Favorite contact management program connected to landing page?

I am subscribed to LeadPages . net and am planning to test their landing pages while having the contact form integrated with MailChimp before moving onto a more advanced contact management system. I am wondering if it is better to go with a contact management system directly though that offers landing pages so I don't have to worry about integration? What have you found to be most effective?

Content writing

content writing

Get your content writing handled. Sign up today and conquer the internet with great copy! We provide blog posts, social media updates, and more.

content writing

Sikh matrimonial Sites

Candidates United Nations agency seem to be extremely qualified for a specific gap, however United Nations agency fail to land the task, usually marvel why they were rejected. There’s no single reason, of course. Typically another candidate’s expertise and background is even additional heading in the right direction than yours. Typically the person creating the hiring call merely likes another candidate quite you. Government organizations have strict processes in handling job applications so if questioned the organization will prove it gave all candidates a good chance at obtaining the task.

Funding for purchasing an existing business

My fiancé and I have worked at a bakery that is currently owned by her aunt for the past 5 years. The bakery has been in business a total of 9 years this upcoming August. It has a well established name and customer base in our town. She is in her late 60's and is ready to retire. She has offered to sell us the business which doesn't include the building (it's a lease) for $25,000. What are the first steps/documents I need to seek funding? **Also the business brings in roughly $150,000 a year total sales.

Hi everyone :)

How is going dudes?

my name is Gary and i'm 14 years old (yes, yes 14).

I has a big passion to business and my goal is to be rich!!



Sorry about my bad English :<

Grant writing and application process for a 501c3 business?

So I'm the office manager of a small start-up business. we have been 501c3 state certified for almost a year now but the owners have no idea how buckle down to get grants coming in. I'm trying to help them as much as i can but I'm can't do everything myself. We don't have enough money to hire an official grant writer is there anyone that can help me either learn how to write a successful grant myself or can do it for a reasonable price?

-Thank you in advance.

Branding consistency

How do all of you address branding consistency when it comes to social media? Example..



There is a yoga studio that has an overall serious and knowledgeable tone to its web presence, there is not much personality to the website and the studio actually wants to develop an online school for people around the globe to attend (online courses). Do you think it is okay to post in FB communities a picture of cats in a yoga pose and ask "Which is your favorite?" - it is a bit silly for the status quo of the yoga studio but it is a great way to increase engagement. How would you address this situation? The cat pic is very unique compared to content in most yoga communities but again a bit silly when it comes to branding consistency.



Pic example: http://ift.tt/1iDLTx8

Advance Money Available For Your Business- http://ift.tt/1jWPIYO

William Mckinley Capital, Inc. is your business support center that will help businesses with credit card processing, Merchant Cash Advances, Business Loans, etc. Our goal is to help business owners start, maintain, support, and grow their business and their lives.

Small Business Bartering Ecosystem

Introducing Give&Take, a brand-new, accountable network for small businesses to barter goods and services without paying money. Need some help with your business? Have something to trade? Sign up here!



Giveandtake.intuitlabs.com

What is a Certified Public Accountant?

Hello everyone!





Whatisacertifiedpublicaccountant.com is a Certified Public Accountant can be best described as a licensed professional that provides accounting, tax, auditing, financial planning and management consulting services.





Visit :- www{dot}whatisacertifiedpublicaccountant{dot}com for more information about my business....





Thanks!

Hello Friends

I am new here and I want more knowledge about different aspect of the SEO.

Best organic baby cloths in Australian!

Hello,Everyone!





Babyandmumstore is an Australian online baby store selling organic, non-organic baby and children clothing. Our baby shop stock designer labels: Dora, Hello kitty, Wiggles, Ben 10, Thomas, Rashoodz, Babychic and E.J.kids. Browse for swimwear, sleepwear, baby-wear and baby bedding.





Visit: - www{dot}babyandmumstore{dot}com for more information about my business....





Thanks!

Hello Everyone

My name is Nada Blue. Currently i have own my business Nada Book Info. I am currently new on this website @small Business forum. I wish to stay long on this forum to provide some useful thoughts and solve the issue of users.

