Did you get anything new for Chistmas that you really like? If so what?

I got myself a 7" Google Nexus 7 Android tablet to take on my trip with me.



I've had a 10.1" Motorola XY Board for over a year now and I like it and mostly read and play games on it, but the Nexus blows me away. It's UI is very easy to use, it's fluid, smooth, and I put it through the ringer while out of town. It functioned as my entire entertainment, and communications center. Besides listening to music and reading blogs on the Google Currents app, I was taking pictures and uploading them to Facebook, Emailing, and Skyping and I didn't notice one glitch, lag, or stall...even when running 2 apps at one time.



I was thinking about getting a new iPod, but I don't even need it now. The music player is fabulous and the sound ( through ear buds) is every bit as good as my old iPod.



7" is also the perfect size. I hardly ever take my 10" tablet out of the house, but I take the Nexus everywhere....fits perfectly in my jacket's inside pocket.



Besides the XY Board, I've played with the iPad which of course is good, and I got my Mom an Asus Transformer running Windows 8 which I also like. If you need a tablet that runs office, has a detachable keyboard, and has a USB port, then that's the one to get.



But for speed and ease of use, the Nexus blows me away.



Google and Asus definitely got it right.



What about you guys, did you get any new toys this year?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/water-cooler/10506-did-you-get-anything-new-chistmas-you-really-like-if-so-what.html

Did you get any new tech for Chistmas? If so what?

I got myself a 7" Google Nexus 7 Android tablet to take on my trip with me.



I've had a 10.1" Motorola XY Board for over a year now and I like it and mostly read and play games on it, but the Nexus blows me away. It's UI is very easy to use, it's fluid, smooth, and I put it through the ringer while out of town. It functioned as my entire entertainment, and communications center. Besides listening to music and reading blogs on the Google Currents app, I was taking pictures and uploading them to Facebook, Emailing, and Skyping and I didn't notice one glitch, lag, or stall...even when running 2 apps at one time.



I was thinking about getting a new iPod, but I don't even need it now. The music player is fabulous and the sound ( through ear buds) is every bit as good as my old iPod.



7" is also the perfect size. I hardly ever take my 10" tablet out of the house, but I take the Nexus everywhere....fits perfectly in my jacket's inside pocket.



Besides the XY Board, I've played with the iPad which of course is good, and I got my Mom an Asus Transformer running Windows 8 which I also like. If you need a tablet that runs office, has a detachable keyboard, and has a USB port, then that's the one to get.



But for speed and ease of use, the Nexus blows me away.



Google and Asus definitely got it right.



What about you guys, did you get any new toys this year?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/water-cooler/10506-did-you-get-any-new-tech-chistmas-if-so-what.html

Hostgator/Bluehost/HostMonster down again!

Looks like hostgator/bluehost/hostmonster is down once again.... Just figure I notify those who may have sites up on those hosting servers.

Keep an eye out for it going back live and any updates. You may want to end up switching depending on what their excuse is this time ;)

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/website-management/10505-hostgator-bluehost-hostmonster-down-again.html

monthly emailings/constant contact

ive decided to start collecting customer emails and send out monthly e-mailings/fliers.....



a friend uses Constant contact and likes it....its $15 a month to use



my wife says she can do it with Word for free



constant contact makes it into a miniwebsite and keeps track of how many open the email and what they click on...so it may well be worth $15 a month for the extra features



my plan is to give a tip of the month and a product of the month...ill offer a coupon off the product



I am planning on asking customers for their emails by mentioning the special monthly deals....is asking for a customers email a bad thing? im not sure id want to give out my email....but then again most people live on their computers and giving out email isn't that big of a thing?(right/wrong?)



just looking for any suggestions...this is something I should have done 6 years ago...I did keep an address database at one point...but never an email database



thanks!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/10503-monthly-emailings-constant-contact.html

Email Tracking

Interested in what everyone uses to track emails. Yesware?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/10502-email-tracking.html

Business videos

<a href="www.hybiz.tv"> Business videos </a>

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/10500-business-videos.html

About sole proprietorships, DBAs, EINs, and business names.

I'm going to do some work for a friend's business. I will paid as a contractor and will be filing for an EIN as a sole proprietor. When applying for the EIN there is a place to add a business name, my friend says that you can just write anything in there and have that name associated with the EIN (Which she prefers due to some trouble she had with her contractors being considered employees because their EINs were associated with the name, not a business name). However, I'm not convinced that I can associate a business name with my EIN without getting a DBA (and getting a DBA seems overkill for a couple hours per work working for a friend's business).



Here are the facts:

I want an EIN to protect my SS#.

My friend wants my EIN to be associated to a business name to protect her from problems she had in the past.

I'll be working only a few hours per week as an independent consultant.

Checks will be made payable directly to me, and I will file a schedule C on my taxes and pay social security and self employment and all that when I file my annual taxes.

I don't intend to do other consulting work for anyone else at this time.



I think that about sums it up, can anyone shed some light on this for me?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/accounting-taxes/10495-about-sole-proprietorships-dbas-eins-business-names.html

Elevator Pitch - What are the facts?

We have a business plan. We are trying to approach investors.

We know that we need an elevator pitch...but there is much confusion.



Some sites say never to send a business plan, only a powerpoint presentation... we don't have one, we don't own microsoft products. Some sites ask for the business plan and never ask for a powerpoint presentation, only an elevator pitch in writing.



I'm looking for a website that has done the work for us, with a nice template ..either for straight email contact or a powerpoint presentation.



OR...Do we want to hire a company to help us do this? We've never done this before..we are idea guys, not secretaries..we really want to stay away from the mundane stuff and focus on our vision and ideas.



We just can't line it up doing this all ourselves. How _should_ people in our position go about getting a good elevator pitch/presentation when we are not professionals at either?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/financing-your-small-business/10494-elevator-pitch-what-facts.html

Business Card Design – Feedback

So it's time for me to update my current business card and I would like some feedback. I design cards for a living but for others! It is super difficult to do it for yourself because you can never decide on the tiniest details.



NEW CARD DESIGN: http://wozcreative.com/downloads/woz_bcard.png



Only notes I give is that there will not be any addresses on it.. I work from my home office, even though the building has concierge, it wouldn't be wise/make sense.



For some measure.. here is the old card : http://www.wozcreative.com/downloads/woz_oldcard.jpg





I mainly have spot UV's for the pattern which will be clear on a red.. and the spot uv on the front to surround the logo (logo will be untouched). The card will be printed on a matt laminate 14 pt card stock.

I am thinking about maybe doing red or black foil stamp on the logo on the back or front.. not sure.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/design-development/10491-business-card-design-feedback.html

what should i expect to pay monthly for SEO ?

Now that the website is finally done im moving into the next phase and hiring someone for SEO



the designer is giving me 1 month free and admits to not knowing enough(even though when I hired him for the website he said he knew) he is asking for free advice from a friend of his who is a SEO expert



So it looks like it may be better to hire someone who specializes in it



Woz gave me a lead on one and im in the process of vetting him



how much should I expect to pay for SEO?



when I was deciding on which web designer to go with I was given estimates of $300-800 a month



right now im getting a measly 1-2% of my sales from my website...my goal is 20% (my 2013 gross is $525,000 and internet sales for 2013 are a whopping $8,500(in 2012 they were $16,000 with the exact same website)



if I can make $100,000 a year extra I have no issues with paying $800 a month for SEO......id rather pay more to get more



what do I need to know to make my decision on who to hire?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/10488-what-should-i-expect-pay-monthly-search-engine-optimization.html

Hello From Florida!

Hi Everyone,



My name is Sebastian and I am the founder of contentsplash.com, a small web content service. We cater primarily to other small businesses looking to grow their online presence.



I'm exited to be a member here and look forward to learning from everyone!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/10487-hello-florida.html

Starting an Online SEO Course!!!

