Hi Local Business Consultant from Virginia!

Hello posting again as I didn't see my original post...not sure what happened.



My name is Lisa Santos from Hampton, VA. I'm a local business consultant and owner of a virtual assistant services business. My focus is now on consulting local businesses on various marketing techniques to grow their business. I have a passion for helping local businesses harness the power of the internet. The days of using the Yellow Book pages are long gone and business owners need to realize that they must jump on the bandwagon and have a web presence ASAP! That's where I step in and consult the business owner.



I love what I do. I hope I can share my knowledge and expertise with those that seek it here in the forum.



I look forward to networking with many of you.



Best wishes!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9850-hi-local-business-consultant-virginia.html

buy calling card

Hi everyone,



I found this great website that sells various types of calling cards. But I could not buy calling card because they are not suitable for my country. Anyone has known any other similar options. If you have please let me know by posting here or PM to me. Thanks.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/water-cooler/9847-buy-calling-card.html

applique designs

Hi guys,



I hope I am in the right place if not I beg pardon. I have been looking for a site that does some kind of applique designs and I found appliques exterieures design but I am not quite sure about its qualities and offerings. Has anyone have visited into this? Or if you have got similar other options that is better than this. If you have please post them here. The best options would be appreciated. Thanks.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/water-cooler/9846-applique-designs.html

Hello World!

Hi everyone!



New to this forum. I'm Stephen and I am an Entrepreneur at large. Working on various projects at the moment, especially in the B2B space. I'm trying to provide advice to Businesses particularly on strategy and marketing.

Here to meet people and share tips with all users.



Cheers!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9844-hello-world.html

GTA 5 Affiliate Program - 75% Commission

GTA 5 (Grand Theft Auto V) is massive at the moment! The game has had over $1 BILLION in sales in it's opening days alone - setting a world record.



If you haven't noticed - everyone is talking about this game at the moment. Not to mention that all the major gaming review sites have rated it 10/10 and are calling it the greatest video game of all time .



A team of expert gamers and I have created a brand new online guide for the game called GTA 5 Plus that takes customers through various secrets and strategies for the game - plus an entire walkthrough of all the missions, and cheats, tips and tricks. It is great value for money, and information that they won't find ANYWHERE ELSE!



These are TOP gamers who have written this guide - and have got the information from endless days of playing GTA 5 - with no sleep - exploring every single aspect of the game so that they pretty much know everything about it.



Those who join GTA 5 Plus also get exclusive access to our Private Discussion Forum where they can talk to other members about GTA 5 and ask our gaming experts questions about anything to do with the game.



The product sells for $37 - and we are offering you a massive 75% commission for promoting the site. That means you get approximately $25 for every customer you send to the site!



No other video game guide pays you that much! The reason we can afford to sell at that price is because THIS IS MASSIVE and there are so many people obsessed with this game right now.



Jump on board this Clickbank product right now by copying this into your browser:



gta5plus.com/affiliates.html

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/9843-gta-5-affiliate-program-75-commission.html

SEO: Google Hummingbird Update - What does it mean for you?

Google announced a new update to the search algorithm on Friday. Google Hummingbird focuses on conversational search and will really impact the user experience. From a webmaster standpoint, if you've been following best practices, you shouldn't see any change. If not, well...



Learn more if you're interested in my latest video - The Digital Edge: How The Google Hummingbird Update Impacts SEO and Your Website. (Commentary) - YouTube

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/search-engine-optimization/9841-search-engine-optimization-google-hummingbird-update-what-does-mean-you.html

A few questions about Contests?

Hi



I have a blog and I am thinking to have some promotion through contests. I already have a payment gateway in my site.



Should I do it only for the US or every country should be included?



and How I would pay the winner?



Whats the right way to go?



Thanks

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/9836-few-questions-about-contests.html

What's the average retail markup for apparel?

Is anyone here in the apparel business?

I was wondering what the average retail markup is for clothes.



I've seen 250% is the norm.



Is the same across the board or are Men's and Women's apparel different?



Can anyone enlighten me?



Thanks

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/9835-whats-average-retail-markup-apparel.html

Starting real estate invesment co.

Can any one help me with buss. Plan and any advice ???

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/business-plans-ideas/9834-starting-real-estate-invesment-co.html

Hello, I'm Trevor

Hey everyone. I just found this forum today, and I am looking forward to learning more about it and its members. My profile has some basics about me.

Have a great day!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9833-hello-im-trevor.html

Hello from CGXPrints

Hey all,

My names Jeff, I own a printing company. I'm new to this forum, and the reason I registered was because it seems to be full of positive like minded people with interests in success, learning and growth. I look forward to sharing ideas with all of you.



-Jeff

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9827-hello-cgxprints.html

Win Operating Systems Opinions

I'm gonna buy a new laptop for my wife. She is currently using Win 7. I use Linux, so I don't know squat about Windows. What are the current opinions of Win 8. I will make it a dual boot machine Linux / Windows. I don't have a laptop so I will use it while traveling which is rare. I hear win 8 can have both the traditional interface and a touch screen sort of thing. Is that true?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/9826-win-operating-systems-opinions.html

Which online review sites you you trust?

We keep running into stories that question the integrity of online review sites. For example this past week, we did a story on a consumer reports study in which one plumbing company received an F by Angie’s List, A+ by Better Business Bureau, 2.5 out of 5 by Yelp and the majority of Consumer Checkbook users called their service “superior.” I was just wondering what your experience has been with any of these sites. Have they been accurate for your business? Have they been accurate for businesses you patronize? Have you ever advertised with any of these?

Just curious to see what real small business owners think on this issue.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/9823-online-review-sites-you-you-trust.html

My Name or WebAddress for Social Media Marketing?

Hello



I am working on the marketing of my blog. The category is Finance (stocks).



I have a logo. I also have an about me page on my blog. The name (web address) of my blog is not my name.



How do I market my blog on Facebook, twitter, google plus and linked in.



Should I use my name or the web address? I am more comfortable with web address. How does it work? any input and advice will be highly appreciated.



Thanks a lot:confused:

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/social-media/9822-my-name-webaddress-social-media-marketing.html

Hello Friends

Hi, This Jignesh(Jinesh) Shah from Mumbai India. I am co-founder of Omnivore Partners. Previously I was Vice President and CFO at Nexus Venture Partners, one of India's leading early stage venture capital funds. At Nexus, I led investments in Sohan Lal Commodity Management (grain warehousing), Mobile2Win (mobile VAS), and Mistral Solutions (defense technologies). I earlier served in Finance roles with Datamatics (leading Treasury/M&A), Patni Computers (initiating the IPO process), and HCL Technologies (founding the BPO business). I am a Chartered Accountant with a B.Com.



Omnivore Partners is basically a venture fund investing in early stage agtech (agriculture technology) companies in India. The professional team of advisors at our company very well understands and accepts challenges of commercialization comprising of innovative technologies, before considering investment in agriculture sector in India. An agribusiness company usually comprises of the whole spectrum of businesses related to food production. Godrej, A multinational and well known company, is our strategic advisor and fund’s anchor investor.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9821-hello-friends.html

NewBie

Hello I am Newbie..here

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9820-newbie.html

Hello Friends!

hello everyone! :)

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9817-hello-friends.html

Hello, new here

Hello to all,



I've being in TV marketing and later a bit in the radio, back in the 90's. Then make a pause and started with online marketing in early 2000's, first on my website, then for clients, with SEO, social media and different things. Paralel to all that I learned and growed in web developement and some fields in programming, too. Recently started with ASAP Change service, providing people ability to change small chunks of text very easy on their static websites. So here I am, to learn something more about promoting my new service, to help if I can in the fields I have knowledge about, and to get more experience with new people with similar interests.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9816-hello-new-here.html

IRS address update for business and a branch

All



My company LLC is in different state(VA), then wehre I reside and and work now. I t has registered agent in state of origin(NH).

