THE BUSINESS YEAR CALENDAR

It is essential to understand the business year calendar both for opportunities and to develop a marketing plan. Whether you sell software or roses, furniture or greeting cards, the United States business calendar will have an impact on your business routine. The enormous United States market makes it possible to devote your entire business activities around one holiday. Consider a manufacturer of children's Halloween costumes. Although that business is centered around one holiday it is an all year project involving manufacturing, marketing, and sales. There are some organizations that center their annual fundraising around a pumpkin patch to celebrate Halloween or Christmas tree sales for Christmas.

The power of the United States market can be seen from these examples.

While the Gregorian calendar starts on January 1 we prefer to start the United States calendar on the day after Thanksgiving. Please see the section on "Holidays" for the historical meaning of the holidays.

THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING
This day is extremely important to the retail industry. It marks the start of the holiday shopping season. Thanksgiving falls on the last Thursday in November and the retail industry starts the holiday shopping season with a bang the next day. This is the shopper's day in paradise. The energy of celebration and the music of cash registers vibrate through the country. The evening news is filled with predictions from financial experts as to whether it will be a good, bad, or mediocre retail year. The four weeks until Christmas are critical to the retail industry. This is the second busiest shopping day of the year. The Saturday before Christmas is the busiest retail day of the year.

THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS
This day marks the start of the After-Christmas Sales. Merchandise is discounted and retailers are clearing out their inventory. The day after Christmas is a day when retailers are bombarded by exchanges; people exchanging gifts for something they would have preferred to receive.

You should have staff on-hand to attend to these exchanges. It is one thing to have great sales; it is another to lose future sales because of poor service in your exchange system.

NEW YEARS' DAY
This is another excuse for more sales. Many people watch the College Football Bowls (cup finals) on TV while the rest flock to the malls.

SUPER BOWL
The end of January. The Super Bowl is the granddaddy of sports events. It is the one day when many people who hate football will join football enthusiasts in watching the two best football teams battle for supremacy.

This day is a time for Super Bowl parties. Lots of food, drink, and excitement.

Television commercials cost in excess of one million dollars for thirty seconds. All the major corporations preview their new commercials. The new commercials are as big a part of the event as the football game itself. After the game, TV news stations will conduct surveys of "The Favorite Commercials." Everyone takes part in this major sporting event.

FEBRUARY 14- VALENTINE'S DAY
In some countries Valentine's Day is restricted to lovers, to exchange gifts. In the United States everyone participates. Children in schools make Valentine's Day cards for family and friends. They make candy packets and celebrate with gusto. Friends send friends cards. Lovers buy gifts and take weekend getaways. Rose growers who have prayed that their blooms do not open too soon or too late, bring in the big money.

PRESIDENTS DAY
More sales in February.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY
Great for restaurants and bars in March. Make anything with the color green. (Beer to bagels.)

EASTER
More sales, Easter egg hunts.

MOTHER'S DAY
A time for gifts, cards, and the busiest day of the year for the telephone companies. Restaurants are filled and gifts abound. Sales of roses and chocolates are big.

MEMORIAL DAY
Memorial Day marks the start of summer. "Summer", in the American language, lasts from Memorial Day at the end of May through to Labor Day at the beginning of September. Memorial Day is marked with major sales and outdoor picnics.

FATHER'S DAY
A time to celebrate the father image. Like Mother's Day, Father's Day is not only for parents. It includes figures like big brothers. It is a time for gifts. It is a time when fathers are presented with cartoon ties, which their children find delightful, and which fathers are forced to wear out the front door. (They change these ties as soon as they get to work).

HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE GRADUATION
Most high school and college students graduate at the beginning of June. It is a time for dances, hiring of tuxedos and limousines, restaurants, and celebration for high school students and college graduates.

FOURTH OF JULY
The Fourth of July is a time of sales, outdoor barbecues and picnics, and fireworks. It is a time of great pride and a holiday that unites all Americans. Of course, there are sales.

BACK - TO - SCHOOL SALES
During August, students stock up on school supplies and clothing in anticipation of their return to school at the beginning of September.

LABOR DAY
The beginning of September. A time for more sales and the last party of the summer.

HALLOWEEN
The end of October. This is a day for children ages nine days to ninety years. It is a time for dress up, costumes, parties and fantasy. On Halloween night the children own the streets. Flashlights crisscross the sidewalks and, angels and devils appear at doors. Carved pumpkins adorn the porches. Candy is a big seller. If you are a dentist, this is a good time of year for you.

THANKSGIVING
Big sales precede Thanksgiving. People get their homes ready for guests. This is the holiday that unites the United States. This is the busiest period of the year for the airlines. Children return to their parents' homes; brothers and sisters, children and grandchildren reunite. New furniture and household fittings are purchased with the clear understanding that they will arrive before Thanksgiving.

CONCLUSION

This Business Calendar gives you an idea of the business activities of the year. There are sales and events for Columbus Day, Flag Day, Veteran's Day, Secretary's Day, and Boss's Day.