I received many questions about search engine optimization lately and decided to start a fresh online course that briefly explains how anybody could optimize their site. Everyone is welcome to join and please feel free to comment on what you read. Discuss the techniques, say what else you’d like to be covered.



Here is a section from Chapter 1:



Why are keywords important?

Let’s put it in simple terms: No keyword research means NO SEO.

Why is that? Keywords are the main building blocks in SEO. If you try to promote a website without having the right keywords will bring you zero traffic. It’s like chasing a treasure without having a map where to search.



Here is a real world example:

A big European online bookstore nearly failed a $90,000 worth optimizing campaign. Everything looked good at a first glance and the site was ranking high for certain keyphrases, but the company didn't make any sales. Why? Some keywords weren't bringing traffic to the site, while others brought traffic, but didn't make sale, or in SEO language, convert. Guess where the problem is? Yup, the keywords were wrong!



The keywords you will choose will be critical of your future optimization such as: on-page optimization, video syndication, guest blogging, social media activities, directory submissions, or other. But this is for later!

So in simple terms, the best investment when doing SEO is finding the right keywords. I will show you how later.



What’s a Keyword?

A keyword is a word that people will type into search engines.



Here is a typical example:

Let's say a friend of yours is going to buy a new skirt online and she is typing modest apparel in Google. At the very top of the Search Engine's result page she sees your site. This means that you rank first for the keyword modest apparel. In addition, this means that your friend most likely visits your site and makes a purchase, than from a competitor's site that has a lower rank, let's say #5.



In SEO you can use one or several words, like, clothing, modest apparel, or buy fashion clothing. Terms that contain more than one keyword are usually called keyphrases.



Looking forward to your feedback...

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/10486-starting-online-search-engine-optimization-course.html

Hello Friends

Hello Friends,



My name is George and i join this forum because when i impressed the views and suggestion of member of this forum. I also want to include my share so i hope i will get the positive response from you all. :)

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/10484-hello-friends.html

Downtime on Christmas Eve

Hey All,



Merry Christmas. Just wanted to let everyone know I scheduled some work on the server tonight and at points the server might be down for a few minutes. I'm guessing it'll be a slow night given the holiday, which made it a good day to schedule some down time. I don't think the sever will be done for long periods of time, but more a few shorter periods of time while changes are being made.



Thought I'd let you know in case you are here tonight. I forget exactly what time I scheduled things, but if memory serves it'll start around 4:00 AM Eastern Standard Time. That wouldn't affect most of us on a regular day and will likely will affect even fewer tonight/tomorrow morning.



Have a good holiday everyone.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/forum-news-announcements/10483-downtime-christmas-eve.html

getting new junk email talking about lawsuits against me and court dates

im constantly getting odd emails.....BBB alerts, Paypal, IRS, and now im getting multiple emails a day about someone suing me and a court date...luckily they choose a county that I never work in once a year, so I didn't come close to clicking



when I doubt I always think 'why would they email me about this? shouldn't this come in the mail'

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/water-cooler/10482-getting-new-junk-email-talking-about-lawsuits-against-me-court-dates.html

Extremely good niche need help on extensive marketing and possible business inquries

Hi, im fairly new to the forums



So im fairly young "18" I have been making good money since I was 10 through the help with a successful father who owns a toy distributing business and currently



sells to very large corps including national museum of history....Disneyland and hundreds of stores across the world. He recently moved all his market to licensed tv



show memoralbelia "bad spelling" now these licenses each cost aroun 150k - 250k for a year most of them are on the channel amc including walking dead... all the



shows are in the top 5 list on some of the biggest tv networks including the most popular show in Europe and two of the most popular in the u.s



I have now wedged myself in a new business plan through gaining respect with the Chinese wholesalers and my families business to run and operate a retail site for



them "they are wholesale" with some of the profits going to the Chinese wholesaler and my families company now these products I have started a ebay site with



them and did very well in the first month around 1k profit with only 10 products wich we have much more there was a limit in stock of the hot selling items but it



definetly is in the 1% of niches as these products there is only 2-3 online vendors who legally can sell the product in wich 2 of them buy stock from my fathers



company so we are going through india in producing the website which I am designing the families business recently created a new wholesale site wich in the



process of building we have gotten a large amount of retail orders from people who thought it was retail "prices weren't even posted" and no marketing was even



put in as it is directed for large business so this new retail site definetly can do some big numbers now to the point of this post "very long intro" I need help in some



marketing ploys I am very fimilar with very good social media marketing wich I can direct 200-300 organic traffic a day alone and all of that traffic is people who



directly are fans of the tv shows which is very interesting cause no other place I can direct a huge amount of traffic that only like what im selling in under an hour



but I want to expand some of my marketing ploys in late January in feburary when I launch the site I need some experts here on the forums to either pm or reply on



the thread to give me some basics on how I should go about this and I am serious about working with some of you with expierence if it is good now I have a good



amount of capitol ecspeccially for my age that ive earned myself and ive never been handed money from parents or anyone so I have expirence in business please



reply and we can chop up some business thanks!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/10479-extremely-good-niche-need-help-extensive-marketing-possible-business-inquries.html

Can my friends and I start this business?

My friends and I are hoping to start a company (LLC was our thought but we are open to ideas) which would research land and properties to buy and to rent to others. Can anyone help us to start this type of business? are there any tax advantages of this type of business?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10478-can-my-friends-i-start-business.html

Merry Christmas to all

It's only a couple days away so I guess I'll be the one to start a Christmas thread wishing everyone here the best for the holidays. I hope everyone has a great time celebrating with family and that 2014 will be your best year for business yet.



And for those who are Jewish, a Happy Hanukkah to you and I hope I spelled it correctly.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/water-cooler/10477-merry-christmas-all.html

hi Everyone I just wanted to Introduce Myself

Rich T Cambridge Business Resources.

I have been answering questions on the forums and giving free advice on marketing and sales, I'm looking forward to being a free source of information to my fellow business owners. We all need to give back and I hope my knowledge will help others be successful, all I ask in return is everyone just pay it forward to other members with your own experiences.



This may help out medium to big ticket retailers

New Program brings New Customers Daily Offer No credit Check Financing to your Customers at a Low 7.99% interest rate No Hidden Fees. :)



We are a group of well heeled experienced Small and Medium size business owners turned Consultants. We specialize in finding wasted dollars you are already spending and redirecting the waste into positive marketing campaigns that produce results.

Every business large and Small from manufacturers to Local retail shops have hidden dollars that are being spent on non revenue producing programs or just whats considered Normal required Business expenses that can be trimmed and the savings can be directed to effective marketing Programs that grow your Business Sales and Profits.We find these excesses in the most commonly overlooked places and I'm not speaking about cutting staff, i'm speaking about Mundane places you would never think of.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/10476-hi-everyone-i-just-wanted-introduce-myself.html

Need Capital for your Business?

German here from Merchant Solutions Group, based out of lower Manhattan.

We are a private capital funding firm, we have money and are loaning it to qualifying businesses.

These loads are unsecured and are not based solely on you credit rating.



if you have any questions you can contact me directly at 646 795 3550

or you can email me at : German@merchantsolutionsgroup.com



I'm looking forward to helping you grow your business.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/financing-your-small-business/10474-need-capital-your-business.html

Hello Tisha Cruzan here....new member but not new to business....

Hello my name is Tisha Cruzan. I am a freelance web designer, graphic designer, and SEO specialist. I have been doing what I love for 10 years as a hobby, and 3 years for profit. I joined this forum because I want to help small business owners get their websites on track. It's really hard for small business owners to compete with big corporations with getting customers and profit. By small business owners working together, we can get more profits and customers.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/10469-hello-tisha-cruzan-here-new-member-but-not-new-business.html

corporationwiki name removal

I found today that my small business incorporation information is posted on corporationwiki. I had started the company a few months ago on their website, however, I don't want my name to be public as yet. This website corporationwiki doesn't seem to have any way to remove the data -- they provide a way to edit the data it editing applies only to a minimal level (you can only change the status of the name/company from active to inactive etc).



