Free guide to small-business terminology

“You Inc, therefore you are.”

Here’s a little marketing tip from a longtime editor: if your business slogan parodies a famous quote, alter the quote as little as possible. A Michigan-based consulting business called CompanyCrafters uses the above line, and I think it would be more faithful to Rene Descartes, and more effective, by saying “I Inc, therefore I am.”

Nonetheless, CompanyCrafters has a cool new product you should know about. They've just published a free, 45-page PDF guide to small-business terms and phrases. It’s called the Entrepreneur’s Dictionary: A Guide to Start-up Business Terms for Non-MBAs.

It’s mostly financial terms (think amortization, merchant account, zero-coupon), but who doesn’t need help with those? And there are lots of other definitions of useful, if sometimes random, business-related terms: mission statement (you wouldn't believe how many people are confused on that one), minute book, product management, value chain, etc.

It’s well worth looking at, or downloading to your computer, by clicking here.

One complaint: Given the general lack of understanding of PR by entrepreneurs, I was disappointed (if a bit amused) by the guide’s definition of public relations – n : “often referred to by its abbreviation, PR.”

Descartes might appreciate that solid logic, but it sounds unfinished to me.