Thanks.

e-commerce, social media, UK/Australia

hi all,



I have a website that sells extra virgin olive oil (if you want after you leave the link, I would not be accused of spam, in the first post)



My questions:



I am interested primarily in the UK market: Have you advice about the best social media strategy for the united kingdom? (gplus? FB?)



I would be interested also in the Australian market. Do you have experience of e-commerce sites on this market?



thanks

All in one Printers

Any recommendations on all in one printers with a low ink per page cost? Ive been reading up on several to include the HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus e-All-in-One Printer. Ideas or suggestions?

Did your college major help your startup at all?

I'm always interested in who actually used what they learned from college when starting a company, or if they thought it was useful at all. I think there's a great argument for both sides, but I am interested in the responses from this forum.



Thanks!

Questions about setting up a company

Hey guys/girls!



I need to set up a company in the United States, but I live in one tiny European country.

Can you please suggest me which state has the cheapest fees and taxes and or services that I could use to register a LLC.

I'm very new to this company stuff so I really have no idea what to do. Also I'm not sure about how to file taxes etc..



Any help would help me a lot.



Thank you!

How do you go about your finances?

Hello, all!



We're just looking for some basic advice on who handles your finances, how you found them, what it costs on average, etc. We've been managing our finances decently to date, but are looking for more options, especially for sales taxes, payroll and some of our nonprofit work.



Thanks!

Help for Entrepreneurial Class Project

I am currently in a class where the main assignment is for groups to come up with an idea and go through the process of creating a start up company. Part of the assignment is for the groups to get real world feedback on their ideas to help them refine and better shape their ideas. I am asking anyone on this forum for their input on my group's idea and any feedback, positive or negative to help us complete this project.



Here is our idea:

Basically it is a website that allows entrepreneurs and inventors to get help with their ideas by matching them with engineers who can help them determine the feasibility of their idea and set them on the right track. The hope is to build a community sort of like mosaicHUB.com where people without the resources can make connections with engineers to help them grow their idea.

The second half of our group's idea is once the person is able to acquire the professional advise, they could turn around and use our site to help fund their project. We are interested in the new crowd funding for securities law that has been passed, and we would like people to be able to invest in these projects and get stock in return. Currently the bill is still stuck with the SEC, so we might need to change our thinking on this aspect.



If you have any input on our idea it would be greatly appreciated. Any feedback is welcomed. If you do reply, I ask that you state your background just so I can get a feel from where you are coming from.



Thank you for the help!

Free websites!!

Hello,



I can create for you website totally for free!! I am new web designer and i need some stuff to my portfolio. I create websites in wordpress. If you wanna try just send to me e-mail. Created website is for free, you only must pay for domain and hosting( i can advice you and give discount coupon for hosting. With it you can buy hosting for 0.01$ for first month).



Don’t wait, every company even small need own website.



My e-mail: tynkiem@gmail.com

Any recommendations for best business laptops/PCs

Thats just about it. Small start up retail business, using QBs. Wont be using the computer for much else besides social media/website. Based on budget issues, we are looking at spending less than 500. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Health coaching business

Hello all. I'm a Registered Nurse who is interested in beginning a health and wellness coaching business. Coaching is the business of helping clients figure out why they make the current health choices they do, and how they can change behavior using their own strengths and thoughts. There are two health systems in my area, but they are large/bureaucratic and focus on two major areas: Diabetes education and Congestive Health Failure education. I want to help people figure out how to eat better, lose weight, stop smoking/drinking, get right amounts of sleep, make a plan for their financial, social and spiritual life. Wellness is more than just health.



I guess my major problem is I'm just overwhelmed and don't really know where to get started. I've done some research into certification/legal/business ideas...I don't know how to do market research, I don't know the legal/accounting aspect...Not sure how much money I'll need to start, Thinking about 5 grand.



I've thought about offering blood pressure screenings in local pharmacies with an 3-5 question sheet for people who stop by (such as Are you interested in learning about healthy behaviors, Do you feel like you are a healthy person, Would you be interested in a service to evaluate and help you change behaviors (using your own skills), Is your life well rounded? (Financially, Socially, Healthy and Spiritually), and how much would you pay for such a service on a per session basis? (Aiming hopefully for $150 a session, but know it's limited to what the market can bear).