I'm really horrified to find all my details out in the public view and want corporationwiki and other similar sites to remove such data. I'd think that members on this forum may have experienced similar trouble with these websites and may have some actionable suggestions. Is there anything I can do?



Corporationwiki seems to have scooped this information from the secretary of state office, but the state's secretary's office charges a fee for that. So it makes no sense why this website would post this information.



This issue is causing me concern regarding my privacy and what i do in my own time. I don't wish to disclose my company/name to outside world until it's a little more mature. Are there any options for me?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10468-corporationwiki-name-removal.html

Hi I am new to business currently working on a Pole Dancing business and Ad Promo

:D Hi how is everyone doing I am brand new to the business world and I want to be as successful as I can possibly be.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/10467-hi-i-am-new-business-currently-working-pole-dancing-business-ad-promo.html

Hello

Hey guys I am newbie here. I have joined this forum today and i am very excited to share some ideas and gain knowledge from here.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/10465-hello.html

Video Editing

I bought a camera (gopro hero black plus) to make slow motion and stills out of a full speed video. It comes with a very simple program for doing the slow motion. That also results in very large files. I have a two minute slow motion video that is 1Mb. I have never played with video before.



My two immediate needs are:



- file size reduction



- making a mirror image video



Ideally I'm looking for a very simple program that will do this. As I get more knowledgeable I'm sure I'll want other features.



Does anybody have any software recommendations. Either Windows or Open Source for Linux.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/10462-video-editing.html

website stopped working--what is this error msg?

The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to the site owner reaching his/her bandwidth limit. Please try again later.









this is the error msg I am getting



I made some minor changes using wordpress a few hours ago...and the website was working afterwards



is this a problem with my designers server?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/10461-website-stopped-working-what-error-msg.html

Some very basic questions?

I live in British Columbia, Canada and I pick a wild plant called Salal for a living. It is used in the floral industry as a green filler for bouquets.



ATM I am selling to a local buyer who then sells it to the florists.



I want to start selling directly to local florists, but I have never done any kind of sales. I have a number of questions about some of the basics.



I think the best way is to just go from shop to shop showing them samples, but all the advice online seems to talk about phoning first to set up an appointment. Which is better in this case?



Also, how can I get a good directory of local florists? I try googling for Vancouver florists but hardly come up with any results.



Thanks for any help.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/traditional-marketing/10460-some-very-basic-questions.html

Hello Every1

Hey guys



i have started a new recruiting bussiness Kairosbusinesssolutions.com



we recruit IT professionals .but on the other hand we also have a small call center setup in india

and for which i am looking for advice ... i want to know where i can find some bussiness process for this Call center

this call center currently handles Data entry work .web designing and Filling up surveys ..



we already have some UK Voice process but it doesnt pay that good ....



so please help ;)

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/10459-hello-every1.html

What are the risks involved involved in starting a pharmaceutical stockist business ?

Hi

I am from India.I have no problem regarding arranging initial capital for pharma stockist business since that will be taken care of my brother-in-law. what are the other risks involved? I mean are there risks like the medicine purchased cant be sold to the retailers because of low or no demand?? Also how does one make profit in this business when there are many competing stockists to supply to the retailers?

Actually I am very confused as I am not getting proper family support. I dont what are my goals and what should I do to make a livelihood. I am 37 yr old man bachelor & I dont have any good friends either so as to get advice or support. So I want to get married fast but my family is resisting since I am still living on their money. What if there is loss that is if the amount invested is more than the revenue generated?

Now about the business I have to depend on my sisters husband for capital whom I mentioned in the start. Now he is also offering me a job in his office. what should I do? Join job and move to another city where they are located or do pharma stockist business in my hometown? I cant decide as I want to settle fast and I want to play safe. I want to earn good amount of money but with less hassles.

Seeking some good advices from benevolent persons of this forum.

Thanks



With best Regards

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10458-what-risks-involved-involved-starting-pharmaceutical-stockist-business.html

LLC with S-Corp - What happens if I get a normal job?

I'm no financial wizard... I have an LLC with an S-Corp election.



I run payroll on myself and pay myself a reasonable salary.



What would I need to do if I got a "normal" job again, the business will make some money for a while but eventually taper away.



I can't have a normal paycheck with deductions and my business payroll at the same time I'm assuming... just looking for general advice here as to what steps would be involved. (Dissolve the company? Revert back to a sole proprietor, etc...)



Thank you for any advice.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/accounting-taxes/10457-llc-s-corp-what-happens-if-i-get-normal-job.html

hello folks

greetings folks how are you my name is Mark Newman, i am from New York, Queens to be more precise, i have an idea to start a website about the hottest places to visit on earth and slowly turn that website into a travel agency so i will welcome any suggestion from you all and i will fill you in on the details later, still ned to gather some info. i am glad that i found this forum it looks great, respect to the administrators and moderators:cool:

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/10456-hello-folks.html

Business Advice Books Affiliate Program.

Business Ownership can be a complex and confusing endeavor. You MUST educate yourself and prepare for

present or future “unknowns”. These books take all the guess work and mystery out of business ownership.

You make 50% commission on each ebook or ebook package and you don’t have to buy any inventory or handle

any shipping! All you do is send customers to our site so they can buy, then you make 50% commission on the sale.

We are giving you half of the profit for the little bit of work you do!

businessadvicebooks.com

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10455-business-advice-books-affiliate-program.html

Ideas similar to scar metal business? PLEASE READ?

I need ideas of small business, where I don't have to spend much money and time. For example, I COLLECT metals all over the city and then I selling them. 40% of my profit goes to overseas to help educate poor kids in Bangladesh. Rest (60%) of it for transports and my personal time (about 20 hours a week).



Due to my medical problem, I cannot continue this business. So, I NEED SOME IDEAS FOR NEW BUSINESS. PLEASE HELP ME. Thank you.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10454-ideas-similar-scar-metal-business-please-read.html

DBA first then LLC

Hi,



I am new to the site overall and apologies if I am posting this in the wrong group.



I created a DBA back in 2004 or so under my name. I am about to close on 2 properties and I have told them I want it under my DBA. Now my brother is interested in getting an existing business so we need to create a LLC. Can we swing my DBA under the LLC? Is there any legal complications or fees or penalties for doing that? The DBA is only under my name where as the LLC will be under both my names.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/legal-hr/10453-dba-first-then-llc.html

emergency service?

should I say on my new website that I offer emergency service even though 1/2 the time I wont be able to do it?



I am wondering if my definition of emergency service is the same as the general public...im questioning it



is it something like a leaky water heater than can wait a day or 2....or is it water spraying, I need help in 30 minutes?....im questioning whether many emergency calls are truly emergencies or am I missing jobs I could do in a day or 2 by not advertising for emergency service....I really cant see that many circumstances that I would consider a true emergency, but to some homeowners a water heater leaking or a garbage disposal that died May be a emergency.



I notice all of my competitors offer emergency service and I dont list it...



on my slow days I could handle a extra job or 2....some weeks I only have 4 hours of work in the middle of winter....id be available for it....but in the middle of summer im typically booked 7 days out and while I still may be able to squeeze some extra work in at the end of the day I would NOT be able to drop everything and run with 30 minutes notice



so should I advertise for something that I can sometimes do? when a homeowner calls and I say 'sorry im too busy today' will that do any damage?



should I advertise for it in the winter months and then take it down once late spring comes?



when I do get emergency calls I get the idea the homeowner has already called multiple plumbers, so im pretty sure many plumbers who advertise it cant always do it



I can only think of 2 or 3 large shops that have guys sitting waiting for calls...they also charge 2-3x what I do because of it....most plumbers are small 1-3 man operations and there is little chance someone is waiting for the call and will be there in 30 minutes



just wondering if there's a downside to advertising something that you cant always do (and my competition most likely cant do either)

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/10451-emergency-service.html

Preserve future Scorp Dist while taking hourly wages?

