Ballroom Dancing – The Handicapped and the Disabled

admin | November 23rd, 2009 - 10:30 am

Dancing is good for your overall health, for weight loss and for mental relaxation. Everyone loves to dance, including those people who just happen to be blind, deaf, missing limbs or confined to a wheelchair. Many groups have formed classes to teach these people ballroom, line dances, jazz ballet and anything else they may want to learn.

The Malta Wheelchair Dancesport Association is one of those groups. Wheelchair dancing had been practiced in parts of the world since the 1970′s but wasn’t started in Malta until 1999. The group holds classes to teach dance to disabled people using a format very similar to that used to teach non-disabled people. The classes are open to people who just want to learn to dance and those who want to dance competitively.

When it comes to the competitive dances there are two groups, Combi (one partner is in a wheelchair the other is not) or Duo (both parties are in wheelchairs). They learn all the Standard Ballroom dances and the Latin American Ballroom dances. For those who are just interested in social dancing they offer courses for line and solo dances.

Wheelchair dancers use their upper bodies and arms to perform the same movements in the same manner as non-disabled dancers. Also, no different from non-disabled dancers, some are good and some aren’t but ALL dance because they love it. The dance classes have the added benefit of teaching both the wheelchair users and their helpers more and better uses of their chairs encouraging them to become more independent

The Gallaudet Dance Company is comprised of about 15 students all of whom are deaf or hard of hearing. Gallaudet is the worlds only accredited Liberal Arts University for the hearing impaired. The dancers rely on many things using their vision and sign language to communicate.

For years hearing people have bought into the theory that the deaf “hear’ by feeling vibrations through the floor. Although that may work when standing still on a surface that will conduct the vibrations it wouldn’t do much good when you are moving, jumping, or standing on a concrete floor. The Gallaudet Dancers practice for hours on end to develop an inner sense of the timing for each dance. This is accomplished in part by watching an instructors counting out the rhythm of the dance. The instructor will give a sign for each step in much the same way hearing dancers will get a vocal count from their instructor.

Deaf and hearing-impaired dance students work had to remain “in time” with or without music. The most important things for teaching these students to dance are a visual count, high quality sound systems and use of sign language.
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Hundreds of viewers watched fascinated as Heather Mills competed for several weeks on Dancing with the Stars with one prosthetic leg. Not only was it difficult to tell which leg it was most of the time but she performed some high difficulty moves that the other dancers didn’t even attempt!

Ballroom Dancing – Ballrooms

admin | November 8th, 2009 - 8:30 pm

There are hundreds of ballrooms in the United States and throughout the world. There has been a renewed interest in holding weddings, and other important occasions in a luxuriant ballroom setting.

The Danceland Ballroom in Cedar Rapids is probably the best-known ballroom in Iowa and in 1957 it was the first ballroom to reach out to the teenage population by booking book the rock and roll band Bill Haley and the Comets. Darlowe Oleson, who owned five ballrooms and was considered Iowa’s premier ballroom operator, owned the Danceland Ballroom, which remained an active ballroom right up until its demolition when it was replaced by the Cedar Rapids Five Seasons Center. .

In Illinois, on Chicago’s fabulous Gold Coast you’ll find the Germania Place, a landmark building that had been designed in 1888 and underwent a complete restoration in 1994. This gorgeous building houses two cavernous ballrooms. The Grand and Royal ballrooms both feature Victorian architecture, 35-foot ceilings, mahogany bars, crystal chandeliers, hardwood floors, 20 foot arched windows and inset, gilded domes. A masterpiece of a stained glass portrait crafted in Germany and first exhibited at the 1893 worlds fair adorns the entrance to the Grand Ballroom. A balcony large enough to accommodate 150 guests overlooks the Grand Ballroom. The Grand ballroom can serve up to 400 guests for dinner, the Royal Ballroom can seat and additional 250 and the two rooms can be combined by opening the set of double doors that separate the two.

In Columbus, Ohio the Grand Valley Dale Ballroom is significant in as much as it is one of the few nationally renowned ballrooms left from the big band era. In the 30′s and 40′s big name entertainers like Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby performed there. The Grand Valley Dale Ballroom has been admitted to the National Register of Historical Places and has been completely renovated. The restoration included the ballroom (which now boasts a 2000 square foot wood dance floor), a circular art deco bar, twin staircases, historic stage with velvet curtains, 13 chandeliers, columns, mezzanines, and a much-sought out bridal parlor among other improvements.