Looking forward to hearing all your advice.

What SEO tools do you think work best?

Hello, all! Just looking for suggestions on some new tools we should be using in the SEO field.



So far we're doing everything through HubSpot really, but we're looking at Moz as well now.



Thanks!

Started Business Now I am Stuck On ! Question

Hi Guys and Gals,



I am new to the forum as I was searching for a way to answer this question that someone ask me. When I was asked the question I got stuck because my competitors basically sell the same thing I sell it just my concept my be a little different from theirs, but I find this question to be very difficult to answer.



"Why Should I Buy From You"



Do anyone have a hard time answering this question when you competitors sell the same thing as you. How can I really answer this question to make myself stand out better than my competitors.

New to the forum

Hi I'm new to the forum.



I started my 1st business at 21. (Asphalt) Sold it 11 years later.



Now I build websites and do website marketing.

Basically I've had my own business my whole adult life and I've learned a lot about the specifics I have experience with.



Websites

Competition

Direct Mail

Accounting

Employee Management

Customer Service

etc...

Thoughts on this pricing model

Thoughts on this pricing model for Fishing lures?

Pricing Model

Cost to Make a pack: $1.37

Cost to Distributor: $2.19 (37.40% Profit Margin)

- 20% margin for Distributor

Cost to Tackle Shop: $2.73 (49.80% Profit Margin)

- 40.10% margin for Tackle shop

Cost to Consumer: $4.56 (70% Profit Margin)

Preventing Credit Card Fraud, please chime in with Ideas, we can all help each other.

.



Pretty much all small business owners have dealt with the dreaded Chargeback, or Dispute on their statement.

It's a crappy feeling. Specially when it's a large amount.



Most of us use AVS, and CVV, and I.P. Tracking.



But, for those of us who do a lot of Internet orders or Phone orders, meaning Card Not present... sometimes those are not enough.



Specially, when you have to verify a Suite, or Apt. or name, or alternate address.



Anyone have some helpful insight, or feedback....etc



Seems like whenever we call the banks to ask for help verifying info, they always seem like this is a bad thing. To help a merchant PREVENT Fraud.









.

Purchasing a business vs opening a business

I know there are advantages for each of these, but which ones would you guys prefer if you had the capital for either one?

I am at the point in my life where I am looking to invest into a business with my father, but we are undecided in which business we will purchase or open.

A couple question that you guys can hopefully provide some input on



1) What are some businesses that provide a good ROI and profit margins? (We were considering either a coffee shop, liquor store, or a convenient store).

2) Has anyone had experience with liquor stores, convenient stores, or coffee shops before? If so, please share your input.



I realize this is a very vague thread, but any input is really appreciated, thanks.

Who's using LinkedIn, and how?

Hello all!



I recently started using LinkedIn to help market some of our blog posts and am seeing some very minor success with it. Does anyone else have experience with LinkedIn for marketing? What's a reasonable campaign budget?



Thanks for any help!

Repeat Customers

“Profit in business comes from repeat customers, customers that boast about your product or service, and that bring friends with them.”

– W. Edwards Deming



What are you doing to generate repeat customers?

Any experience with Email Campaigns?

Hello,



I just started a new business and had a few questions for anyone that has had experience with email campaigns:



1. What is a good/affordable service provider



2. Any general advice for the do's and donts of the content and how to structure the email?



My own thoughts are keep it brief, no pictures so as to not come across as spam, and indicate that I am local. I came up with something simple, but without expert advice, I could be missing the mark... here it is:



"Hello Joe - My name is _____________ and I do business with local companies in Massachusetts such as __________ and ___________. We offer large company benefits to small businesses at no cost to you, the employer, and I wanted to see if you may be interested in meeting for 20 minutes to have a conversation about what we do and how that can help your business. Would there be a good time in the next few weeks?"



Thoughts? Here is the website if you need more context: venture-benefits

Rate My Business Name

I am working on starting a mobile app development company, but the only name I have so far is StreetDev, like street developer. There's a part of me that likes the name but another part that thinks it doesn't make any sense at all.



