qprev_HBB Manual 2.qxd - Small Business BC

5Will You Make Money?Custom Business Systems Ltd.By Dorothy BrothertonOne way to make money is to print your owncheques.. Sound illegal? Not to Jan Gammie ofPrince George, a former Yukoner with experiencein the clerical support side of gold mining.She found a niche to mine gold right from herown home.Custom Business Systems Ltd. produces blankmanual and laser cheques. These display all theinformation of a regular bank cheque but cost10 to 30 per cent less than current bank chargesfor the service.“We use accounting packages to produce lasercheques. We take time to ensure our cheques arecompatible with a client’s software and printers.We can scan in a logo as well,” explains Jan.She tests ink on the bank information to ensure itmeets Banking and Payments Associationstandards. “You just can’t scrawl any old thingon a piece of paper and call it a cheque,” saysJan.All kinds of equipment line up in Jan’s den-cumbusinessoffice. Churning out cheques are twocomputers, two laser printers, one laser colourprinter, a scanner, and testing equipment.Cheques are delivered to clients within 48 hours,but orders can be filled within a few hoursif necessary.Jan’s partner is her old business collegeinstructor, Pat Norris. “I truly would have beenlost without her,” says Jan. “She has taught meeverything I know about computers andprograms. She was also a great confidencebuilder when at times I found myself at my wits’end.”As electronic payments replace manual cheques,the partners are diversifying their business tocreate other custom-designed items such asinvoices, statements and business cards.Like any business, a home-based operation mustmake money to survive. But just how much willyou need to get started? Where will this moneycome from? How much cash must flow througheach month to keep the bills paid? And howmuch do you need to charge to make a profit?These topics are tackled in this chapter.Of course, many new entrepreneurs have littleaccounting background and may shy away frommaking sales forecasts or calculating net worth.If you are one of them, grab your favouritebeverage and set aside enough time to workthrough this section slowly. It will pay you to doso. Even if you won’t be doing your own books,you need to know what all the numbers mean inyour financial statements. You don’t need specialmath ability or a head for numbers – just thepatience to learn some new concepts. Don’t try toget everything clear on your first read. Learnwhat’s here and return when you need it. Muchof it will become clearer as your first yearunfolds.solutions for small business home-based business 69