I have couple of questions:



1) Can I open a branch here(Registring with State of VA?) what could be the implcations?

I already have given VA address for VEC and withholding tax for my payroll.

2) To IRS can I update my address of communication to VA (instead of NH)? What form needs to b filled for that?



Rhanks in advance!

Akhil

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/accounting-taxes/9815-irs-address-update-business-branch.html

Can CPA (Tax filers) be another country?

Hi



I needs some advice from Gurus! My CPA ( an old friend) is in Canada now. Can he file my and my company's taxes from there?Could there be any concerns?



Regards

Akhil

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/accounting-taxes/9814-can-cpa-tax-filers-another-country.html

partners skimming off the top and keeping partial tax info from me, TX

I bought into a salon (25%) that i previously worked for nearly 3 years back in November with the goal to purchase 100% outright after the contract (1 year) has expired. Since working with these 2 partners I have not had the full cooperation from said partners as per the contract that was written. I have to beg and plead to get them to deliver products that have run out at the store, my name was supposed to be put on the lease and has yet to happen, and took them nearly 6 months to get me bank account information which was also in the contract. I was guaranteed 60% commission for my work as well as my share stake (25%). Lately they have been telling me that i owe them due to an error made on their part which in turn is keeping me from paying my investor. It was at this point that I requested all tax information from the company's CPA and fiduciary officer. This was back in June, and since then I have some how managed to piss my partners off which sounds very weird since it is in the contract that any member can view all tax information. I have hired a lawyer to send them a letter to hand over all paperwork that we asked for and also hired my own CPA for my LLC to review. I have also noticed that lately when i look over my pay stubs on our company's payroll system, i am no longer able to go further than 6 months which I was initially able to. I have also seen that in the 6 months of stubs I was able to acquire that there has been money missing from my paycheck ranging from 5-20$ at a time. Basically my pay stub not matching payroll when being sent to the accountant. My biggest issue is the lack of money for assets (Lawyer/CPA) since it is coming out of my pocket. In a recent meeting with our CPA's, one of the partners, myself and my husband, things got a little dicey as my husband defended my work ethic compared to theirs. The owner shouted at my husband (not a small guy by any means) for calling him out on his errors which in turn angered my husband. Nothing happened however, he said that in future meeting my husband is no longer allowed to attend. Can he even do that? any help would be greatly appreciated!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/legal-hr/9813-partners-skimming-off-top-keeping-partial-tax-info-me-tx.html

Spider Engagement Management

I came across an SEO company today that says they offer "Spider Engagement Management". I've never heard of this term before and a quick google search didn't find any definitions. Is this just a made up term by the company or is this a real thing?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/search-engine-optimization/9812-spider-engagement-management.html

Hello small-business-forum

Good to see a support forum for small business. I'm planning to start a business very soon. so, i guess i can get the best from here.

Thanks

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9810-hello-small-business-forum.html

what are the ways to promote my website?

Need a advice on this what are the ways we can promote our business site.

Thanks in advance!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/9809-what-ways-promote-my-website.html

How much does forum links are effective?

Hello mates,

I'm new to seo. I would like to know how important are forum links and what are the ways we can get forum links and how?? Please share your views on this and help me.

Thanks in advance!!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/search-engine-optimization/9808-how-much-does-forum-links-effective.html

Hello world.

I am very new on this forum. This is my first post. I found small-business-forum very helpful and that's why I have joined .

Thanks!!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9807-hello-world.html

LLC Percentages

Hello,



I am starting a new restaurant with my business partner. She has obtained the startup capital in the form of a personal loan from her father. We are both equally responsible for paying it back and we are both equally responsible for the work in the establishment. Additionally I am a graphics/web designer so I will be doing all of the marketing for free as well. We are trying to decide percentages right now. I would like to be 49% because she says that 51% is her lowest since the money is coming from her father. Her dad however seems to think that she should be taking a much higher percentage. Am I in the right to think that since we are both equally responsible for the loan and the work that we should be as close to equal partners as possible or should I be more flexible and take less of a percentage since we never would have had the money to do it without help from her family?



Thanks!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/9803-llc-percentages.html

Multiple company names with one tax id?

Hello all. I am new to the forum and need a little advice. I am also new to business ownership and was sort of hurled into it (a story for another day).



Currently we have two companies. One is a contracting company that serves only Seattle and the state of Washington. The other office is supposed to serve anything outside of Washington and it's the one we refer to as the 'home office'. The Washington office is shown as a sole proprietorship while the other somehow was written up as a partnership. Both share the same tax id. Each has a different company name.



This configuration is causing us to have to carry two insurance policies, two bank accounts and so on. We are very small (in start-up) and need to conserve all funds possible of course.



My questions to all you seasoned business owners are:

What is the best way for me to combine these companies without changing company names for either one?

How can it be set up where one insurance policy covers both businesses?

Since I have a 'partner' in all this, do I need to set it up as an LLC?

Is it possible for one bank account to cover both businesses?



Thanks in advance for any help as my head is spinning from information overload!!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/9802-multiple-company-names-one-tax-id.html

PSA: Publicity Seeking

If you've got a product you want to spread the word about, you are quickly running out of time to get into the gift guides that are being put together for the coming holiday season. Many of the national ones went to bed months ago, but there's still opportunities to get free coverage in local and regional publications as well as broadcast media.



Want to get coverage but aren't sure how...ask questions :-) I'll help where I can...

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/traditional-marketing/9801-psa-publicity-seeking.html

UPC Codes going even cheaper on October 1st, 2013

Hello everyone.



I'm new to this forum. Thank you for adding me to your list of professionals.



My name is Paul Marin and I am the founder of an up-and-coming Condiment company located in the Bronx, New York. Our motto is: "Just When You Though It Could Get Any Better!"



In researching the cost of UPC Codes and noticing the post by "Reflo LTD" (by the way, thank you Reflo LTD for the information), I decided to contact GS1 and to my surprise they are even going lower in their pricing to obtain a UPC Code. Reflo LTD said that their "membership is only $350 to sign up plus $90 per year." I found out that as of Oct. 1, 2013 their pricing is as follows: membership is only $250 to sign up plus $50 per year. If you would like more information you can go to this link: New Pricing



I will be posting more in the future. Thank you once again for allowing me to join!



Paul Marin

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/9799-upc-codes-going-even-cheaper-october-1st-2013-a.html

Check it out and let me know....

I need that outside perspective on my site. 1812 Productions

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/website-reviews/9798-check-out-let-me-know.html

Accidently signed a personal guarantee!!?? Need Help!

I am getting calls at work from a collection agency saying I am responsible for a debt that my company didn't pay. My former company went bankrupt in January and was an LLC. I however was only a Purchasing Agent of the company and was not an 'Authorized Agent, Officer, Owner or anything. I signed it on behalf of the company and put my Title as well.



I am getting herrassment calls at my new place of business and they have got me scared. They are saying I owe $5k and I am wondering if I have any way to get out of this.



Any help or advise is greatly appreciated.



Thank you in advance!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/legal-hr/9800-accidently-signed-personal-guarantee-need-help.html

Quickbooks help

I'm looking for some help with Quickbook. The program stopped responding and even a clean reinstall did not resolve the issue. I tried Quickbooks support, but I had only 2 choices. First is a public forum that was free. There was some help there, but they did not have any idea why the clean install didn't work. Option 2 was to pay a ransom to Quickbooks for their support. $59.95 for a one time help or $89.95 for 3 months.



