YesFront.jpg (65217 bytes) August 2003

YES, WE'RE OPEN

ISBN 1929976-24-0, Trade Paperback,

$19.95 160 pages

Yes, We're Open is a How-Not-To-Do-It book designed to help small business owners avoid the many pitfalls in running a small business. Written to be an entertaining as well as an informative read, attorney William Manchee shares his experiences representing small business owners for over 25 years. Yes, We're Open focuses on the causes of small business failure and how to defend the troubled business while taking the necessary steps to turn it around.

Who should read Yes, We're Open?

Yes, We're Open is a must for anyone struggling to keep a small business alive. It will also be very valuable to anyone who owns a small business, is thinking about starting a new business, or has been asked to invest in one.

Is your small business in trouble?

Yes, We're Open provides practical advice on what to do when you realizes your small business is in trouble. Don’t give up! You may still be able to turn your business around and make it thrive.

Thinking about starting a business?

Setting up a new business correctly is important to its ultimate success. Yes, We're Open will provide you with dozens of examples of how small businesses have been poorly set up and the consequences they suffered as a result. It will also suggest ways to start your business on a sound footing and operate it effectively.

Want to better understand the small business owner?

In Yes, We're Open, Attorney William Manchee shares his insights acquired over the past twenty-five years representing hundreds of small business owners in a myriad of situations. Learn valuable lessons through dozens of stories inspired by actual cases from the past.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION...........................................................3

WHY SMALL BUSINESSES FAIL...........................................7

Doomed from Day One.....................................9

Looting......................................................12

Suffocation.................................................19

Starting On A Shoe String................................22

Giving It Away............................................26

The Credit Conspiracy...................................31

Greedy Lenders...........................................37

Theft and Embezzlement................................45

Competition...............................................50

Misfortune.................................................54

Larger Forces.............................................58

FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL..............................................63

It’s Not As Bad As It Looks...............................65

Uncle Sam, the Sleeping Giant.........................69

Dealing With An Angry Revenue Officer..............72

State and Local Taxes...................................78

When The Constable Knocks...........................81

Bankruptcy: Friend or Foe?............................87

Loan Consolidations & Workouts......................94

Employees—Double Trouble...........................99

TURNING IT AROUND................................................101

Getting An Attorney...................................103

Form of Business.......................................107

Accounting and Bookkeeping.........................109

Changing Your Ways...................................115

Funding the Turnaround...............................118

Dealing with Depression..............................122

CASE STUDIES.......................................................127

Greenbrier Cleaners .................................127

Holiday Market........................................133

TJ Handbag & Belt....................................137

CONCLUSION.......................................................140

INDEX...............................................................141

GLOSSARY..........................................................144