My wife and I purchased a business in 2012, and didn't take a salary, but paid part of our loans to the business from earnings so we ended up with only claiming a few hundred dollars. In 2013, we moved our store to another shopping center and lent much more money to the business, and continued the same paying our loans payback. (Alot of the money used was borrowed from family, and we are paying it back quickly and using some to live on)



I thought we would be able to refinance my home mortgage in the Spring of 2014 (having owned the business for 2 years) , but a broker said we had to have taxable income and that all the loans paid would not count towards what I needed to refinance so.............



In 2014 I'm thinking of paying myself and my wife hourly wages, since we do work there alot to keep our costs low, so we have the taxable income. My wife and I do everything in the business, and work more hours than we can take as salary, but again we need taxable income. Our business is growing nicely since moving the store.



If we pay ourselves hourly for the next couple years, will we still be able to then pay ourselves a lower salary later when the business is doing better and take a distribution? We will be working much less hours, and more managing the store, Quickbooks etc.



Comments, suggestions, ideas?????



Thanks

Frank

smbizowner

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/accounting-taxes/10447-preserve-future-scorp-dist-while-taking-hourly-wages.html

EBook Cover making and marketing

Looking to make a cover for my EBOOK and help market it.

-Any suggestions on free template or how to make one.

-Tips on the style



Book is a review book for test prep.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/10446-ebook-cover-making-marketing.html

SaaS accepting credit card payment advice.

Hi all, a little background. My colleges and I have developed a very user friendly web based software package to help Non-Profits manage fundraisers. (auctions live and silent, coordinate volunteers and venders, seating and table assignments, ticket sales, etc.) Really we have developed an SaaS package. We are finishing up beta testing now and everything looks very promising. To this point our customers have been using SquareUp to accept credit cards. However Square has no API and there is no verification that payment was made and we have to rely of human data entry reconcile payments. This process can and does cause an issue that has to be tracked down. It was suggested we go with PayPal Here but the process of each client setting up their API seemed overwhelming for our non-tech users. So we are back to Square one ;-)



Our pricing scheme at this point is a small setup fee + percentage of sales on the first event and then a percentage per event there after. Maybe with a maximum total fee.



I would like to have a system in place where clients accept credit card payments on our behalf and we pay the client minus our cost and event fees. But this process may be unacceptable because card readers cost.



Any advice here would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Mark

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/10445-saas-accepting-credit-card-payment-advice.html

What Is New for 2014 Payroll Tax Rate

2014 Federal income tax tables are available.



For 2014, the annually one withholding allowance increased to $3,950.

For 2014, the employee and employer tax rate for social security is 6.2%. The social security wage base limit increases to $117,000.

More tax rate changes can be found here



2014 Federal tax tables

Federal Income Tax Percentage Tables 2014



Thanks,



Casey

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/accounting-taxes/10442-what-new-2014-payroll-tax-rate.html

I read today that is not necessary to have multiple page website to rank well

according to matt cutts it doesn't matter if your site is a homepage website. it can still out rank a well multiple page site. any experiences out there with homepage websites?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/search-engine-optimization/10439-i-read-today-not-necessary-have-multiple-page-website-rank-well.html

Contribution amounts for 2 partner LLC

Hi:

Our LLC partner ownership is 49/51. Is there a requirement that the partners always contribute to equity in that proportion? Or can the partners agree that one partner contributes more?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/financing-your-small-business/10438-contribution-amounts-2-partner-llc.html

Web Speed Optimization

Why we need to optimize our website speed and is it any direct impact to search engine or visitor?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/design-development/10437-web-speed-optimization.html

Sourcing service

Referring to sourcing, most of people always thinking that contact directly with factories to ensure the lowest cost. But after a period, customers may back to sourcing agent because of low efficiency, bad communication and difficult understanding from factories.



Hey, I’m a sourcing agent work as a freelance in ShenZhen, China. I have 10 years experience in International trade. I can help customers to do the following job based on commission. I’m a high efficency, responsible and honest person. I am a loyalty person and will not taking unknown commission from factory. If you want to start a business relationship with China, Please contact me via windlyvv at hotmail dot com Trust me, maybe just begin from a small deal first.



1. Factory sourcing



2. Contract preparation



3. Private label manufacturing



4. Orders follow-up



5. Quality and quantity inspection



6. Cargo consolidation



7. Customs clearance and delivery



And also:



1. Warehouse service.

2. Small order buying service and other field sourcing service.

3. Buy from Taobao or native China websites.





PS. 1% of our net profit will be always donate to the poor people in China.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/10436-sourcing-service.html

Sourcing service

Referring to sourcing, most of people always thinking that contact directly with factories to ensure the lowest cost. But after a period, customers may back to sourcing agent because of low efficiency, bad communication and difficult understanding from factories.



Hey, I’m a sourcing agent work as a freelance in ShenZhen, China. I have 10 years experience in International trade. I can help customers to do the following job based on commission. I’m a high efficency, responsible and honest person. I am a loyalty person and will not taking unknown commission from factory. If you want to start a business relationship with China, Please contact me via windlyvv at hotmail dot com Trust me, maybe just begin from a small deal first.



1. Factory sourcing



2. Contract preparation



3. Private label manufacturing



4. Orders follow-up



5. Quality and quantity inspection



6. Cargo consolidation



7. Customs clearance and delivery



And also:



1. Warehouse service.

2. Small order buying service and other field sourcing service.

3. Buy from Taobao or native China websites.





PS. 1% of our net profit will be always donate to the poor people in China.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10435-sourcing-service.html

Good distribution

Hi, Dear collegues.

We are searching for perspective and developing goods/products/services to make a good distribution in Russia. We have ideas, experience and opportunities to do it well. We will make professional marketing and advertisement in Russia. Do you have some ideas or links? Please give us a piece of advice.

We look forward to make a good discussion,

Kirill.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10434-good-distribution.html

Opening up a Pet/Supply store in a couple months

Hi

I have decided to open a Pet/Supply store since there's no other within 30 miles. We already own the building in which I will be using for my store so I will not have any monthly rent to pay which is a big plus.

We own our own consruction company but never anything in the retail line so I'm hoping you people can give me some hints, ideas on what I should or shouldn't be doing.

I will be offering a broad selection of tropical fish and saltwater.

I would also like to offer small animals and birds. Ideas on best sellers

Will also have everything needed for the care of above, dog/cat food wet and dry,treats,toys, crates, cages and etc.

I have a groomer that will be coming in two to three days a week.

I am new at retail so any and all information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10432-opening-up-pet-supply-store-couple-months.html

Looking for example of a website with lots of articles

I was wondering if anyone knows of a website that has a ton of articles..like say hundreds or thousands.



I'm looking for some examples of big content websites, so that I can see how they organize their articles and what the user experience is like.

I want something more than just a simple search box that then displays results. I'm thinking more of a site with articles organized into categories for easy viewing and access.



If anyone knows of any sites like that, please let me know....or post the link.



Thanks.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/design-development/10431-looking-example-website-lots-articles.html

Quick Books Question

I will be changing over to Quick Books at the first of the year from Microsoft Money the queston I have is when setting up inventory under Sales info what do you put for income account.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/accounting-taxes/10430-quick-books-question.html

Help needed for Facebook Ads

I tried Facebook PPC long ago and was disappointed. I want to try it again. Do you have any suggestions or tips?