Can anyone suggest some other company that can help? I don't want to give those thieves any more money.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/accounting-taxes/9796-quickbooks-help.html

Have you ever had to change your domain name?

Have you ever had to change your domain name? If so, why and how did it go? Please share the good, the bad, the ugly.



Thanks.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/9795-have-you-ever-had-change-your-domain-name.html

Hi Everyone

Hi Everyone,



i hope all are doing well. I am Saathish Jeevan, working in a Medical Billing Solution Company, And i am new member to this forum. i am happy to introduce myself, we will discuss some good business ideas and information upcoming future post...



Thanks

Saathish Jeevan

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9794-hi-everyone.html

Rebuilding Fathers Business

Back story on company:

So basically my dad has had this business for 25 years. What he does is service work on doors. We do a lot of sliding door repairs and commercial door repairs (think big office buildings). About 4 years ago the economy crapped out and he lost a lot of his customers and we moved north about 60 miles so we're targeting a new area. He just got a part time job at bass pro and gave me the opportunity to try to rebuild the business.



My questions:

I just want to know how I should do advertising. I try to ask him how he did it the first time and he gives pretty vague answers. The things i've come up with are just going door to door and offering our service and running around and putting stickers with our company information on local shop doors. I've also written an introduction letter which I will attach if I can figure out how. How should I send out these introduction letters and to who? Also I KNOW the introduction letter needs some editing and I am open to any suggestions. Also if anyone has any advice on how to get more traffic to our website it would be greatly appreciated.



Here's our website:

Here's the introduction letter I wrote. imgur: the simple image sharer

Thank you in advance!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/9790-rebuilding-fathers-business.html

Give me your best shot!

Hey guys, my current website appears okay to me, but that doesn't really help me much, I want to know how the website looks to everyone else. So please feel free to give me as much input as you are willing, whether harsh or kind. I'd also like some opinions on how it can improve, what's working, and what's not working if that's not asking too much. Thank you for taking your time in reading my post.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/website-reviews/9792-give-me-your-best-shot.html

Greetings! From Cloudy

Hello everyone within the SBF community! I'm the proud Founder of Cloud-Firm.com, a community/network for small business owners and entrepreneurs hoping to establish themselves in the corporate world. I'm very excited to be a part of this community with you all, because it gives me the chance to learn more about small businesses and the way some start-ups think. However, I don't plan on only benefiting from this community, I want to give back as much as I can. I hope to provide help to any newer entrepreneur hoping to start a website business, but have no idea where to begin with the knowledge that I have from developing my own website. Thank you all for taking your time to read my Intro!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9788-greetings-cloudy.html

Does city matter? DBAs and online only businesses

So, I'm in this situation where I could file a DBA with any of 3 "cities" (Cambridge, Somerville, or Boston).



Does it really matter from a tax or legal pov which I pick? Let's say for the sake of argument that all three levy taxes equally (I'm still trying to figure out if they do)? I don't have any plans for a brick-and-mortar business, so I'm just not sure the city matters. Thoughts...?



TIA!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/legal-hr/9785-does-city-matter-dbas-online-only-businesses.html

Hello from MA!

Hi everybody!



I've a freelance book editor and indexer since the (geez) 1990s, but I've only been full time for the past 2 years. I'm moving into graphic design, web design, ebook production, and general geekery (trying to learn Javascript, 3D modeling, etc.).



I also sell collectibles and print-on-demand products (Zazzle, etc.) on the side.



Looking for advice on how to take my business(es) to the next level. Looking forward to being active in the community.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9784-hello-ma.html

Web Design Company in Chennai

This means that your clients will find the information they need easily and without strain. Ensuring that your clients find what they need, when they need it is one of the best ways to ensure that they keep coming back for more.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/accounting-taxes/9782-web-design-company-chennai.html

Infographic Promotion

Hello!

I'ь going to make an infographic. Do you know any resources where I can publish it and promote?

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Hiii

hii newbie to this forum!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9778-hiii.html

time clock issues and overtime

Sorry this is so long, but I was caught off guard by this issue.



We're having a problem with timekeeping and payroll.

Background: small company, manufacturing/assembly, 5-6 employees mostly low wage labor, somewhat informal and flexible work environment (which will have to change, apparently).



A couple of new employees, one only hired a week ago, suddenly noticed that when the time clock added up the 2-3 minutes they were early punching in or out at the start of the shift and lunch time, they went over 40 hours. Two minutes on each punch x 4 punches per day = 8 minutes x 5 days = 40 minutes. They said they had to be paid overtime, or allowed to leave early. They know they are supposed to work from 7:30 to 4:00 with a 30 minute unpaid lunch and two paid breaks.



When we told them it didn't work this way and that overtime had to be authorized in advance, one of them, the new guy, dug his heels in and said it was the law. this is the same guy who leaves the work area to use the bathroom ten minutes before break, then comes back and goes on break.



I looked everywhere on the CT DOL website and online for articles and posts, but all I found was that employees have to be paid for every minute they work, and if it goes over 40 it's overtime (which I knew). I also read that the only way to deal with this is to have a policy that states that early and late punches are not allowed and would result in disciplinary action. Honestly, I have NEVER seen anyone expect to be paid for those couple of minutes in my life.



Anyway, I checked the manual for our time clock, and found I could program it to allow a "grace period" of 2 minutes before punching in and 3 minutes after punching out. It would show the exact time of the punch, but would calculate the running total based on rounding up or down to the nearest 5 minute mark. I made the changes and am looking forward to seeing all of those happy faces on Monday morning.



Is this legal? I want to explain it to them in a way that doesn't cause any confusion or bad feelings.

I'm guessing there is nothing you can do about the excessive bathroom trips? Honestly, if he has to go, he has to go, but minutes before break time? Every time?



Thanks

Saypoint

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/legal-hr/9777-time-clock-issues-overtime.html

offering benefits to some but not all employees

New here, so hi and thanks in advance to anyone who can advise. My husband and I own a small manufacturing facility. For the first 6 years we relied on full or part time labor consisting of various family members, kids, etc. but did most of the work ourselves. Last year we added a business unit that requires employing around 5 people at relatively low wages, ie. $10-12 per hour. We'd like to offer benefits, but until we can ramp up our volumes, we do not offer insurance or paid holidays, and I don't know when or if doing more will be possible.

The problem is that we just hired a "team leader" to help keep the work organized and moving, do shipping paperwork, set up jobs, instruct workers on new tasks, and keep track of productivity and efficiency. We did this to take some of the pressure off of me when my husband travels and I am left to deal with everything on my own. Plus I'm not getting any younger.

She is young and inexperienced, but is doing a decent job so far, though she has a lot to learn about business, productivity, HR issues, dealing with unexpected things that come up, etc. Because she has some useful experience with the more hands-on part of the work, we had to give her a higher wage and health insurance to get her to leave her last job. We'll be paying half of her COBRA for the immediate future until we figure out how to make the new health laws work. We also gave her a certain number of paid holidays.



Is there an issue with not giving the other employees similar benefits? Is her "class" different enough to meet the requirements? She is non-exempt.

Thanks

saypoint

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/legal-hr/9776-offering-benefits-some-but-not-all-employees.html

Form To Include With Payment To a Freelancer

My sole proprietor business is beginning to use freelancers for some specific projects/clients.



I need a form I can use as a receipt to include with the payment that documents the project and client that the payment is for, etc.



Does anyone know of a good resource for modifiable forms for that purpose? I'd like to add my company logo, etc.



Thanks in advance!



