Get the business

Here’s where you get to scare yourself with a brainstorm of all the things that could devastate your business. Be creative but realistic and stick to major themes rather than small details. The biggest issue for one man bands is the loss of the person running the business. This could be in the short or long-term through illness or accident. The early death of the owner also needs to be planned for, so their next of kin knows what to do with the business (sell it or shut it down?). There are rules concerning dissolving limited companies, and of course outstanding bills need to be paid. If you lost your home or premises, where would you work? If all of your paperwork was destroyed in a fire, would you know essential details? Do you keep all of your business’s data on a single computer – and have you considered how you’d get the data back if something happened to it? If you do backup, is it automatically done daily offsite? On a less disastrous scale, do you have a key employee or client that you rely heavily on? What happens if they go? Is there a piece of technology or equipment that generates most of your revenue, which could take six weeks to replace.

When you’ve finished your brainstorm, there will be some things that need immediate attention. Just realised your data isn’t being backed up? Then fix it immediately – you can get an online backup for just a few pounds a month.

It has to be a key priority to get these things done immediately. Anything which can damage your business but is easily dealt with should be got rid of as soon as possible.

Business plan

The starting point for any business plan should be from the perspective of the audience. What is the purpose of the plan? Is it to secure funding? Is it to communicate the future plans for the company? The writer should tailor the plan for different audiences, as they will each have very specific requirements. For example, a potential investor will seek clear explanations detailing the proposed return on their investment and time frames for getting their money back.The recent Dragons’ Den series on BBC 2 reiterated the importance prospective investors place on knowledge of the market and the need for entrepreneurs to thoroughly research their market. The entrepreneur should undertake market research and ensure that the plan includes reference to the market size, its predicted growth path and how they will gain access to this market. A plan for an Internet café will consider the local population, Internet penetration rates, predictions about whether it is likely to grow or decline, etc., concluding with a review of the competitive environment.Make the plan concise, but include enough detail to ensure the reader has sufficient information to make informed decisions. Given that the plan’s writer usually has a significant role to play in the running of the business, the plan should reflect a sense of professionalism, with no spelling mistakes, realistic assumptions, credible projections and accurate content. The writer should also consider the format of the plan, e.g., if a presentation is required, a back-up PowerPoint presentation should be created.The numbers will be subject to particular scrutiny. Costs should be documented in full and sales predictions should be both conservative and realistic. While costs are more certain and predictable, a crucial factor in the success or failure of the business will be the level of sales. If you are not particularly comfortable with maths, have someone assist you in preparing a simple cash flow and break even chart. This will help the reader understand how many sales you must make to cover your costs, and also how much financing you must raise to start up successfully. Remember, at the beginning, there are a lot of start-up expenses in a period of uncertain sales volumes. If sales are on credit (including via credit card) it may take up to 4 weeks for you to receive the cash.

The Primary Chequing account

The Primary Chequing account is ideal for day-to-day banking needs like withdrawals, bill payments, transfers, account history inquiries and more.Your Primary Chequing account is linked to an Everyday Banking Plan. You can save money by choosing the Banking Plan that best fits your needs. If you maintain the minimum monthly balance for your Plan, you pay no monthly fee. In addition, you can add multiple accounts to your Banking Plan.Pay no monthly fee if you maintain the minimum monthly balance for your Plan.Available in Canadian or U.S. dollars².Comes with cheque writing privileges.Get one monthly statement – combine all of your personal accounts on one detailed monthly statement and pay no additional fees.Choose cheque safekeeping or cheque return (free with some Plans).Add overdraft protection (subject to qualification).

BMO Term Investments

Every month, you will receive one consolidated monthly statement that includes details of your BMO Mutual Funds, BMO Term Investments and BMO Bank of Montreal Personal Accounts that you choose to include in your BMO Account Tracker statement:
A detailed view of your BMO Bank of Montreal Personal Account balances and transactions.Monthly investment reporting for BMO Mutual Funds and BMO Term Investments accounts. The support of a Financial Services Manager who can answer your questions and make investment recommendations.Online access to your BMO Account Tracker account information and the option to purchase BMO Mutual Funds and BMO Term Investments online.

There's no need to make any changes to your existing accounts. You can include any of the following accounts in your BMO Account Tracker statement:Canadian and U.S. dollar chequing and savings accounts.Canadian and U.S. dollar non-registered BMO Mutual Funds and BMO Term Investments.Registered BMO Mutual Funds and BMO Term Investments including RRSPs, RRIFs, LIRAs, LRIFs and LIFs.BMO Intuition RESPs.Personal loan balances.

For greater convenience, include other people's Accounts with your monthly statement, such as your spouse, children or parents. To do this, you and the other Account holder(s) must provide the necessary authorization when you visit your branch to enrol in BMO Account Tracker.

Student Line of Credit from BMO Bank of Montreal

A Student Line of Credit from BMO Bank of Montreal gives you access to the money you need, when you need it. Use it to pay for tuition, books, living expenses and other unexpected costs. Unlike a traditional loan, once your BMO Student Line of Credit is approved, you can: Apply for up to the full amount required for program at the time of initial application to a maximum of $45,000 Borrow up to $15,000 in your first year and $10,000 in each remaining year to a maximum of $45,000 Make interest only payments on the amount you actually use Access funds you need, when you need them, as many times as you want (up to your maximum credit limit) Gain easy access to your Student Line of Credit through a FirstBank® Card or your Student Line of Credit MasterCard, by writing a cheque or by visiting any BMO Bank of Montreal branch Make monthly interest-only payments up to one year after you leave school Plus there’s no annual or monthly fees.
Get exclusive discounts at thousands of Student Price Card retailers nationwide for NO ADDED FEE. It’s like two great cards rolled into one. BMO Mosaik MasterCard knows that not all students are the same. That’s why we offer the BMO SPC Mosaik MasterCard – a card you can customize to suit your style. And as you build your credit record², you can add or change your credit card features easily at any time

Money in Bank Ladder

The Money in the Bank ladder match is a ladder match exclusive to World Wrestling Entertainment's WrestleMania pay-per-view with the premise of the winner receiving a contract for a match for the WWE, World Heavyweight, or ECW Championship at a time and place of their choosing within one year of winning the match. The briefcase is suspended as the standard in an otherwise typical ladder match.

The winner holds onto the briefcase until they cash in their title shot, can appear on any of the three shows (to allow the briefcase holder the chance to cash in and try to win any of the three World Titles), and typically brings it with them to subsequent matches, sometimes using it as a weapon. The Money in the Bank is represented by a briefcase in the same way that championships are represented by title belts and as such it can be defended in matches (ladder or not) in the same way a championship would be.

The Money in the Bank ladder match has been held at WrestleMania since its inception in 2005 at WrestleMania 21. The 2005 and 2006 Money in the Bank ladder matches featured six participants. For the 2007 and later matches the field was increased to eight participants however the 2008 match had seven due to a suspended Jeff Hardy being removed from the match.