Thanks,



Casey

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/10429-help-needed-facebook-ads.html

friends more and more,business better and better

i live in Guangzhou,China.Guangzhou is a center city in a area which known as producing almost everything,such as garments, shoes,leather products,electronic products...anyway,I am in a business city now.

My job is very stable,you know,in a national company,never afraid of losing job.but,I want a small own business in my spare time.I am building my eBay now,but I wonder what I can sell,I have no good resourses,taht is the first important thing I face.

So,I come here, it seems so unreliable,but I still advertise myself,I am a honest man,definitely.I want benifit who trust me.If you want to buy sth. from China,pls tell me,maybe I can

give you some useful info.and maybe I can start my business from you.



My email:baseonhonest@outlook.com My facetime adress:dhpzf@yahoo.com.cn



Thanks a lot.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10427-friends-more-more-business-better-better.html

Am I getting a good deal in this partnership?

Hello All,



I'm a web designer/developer, and have been helping a colleague with his new startup business. It will be a simple website builder, targeted to a few niche industries, and will be a monthly subscription service. My colleague can be considered the 'founder' of the service, and I at first jumped on and started helping as a designer, but lately have been making more strategy and marketing decisions.



We're at the point where it's time to write contracts and he has alluded to giving me 20% of sales of this product, plus also giving me 5% equity in the company, which can grow the longer I stay with him/the company. Does this sound like a good deal? I'm not sinking too much of my time into it yet, but if the product launches and does well, it will become more of a full time commitment. Some of you seem to have some web and similar industry experience, so I'm wondering if this sends up any red flags in your opinion, or of there are some questions I need to be asking?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10425-am-i-getting-good-deal-partnership.html

Hi

Hi, my name is Chris and together with my friend Darek we started a company designing and making stickers for almost everything. I hope to get some advice here on how to promote our on-line store etc. :cool:

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/10423-hi.html

Free advertising, literally!

If you have a small business that utilizes ECommerce I welcome you to try advertising with the up and coming entertainment news website Opinuns.com. In order to connect with small businesses around the nation we have put together the below offer. Our hope is to cultivate valuable partnerships with businesses by boosting their ECommerce and growing awareness of their brand.



Opinuns’s Free Trial Offer:



• 30 days free trial to evaluate if Opinuns is a good fit for your business.



• An additional 30 days free trial with any contract three months or longer.





• Freedom to cancel within the additional 30 day free trial period without further obligation and receive a full refund.



• Complimentary Ad Design: For companies that do not have an ad design or would like to see our vision for their chosen ad type.



• Opinuns.com will manage your ad for you.





Here at Opinuns.com we specialize in branding and brand exposure. I invite you to visit Opinuns.com to understand the content rich experience that we offer, where each visitor spends on average 4 to 5 minutes viewing, on average, 14 to 15 pages resulting in multiple impressions per visitor. Our current reach extends over 3,800,000 visits per month and continues to grow daily. I encourage you to take advantage of our lower digital media prices during this period of rapid growth.



If interested feel free to reach out at j.collingwood@opinuns.com

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/10417-free-advertising-literally.html

social media--what should i be doing?

Ive been told by a few other contractors now that they spend 2-5 hours a week on social media promoting their business



where should I be? what should I be doing?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/10416-social-media-what-should-i-doing.html

google question

so when you type in my home town and Plumber I come right up on google maps



when I type in my home town and the word WATER HEATER im no where...instead there are tons of other plumbers and NONE are even in my hometown....how do they get listed under those keywords when their google maps location is 20 miles away and im 0 miles away.....just trying to understand how they did it?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/10415-google-question.html

can adwords help your google position on keywords?

something ive noticed....I have a adwords campaign for a couple of key words...mainly my hometown city and the word plumbing.....I typically get 5-10 hits on it a month..roughly $25 a month......I noticed under those 2 words my website is now #2....it was nowhere before



did people clicking on adwords under those keywords help my website listing?



is this a way to raise where your website comes up in google?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/10414-can-adwords-help-your-google-position-keywords.html

Purchasing a company from current employer

Hello,



I am the VP of a small-medium sized commercial laundry company in the very early stages of talking with the owners about the possibility of purchasing the business. It was not on the market when I came to the owners with my interest in buying and it is not now. My questions are (And im sure I can find the exact answers with a little more searching of the site, but wanted a little more specifics)



1: I will need to be financing close to $800k, I have heard but not confirmed that I will need close to 20% down. So basically im looking at what are the avenues for financing?



2: Good value of the company? I know there is going to be a estimator coming through to give value of assets on things like equipment and inventory, but Im interested to see how close I can come with my own evaluation. Its convenient that I already know the financial position the company is in. What are some ways I can estimate value using gross income or total revenue using our P&L statements?



3: Should I consider looking for a partner? Why and Why Not?



4: Private business loans from individuals? Should I consider getting a business plan together to present to individuals for Private Funding? I have a few people in mind that i think may be interested in investing.



I do have many more questions but this is a good start, any advise will be appreciated.



Thanks!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/financing-your-small-business/10413-purchasing-company-current-employer.html

Not a small business owner....yet

Hello all, Glad to be here!



Im not yet a small business owner but looking to become one in the near future.



I will be using this site mainly for education and hopefully to learn from other seasoned small business owners!



Thanks!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/10409-not-small-business-owner-yet.html

A general advice needed for a good website to be built.

First of all I am from Delhi. Hello.I want to build a new online goods selling company for which i have made some material but i dont know how to attract customers online.

The main reason i am asking this is i am a newbie and i want a good professional site to be built.

I can make professional sites but i need people to give me suggestions so that i can make a consumer oriented website.

I wanted to build an ecommerce website with form filling features which attract consumers only around me..

You can see my samples of professional websites on Mayank Anand....

Any procedure to simply get satisfaction for a website i am starting to build.

Sorry for my bad English but any professional suggesstions.

Hope, will get a reply.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10407-general-advice-needed-good-website-built.html

Legal Help

I am a silent partner with an equal stake in a company, that is formed a S corporation. Due to some financial problems and non payment of money owed to me I announced my intention to leave the partnership. No formal agreement has been completed on the dissolution of the partnership yet and the other partners have already removed my access to the bank. I believe I still have legal right of access to the bank because I am technically still a partner till the dissolution agreement is signed. One of the clauses in the partnership agreement was that all the members would have unrestricted access to all the bank information, this clause has been violated in my case. I want to know what legal options I have restore my access to the bank. I intend to get a report of all the financial transactions made by the business and audit them because I suspect some irregularities. Also, is there any penalty that can be imposed through the courts for violating the terms of partnership by blocking my access to the bank.



Thanks.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/legal-hr/10408-legal-help.html

Hello all

Hello.....glad to be here..

I have about 50 years in business and 15+ on the net....

I am mostly retired and have little time for anything....



I need to get a job ...so that I can rest...:)))))



I hope I can learn and share here...:)

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/10403-hello-all.html

Accounting Outsourcing

Have you guys thought about outsourcing your accounting departments?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/accounting-taxes/10402-accounting-outsourcing.html

NFC Window Stickers

Hey guys, first post! My name is Sammy and I started a small business myself! It's a NFC window sticker for brick and mortar storefronts. I will not post any links or anything because I want this to be a genuine discussion and not self-promotional! Seriously though, have any of you guys used NFC for anything? I've always heard of it but have yet to really see it take off, my guess is because the iPhone hasn't fully implemented it yet. Would you guys use NFC for your business? Either with payments or social marketing?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/social-media/10398-nfc-window-stickers.html

Lady Entrepreneur needed to Manage, direct, and be President of operations

I am taking offers for this start up. I have: business plan, maketing in place, radio,TV, city of San Diego ready and a lot more. I pretty much Have done Everything!!! I will be using OpenERP so you will need to know it well (at least to put the right people to run it, so you can run the business with me, and be able to double check the OpenERP accounting, manufacturing, project management, etc to detect if something looks funny).