Daren

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/9775-form-include-payment-freelancer.html

Head Spinning

Hi All :D



New to forum and also new to starting a new business.



My husband and I are opening a store and my head is totally spinning; I have looked all over the internet at how to accept credit cards and have no clue which way to go. Can anyone please offer me some advice?



I have looked at the Square Card Reader, Intuit, and Pay Anywhere. I've also been trying to find the best way to keep track of inventory, sales, etc. Sam's Club has an electronic cash register which is suppose to help with such, but does anyone know if any of the cards will work with an actual cash register?

Just wondering if it'd just be easier to go through my bank and get a credit card machine, although there are lots of fees attached.



Any help would be awesome.



TYIA



Melissa

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/9774-head-spinning.html

Hiring Students Easily

Hey Guys,



I'm participating in the Lean Startup Machine and we are working with the idea of connecting small businesses / startups with students. I'm working to understand what concerns come up, what methods have been used, and what stops you from hiring students.



--Best Wishes

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/legal-hr/9772-hiring-students-easily.html

starting a small electrical contractor company

So I have been writing up a business plan for the past couple months. I feel that this is something I would like to pursue but I always have doubts.....So to all whom have started their own business please give me some advice to getting over this first hurdle called doubt...I do believe this is a service I can provide to a customer very well. As I have been in the trade for 7 plus years. I have watched and learned a lot from my employer on the do's and dont's. But what I feel I am having a problem with is how am I able to compete with all the franchise and small electrical contractors out there? Has anyone had an ideas that really worked that no one in the market was doing for marketing that just really got a name out there? and another question that is keeping my mind thinking all the time is, I have a retirement plan with my employer and I have been thinking of pulling my money out to use for my business startup....would this be a wise decision? considering the market is always up and down. I know I would be hit with a high tax rate because I am not 59 1/2....But if this business where to take off it would be a great investment right? thanks for your resposes in advance.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/9773-starting-small-electrical-contractor-company.html

New Site Design

Thinking about doing a wp martial arts site for a friend. His site sucks, but it does have some good text for his bio and a few other things. Only a couple of pages. My proposal would be to have him write a page in word and give me any images about once a month or so to put on the site. For the well written text from his current site, I would put that on the new site with no index no follow.



In say two years we could have a good reference site, add a cart to it, 301 it to his current domain. Money permitting, we could have it professionally redone. While this process is going on, we would have two sites with say three no index no follow pages that are identical and grow the new site. The old site would have the stuff that is important for his business such as class schedules. At the appropriate time (when we place high on G SERPS) 301 the new site to the old domain.



The idea is to have a site that is well done and a revenue stream in a couple of years.



Oh, and there is no reason not to write adwords pages and pause them until it goes live. Could even take the adwords pages live from time to time to test keywords.



Any comments, ideas etc?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/design-development/9771-new-site-design.html

Greetings from Matthew

Hi all, I'm Matthew from MC Web Assets a company that specialises in web and app solutions for local businesses. I'm 18 years old and I've been working on my own business and projects since I was 16 and I'm interested in getting to meet and know people who have that entrepreneurial mindset and this seems like the kind of place for that.



I would love to share my knowledge and experience in the app and web development industry here and learn more of what I know in business and learn new things too.



Matthew.C,

MC Web Assets

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9769-greetings-matthew.html

WHAT ABOUT EMPLOYEES??? New ownership!

I have been a manager of a small family owned restaurant for the past 7 years and I am currently in the works of taking over 100% of the ownership. If I were to become the owner I would basically do much more work than what the current owners, and this would result in several full time employees not being required by me. Since we are all "at-will" employees, can I make any changes I want in terms of employees hours, vacation time, health benefits? I just need to make sure that when I become owner that I have the ability to make whatever changes I need to the staff.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/legal-hr/9767-what-about-employees-new-ownership.html

New to site, already learning

I am new to this site in the last couple weeks and I have been reading and loving every minute of it. One of the best things I did was find a new merchant processor for my CC sales. I was using intuit and paying 3.4% effective monthly. I ran into a guy in my area and he convinced me to get a quote and I got 1.3% effective monthly rate. Now that I am saving money there, it is time to find other ways to maximize profit. Im going to keep reading threads for more ideas, I am upset I didn't find this earlier.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/9764-new-site-already-learning.html

Chasing Dreams With What I Have

Hi Everyone!



I could have sworn I was a member here before, but I couldn't log in. I registered just now and my name was available. Deja vu?



Anyhoo, I'm Halena/peachypan. I have always wanted to own my own business of some sort. I am wanting to open a fabric shop: first a website, then brick and mortar once I save up money and get funding. I have already found my ideal location and have gotten my EIN, but without capital, I have more or less stalled out. My husband isn't supportive of me pursuing this right now and I recently gave birth to our 4th child. I'm hoping to find support and like-minded people I can talk to about my progress here. Hopefully I can be of help to others while I here, too :)



Sorry if I rambled. My mind is going in so many directions right now.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9763-chasing-dreams-what-i-have.html

How to rank a keyword in an easy way?

Can anyone tell me how to rank a keyword within a short period of time. I need to rank a keyword. So need help badly.



Thanks!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/search-engine-optimization/9761-how-rank-keyword-easy-way.html

Rate my business name

Simply Prime



That's the name my team came up with. We intend to sell all types of goods on ebay using dropshippers. Items ranging from electronics to car products

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/9760-rate-my-business-name.html

I am Offering Franchise Opportunity

Semas Academy Offering Business franchise opportunity.If any body interested contact the below link

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/9759-i-am-offering-franchise-opportunity.html

Hello I have time, money and propery but I need a good small business idea

First of all I wanted to thank everyone for positing so much good info on this forum.

A little about myself: I am looking to start a new business, potentially something I can invest my capital and time in. I have part time experience in real-estate investments and I have been a Bank Manager for the past 10 years.

The Housing Market has gone up here in GA and I sold all of my properties. I can't stay in this business because big investors are willing to pay a lot more than I, and eventually they will try to liquidate their funds all at the same time which would cause another housing crash.

I have a commercial unit in historic district of Stone Mountain GA, I would like to keep it and start something new that I would love to do and make a profit at the same time. I was very interested in a pizza place and there isn't one close to me but restaurants scare me, since in my line of work I have experience that they are not very profitable and most of them do not make it. My area is strange millions of tourists visit stone mountain park per year for recreation, high and moderate incomes, and rarely anyone comes to historic district which is beautiful but a ghost town. Residents in 2 mile radius are mostly low to middle income. Not sure what to do: liquor store vs nice restaurant vs whatever....



This area has lots of potential and I could be the one that puts it on the map, but with what? I'm open for any ideas... :confused:

Thanks in advance!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9758-hello-i-have-time-money-propery-but-i-need-good-small-business-idea.html

New to the USA questions.

Hi!



I had businesses in Sweden when I was younger, now I live in the USA and I am enrolled as a full time college student in Florida.



I have some questions that I cant really get my head around and keep in mind that I just want the most simple and easiest solution not necessarily the "best", since I am in college I have no delusions that this will make me a living I just need something to do in my spare time and hopefully I can make some pocket money and get some business experience until time comes to start something "for real" in the future:



* Do I really need a dedicated Business Bank account? Or is it just preferred?



* If I need a dedicated account how; What is the cheapest account? I will mainly do my business online and will also accept credit cards. Is PayPal OK to use?



* Do I need a business number, some say yes others tell me no. I heard that you can run your business of your SSN, is that correct? If so what is the point with getting a business ID number?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/9757-new-usa-questions.html

Getting Subscribers on YouTube

Okay, so I started a YouTube channel here. Any advice on getting subscribers?



