Once you set up your small business it is not enough to simply sit back and wait for clients to come to you. In order to keep the business viable and successful, you must focus your attention on its overall operation and growth. This is where a Business Plan can help.

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Setting up and Reviewing Your Business Plan

The first process in developing a business plan is strategic planning. The process of developing and updating your plan has many advantages.

• It helps to clarify your thinking about your vision and mission.
• It gives you a plan that is tailored to you, your personality, and your situation.
• It helps you to take the best advantage of your skills and interest.

Your initial business plan should include the following elements:

• Title Page
• Executive Summary
• Business Description
• Management
• Marketing Strategy

Strategic planning is a process that an established business uses to review all areas and to plan for the future, both short term and long term. The initial business plan can be used as a starting point for the review and planning process, particularly in the early years of operation, and some of the same thought processes are involved in both.

Your Mission and Vision Statements

One of the most basic elements of your business is a mission statement. The mission statement is a sentence (or two or three) that sums up the essence of your business-what products or services you aim to provide, who the customers are and what value your business can offer to them, how your business distinguishes itself for the competition, and what values you hope to embody in your business.

A vision statement is usually more far-reaching; it is based on your mission statement and relates to the outcome you envision. Your vision statement sums up the impact you imagine you will have through your business. The statement is intended to inspire anyone who hears or sees it.  Through the course, “Business Skills: Business Administration” you will identify the various elements in creating your business plan, mission and vision statement.

When, why, and how to grow your genealogy business are important questions to tackle. These questions may always be in the back of your mind, but unless you formally address them periodically, you may never take the necessary actions, or you may find your business growing in a way you do not like or are not prepared for. Some small business owners are content, and rightly so, with the size of their business, which suits them perfectly. Growing your business is not a requirement.

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The bigger your business, the less personally involved you can be in all of its operations. Thus, a bigger business requires different ways of doing things, more structure, and organization.  As you grow your business consider:

• creating a team  that can  give you valuable advice
• hiring an assistant
• committing to a growth strategy

Following good business administration practices as shown throughout the course, Business Skills: Business Administration will help you maintain an awareness of just where you stand and help you reach your goals.

Creation of Vital Records in the United States 

In order to understand where vital records can be found and what they can tell you about your ancestor, it’s important to understand a little history of these records. 

Birth Records 

Birth  records were slow to be brought into compliance within the states.  Some states were very slow to adopt the statewide recording for vital records.  Georgia and New Mexico were the last two states to adopt a statewide policy in  1919.  However, Texas took until 1933, to meet the 90% (of records being recorded) completeness standard.  

The  earliest birth records reflected the child’s name; that is if the child was named at the time of birth. It will include the names of the parents and the date of the child’s birth. It might also ask where the parent was born. If a baptismal record is located it will state the date of baptism in the church record, not the date of birth.

Marriage Records 

Marriage records are kept by the county in which the ceremony took place and typically by the state as well. If you have a copy of a marriage license application, note the questions answered. Consult the Red Book, found on the RootsWeb Wiki  for years when marriage records were kept by the county and state your ancestor lived in.

Used with permission Angela Rodesky

Divorce Records 

Some people feel that divorce records are a vital record but they are really a court record. However, they usually do contain vital record information that would be considered reliable, but in need of documentation. When doing family history research, this record should not be ignored as it might lead you to further research opportunities.

They Aren’t Perfect 

Are vital records perfect? No, realize that people can falsify records on purpose, as well as by accident. There are many reasons for having incorrect information on birth, marriage, and death records. What reasons would there be for incorrect information?  

• A distraught spouse will respond incorrectly to a question; such as, “mother’s maiden name” either because they are guessing or just confused.  
• A respondent may fail to fill-in “all of the blanks.” 
• The clerk wrote the information incorrectly. 

It’s also very important to remember spelling does NOT count before about 1910! Think up every possible way one can spell a surname and use those variations when you search online databases.  

With our United States: Vital Records course you will learn more ways to view and access these vital records and more. Learn more about the course and register on our website. 

Understanding & Using US Vital Records  

Vital records are the most important documents needed as you begin to prove your family lineage. It is necessary to know when vital records started for the researcher’s place of interest because not every state began keeping records at the same time. The records created in the last century can provide detailed information about a person. Whether a birth, marriage or death record, all ask for the full name; date and place of birth; parents’ names; and in some instances, even more in-depth information about the person.

Used with permission Angela Rodesky

Most states were not instantly compliant in collecting vital record information. Many took years to come into compliance. Just because they started keeping records in 1910 does not mean they kept ALL records. Nor does it mean that ALL people were willing to have their vital information recorded.  

All vital records are not created equal! Success will depend on the time frame and the area you are searching. With our United States: Vital Records course, we will give you the tools needed to understand and use vital records.  

Once we verify the type of source we are looking at we need to evaluate the information found in that source. Then, after all of the information we have obtained from our sources has been evaluated and analyzed, it becomes evidence to help answer a research question.

According to the Evidence Analysis Process Map, information is based on the informant’s knowledge of the event and whether that knowledge is primary, secondary, or undetermined.

Used with permission. Angela Rodesky.

Primary information is that which is provided by someone who participated or witnessed the event. For example, the marriage date on a marriage return completed by the officiant would be considered primary information, as the officiant was present and performed the ceremony.

Secondary information is that which is learned in a manner other than being a participant or witness to the event. For example, if a wife provides her husband’s birth information on his death certificate it is considered secondary information since she was not present at her husband’s birth.

Used with permission. Angela Rodesky.

Undetermined is when the informant is not identified. A common example is the information supplied for household members on the US Federal Census prior to 1940.

Evaluating and analyzing genealogical documents is a challenging task. But when we take the time to properly do it, we are able to correlate all of the information and use it as evidence. Our Skill-Building: Breaking Down Brick Walls course will give you the tools needed to accomplish this and more.

Sources are the foundation of our research. They are the places from which we get information that provides evidence to form a conclusion. Examples of sources include, documents/records, books, photographs, artifacts, websites, newspapers, video or audio recorded interviews, and people. Sources are classified by type;  original, derivative, or authored.

Used with permission. Angela Rodesky.

Original sources are considered the first interaction of a record. For example, the first recording of a birth shortly after the birth occurs.

Derivative sources include transcriptions, abstracts, and translations. For example, using the birth record scenario above, if we requested this record from the county recorder’s office they may extract some of the information from the register and type it up on a certificate form. This certificate would be considered a derivative source since it was created based on the original register.

Authored sources are works that are created based on other sources and the author’s analysis of those sources. Sources such as family histories, local histories and case studies, would be considered authored sources.

Used with permission. Angela Rodesky.

While original sources are preferred, they are not always possible to obtain. It’s important to fully understand how to evaluate the sources used by family historians. Learn more about sources in our Skill-Building: Breaking Down Brick Walls  course.