I have the contacts, leads, and blueprint we can work with to take this company to higher levels. I'm organizing my pictures of Flickr, so they are in sets (I have logo and slogan too). I make beautifully made products out of hand picked recycled tires (which are more then we will need for now).

These products are playground equipment with horses and bull swing made from tires that I'm getting local daycare's to put in; the city is very interested in putting them into their school, park and recreations; here and across the state.



Stay with me on this it's big; it's a winner for crowdfunding on either Kickstarter or Indigogo. I will keep you posted this week when I group pic's on flickr. I have over 1300; again, for roof tiles, door & floor mats, pursues, wallets, construction logs and All can be made with HomeDepot power tools.



See you later, Walter

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10397-lady-entrepreneur-needed-manage-direct-president-operations.html

Learning about SEO

So i just recently started reading up about search engine optimization. I am 22 and graduating college and starting my own business, so this is all new to me. I already have a decent clientele and have been doing my type of work since i was about 14 (window tinting, car audio/ video, truck accessories.) I have created a website and asked for opinions on what i could change so i am taking care of that.



My understanding is that using certain keywords on your website, helps you get linked to other sites in which allows your website to be displayed more as people are searching for things correct? Is there a way to do this without spending lots of money each month? I have looked at moz.com, but im wondering how this all works and if spending money is the only way? I would essentially like to get an online web store on my website, and think SEO would help alot. But as im starting out i really dont want to be spending 400-500 dollars a month, so any help or explanations would be greatly appreciated.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/search-engine-optimization/10396-learning-about-search-engine-optimization.html

Great opportunity to import spices

Hi everyone,

I am in close relationships with spices suppliers everywhere in Africa and Asia. I am looking for partners or customers from the USA to start exporting for them . You can ask me for samples and delivery times by private message.

thank you

go ahead and let's begin a great buisness

Regards

Hannibal

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/business-plans-ideas/10395-great-opportunity-import-spices.html

Great opportunity to import spices

Hi everyone,

I am in close relationships with spices suppliers everywhere in Africa and Asia. I am looking for partners or customers from the USA to start exporting for them . You can ask me for samples and delivery times by private message.

thank you

go ahead and let's begin a great buisness

Regards

Hannibal

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/10394-great-opportunity-import-spices.html

Need to Develop A Website

Howdy folks...I'm Sam from Texas, starting a business, with a launch date in January (goal).



I need a site to be developed that can give users a login, and maintain their activity accurately and easily so they don't have to recreate their info for future purchases.



Any recommendations on who to use to help develop that? Ideally, a tool or application(s) that anyone has found easy to use themselves, even if they have had limited prior knowledge or experience in site development. As most would probably say, I'm on a relatively tight budget, and starting this up on my own, so I need to see if there is something that I can easily develop to help me out.



Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!



Sam

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10393-need-develop-website.html

Keyword Research

I'm a SEO specialist for a St. Louis based web marketing company. I've been very involved with keyword research.



I have a perfect story to help illustrate how important keyword research is. About a year ago when my partner were learning how to do this from a close friend who is considered one of the top online marketers in the country, we wanted to start a fake company just to see how well we can advertise it. We decided to start a maid service. We utilized the keyword research for blogs, videos, sites, etc. We started getting so many phone calls we decided to hire one maid. Even with the maid, we didn't scratch the surface of how many potential customers we were getting. We even received a call from a local news station wanting us to come on and talk about a cleaning product. The reporter had googled "cleaning service expert st louis" and found us. My partner and I had no idea about cleaning services, but we had positioned ourselves as experts.





For $500, I am willing to do full keyword research for you if you need. This stuff really does work. I'm not going to lie, you have to put the work in putting out content for it to work properly. If you put in the work, I promise it'll pay off.



Please feel free to email me at ntantsits@gmail.com. If you would like to talk more about keyword research or anything SEO related, please email me or comment on this forum and I will be active.



Thank you

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/search-engine-optimization/10390-keyword-research.html

Charging Fees Listed on Website

We have customers who sometimes apply for our services but either lie on their application or cancel on us before we even complete their review. Taking our time, efforts and resources into consideration, we want to charge an application fee.



Is it necessary to have the customer sign off on anything agreeing to this, or can we simply keep this policy published on our website and tell them over the phone?



We anticipate that by having the customer sign off on such an agreement would deter all potential applicants from applying.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/10389-charging-fees-listed-website.html

Help Finding Clients

Hi, I have started a commercial cleaning business and have been in business a year now. I have one client but I want to obtain more clients. I have put out a newspaper ad, brought business cards and passed them out, sent out post cards, but nothing seems to be gaining any attention. I want to grow my business but need advice on how to do it. The only issue I have is that I work full time so going door to door to businesses and trying to pitch my business proposal is hard.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/10388-help-finding-clients.html

Will publishing fees/costs on website be legally sufficient?

We have customers who sometimes apply for our services but either lie on their application or cancel on us before we even complete their review. Taking our time, efforts and resources into consideration, we want to charge an application fee.



Is it necessary to have the customer sign off on anything agreeing to this, or can we simply keep this policy published on our website and tell them over the phone?



We anticipate that by having the customer sign off on such an agreement would deter all potential applicants from applying.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/legal-hr/10387-will-publishing-fees-costs-website-legally-sufficient.html

Help finding a good estimate of business worth

Hey guys! Does anybody have experience or a preference for a valuation tool that could help me understand what a business is worth? Thanks. :)

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/financing-your-small-business/10386-help-finding-good-estimate-business-worth.html

where to get good photo's from?

I need some extra photo's for my website.....where's a good place to get some free construction photo's from?



when I do a yahoo search for photo's most of them aren't the correct size to use on a full page

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/10385-where-get-good-photos.html

Equipment Financing

Good Afternoon Everyone,



I handle equipment financing for businesses ranging from start ups to companies like Anheueser-Busch.



We handle A-D credits and will work with you if your on the lower end to find a way to get it approved.



I thought it would be a good resource for anyone that may be in the need.



If anyone needs help or just has a question feel free to contact me at Jmuehlheausler@kingcommercial.com

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/financing-your-small-business/10384-equipment-financing.html

new website---reviews wanted

Hello All,



my website went live this morning.... WaukeshaPlumbing | Plumbing Experts



it still has a page full of corrections that need to be made, but its about 95% the way its going to be



there are a bunch of pics at the bottom of the pages I don't like......



im also waiting for my hometown page to get going.... www.MukwonagoPlumbing.com that should be up this weekend I hope



its been 5 months in the making.....im very pleased with it over all....a huge improvement over the old one which I never really liked...I just settled at the time

honest/hardhitting reviews needed?...give me the pos. and the neg. .....



my big goal was to hit several different cities so when they type in the city name and the word Plumber id come up

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/10383-new-website-reviews-wanted.html

Wanting some feedback on my website.

Just recently redid our website for my company. We are a automotive shop that specializes in window tinting, car audio. video and truck and car accessories. Our site can be seen at:



Custom Affects



Please give me some feedback and let me know what i could better or if it looks good?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/website-reviews/10382-wanting-some-feedback-my-website.html

Have my new business up and running but looking for some help.

Hey everyone,



Long story short my family has had a family owned business for 25+ years. I am 22 years old and graduating On December 14th. Our business is automotive customization specializing in window tint, car audio/ video, truck accessories (lift kits, led lights, steps, toolboxes, etc.). Our original location is in midland, Texas and it is doing very well. We recently purchased a second location in the DFW area, and are planning on opening at the beginning of January. I will be running and managing this store and will be the only employ for awhile, which that does not bother me i have been around this type of work my whole life and i am comfortable with that.