Let me know what you think, any input is appreciated!



Thanks,

William

Best New Years party in Boston

Hello everyone,



Bostonnewyearseveparty.com is luxury product companies the SYNERGY Events produces themed events in USA and Europe.Our events regularly introduce sample works from artists with outstanding talent in art, film, fashion, music, and more.







Visit: - www{dot}bostonNewYearsEveParty{dot}com for more information about my business....





Thanks!

Hi ya'll I'm new around here

So nice to "meet" everyone. I joined today in hopes of sharing information and learning some new best practices for running my business. I own a virtual receptionist business specializing in the service industry (carpet cleaning, janitorial, landscaping, etc). I tend to stay really busy with my team during the day and can't network or attend business events as much as I'd like so this is a fantastic venue for me. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Hello Hello

Hello. My name is Kyle and I'm the owner of ANTLR Interactive. We specialize in web applications and branding for small businesses. I've been a freelance developer for around 3 years now and have worked with various startups.



I noticed this forum seems like a great place to ask questions (so expect many from me) as well as a great place to give some of my knowledge in my field.



Don't be shy to contact me via kyle@antlr-interactive.com or via a PM here on this site if you have any questions that I could help you answering. I love to help people!



Thanks!

Doubt About EIN Number

I opened a LLc company and I got the EIN Number but when I filled the aplication I put how Principal Business Activity "Construction" and how Principal Products/service "framing and drywall" but I can't get the licence

for this activity and finaly I get a licence how "Floor Coveryn Istalations. The name of company is the same, no change. Can I use The actual EIN number for the new activity? I need a new number? Or I need amend the actual number?

Thanks.

Employing Part-Time As A Sole Trader

Hi Guys!



Thank you for this forum!



I'm a Sole Trader and looking to employ someone part-time, 15 hours per week... not to sub-contract... at the rate of NMW.



Thing is, the candidate I would like to employ is a Carer and is in receipt of Carer's Allowance which is a taxable benefit, and they cannot earn more than £100 per week or work more than 15 hours per week... else they would not be eligible to claim for their Caring responsibilities.



I found online something on the .GOV website regarding the NI Lower Earnings Limit (£111 per week) which says:



"As soon as you first employ someone, you will need to register as an employer with HMRC if any of the following is true:



*you're paying them at or above the PAYE threshold

*you're paying them at or above the National Insurance Lower Earnings Limit

*the employee already has another job

*they are receiving a state, company or occupational pension

*you're providing them with employee benefits"



My question is...



1) can I employ this person 15 hours per week at the rate of NMW?



My following up questions are...



2) do I need to operate PAYE?

3) If I do not need to, can I?

4) How does CA being a taxable benefit affect the situation?



Thanks

and

Sincerely.

Lead Generation for Fishing Lures

Any tips on getting leads for a Fishing Lure company? We're 16 months old with around 80 customers, all of which have come from Facebook Marketing (all Free). In terms of reach of our Facebook page we may only get our photos and posts seen by 111 people, but we still get 13 likes on the photo. We have 3,144 Facebook likes and on Instagram we have 3,083 followers, and on Twitter we have 826 Followers. We've been on Facebook since the day we started, created our Instagram Page in July 2013, and our Twitter profile in June 2013. Any advice?

Here are some In-Depth Statistics on what we're doing

Customer stats:

35 NEW Customers in 2014

12 REPEAT customers in 2014

2013 Average Shipments per month- 8

2014 Average Shipments per month- 16

Top states we’re shipping to 2014:

TN- 6

LA- 5

TX- 7

What’s worked:

Sample packs of skirts (July 2013)

20% off all orders (August 2013)

Demographics

We ship VERY little to the West Coast

We’ve shipped to 20 out of the 50 states

California is the only state we’ve shipped to on the West Coast

We have NO sales or cutovers in the north/midwest

Facebook Stats:

2,987 LIKES (As of 5/28/14)

Our best post had 232 VIEWS

5% of all our fans are Women

95% of all our fans are Men

31 Fans from Lakeland FL

18 Fans from Birmingham AL

13 Fans from San Antonio TX

12 Fans from Valdosta GA

12 fans from Tuscaloosa AL

14% of our reach are Women

85% of our reach are Men

2,923 of likes are in the U.S.