The Charles Ballroom in the Charles hotel in Cambridge has played host to such notables as The Clintons, Barbra Streisand and Gwyneth Paltrow. The hotel is decorated in a minimalist style so the bride and groom are free to design the wedding of their dreams. The 4700 square foot ballroom features dramatic double doors that open to a room with floor to ceiling windows, showcasing an interior courtyard and a view of the Charles River.

The Grand Ballroom in the Copley Plaza Hotel, Boston was opened in 1912 and features Louis XIV style furnishings, crystal chandeliers, and gold leaf accents. The room has a massive dance floor and a stage large enough for an orchestra. It has the capability of holding up to 1,000 people.

The Holiday Villa, Subang, Malaysia is home to the finals for the 2007 World Golfers. The hotel is set on 6.8 acres overlooking a beautiful lake. The Holiday Villa features three ballrooms along with 18 convention and meeting rooms and several sports and recreational facilities.

Free Donut Shop Business Plan

admin | November 8th, 2009 - 1:14 am

Free Donut Shop Business Plan for Loans

Obtaining Business Financing

 

When obtaining a business loan for a donut shop business, it is imperative that you have a properly structured business plan that will assist you in showcasing how you intend to operate your Donut Shop, how the business will operate, how you intend to market the business, the anticipated financial results of your company, and how you intend to repay your debt obligations. This sample loan business plan will provide you with the framework that you need in order to acquire a business loan for starting or expanding this type of business.

 

Executive Summary

 

Introduction

 

When obtaining a business loan for a donut shop, it is imperative that your business plan has a clear and concise executive summary that provides an outline of what are seeking to accomplish, how much capital you are seeking to raise, the management biography of the business owner, and an overview of the anticipated profit and loss statements of the business. Here is an example of how the title paragraph should be written:

 

Donut Shop, Inc. (“the Company”) is seeking a business loan of $100,000 in order to launch the operations of a donut shop business that will be based in San Francisco, California. The Company was founded in (Insert Year). The business was founded by Mr. John Doe.

 

Products and Services

 

In the next segment of the business loan and business planning document, you should showcase the products and services that you will be providing to the general public. For instance:

 

As stated above, Donut Shop, Inc. will specialize in the retail sale of donuts, pastries, and beverages that are commonly found among retail locations that specialize in these products. The business will produce its donuts and pastries on site so that customers are provided with only the freshest products on a daily basis.

 

The third section of the business plan will further discuss the operations and products offered by the Donut Shop.

 

Business Loan Terms

 

Now it is time to discuss the anticipated terms of the business plan that you are seeking. An example paragraph of how this is stated:

 

At this time, Mr. Doe is seeking a conventional business loan in the amount of $100,000. The interest rate, loan terms, and loan covenants are to be determined during negotiation. However, this business plan assumes that the business will receive a seven year business loan with a seven percent interest rate due on the outstanding principal balance.

Management Biography

 

Now that the summary of the business has been provided, it is time to provide a brief overview of the owner of the business. An example paragraph summing up the owner is as follows:

 

Mr. Doe is a highly experienced business person that has years of experience regarding the direct ownership and management of business. He will be able to effectively bring the operations of the Donut Shop to profitability while ensuring that the business loan’s payments and its covenants are met at all times.

Financial Statements

 

The most important thing to your lender when applying for a business loan is how you intend to repay the bank. In this section of the business plan, you should provide an overview of the finance’s of the business discussing the anticipated revenues, expenses, and profits/losses. You can also discuss the applicable collateral within the business plan that will be used to secure your business financing.

 

Expansion Plans

 

One of the most important aspects of your business plan is how you intend to expand the business over a three to five year period. Banks and finance companies always want to see that the business will experience a moderate to strong level of growth. This is especially true in business lending because as your business grows the cash flow that secures your business loan will decrease proportionality against your monthly credit obligations. An example of how this is stated is as follows:

 

The Donut Shop will continue to expand through organic means including increasing the Company’s advertising budget via the reinvestment into the after tax cash flows of the business. Additionally, if the business is highly successful then the Company may seek to establish additional Donut Shop locations after the third year of operations.

