"Melinda Emerson...will inspire you to pursue your own entrepreneurial vision." Marc H. Morial, President, National Urban League Whether you're newly unemployed, sick of office life and longing for a change, or just want to finally turn your business idea into reality, you can follow your dream and make your passion your profession. Drawing on her experience as founder of an award-winning production company, Melinda F. Emerson shows you how in this practical month-by-month guide to getting your business off the ground. Inside, you'll find the timetable and steps you need to take to become a successful CEO of your own venture, including: Month 1: Meet with potential venture capitalists Month 3: Set a one-year marketing budget Month 5: Select a logo Month 9: Purchase customer relationship management software Month 11: Prepare your launch day press release Next year at this time, you could be calling the shots at your dream job. You supply the energy, an idea, and elbow grease and this book will supply the plan.

Author Biography

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady, is one of America's leading small business experts. Her expertise includes small business start-up, business development, and social media marketing. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda develops audio, video, and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. She publishes a resource blog, SucceedAsYourOwnBoss.com, and hosts a weekly talk show on Twitter called #Smallbizchat for emerging entrepreneurs. Forbes magazine named her one of the Top 20 Women for Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter. Melinda has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Black Enterprise. She lives in Drexel Hill, PA.