I'm just testing the waters right now and this channel will be Boxing, MMA, and Wrestling oriented.



I plan on doing a "News" channel as well. Excuse the Southern accent haha.



Anyways, what can I do to build subscribers? My long term goal is around 10,000.



Ideally, I'd like to earn some money off this channel but whatever happens, happens.



Thanks in advance!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/9754-getting-subscribers-youtube.html

Intro

Hi,



I just joined this evening. My dh and I have a brick and mortar store that is well established. However, the reason I am here is because of my new business, Custom Coasters by Cindy. I started this company in December of 2012 and it was truly a God thing. I am still trying to find my way and hope to find lots of encouragement and information here.



Blessings,

Cindy

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9751-intro.html

Want to open a hobby/video game store

Good day SBF! This being my first post I'd like to introduce myself, my name is Frank I'm currently in the military and looking at getting out and, you guessed it, start a business. I'm 24 years old, been in quite a few positions that put me in the leadership role so I have no problem in that area, I've got a small amount of business experience, and worked in retail for about 2 years before the Military and out sold many of my other coworkers. Any way on to my post.



I've been looking around the internet and while I have found quite a few articles on opening a hobby/game store and there is a lot of good information, one cannot have to much info



Being in the Military I'll have my GI bill to cover the opening costs of the business, I've looked around my current city and can see a need for a video game and hobby store and with this being a military town can see it doing well if advertised right.



So far what I have in mind for my business is to carry a wide range of things from tabletop rpgs, tabletop war games, board games, new and used video games, retro systems and games, trading card games, anime, manga, comics, etc. I would also have a gaming room for customers to come in and use for pretty much whatever they would like hobby/game wise, I would sell snacks and drinks and have tournaments with prizes to help drive customers into the business.



I'm very enthusiastic when it comes to nerdy things like this, but I don't want to open one of these stores so I can play more video games or anything like that, I want to provide a service I see a need for and like any one starting a business want to provide for myself and be my own boss.



So what am I asking? Give me any information, guidance, cautions or advice you would have for me. If you have experience in this field that would be great, but any thing would be helpful.



Thank you everyone for at least reading this!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/9752-want-open-hobby-video-game-store.html

Need advice please

I advertise for my freelance bookkeeping business on two websites: craigslist and bookoo. However, I am not reaching the right clientele. Are there any other better sites?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/internet-marketing/9749-need-advice-please.html

Wondering if I should change

For the past year I have been offering freelance bookkeeping. However, it is just not working out the way I planned. The customers that have used me only do it for a limited time. I am very open with how I do things and I think that I am basically teaching them how to keeo their own books. What if I offered a tutorial class as an option? It wouldn't be steady money. During these times, do you think this could be an option?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/business-plans-ideas/9748-wondering-if-i-should-change.html

Hey everyone!

Hey everyone,



I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Eric and I'm the proud owner of a small business called Tri Media Designs.

We are a website design and development agency helping craft solutions for small business on the internet.



I'm excited to be part of the community and be able to help others where we can.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9746-hey-everyone.html

Question for those who advertise through audio mediums....

like radio, in-store, on-hold, etc... When you have your spot produced, do you like to do the voice over, or do you have the production company hire in voice talent? Also, If you like to do your own VO, would you be happy to have the studio come to you for the recording, or do you like to go into the studio?



I ask because as I try to grow my business, one of the things i'm looking into is mobile recording. Is this something that would interest all of you potential advertisers?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/traditional-marketing/9744-question-those-who-advertise-through-audio-mediums.html

to keep in mind

1. Don’t Underestimate a Business Plan



2. Don’t Get Stuck in the Past



3. Don’t Hire Friends



4. Don’t Move Without a Plan



5. Don’t Fall Into Some Discount Trap



6. Don’t Be Afraid of Failing



:)

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/9745-keep-mind.html

How to Start a Business Partnership

We have contacted a business in Florida, and we are looking into starting a partnership. How do I create a relationship which is mutually beneficial?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/9742-how-start-business-partnership.html

What % are you actually paying to CC credit card procressor? First data is 4.5%!!!!!

This is my first post, so please excuse any mistakes I make.



I made the mistake of siging a contract and a leasing a terminal from First Data years ago. They promised rates below 2% but by the time all the fees are added up I'm paying over 4.5%!



Thankfully my contract is now over. (it would have been cheaper to switch years ago to a second processor and keep paying their fees!) I have been researching like crazy for a new processor and the least expensive seem to be the flat rate companies. Groupon has a service called breadcrumbs or fee fighters where it is 1.8% FLAT rate plus 15 cents a transaction.

Square.com has a flat rate of $275/month as long as you do less than 20,000$ per month.

I took my gross sales for a year and using square would be be equivalent to a 1.7% effective rate.

We do about $16,000 a month in sales. Average ticket is $40 for the nail salon.



I have these other credit card merchant companies quoting me 11 basis points plus interchange plus 10 cents a transaction. They claim that even with all the fees they charge their effective rate will be less than 1.8%. I should mention that 85% of our transactions are debit cards withOUT the pin entered because debit cards wont' let you put a tip line on the receipt and tips make up a good portion of our business.



Merchant warehouse would not give me references, nor would they look at actual bills they issue and tell me the effective percentage their customer was paying. They cited privacy rules, even though I was not asking for the name or location of the business. They also refused to add an adendum to the contract stating that if their total fees was more than 1.8% than they would pick up the overages.



So for those of you that do interchange plus processing through a merchant provider, what do you think would be best for my situation? What effective percentage do you actually pay with all the hidden fees?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/accounting-taxes/9741-what-you-actually-paying-cc-credit-card-procressor-first-data-4-5-a.html

What do you think of my direct mail infographic?

Hi everyone! I recently created an infographic about direct mail marketing and I would greatly appreciate some feedback:



http://www.lorrainegregorycorp.com/i...nfographic.jpg



Thanks in advance!

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/traditional-marketing/9740-what-do-you-think-my-direct-mail-infographic.html

Customer claiming I have damaged their property

Hello, we are a small blind manufacturing company and have only been trading a few weeks. Just hoping for a bit of advice on our first problem, I went to fit some blinds for a customer yesterday, they have claimed I scratched their patio window. The scratch measures only 1" but I am absolutely adamant that I did not do this and know they are trying it on. My customer service was probably not at it's best and I left without completing the job as he was getting more and more irate. From a call this morning, he has said that I either repair the window or he will take me to court. My wife has said to back down for reputation's sake but as I know I didn't do it I am reluctant. Advice from anyone who has been in a similar position would be great. Thanks

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/legal-hr/9739-customer-claiming-i-have-damaged-their-property.html

Are signup fields not good when you always see them?

It has been suggested that on my website Keep track of the prices of your competitor. it is not good that you always see the signup fields.



I would like to know what you think of this in general.



My argument: I want people to be able to signup the moment they decide to do so without having to look for a "signup" link.

The opposing argument: It is spammy and feels like a salesperson hovering over you every step of the way.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/design-development/9738-signup-fields-not-good-when-you-always-see-them.html

Seeking advice

One of my friend and I are planning to set up a fast food business and we want to make it chain with in 1st year of operation. Our potential target market will be near by colleges and schools...now, I am seeking advice that what sort of fast food item would be ideal to sell on this type of market.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/traditional-marketing/9737-seeking-advice.html

Online Payment processing

Do you attach with any payment channel to processing your online payment?



How is it worked?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/financing-your-small-business/9736-online-payment-processing.html

Greeting!