 

 

The Financing

 

Use of Business Loan Proceeds

 

In this section of the business plan you should focus on how the proceeds of the business loan will be used. An example of this would be as follows:

 

Donut Establishment – $50,000
Kitchen Equipment and Opening Inventory – $10,000
Working capital – $40,000

 

Management Equity

In this section of the business plan you should discuss the percentage ownership of the business among the owners of the business. For example:

 

Mr. Doe will own 100% of the Donut Shop.

 

Board of Directors

 

When applying for business financing, the bank will also want to know who serves as the board of directors. For small businesses, usually the owner serves as the director of the business. An example of how this is worded:

 

Mr. Doe will be the sole director of Donut Shop, Inc.

 

Exit Strategy

 

Any bank or financing company is also going to want to know what you intend to do with the business over a set period of time. Many business owners will develop and expand a business with the intent to sell the company to a third party at a later time. When drafting this part of the business plan you should focus on what you intentions are in regards to potentially selling the business. This is often worded as:

 

Mr. Doe would most likely sell the Donut Shop to a third party for a significant earnings multiple. Donut Shops usually sell for approximately one to three times earnings given the financial strength of the business. In this event, the business would be sold by a business broker and the business loan sought in this plan would be repaid according to the covenants of the business loan agreement.

 

Products and Services

 

When developing a business plan that is appropriate for obtaining a business loan or other business credit facility you need to clearly showcase the services or products that you will be offering to the general public. An example of how this section is worded goes as follows:

 

The Donut Shop will pride itself on only providing the freshest donuts to the general public of San Francisco. The business will sell a wide variety of donuts, pastries, and beverages (including coffee and teas) that will generate substantial gross margins for the business. As stated in the executive summary, all donut and pastry products will be produced on a daily basis directly within the Company’s location.

 

Industry and Market Analysis

 

The Current State of the Economy

 

It is important to let your financial institution know that you are well apprised of the financial situation of the general economy when you are applying for a business loan. This is especially true in today’s environment where lending has become more difficult and will remain more difficult in the foreseeable future. Specifically, you should gear this section of the business plan analysis towards the industry that you are operating within. For example:

 

The current economy has remained difficult over the past few years. However, Donut Shops tend to operate with a strong degree of economic stability as the low pricing point of the Company’s products coupled with the fact that many people need a quick sugar fix will allow the business to remain profitable and cash flow positive at all times despite the difficulties in the economy.

 

The Donut Shop Industry

 

In addition to providing your business loan officer with an understanding of the general economy, it is important that you showcase that you have an equal understanding of the industry in which you are operating within. As such, you will need to provide you business loan institution of a brief overview of your industry and any potential changes that may affect the way that your company does business. An example of how an industry overview is as follows:

 

Around the country, there are more than 8,000 businesses that specialize in the sale of pastries and donuts that operate one or more retail locations within the United States. This is a mature industry and the expected growth rate is expected to remain on par with that of the general economy. In each of the last five years, the industry has generated more than $3.5 billion dollars while providing employment to more than 80,000 people.

 

 

 

Target Market

 

In this section of the business loan application and business plan analysis, you should focus on the demographics of your localized market (or national market if applicable). This section should discuss how many people live in your area, the anticipated number of people that would require the use of Donut Shops, the median household income of people living in the area, poverty line statistics, and any applicable laws that would apply to your operation of Donut Shops.

 

Competition

 

Many people that are developing new businesses or expanding existing businesses often feel that their business does not have any competition or limited competition at best. However, this is almost never the case. Unless you have re-invented the wheel – you will have competition. When applying for a business loan, you should clearly showcase your competition in your business plan. This is especially important to your banker as they will be able to gauge your ability to be successful in your targeted market. Many business loan underwriters will aggressively confirm that competitive nature of your local market and your local industry.

 

When drafting this section of the plan you should heavily discuss the competitive advantages that you intend to have over your competition.

 

Marketing Plan

 

In addition to all of the above information that we have covered, your business loan officer is also going to want to know how you intend to market your business to the general public. Most people do not quite understand how to effectively market their business outside of prominent signage or flyer distribution. When applying for a business loan (again in this difficult lending climate), your banker is going to want to see that you have a clear methodology of how you intend to market your services or products to the general public. In this section of the business plan – we will overview how to showcase your services/products to the general public.