With that being said i have been trying to get everything in line to get ready to open. Currently at our original location, my dad basically does everything by papers. Tickets, invoices, etc. At our new location i would like to get more with the times and use technology to our advantage. I have created our new website, which you can see at Custom Affects. After i got a ridiculous quote from a website building company, i laughed and figured out how to make my own site. So i at least have somewhere for potential customers to go check out some of our work, but i will post a thread in the marketing section later on about my questions in that topic.



My main concern though is how to track inventory. We have a lot of stereo equipment, truck accessories, etc that are constantly changing so i need a fairly easy way to track this. I currently put all my different brands of audio equipment in a excel spreadsheet and then went there and put how much of each quantity i have, but as you can imagine this is time consuming, and if im constantly buying and selling product i will be spending alot of time trying to keep that up to date.



I also am trying to get some type of barcode system in place. I would ideally like to receive my products, put a barcode on it and put it out on our display floor. When a customer brings it up to the register then just scan the barcode and price and all that would be pulled up right away that way i dont have to go check my spreadsheet and see how much each item is.



Im posting in this section simply because i am still trying to get up and running, so any feedback would be appreciated.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10378-have-my-new-business-up-running-but-looking-some-help.html

Maybe someone knows?

Hi, I am new here and I don't know is this the right place to ask this question but:



Does someone knows where can I order and buy shopping bags (plastic or paper) for my shop?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10380-maybe-someone-knows.html

Who Wants to Live in a Story?

You'd probably feel like you were living in a fairy tale if you lived in one of these houses. They're certainly look interesting and actually seem to be quite livable for the most part. As a fan of Tolkien, I'm partial to the Hobbit House. I had no idea it was a real place when watching the movies. I assumed it was a studio creation.



Have a favorite?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/water-cooler/10368-who-wants-live-story.html

Best Social Media Site

Hello every one,



I want to start social media for my website. can any body tell me what is best social media?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/social-media/10363-best-social-media-site.html

Bitcoin Merchant Account

I wanted to share with the forum and start a thread on Bitcoin merchant accounts.

-since first following the currency it has become widely excepted and growing for transactions and as investments.

-Very low cost points.



I been with Coinbase for a personal wallet and also using them to setup merchant accounts.

I feel comfortable with them and in recommending them.

Wondering who else people are using and their thoughts on Bitcoins.



Here is a link to a referral deal with Coinbase

(Disclaimer: You and I both receive $5 by using link)



https://coinbase.com/?r=5269254b3b05...=referral-link

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/financing-your-small-business/10359-bitcoin-merchant-account.html

Delaware LLC Non-Resident Tax Question

Good Day!



We are a Hong Kong based company and run an online web store based in Hong Kong, with customers around the globe ... we ship from our office in Hong Kong directly to these customers.



We use a Hong Kong based Payment processor which allows:



1. Withdrawals to Hong Kong Based Bank account in HKD (Very High currency conversion fee's)

OR

2. Withdrawals to US Based bank account in USD (FREE / No fee's)



The Second option provides a massive saving on exchange rate.



So we would like to:

1. Register a Delaware LLC with an EIN

2. Travel to the US to open a US Bank Account for for the Delaware LLC.



The Payment would then go from:

Retail Customer -> HK Based Payment Processor -> US Bank Account (Owned by Delaware LLC) -> HK Bank account (By Wire)



Remember we are Hong Kong based, Staff in Hong Kong, Goods in Hong Kong and ship Items directly from Hong Kong. No Set up in US apart from Bank account.



Does anyone have any contacts of Lawyers that could help determine if the above setup is liable to US State / Federal Taxes.



Any advice would be greatly appreciated,



Thanks!

Sharon



PS: We did originally have a US Bank account opened in from Hong Kong.

BUT

HSBC (Who we bank with in Hong Kong) has just closed our US Account for the reasons mentioned in the following article: HSBC Cuts Off Some Small-Business Clients - WSJ.com

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/accounting-taxes/10352-delaware-llc-non-resident-tax-question.html

acceptance of credit cards

I am starting a new business in the pet industry and have come to a conundrum. I will be doing business via the internet, person to person and also shows. Besides Paypal I would like to offer Visa and Mastercard as payment.

Doing some due dilligence I have become confused by the many means to take payment. I spoke to my bank who has my business account about the use of their terminal and accounting practices, and have found them to be almost prohibitive in fees and contract sign ups.

I thought also about using Square but the reviews are horrible. I worry about not being paid in the end.



So my question is this, do I just suck it up deal with my bank because of its security or not worry about the bad press from companies like Square?



Your thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.



Mark

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10347-acceptance-credit-cards.html

Please Help Me Understand S-Corp Distribution

I would like to give myself a distribution from my company, but my accountant says that it is not the best way to go as the money cannot be deducted. I was under the impression that with a distribution, you save money on taxes since the company does not pay the medicare portion. Please help me understand this.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/accounting-taxes/10350-please-help-me-understand-s-corp-distribution.html

Spam for the holiday

I get some spam. Most of it ends in my spam folder. I use Thunderbird. I get 30 or 40 spam messages a day across several email addresses I have.



I'm pretty good at detecting spam. I've been working online for years.



Over the holiday weekend I received 440 spam emails. That has to be triple what I normally see. They were mostly designed to look like other Xmas offers so they were pretty transparent.



Just a reminder to be careful what you click on.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/10349-spam-holiday.html

Custom Business Intelligence software developer: Thoransoft

Hi guys,



My name is Roman and I'm writing to you guys from Montreal, Canada.



I work for Thoransoft, and we develop custom software for small and medium businesses including web tools and dashboarding. We also specialize in processes improvement and bringing up to speed aging databases/software.



If any of you have any questions, please do no not hesitate to reach out to me.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/10346-custom-business-intelligence-software-developer-thoransoft.html

Online payment system with no chargebacks

Hello,

My name is Jason and I operate an online/live government auction company and am looking for a setup for online payments without the possibility for payment charge backs due to one certain factor, we must pay our clients within a few days.



We are a cash only system at the moment and would like to be able to transition to receiving online payments with credit/debit/instant money order/bank transfer or any other available system to help cut our workload but due to the nature of the business i have not been able to find any viable options to help us.



Everything is sold as-is with a form signed twice stating knowledge of that and there is an inspection upon request for all items but previous experience has show us that even that is not enough for some buyers to dispute an item after purchase. The owners fears are people doing a charge back after paying for an item and having possession of it. And we do not have the means to constantly be having to deal with these problems should they arise.



A few options i am looking for

-No charge backs (main thing)

-The ability to add fees for processed vehicle title work

-Notification of payment



Any help would be appreciated as the office personnel is driving me postal worker insane with their archaic paperwork/payment systems

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/10345-online-payment-system-no-chargebacks.html

Taking on additional investor

I really need some input. We are a startup with an equity investor. If another investor approaches us to invest, do we have to clear that with original equity investor? Will it cut the original investors profit or will we pay original investor first and second investor last?



Hope this makes sense.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/financing-your-small-business/10344-taking-additional-investor.html

Scheduling Staff for off-site Jobs and Events

Hi folks,



I'm new to the forum here. I co-founded ShiftDock last year to provide an online staff scheduling product to small retail and hospitality businesses. We now have quite a few customers in the US, UK and beyond and we're having good growth.



Now we've had some events-based businesses (stage technicians, mobile bartenders, trade stands, off-site retailers, etc) come to us and say that scheduling staff for these kinds of off-site jobs is a real problem.



Our solution would allow managers to create events at multiple locations and schedule staff with specific skills to them, informing staff of their hours by email, web and mobile and providing a secure online space for information on the event.



I'm wondering if any businesses here have this particular problem? If so would you be interested talking to me about how we build the right solution?



Thanks!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/10343-scheduling-staff-off-site-jobs-events.html

Do you want to start your trading business in dubai?