Hey everyone,



This is Nepathya from Kathmandu. I am a business student and have a small family business. I find this forum is very useful for those who have own small businesses as well as interested to small trades. I hope, I will learn a lot of innovative ideas to move forward my business too. Thanks.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9734-greeting.html

Question about start-up funding

Three partners and I have agreed to open a business together and we will all be putting in equal start-up funding. I have gotten my parents to agree to help me with my portion of the start-up money by taking out a mortgage on our investment duplex. Additionally, we are going for a SBA loan for the business to help with start-up asset purchases. The SBA has asked for a repayment plan between my parents and I. I was wondering if there are any legal issues I need to know about in my parent's giving me a loan on a loan. For example, do they have to charge me more interest than the bank is charging them? If so how much more? Is there a maximum grace period they can give me before I start paying them back?



Thank you for any answers.



Chris

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/financing-your-small-business/9726-question-about-start-up-funding.html

How to get new customers ?

Hi,

I am writing, because i need advice.

My cousin have his own biznes. He is a teacher of maths and he arrives to homes his students and learn them. Students after his teaching passes about 100% exam. He have got a proffesional website and cooperate with other teachers.

Unfortunately he have got only 5-6 customers per month. I know that's special period with exams in the years, but it is still bad score.

We create many ads in internet (purchasing portal), we create leaflets, buisness card and leave at schools, university. We also create special files and pen with his logo and gives customers.

I am thinking to create special promotion to new students, that 3rd lesson are free or when students recommend his lessons, that will be free lesson to student.



Please tell me, what are thinking about: loyalty program ? How to get new customers?



Sorry for launguage, i just learning,



peace

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/9724-how-get-new-customers.html

Hello Everyone

Hello Everyone,



I'm new member of Mylocalforums.com. I join this forum to learn and also help other forum members. My interests are small businesses, marketing, graphics designing etc.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9723-hello-everyone.html

For Business Owners Who Are Hiring

Hello Everyone,



I've been following this forum for a while now and figured I'd create my first post.



Like many of you, I decided to start my own company last year (cloud based hiring software). After working on the software for over a year, i'd like to offer it to everyone on this forum for free and all I ask is that you please email me any feedback you may have (scott@candidatebroker.com). I can tell you several small companies have already used my software to successfully hire a number of candidates, and I hope some of the members of this forum find it useful as well.



Again, I'm not asking for any money. I'm just looking for feedback and hopefully I can help a few small business owners in the process.





If you're interested, please follow this link: https://app.candidatebroker.com/empl...n_up?plan=free



If you have any questions, also feel free to email me scott@candidatebroker.com

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/legal-hr/9720-business-owners-who-hiring.html

For New Business Owners Who Are Hiring

Hello Everyone,



I've been following this forum for a while now and figured I'd create my first post.



Like many of you, I decided to start my own company last year (cloud based hiring software). After working on the software for over a year, i'd like to offer it to everyone on this forum for free and all I ask is that you please email me any feedback you may have (scott@candidatebroker.com). I can tell you several small companies have already used my software to successfully hire a number of candidates, and I hope some of the members of this forum find it useful as well.



Again, I'm not asking for any money. I'm just looking for feedback and hopefully I can help a few small business owners in the process.





If you're interested, please follow this link: https://app.candidatebroker.com/empl...n_up?plan=free



If you have any questions, also feel free to email me scott@candidatebroker.com

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/9719-new-business-owners-who-hiring.html

Selling Business

Is there a certain topic where I can list my business for sale on here?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/water-cooler/9718-selling-business.html

What do you do on social media?

Twitter, facebook, Google+ and all the others. They are supposed to be able to get you loads and loads of traffic.

To actually reach that I would have to post something interesting at least ones a week (ones a day is probably preferred).



What am I supposed to tell people?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/social-media/9706-what-do-you-do-social-media.html

POS System Suggestions Needed

Opening a 50 seat wine bar and have narrowed down my choices between TouchSuite and Bevo (Benseron)



Both are about the same price and offer similar services. The GUI on Bevo is a bit easier and there isn't any extra cost for after hours support. TouchSuite charges an additional $50 month for this service. TouchSuite has received excellent reviews and the Bevo system is a year old from a 20yr old company.



Has anyone had any experience with either of these systems or companies?



Any advice is appreciated

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/9705-pos-system-suggestions-needed.html

I am new in this forum

Hello!



My name is Daniel Lew, and I am an internet marketer and SEO service provider. I am also trying to learn on the other types of small business, which I am also interested about them. I am willing to learn more about the other small businesses that you have here, so that I can come up with my own plan to build that small business I have found here in this wonderful forum.



Looking forward to learn and share more in this forum. Cheers!



Daniel Lew

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9704-i-am-new-forum.html

How to charge licensee for licensing my business?

Hi everyone, I own a small wine bar and have just been approached to license my business. They are looking to use my brand name, recipes and training but I have no idea how to charge them for it. I would appreciate if someone could give me some advice on this.:)

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/9703-how-charge-licensee-licensing-my-business.html

Credit terms and accepting credit cards

I have been in business for a number of years and over time our handling of receivables has become more relaxed party due to personnel changes and not having a full time bookkeeper.



I do offer credit to established customers and I have virtually no bad debts (0.1 %). We also accept payment by credit card and over the years the percentage of people paying by credit card has grown and so I pay a fair amount of fees each month.



For a number of years anybody wanting to pay by credit card basically paid COD and those with terms would send cheques. Unfortunately over time customers are taking longer to pay and those with terms are now paying with credit cards so they are getting the benefit of terms but I am also losing on the fees and cash flow is getting tight.



I am wanting to revert back to my old ways and start to enforce paying COD if they want to pay by credit card. I am curious how other people handle this. I find a number of my suppliers accept credit cards for payment on account in 30 or 60 days (like I am trying to get away with) so I am wondering if this is becoming common practice.



If I am going to give up 3% then I would rather get my money now! Any thoughts?

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/9702-credit-terms-accepting-credit-cards.html

Hello from Osprey Strategic Research

My partner and I built this company after many years in IT services sales. We were fortunate enough to be able to build the sales process for one of the fastest growing IT solutions companies in the nation which was ranked in Inc 5000 this year.



What made us so successful was the sales pipe line we were able to build. Every month we were able to fill the sales pipe line in a steady and consistent way which gave our sales team more qualified leads.



We have decided to take our method on the road and offer it to other IT solutions companies. We are a niche telemarketing and IT consulting company that is helping other small business owners turn their IT companies into growth machines.



The experiences I bring to the forums here are: Sales, Sales Management, Sales Team Development, IT Sales Process



If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. :)

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9701-hello-osprey-strategic-research.html

Hello Business World

I am bob blockus. I have been doing all the ideas in Movies, Music, Television, Computers And Corporations since year 1963. Lucky me I guess. I currently live in North Carolina and want to move to Beverly Hills, California about December Time. Like and love to be part of this small business forum community and help out when needed. I am currently single.

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/introduce-yourself/9700-hello-business-world.html

DBA and S Corp

I currently have an S - Corp. for a Home Inspection Corp I run. I am in the process of obtaining a patent for an idea unrelated to the business. I wanted to start a DBA for the Patent, so, I have the ability to pay for the process through the DBA and write off the expenses. I also will have royalties to pay a marketing company, that I thought would be easier to do from a corporate standpoint. If it is successful I do not want any possible claim made against my home inspection business to involve the finances of my patent.

Bottom line am I better off with a separate bank account for both as well as a separate corp. identity? If so, does it need to be done prior to spending money on the patent and marketing end of things or can I wait and see if it is in fact successful?





Thanks for the help,

Dan Malin

via Small-Business-Forum.net http://www.small-business-forum.net/accounting-taxes/9698-dba-s-corp.html

Evaluating Hourly Rate

Double Post....Mod please remove...thanks.