 

Marketing Overview Example

 

The Donut Shop will place prominent signage on the facility to draw a significant amount of foot traffic.
The business will maintain listings in the Yellow Books.
The Donut Shop will also maintain an internet website that showcases the Company’s operations, hours of operation, and relevant contact information.

 

Marketing Strategies Overview

Additionally, you will be required to further drill down (in your business plan) how you intend to implement your strategies when you launch or expand your business’s operations. In this section of the business loan and business plan documents, you should amplify the bullet points from the section above. For instance:

 

The Donut Shop intends to use a number of strategies that will create instant traffic and customer flow to the Company’s location. These strategies include not only using prominent facility and road signage, but also distributing flyers to people that fall into he Company’s targeted demographics. The business will also regularly take out advertisements in localized newspapers that showcase the Company’s hours of operations, the donuts and pastries offered by the business, and specials that are occurring within the store on a regular basis.

 

The business will also maintain a highly informative website that showcases the Donut Shop, its hours of operation, product listing information, and other relevant information in regards to the Company’s pastry and donut products. This website will be listed on major search engines such as Google as many people now use the internet to locate local businesses. The business will also develop ongoing relationships with caterers and local offices for regular delivery of donuts, pastries, and coffee to their locations.

 

The Financial Plan

 

Beyond any other part of your business loan application or business plan, the financials section of these documents are what matters most when applying for a business loan or any other type of credit facility. Ultimately, this section of the business plan showcases not only what your anticipated profitability will be, but also how you intend to repay the funds that you have borrowed through your business financing facility. An example of how this section is structure is as follows:

 

Assumptions

 

Donut Shop, Inc. will have an average annual growth rate of 10% per year.
Mr. Doe will acquire $100,000 through a business loan in order to launch the operations of the business.

 

Proforma Financials for a Business Loan

 

Now it is time to showcase how you intend to repay your loan, generate a profit, and increase the book value of your business over a three to five year period. BusinessPlansForLoan.com has developed an easy to use financial model that you can use when drafting out the financial model for your business plan and business loan application. Through your business loan application, you will be required to have the following:

 

Profit and Loss Statement for your Donut Shop
Cash Flow Analysis for the Donut Shop
Balance Sheet for the Donut Shop
Business Loan Amortization Tables

BusinessPlansForLoan.com is a specialty website that provides content that focuses on the needs of people seeking business loans for new and existing businesses. We encourage you to visit our website if you are seeking a Business Plan for a Loan .

Free Dry Cleaner Business Plan

admin | November 1st, 2009 - 11:04 am

Free Dry Cleaner Business Plan for Loans

Obtaining Business Financing

 

When obtaining a business loan for a dry cleaning business, it is imperative that you have a properly structured business plan that will assist you in showcasing how you intend to operate your Dry Cleaner, how the business will operate, how you intend to market the business, the anticipated financial results of your company, and how you intend to repay your debt obligations. This sample loan business plan will provide you with the framework that you need in order to acquire a business loan for starting or expanding this type of business.

 

Executive Summary

 

Introduction

 

When obtaining a business loan for a dry cleaner, it is imperative that your business plan has a clear and concise executive summary that provides an outline of what are seeking to accomplish, how much capital you are seeking to raise, the management biography of the business owner, and an overview of the anticipated profit and loss statements of the business. Here is an example of how the title paragraph should be written:

 

Dry Cleaner, Inc. (“the Company”) is seeking a business loan of $100,000 in order to launch the operations of a dry cleaning business that will be based in San Francisco, California. The Company was founded in (Insert Year). The business was founded by Mr. John Doe.

 

Products and Services

 

In the next segment of the business loan and business planning document, you should showcase the products and services that you will be providing to the general public. For instance:

 

The Dry Cleaner will provide the outsourced cleaning of clothes to the general public and to other dry cleaners that solely operate in a drop store capacity. The business will generate substantial revenues from these services. In regards to maintaining a competitive advantage, the business will provide regular drop off and delivery of clothes that need to be dry cleaned on a regular basis to residents within the Company’s targeted market of San Francisco, California.