As mentioned earlier, in the section "Government Holidays" you will get an explanation of the history surrounding these holidays and others.

THE CONSUMER IS KING

Consumer rights are very powerful.

Businesses realize the need to keep happy customers in this highly competitive society. People return merchandise weeks after purchasing it, sometimes without receipts.

Many newcomers are astounded at what stores will accept as a return. They know that in their own country a store would never accept those types of returns.

Most retail stores purchase from manufacturers on the clear understanding that they can return anything to the manufacturer that is returned to them by the consumer. The manufacturer realizes that this is the price for doing business. Keep the consumer happy and you keep the retailer happy. If you enter the retail or manufacturing industry, become totally familiar with what is an acceptable "return" in the American business culture.

MORE ON STARTING, BUYING AND DOING BUSINESS

Starting a Business

The benefit in starting your own business is that there is no need to pay someone goodwill. The disadvantage of starting your own business is that you are in a foreign environment and the rules which pertain to that business in a foreign country are not necessarily the same in the United States. If you intend starting a business, it is essential to get as much information as possible before doing so. There are many business associations in most major centers that are extremely helpful. The Chamber of Commerce, (www.chamberofcommerce.com), development corporations, and trade associations will also provide you with assistance.

Buying a Business

Use a reputable business broker and get professional advice from attorneys and accountants.

In deciding how much to pay for an ongoing business, consider its profit potential. Tangible assets such as equipment and inventory may be important to you, but only to the extent that they contribute to future profits. If the seller is asking for a large sum for the goodwill, ensure that it will add to your future profits. Also determine and assess precisely the cost of any liabilities you will be expected to assume. Get it all in writing.

To estimate future profits, begin by analyzing the present owner's balance sheets and profit and loss statements. Many businesses have inadequate or no records, but all should have copies of their income tax returns.

Another source of sales information are the sales tax returns. Sometimes even these are lacking or more likely are very suspicious. Insist on seeing accurate records. If you are serious about purchasing a particular business, consider making a deposit subject to receiving accurate business records.

"How-to-do-Business"

There are many manuals available on different aspects of doing business in the United States and there are even specific manuals on how to run particular types of businesses. Entrepreneur, (www.entrepreneur.com) a California based operation, provides manuals for hundreds of different businesses. The manuals are extremely inexpensive, and are very informative.

The Small Business Administration, the SBA, (www.sba.gov) is an independent government agency whose sole purpose is to help small business. This agency, through it's many field offices, offers financial and management assistance, aid in obtaining government contracts, counseling services, and many publications covering successful practices in every small business field. Much of this is available for only a small processing fee.

You will find the SBA has a variety of pamphlets and booklets written by recognized authorities in their field. They cover topics such as financial management and analysis, marketing, legal and governmental affairs, and personnel management.

FRANCHISES

What Is Franchising?

Franchising is a method of distributing products or services. At least two levels of people are involved in the franchise system:

(1) the franchiser, who lends his trademark or trade name and a business system; and

(2) the franchisee, who pays a royalty and often an initial fee for the right to do business under the franchiser's name and system.

Technically, the contract binding the two parties is the "franchise," but that term is often used to mean the actual business that the franchisee operates.
The idea of franchising was introduced into the United States over one hundred years ago by the Singer Sewing Machine Company. In the mid 1950's an ice cream machine vendor, Ray Krock, who was in his mid-fifties developed the franchise concept of McDonald's hamburgers. Franchising has never been the same since. Franchising has crept into virtually every type of business and some of the professions. For the newcomer franchising can provide a helpful alternative to going it alone.

A franchise may pose a problem for people considering an intracompany transfer. Discuss this issue with an Immigration attorney.

The franchisee enters the market place with an immediate identity and recognition. The franchisee gets assistance with marketing strategies and plans, operating procedures, quality standards and control, and the benefits of regional and national advertising. Unfortunately, the economic landscape is littered with the wreckage of unsuccessful franchises.

The Federal Trade Commission introduced a rule known as Disclosure Requirements and Prohibitions Concerning Franchising and Business Opportunity Ventures. The rule was adopted in response to unfair and deceptive practices connected with the sale of franchises. The Federal Trade Commission rule requires franchisers to prepare and give prospective franchisees a disclosure document which lists information on many subjects.

In addition to examining the disclosure document thoroughly, the prospective franchisee should also conduct a personal investigation. Pay particularly close attention to the experience of the franchisor, the length of time they have been in business, the success of the company in general, and of the franchise units, in particular. Check these factors against yearly trends to determine the fastest growing and the most consistent franchises in terms of sales. Talk with present owners of franchises and get their reactions to the company and the business. Find out if the company has a good reputation and is financially sound. The International Franchising Association, IFA, www.franchise.org has excellent information on what to look for before investing in a franchise.

Entrepreneur Magazine publishes information on many different types of franchises and is an interesting source for comparison.

A Consumer Guide to Buying a Franchise can be downloaded from "E-Books".