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Evaluating Hourly Rate

Hello to all....first timer



I have a question about calculating my hourly wage.



As I said in another post, in the past I used a 20% across the board mark up on total job cost.

My business is doing not so great that is why I decided to find out why. After now doing what I should have been doing in the past an Overhead Recovery Analysis

I know why....I was pretty much working for slave wages. ........unbeknownst to me.:confused:

I use Quicken Home & Office for basing my P&L from. I know it is elementary but for

as my needs it serves it's purpose.



Doing my restructuring of my hourly rate, I categorized Indirect and Direct expenses



My questions are: (finally)



I will preface this with saying...I know I am the business and the business is me as far as the IRS is concerned, so these question are about what the customer (my hourly rate) should be billed for and what is fair.



1). Are Self Employee tax and Income Tax considered to be Indirect cost or are they considered Direct cost because they are directly tied to wages?



2). Do I include 100% of both of taxes in my overhead....IE; should the customer be footing the bill on 100% of these taxes

OR...Do I do like an employee and absorb 1/2 the SE Tax in my personal finances.



3). Do I include ANY part of my estimated Income Tax in figuring my hourly rate



4.) Same thing about including a retirement in my hourly rate....If I have a set % that suits me...do I split that between the business overhead and a "personal contribution"?





AGAIN....these questions are geared to what is standard and what is fair to the customer. I know I/Business are paying 100% of these taxes.

In my mind I am thinking, that to be fair to the customer, like employee/ corporation situation and what they would be passing on to their clients.



I do hope these questions make sense....The more I get into the financial part of my business the more I know I don't know. I don't even think I am at Biz 101 yet...more like Biz 98-1/2. :o

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Hello all

I live in the Central Texas area and have in business for myself as a General Contractor (construction) for about 10 years.

I am a Sole Proprietor biz, that has been between so-so to moderate in terms of "success".



My profession I know very well as far as the hands on, the business end of it not so much.



My epiphany came when I was restructuring my hourly rate. I, like most contractors, was doing a 20% markup across the board

not considering Direct and Indirect cost, because that's the way I thought it should be.

Amazing how little I was actually netting by the hour.



The more I got into restructuring this process....the more questions I had than answers........which led me here.

I will have a few Biz 101 questions with not an abundance of input unless some one has a question on the practical part of business



Anyway.....HOWDY from the Great State of Texas :D

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Searching for Partnerships

So I have started my company, 1812 Productions, finally. I do commercial audio production for businesses. So far this has been fun (sarcasm) trying to find work. I have 0 dollars for advertising so I have been doing the Craigslist and Facebook thing. My sister is a hairdresser in a swanky salon, so I have put business cards on her station. I know that my bread and butter will come from partnerships with ad agencies, but I can't seem to get any of them to respond to emails to open a line of communication. I have been targeting smaller agencies and newer agencies as well as media buyers. Every email is personalized so it doesn't feel like a form letter.



Is this just a case of throwing enough **** against the wall waiting for something to eventually stick (my grandpas old expression)?



Has anybody here had experience with finding partnerships like this? If so, what did you do/how did you do it?



I have some contacts in the local ad agency community, but they all have in-house audio services, or have worked with the same production companies for years and years.

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Requesting you review my site.

Hello everyone,



I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a look at my website.

I have only 3 questions:



1) Do you like the design (what is good and what is not good)?

2) Do you understand what I offer?

3) Does everything work properly (please make an account, it's free)?



dotterde.com



Thanks in advance.

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HI All - London

Hi all! kramer from LOndon here

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Hello all from Traderston FZE

I would like to introduce my company Traderston FZE, one of the leading International General Trading Company based in Dubai dealing with Foodstuff, Medical, Surgical Instruments, Portable Toilets, Hotel Supplies, Hospital Supplies and more..

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Best time to be in Grand Rapids, MI

The new thread about Where in the world are you? got me thinking I'm in the best place to be, especially right now. Next Wednesday begins the world's largest art award event for the 5th year and it quickly became my favorite event of the year. Prior to ArtPrize in 2009, the largest award was $75k and ArtPrize has a first place award of nearly a quarter million. This draws international artists and turns our entire downtown into an art venue. The really unique feature is that the winner is chosen not by art snobs but public vote.



Even if you have only a casual interest in art, the energy created by this atmosphere involving about 1500 artists and hundreds of thousands of visitors during the 19 day event will refresh your spirit. Large crowds are not my favorite thing, but I still would never want to miss ArtPrize. It is hands down th best time to be in Grand Rapids.



You're not just looking at art either. Because it's a contest with everyone wanting to win, the artists are on site with their works. It's easy to get caught up in talking to them and have less time to see the other works (no way could you do it in one day) but they are fascinating to talk to. One thing that especially impacts the participating artists who are not from this area is the kind of community Grand Rapids is. It is exceptionally friendly especially for a city of this size. And we love art. I've talked to a lot of artists who have been floored by their experience here.



If you are anywhere near Grand Rapids, or can be, between Sept 18 and Oct 6, I assure you that the experience will astound you. Let me know and I can recommend the best places to eat. Oh yeah, GR is growing exponentially in food variety and in the early stages of rivaling Chicago or NY. Professional chefs are beginning to be able to make a good living here now because more and more people are discovering there's more to life than burgers and pizza (but we have the best of those too).



Find out more about ArtPrize and I hope you can be here to experience it.

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Flooding in Boulder

Steve, I woke up this morning to see pictures of flooding in Boulder. Are you on high ground?

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Where in the world are you?

Hi everyone!! I am new to the forum and was just wondering where is everybody from? I am located in Northern New Jersey, USA. Where in the world are you?

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Hello! from Miami

Presenting my Company:

At Terra Labs we transform your ideas into successful products! Terra Labs is a Contract Manufacturing and Formulations company specialized in Beverage, Nutritional and Cosmetics Formulations. Terra Labs, LLC can work with you to create a new formula from the ground up. Our team of formulators know what makes a winning formula and can put that expertise to work for you in producing the best product for your customers. Visit our Site www.terralabs.us

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First timer here--Need help with partnership agreement

Hi All,



I'm going into business with someone and need guidance. I will gladly provide more info if needed. See below.



Business: LLC, taxed as an S-Corp, 2 partners, will need approx 50k to 100k for startup



Scenario:



Partner A will fund 50k and does not plan on joining the business for more than 5% of the time until 6 to 18 months later, once the business is established and getting revenue. Partner A will not draw a salary until she is full time with the business.



Partner B will fund 50k and join the business immediately (full time), while drawing a salary from the business account.



Questions:



Should there be a bonus/additional percentage for Partner B once the company is profitable? Partner B is basically doing all the heavy lifting initially, takes a greater risk by quitting her long term job, and brings 10 years experience in order to get this up and going. If so, what is fair or the normal standard and for how long?



Is there any benefit to Partner B if the percentage of ownership starts off at...let's say, 65/35 (B/A) until Partner A joins the company full time? And then at that time, the percentage changes to 50/50? I see, in theory, why that would give incentive to Partner A to hurry up and join--but wouldn't that only work once we're profitable? If Partner A ends up coming on at 9 months in, and we're not profitable yet--then what would be the benefit to a split in Partner B's favor?

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Is a pet day care a bad idea? Pros and cons please

Hello, everyone. As some of you know I have posted a few months back about being interested in a staffing agency and getting into recruiting/HR. Honestly I've been trying to get into that industry and break into it for a couple years but it seems so difficult and I can't even get into entry level positions and get stuck with the usual data entry/customer service. I feel like I've had enough of Corporate America trying to climb that ladder.