 

Business Loan Terms

 

Now it is time to discuss the anticipated terms of the business plan that you are seeking. An example paragraph of how this is stated:

 

At this time, Mr. Doe is seeking a conventional business loan in the amount of $100,000. The interest rate, loan terms, and loan covenants are to be determined during negotiation. However, this business plan assumes that the business will receive a seven year business loan with a seven percent interest rate due on the outstanding principal balance.

Management Biography

 

Now that the summary of the business has been provided, it is time to provide a brief overview of the owner of the business. An example paragraph summing up the owner is as follows:

 

Mr. Doe is a highly experienced business person that has years of experience regarding the direct ownership and management of business. He will be able to effectively bring the operations of the Dry Cleaner to profitability while ensuring that the business loan’s payments and its covenants are met at all times.

Financial Statements

 

The most important thing to your lender when applying for a business loan is how you intend to repay the bank. In this section of the business plan, you should provide an overview of the finance’s of the business discussing the anticipated revenues, expenses, and profits/losses. You can also discuss the applicable collateral within the business plan that will be used to secure your business financing.

 

Expansion Plans

 

One of the most important aspects of your business plan is how you intend to expand the business over a three to five year period. Banks and finance companies always want to see that the business will experience a moderate to strong level of growth. This is especially true in business lending because as your business grows the cash flow that secures your business loan will decrease proportionality against your monthly credit obligations. An example of how this is stated is as follows:

 

The Dry Cleaner will continue to expand through organic means including increasing the Company’s advertising budget via the reinvestment into the after tax cash flows of the business. Additionally, if the business is highly successful then the Company may seek to establish additional Dry Cleaner locations after the third year of operations.

 

 

The Financing

 

Use of Business Loan Proceeds

 

In this section of the business plan you should focus on how the proceeds of the business loan will be used. An example of this would be as follows:

 

Dry Cleaner Establishment – $50,000
Dry Cleaning Equipment – $10,000
Working capital – $40,000

 

Management Equity

In this section of the business plan you should discuss the percentage ownership of the business among the owners of the business. For example:

 

Mr. Doe will own 100% of the Dry Cleaner.

 

Board of Directors

 

When applying for business financing, the bank will also want to know who serves as the board of directors. For small businesses, usually the owner serves as the director of the business. An example of how this is worded:

 

Mr. Doe will be the sole director of Dry Cleaner, Inc.

 

Exit Strategy

 

Any bank or financing company is also going to want to know what you intend to do with the business over a set period of time. Many business owners will develop and expand a business with the intent to sell the company to a third party at a later time. When drafting this part of the business plan you should focus on what you intentions are in regards to potentially selling the business. This is often worded as:

 

Mr. Doe would most likely sell the Dry Cleaner to a third party for a significant earnings multiple. Dry Cleaners usually sell for approximately one to three times earnings given the financial strength of the business. In this event, the business would be sold by a business broker and the business loan sought in this plan would be repaid according to the covenants of the business loan agreement.

 

Products and Services

 

When developing a business plan that is appropriate for obtaining a business loan or other business credit facility you need to clearly showcase the services or products that you will be offering to the general public. An example of how this section is worded goes as follows:

 

As stated in the executive summary, the Dry Cleaner will primarily generate its revenues from the ongoing dry cleaning services offered to the general public through its retail location in San Francisco. All clothes will be dry cleaned on site and the business intends to have an onsite dry cleaning plant. This will allow the business tremendous pricing flexibility as the business can effectively control its underlying costs.

 

Additionally, the business will provide outsourced dry cleaning services to San Francisco area dry cleaners that  only operate in a drop store capacity.

 

 

Industry and Market Analysis

 

The Current State of the Economy

 

It is important to let your financial institution know that you are well apprised of the financial situation of the general economy when you are applying for a business loan. This is especially true in today’s environment where lending has become more difficult and will remain more difficult in the foreseeable future. Specifically, you should gear this section of the business plan analysis towards the industry that you are operating within. For example:

 

The current economy has remained difficult over the past few years. However, people that are employed in offices will always require dry cleaning services. As such, the Dry Cleaner will be able to remain profitable and cash flow positive despite any deleterious changes in the economy. Additionally, the business generates substantial gross margins from its services and as such – the Dry Cleaner will be able to service its debt obligations in any economic environment.