At Adam Global we provide range of Company Formation & Business Setup Services that you require setup your business in Dubai.

We provide all kinds of Licenses and required documentation in setting up your business from start to finish also assisting you with documentations; opening up bank accounts & arranging accommodation for client visitors, PRO Services, Labor & Immigration services, Investor Visas, Accounting Services Document clearing and More.

We also Provide serviced office packages starting with complete office and administrative support. We provide different kinds of comfortable office spaces to meet your requirements:

Cubicles & Workstations

Flexi desk

Private suites

Meeting Rooms



We have a professional team with excellent customer service skills and management structure. To know more about General Trading activities & Free Consultation:





Call: Adnan Mansoor

Business Consultant

ph # +971 55 9607986

email: adnan.mansoor@adamglobal.com

Office Hours: 9:00AM to 5:00 PM.

2A, Gold and diamond park building no 6, near first gulf metro station, pobox 183827

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10342-do-you-want-start-your-trading-business-dubai.html

Hello from Singapore!

Hi there.



My name is NamSing and I come from a sunny country in the southeast asia, Singapore.



I am pleased to join forum and I look forward to network with likeminded business persons here.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/10341-hello-singapore.html

problem customer calling me back to repair something under warranty

my worst customer of the year that sent me a hate letter in the mail after the job was done is now asking me to come back and do a possible repair on my work. I give a 1 year warranty and he's under the 1 year



he had a rotten sewer pipe where his sewer left the house. in order to repair it I had to dig up outside his house and run a new pvc pipe into the house. I completed the job in record time and he tried to renegotiate with me after the job was done (it was a bid job/ Not T&M)....I told him since I could not charge extra if the job took extra time that I would not discount if the job went well......he was obviously angry with me, but paid me



then he sent me a long letter saying im a con man and how I must be laughing at him for how much money I made....it was a very odd letter and the person has some conspiracy issues....he thinks I planned it all out to screw him.....I wrote him back with the facts



so now he's getting sewage in his sump pump.....odds are it IS my fault...something shifted and the rubber boot may have come off underground



I can tell if I made a mistake just by removing the cleanout cap and looking down the pipe...so I don't have to dig it up if it isn't my mistake



I asked him to look down the pipe first



my wife says I should just ignore him....blow him off.....his letter scared her....she had worries this guy would come to our house it was so odd/aggressive



I have decided if he talks to me abusively I will walk off the job....I will warn him about this ahead of time.....tell him to treat me with respect or im gone



should I give this guy his money back? let him hire someone else? or should I go fix it?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/10339-problem-customer-calling-me-back-repair-something-under-warranty.html

Sell or buy a company Online

Hello members of small business forum,



Let me introduce you our company Acquisition Online.



Acquisition Online serves consumers and professionals wishing to buy or sell a business. Our goal is to build the first website for publishing announcements worldwide. We offer a wide range of services to help you best meet your expectations..



What we believe in:



- Make sure all our relationships are built on trust

- Always be empathetic to the needs of our client

- Respect confidentiality of all informations of your company

- Do things right: provide high quality services



Kind regards

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/financing-your-small-business/10338-sell-buy-company-online.html

İnvest İn turkey

Hello dear forum members. In such a situation for me to be happy. I've had you in my country about economic issues and information I would like to help.

Below are Turkey's economic data.







Rapidly developing economies in 2002 with GDP of U.S. $ 231 billion in 2012, an increase of more than threefold increased to 786 billion U.S. dollars (TSI)

Steady economic growth the last 10 years, annual average real GDP rose by 5% (TSI)

The average annual real GDP growth rate of 5.2% in the 2012 to 2017 among OECD countries is expected to be the fastest growing economy and a promising economy ( OECD Economic Outlook No. 91)

In 2012, the 16th largest in the world Compared with the economy and the 6th largest in the EU economy ( based on Purchasing Power Parity GDP , IMF WEO )

Last 10 years, attracting foreign direct investment of U.S. $ 123 billion economy has been institutionalized for the year 2012 of the world's most attractive foreign direct investment 13 countries ( AT Kearney Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index )

Between 2002 and 2012, an increase of 325% to 153 billion U.S. dollars, dynamic and mature private sector with rising export volumes (TSI)



I do not mean to be a citizen of this country. But the moment Turkey is truly the land of opportunity.



Turkey wants to learn about or friends who want to invest will be happy to help.



respects

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10337-nvest-n-turkey.html

Hello from the UK

Hi



I've just joined the forum. I'm Nigel and I'm a business owner and Business Consultant from the UK.



I'm here because I am looking to network with businesses in the USA with a view to doing business with or in the USA. I own a number of businesses at the moment and I have been involved with a wide range of businesses from new start ups to those with a 7 figure turnover, providing long and short term consulatancy on a variety of different issues. Being an ex police senior trainer, I have also designed and delivered training solutions covering a range of areas from crime prevetion to management and personal development.



I'm particularly interested to see if I can help any business in the USA that would benefit from learning more about the way business is done here in the UK or who wish to break into the UK market but require help to do so.



Best wishes



Nigel, England

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/10336-hello-uk.html

Hello Everyone!

I am happy to have found this website and have already found some good advice. My name is Maria and my husband and I own a cat and bird boarding resort in San Diego, CA. Our website is The Purring Parrot. We have been open for about 5 years and are planning to open a 2nd location in about a year.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/10333-hello-everyone.html

Hello, SEO'er from Canada

Hello all. I'm new to this forum but so far it seems friendly. A little about myself. I have two children, boys, aged 2 and 1. I've been doing SEO on personal websites for a little over 3 years and just recently started my own SEO company. Slow but steady, things are starting to pick up.



I'm glad to be here and I'm excited for the future.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/10334-hello-search-engine-optimizationer-canada.html

New Corporate Startup - Need Advice/Consulation before we look for funding

We have our business plan done and we are in the 'seeking funding' stage of our venture.. but for us, this is a new thing.



Here is what we are looking for: We admit that we don't know what we don't know. We are looking for somebody who can gently and competently guide us and tell us the ins-and-outs, what we can probably get and the best sources and options, etc. BEFORE we dive into this...



Question: What sort of companies provide this service?



Thank You.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/financing-your-small-business/10332-new-corporate-startup-need-advice-consulation-before-we-look-funding.html

How do you collect data on your customers?

What are your preferred methods of collecting data on your customers to ensure you are providing them the products/services they desire so they will continue to return?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/traditional-marketing/10331-how-do-you-collect-data-your-customers.html

Looking for Entreprenuir president on run my business

I make several hight quality products from recycled tire: horse & bull swing for playground equipment; door mats, floor mats, truch liners; and purses and wallets; construction log and water abatement; belts, etc. Next week when I have them all in pictures for you will see how wonderful and easy they are. I have done 99% of the work of making a business plan; contacting the city, county, and state who are really for these grand products. etc...



I'm taking care of something personal; but have the manufacturing and accounting software; which has several other other modules to be added as needed; the program is called openERP and if this sounds like you can do it; give me a call, or email. Everybody I meet says it's the best thing they have seen in years; it's fun and we can make some pretty good money.



So, please get back with me to hear the details and please be a go getter I prefer a woman that can speak spanish, but If you think you can do the job give me an email at first at walter72u@yahho.com then we can set up a phone/ skype call to hear the great details.



Thank you and looking forward to hearing from you, Respectfully, Walter

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10330-looking-entreprenuir-president-run-my-business.html

how to transfer a rental property in your name to a business LLC

I have one rental property, but it is in my name. How would i go about putting in a LLC that i have set up. Is an LLC the best vehicle to do this? My goal is to buy a house every other year to rent out. I am currently getting ready to rent out the house that I am currently living in as well.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/10329-how-transfer-rental-property-your-name-business-llc.html