
Successful Product Launch Planning - Thanks to the dynamics of modern day business the launch of new products and services is an all too common but vital phenomena. Doing this correctly requires the use of a product launch plan or indeed a concept of the same. What are the various stages that must be followed and what do these entail?
The 7 Steps of the Creative Process Used in Spurring Innovation - Innovation is often something academics write about but is hard to put into practice. This article contains seven specific steps to help you spur innovation in your company.
The Art of Crafting an Effective Marketing Strategy - You have already decided on the product or service you will introduce to the market. You have also ascertained what your target market is. How do you go about penetrating this market and reaching the customers? It all has to do with your marketing strategy.
The Enhancement of Organizational Creativity - Organizational creativity does not come by spontaneously but rather it is developed through sustained encouragement. The entrepreneurial manager is the one who sees to it that the organizational environment is befitting for the flourishing of creativity, both within him/her and for the employees as well. Creativity can be enhanced in the same way as innovation.
The Fine Essences of Writing a Business Plan - Writing a business plan is a fundamental requirement by many potential investors. As a potential or established business owner do you know all what is included in this blueprint and how these contents are ordered and articulated?
The Legal Aspects of Sales Contracts - The level of business success that an entrepreneur enjoys is fundamentally tied to the manner in which he/she handles the aspects of buying and selling. More than ever before there is an inherent need for entrepreneurs to understand the legal aspects that control the day to day use of sales contracts.
The Porter's Five Forces Model as a Tool for Business Analysis - The Porter's Five Forces model is a business model that was developed to help entrepreneurs understand the different forces that have an influencing role in their respective industries. With this model the entrepreneurs can not only gauge the viability of their business ideas but they can also design strategies to help them compete effectively in their environments.
Tips for Business Plan Contests - A business plan contest might indeed prove to be the big break you need in launching your business or self-employed career. Having identified a contest in which your chances for success seem to be quite feasible, how do you go about forearming yourself?
Tips for Promoting Your Small Enterprise - As an entrepreneur you should always be thinking of innovative strategies that will keep you a step ahead of your competitors. To be successful in your commercial endeavors you have to adopt some business values that will endear you to both your suppliers and customers.
Training for Entrepreneurs in Developing Countries - It is quite evident that self-employment has yet to be fully advanced as a feasible career alternative for potential young entrepreneurs in developing countries. Poor training structures are partially to blame for the current situation. Are there workable alternatives that can turn these around for the better?
Transfer of Ownership - Entrepreneurs who are just starting out in the business world should be really particular about issues of transfer of ownership as a result of transactions and the subsequent shifting of the risk of loss from the seller to the buyer. Knowing the legality behind these issues is important is business situations that involve damaged or lost merchandise.
Understanding a Contract - Contracts and agreements are sort of a daily staple for entrepreneurs regardless of whether they are formal or informal. It is the complexity and variety of these contracts that makes it prudent for entrepreneurs to at least understand the basics by which they operate.
Understanding and Computing the Cost of Sales - In order for you to make a useful estimation of the profits to expect out of a business activity you need to establish the costs you'll incur in making sales. It is these expenses that are incurred in bringing a product/service to the market that are referred to as the cost of sales.
Understanding Publicity and Public Relations - Of the five components of the promotional mix, publicity and public relations are the two aspects that have remained in least use traditionally. This state of affairs is fast changing and we can all agree that many firms are now becoming quite vocal on various community affairs in both word and deed. More and more business owners and company executives are taking advantage of public relations to offset the effects of negative publicity.
What to Look for in an Entrepreneurial Curriculum - The need to learn more about running a small enterprise may require you to pursue an entrepreneurship course. Do you know what types of institutions can offer you the best entrepreneurial curriculum? Are you sure about the requisite skills and knowledge you should possess at the end of your course?
Why Entrepreneurs Should Lease Space - To many entrepreneurs the leasing option is far much more practical than the decision to buy a property. This is especially so for businesses at the start-up stage which is bedecked by all manner of expenses. What do real property lease agreements involve?

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