 

The Dry Cleaner Industry

 

In addition to providing your business loan officer with an understanding of the general economy, it is important that you showcase that you have an equal understanding of the industry in which you are operating within. As such, you will need to provide you business loan institution of a brief overview of your industry and any potential changes that may affect the way that your company does business. An example of how an industry overview is as follows:

 

Within the United States, there are approximately 13,000 businesses that operate one or more dry cleaning locations. Each year, these businesses generate more than $4 billion of revenues while providing jobs to more than 50,000 people. In each of the last five years, aggregate payrolls have exceeded $800 million.

 

 

 

Target Market

 

In this section of the business loan application and business plan analysis, you should focus on the demographics of your localized market (or national market if applicable). This section should discuss how many people live in your area, the anticipated number of people that would require the use of Dry Cleaners, the median household income of people living in the area, poverty line statistics, and any applicable laws that would apply to your operation of Dry Cleaners.

 

Competition

 

Many people that are developing new businesses or expanding existing businesses often feel that their business does not have any competition or limited competition at best. However, this is almost never the case. Unless you have re-invented the wheel – you will have competition. When applying for a business loan, you should clearly showcase your competition in your business plan. This is especially important to your banker as they will be able to gauge your ability to be successful in your targeted market. Many business loan underwriters will aggressively confirm that competitive nature of your local market and your local industry.

 

When drafting this section of the plan you should heavily discuss the competitive advantages that you intend to have over your competition.

 

Marketing Plan

 

In addition to all of the above information that we have covered, your business loan officer is also going to want to know how you intend to market your business to the general public. Most people do not quite understand how to effectively market their business outside of prominent signage or flyer distribution. When applying for a business loan (again in this difficult lending climate), your banker is going to want to see that you have a clear methodology of how you intend to market your services or products to the general public. In this section of the business plan – we will overview how to showcase your services/products to the general public.

 

Marketing Overview Example

 

The Dry Cleaner will place prominent signage on the facility to draw a significant amount of foot traffic.
The business will maintain listings in the Yellow Books.
The Dry Cleaner will also maintain an internet website that showcases the Company’s operations, hours of operation, and relevant contact information.

 

Marketing Strategies Overview

Additionally, you will be required to further drill down (in your business plan) how you intend to implement your strategies when you launch or expand your business’s operations. In this section of the business loan and business plan documents, you should amplify the bullet points from the section above. For instance:

 

The Dry Cleaner intends to use a number of strategies that will create instant traffic and customer flow to the Company’s location. These strategies include not only using prominent facility and road signage, but also distributing flyers to people that fall into he Company’s targeted demographics. The business will also regularly take out advertisements in localized newspapers that showcase the Company’s hours of operations, dry cleaning services, and specials that are occurring within the store on a regular basis.

 

The business will also maintain a highly informative website that showcases the Dry Cleaner’s services, its hours of operation, service information, and other relevant information in regards to the Company’s services. This website will be listed on major search engines such as Google as many people now use the internet to locate local businesses such as Dry Cleaners.

 

The Financial Plan

 

Beyond any other part of your business loan application or business plan, the financials section of these documents are what matters most when applying for a business loan or any other type of credit facility. Ultimately, this section of the business plan showcases not only what your anticipated profitability will be, but also how you intend to repay the funds that you have borrowed through your business financing facility. An example of how this section is structure is as follows:

 

Assumptions

 

Dry Cleaner, Inc. will have an average annual growth rate of 10% per year.
Mr. Doe will acquire $100,000 through a business loan in order to launch the operations of the business.

 

Proforma Financials for a Business Loan

 

Now it is time to showcase how you intend to repay your loan, generate a profit, and increase the book value of your business over a three to five year period. BusinessPlansForLoan.com has developed an easy to use financial model that you can use when drafting out the financial model for your business plan and business loan application. Through your business loan application, you will be required to have the following:

 

Profit and Loss Statement for your Dry Cleaner.
Cash Flow Analysis for the Dry Cleaner.
Balance Sheet for the Dry Cleaner.
Business Loan Amortization Tables

BusinessPlansForLoan.com is a specialty website that provides content that focuses on the needs of people seeking business loans for new and existing businesses. We encourage you to visit our website if you are seeking a Business Plan for a Loan .