Anyways, I do have a "back up" plan of a business I'm interested in. If there's one thing that I've always been really felt strongly for it's owning my own business and becoming successful like my family. Anyways, I've always loved loved dogs and cats are pretty cute too. I know it's weird but at a party if there's a dog I'm usually giving my attention to the dogs rather than people. I don't have a dog (I used to have a Rottweiler) but I stay with my bf and his sisters which don't allow dogs.



Anyways, I was thinking of researching into the pet industry. I've been looking at big pet chains, forums, etc. Maybe a grooming/pet day care and as it grows add in obedience training. If I wanted to do this should I get certified in grooming and training and also gain more experience working with different animals? Honestly I'd quit my job to pursue that and I have the financial ability to do so. I'm just tired of being stuck with corporate and feeling like a slave to their rules that make no sense.



I feel like this would be a good idea because I love animals and I don't mind picking up the poop haha. I'd rather do that than clean a diaper like at my sister's day care!



Again, I'm still on the journey trying to find what's best for me to own a business one day. I want that pride, my heart into it, and to be able to build it and say "Yup, I did this!"

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Greetings

Hello everyone,



Why am I here?:

I am here to see how and what other small businesses are doing.



What do I do?

I am a product manager but in my free time I like to run a small business.

I have just finished building my new website: dotterde.com

Here you can make your own price comparison(s) by putting product prices from different websites in a table. It is unique that you can set it up yourself, let dotterde.com check for changes and share your comparison(s) with your friends and customers.



What did I do before this?

I had a different small business with a good friend of mine in trading virtual money in Second Life. I sold this Dutch business to my good friend and am now making a small business on my own.





I will be creating a sig and such soon. I thought I would introduce myself first. :)

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Starting an Advertising and Marketing Agency

Dear All.



Good day to you all.

i have many ideas on my mind and i could need some help here.

I wanna start an advertising agency in either ( Middle East, or Albania )

what i need are:



If in Middle east:

its not working if i opened an local agency i should be a franchisee for an international agency

so i dont need a big name like ( TBWA , Gray ,DDB ..etc) because all are already have franchisee in all middle east

i need small to middle agency in any country US , Canada , France..etc. to be a franchisee for them.

so is it a good idea or no , and if i will take an international name i need to hire a qualified staff from outside how can i do that ?

i know the market of the middle east the international brand will success more than local , and i know all suppliers need here so i will have my suppliers.



If in Albania :

it will be the same except the suppliers i have to contact them all first.



Now :

i need to know hoe to start a good professional agency?

what are the points that i have to take care of it in this business ?

Do i have to enter a new market like Albania than the middle east?

and any points in your mind can help me.



Thanks all in advance

Regards,

Yahya

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Logo Redesign

Hi Business owners,



In celebration of Labor Day, we at Tangerine5 are offering our social media followers a chance to win a FREE logo redesign (a $495 value) for their company brand.



If you're looking at redesigning your logo, kindly send us the image of your existing logo or post it at our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/tangerine5ive) and on September 30th we will select the logo most in need of a redesign and completely give it a face lift. FREE, no strings attached!



Thanks!

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My First Post... Skype Group?

Hello. I've been going around to a bunch of different websites (YouTube and a few other forums) and posting about my Mastermind group on Skype. Basically a mastermind group is a group of entrepreneurs who will help each other out by sharing connections, tips, information, motivational tidbits, etc. What's different from this group and a forum site is that when you post in the group everyone is notified and because we aren't a huge group you will get to know each member a bit better than you would the 1,000s of different members on a forum site. We are currently at 13 members and everyone in the group seems to be benefiting. This particular group is currently made up of relatively younger entrepreneurs (currently all under the age of 30) but we definitly welcome all ages and experience levels to participate. If you're interested in the group you can add my skype: brett-shaffer and I will be happy to add you to the group. Thanks.

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ibrahim ilen on Business Help

Hi my name is ibrahim ilen I'm new to this website

I just want to share my knowledge of the business to help boost their business difficulties if you like my help

to leave a message below to let me know if I can help sort yong you I would help you.



Best Kind Regards:

ibrahim ilen

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Reading material

Are there any good books or articles that go into details on marketing as far as how to present your product, colors, wording, and etc. I feel like marketing is the key to any business and that I need to get more in tune with my customer and how they go about buying

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Looking for artist

I am looking to start a t-shirt business ( like everyone else lol ) I have figured out my target market and done some research on it but I dont know how to draw. I have search on line and seen a couple of sites I didnt like the idea of giving project to a bunch of people to work on a design and for me to choose. I just rather work with one person do you all have any Ideas?

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Hello to you ALL

Hello I am from Northern VA (DMV area) im looking to learn a lot from you all as well as giving my two cents if it helps out!

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Percentage of profit split: special case, please advise ...

Hello there,

I am starting a new business (a high tech company providing software solutions) with a partner and I would like to know the fair percentage of the profit for both of us given the following facts.



1 - we practically need zero cash investment to start and since our product is a software, we will have very little expenses.

2 - I will be working full time in the company and my partner has his full time job as a professor in a university.

3 - The technology is based on advanced mathematical algorithms that is invented and implemented by me.

4 - I have been working with my partner (as a researcher, not a student) in an academic environment and he was my supervisor. So, out of loyalty, I like to have him on board now that we can make money.

5 - He will bring his reputation as a university professor, he will NOT take salary, I will take a reasonable salary.

6 - From a technical point of view, I will be doing all of the work and he will bring ideas, past experience and time to participate in meetings and make decisions together.

7 - Because of the above situations and no money investment, there is very little at stake except our time.



I know there is no right or wrong answer but I appreciate if you let me know your thoughts or suggestions.

I want this to be fair for both parties. Please indicate what percentage (of the profit) would you consider for me and what for my partner?



Thank you very much for your advice,

Regards

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PPC Advice (Adwords Promos)

I am a big believer in the art of perfecting PPC with legitimate landing pages/sites. However, I am also fairly new to the PPC scene only effectively using Adwords for about a year or so.



I get promo offers here and there which are awesome, I don't necessarily look for them. When I get a promo offer I apply to my account and it really reduces my monthly expenses when factored in with the CPC.



My question - is it common practice to constantly seek out and apply these offers? Running a few searches I see that they are very common and if there is a way to further save using PPC on regular basis I would definitely want to explore it.



Thanks!

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Idea To Open Business in Albania

Dear All,



How are you dears?

My name is Yahya am 24 years old, i'm working in advertising agency as an account manager , from 2011.

i worked as a marketing officer in electronic company in 2010.



Now i thinking to start a business in Albania, thinking to open my own marketing and advertising agency.

But i have some concerns to invest in Albania.

1- Purchasing Power in Albania is good or no.

2- Albanian economic is growing up based on the statistic that showing in some websites, is real ?

3- i have no idea till now about the advertising field there.



and if i will not start an ad agency , what can i invest in Albania?

Please i need a help on that.



I appreciate you efforts and thanks in advance.



Regards,

Yahya

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Hello from London

Hello friends this is K Johns. I am working as a marketing manager in a newly born firm Regency Suites Nottingham what encourages the property investors to invest in the UK Student Accommodations for high returns over their investments.

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Need somebody to answer a question on dollar value of personal assets

Hi everybody.



The following question has been posed to me:

Quote:

---

Why does a business need to apply a dollar value to your personal assets being transferred to a new business?

---

I've searched the Net high and low for the answer to this question but haven't been able to find anything definitive. The only answer I've been able to come up with -- and it's probably wrong -- is the dollar value of the personal assets will add to the net worth of the new business.



Can anyone please enlighten me as to what is the correct answer to this question?



Many thanks!

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