OLD Website (ppmbfishingskirts.webs.com)

5,701 TOTAL Page Views

518 average views Monthly

Our best month had 860 views

On average 114 Weekly views

Our best week had 355 views

Average is 16 views daily

Our best day was 142 views

NEW Website:

12 Users

Only 3 users have placed orders

Site was Launched 1/22/14

FACEBOOK Profile:

3,761 Friends

We added 1,526 friends to our Facebook profile so far in 2014

We added 2,235 friends to our Facebook profile in 2013

23 Followers

INSTAGRAM

2,974 Followers

Following 7,349

337 Posts

Twitter Profile:

825 Followers

1,995 Following

PJ from PPMB Fishing

Quality Fishing Skirts made in the USA by hand in a suburban home by two 18 year old bass angling teenagers that are seniors in high school- PJ, Patrick, Mikey, and Ben

About PPMB Fishing Skirts

PPMB fishing skirts was founded March 14, 2013. Four friends tossed around the idea of starting a company in the hallways of their high school as they left homeroom. PJ is a bass fishing fanatic- writing for many national fishing magazines and fishing many tournaments on the lower Potomac River. Mikey is on the golf team at his high school, while Patrick committed to play lacrosse at West Point in college. Ben currently plays recreational basketball. All four boys graduated high school in late May 2014. PJ currently makes all of the skirts by hand in his home in Olney, MD when not in school.

The skirts

- 5 skirts per pack

- 40 strands per skirt

- Silicone

- 43 colors

- 3 different series- Original, Tournament, and Blood Trail

- Can be used on spinnerbaits, jigs, buzzbaits, or chatterbaits

History

PJ has possessed the entrepreneurial spirit since he was selling crayons to his neighbors at the bottom of his driveway. He ran several lemonade stands throughout elementary school and middle school- going as far as running his dog walking business early on in high school. In the spring of 2013 PJ started to get the itch to back in business- but sought something easy to make, easy to ship, and something he could improve upon. He started PPMB fishing skirts with $35 growing the company to $5,300 sales in 14 months ($2,000 in 2013 and $3,300 in 2014 thus far) from selling and marketing on Facebook alone.

Product names and logos

Hello,

We are starting a small retail business and while we dont have a e-commerce site, we still will have a web presence. One thing we plan on doing is listing most of the products we sell on our website, as well as logos. Is it necessary to get permission from these companies in order to list their names and logos on our site?

Leappayments MS

Has anyone ever had any dealings with leappayments Merchant Services? Any advice?

Please give me van rental Business tips!

Hello,Everyone!







LAX Van Rentals offers cheap rate for LAX van rentals. Rent 15 passenger van in Los Angeles airport LAX. Rent passenger van in LAX Van Rentals today.









Visit: - www{dot}lax-van-rentals}com for more information about my business....





Thanks!

first employee may leave me....so sad

It took 8 years to finally hire someone....its been great.......now after 3 months he got a better/different offer and says he's considering leaving



he's a part time helper/laborer i pay $15....i havent given him steady hours....some weeks 18 hours, some 30+



he originally told me he wanted part time because he is starting his own web design company and wants the free time to do his own business.....his new job is full time, $22 a hour(pretty good for unskilled eh?)...the negative is he is going to work in IL and we live in WI...so this adds 2-3 hours of driving a day...



i spent time explaining the negatives of his new job to him....the 2-3 hour drive extra making the $15 vs $22 an hour not being so far apart.....now it seems he wants full time



part of it may be my fault for not guaranteeing him 30 hours no matter what......i could tell when we had some slow weeks in a row he wasnt happy about it.



my work outlook is great for the future.....he was great, never needed training........i dont think ill get lucky enough to find that again



is $15 an hour too little?



ive considered offering him $17....but figure why bother....if he's looking for another job 3 months into doing his current job its probably a hopeless situation



id like him to stay, but cant/wont pay $22 an hour to someone to cut holes and sweep the floor

Any good/affordable email campaign services out there?

I just started a small insurance firm where we facilitate and implement large company benefits to small businesses (at no cost to the employer). I want to get the word out to businesses in my state, which will mostly be done through cold calling, but I figured I should implement an email campaign to try to get some bites that way as well.



Has anyone used an email campaign before? Could anyone refer me to a good provider?

How much does it cost to register a business in Oregon?

Hello, I'm looking to start a local jewelry business in a couple years and I'm trying to determine the start up costs. How much does it cost to register a business in oregon. Do new businesses get ax breaks their first couple years as well? Thank you for your time, I apologize, english is not my first language.

Should every small business have a website?

Do you think every small business should have a stand-alone website? I mean not a profile on Facebook or similar, but a website under it's own domain name?



I think not every business needs a website. For example it doesn't make sense to advertise a local greengrocer's shop online. Or maybe I'm wrong? What is your opinion?

Osteopathy For Babies

Osteopathy for babies is offered at GrowingBones. The osteopath’s role in the care of children is to remove physical tension from the body, which may contribute to an array of different symptoms that commonly present in childhood.

Starting a Cake Business

Has anyone here know anything about fondant cakes?



I'm currently a sub-con to my friend. She owns a business fondant cake. When she's fully occupied she will sub some of her orders to me.

She is doing the baking and preparing the ingredients for her cake. But i will do most of the jobs which is decorating, covering cakes and also making figurines.



So my question is, if the cake is worth $120, how do you see the percentage of the cake to the fondant decorations should be divided?

I asked few of my friends they said 30% cake - 70% decorations because of the effort and energy to put in. What do you think?



Second question, if the percentage of my part is actually 70%, is it okay i just charge him 40% of the total cake considering it's her branding and her business. And she prefers to do it in percentage so it's easier to estimate. So my balance of 30% is given to her to be add up with her 30% from the cake. So the percentage is now 40% deco (me) and 60% cake (her).



Thanks in advance.

Price Increase

Hello Everyone,



I am considering a price increase for my coasters. They have been at the same price for over a year. Currently I am selling them for $20/set of 4. I back the tax out of that price so the actual price is $18.35 (9% tax between state and local). The coasters are tumbled travertine and I apply all the designs myself. My cost of supplies + the tax on each set is about 1/4 of my retail price. That costs does not include my time. I work from home so I am not paying rent or any other fees for a studio/office or for travel expense.



When I wholesale to a local retail store, up to 3 stores now, I wholesale them for $12. I feel that is my absolute minimum wholesale price. Local stores around here usually keystone or keystone + 10%. So there are retail stores in my town who are selling my coasters for $24-25 per set. One store has been selling my coasters for well over a year & has made multiple reorders. This is the design they carry ... 1000-O. Of course, I have the whole alphabet available, this is just a sample from my website. The other two stores are recent additions to my wholesale accounts and have not had sufficient time to reorder yet.



I would like to increase my retail price either to $22 or $24 per set of 4. Dh seems to think that if I do a price increase I should go ahead price them at $24. How do I go about deciding how much of an increase is too much? Even at $20, a $4 increase is a 20% increase. Is 20% too much? I feel at $24 that I could comfortable leave my price alone for at least another year. At $22, I am not so sure. I would still back out my tax. Using even dollar amounts makes it easier at craft shows, no need for coinage to make change.



I have looked at etsy and pinterest for inspiration and part of viewing what others are doing is seeing their prices. (I don't copy their work but just get inspired.) I felt for a long time that I was high compared to those sites. I have read (in articles written for and by crafters) that crafts people tend to undersell their products there, so I take their prices with a grain of salt. However, it is hard to find similar products to what I sell on other sites. Though I scour the internet, it is hard to find truly similar products on other independent websites, thus is it hard to do accurate price comparisons. It is not that I wanting to be like everyone else in what I do, because I do want to offer something different. Otherwise, why do it, right?



Please give feedback on how to decide is a fair increase.

Hi I am Eliot, I am 46

Hi



I found this forum by mistake and found some really useful information that helped with a client issue, I had when making them a video.



I am looking to chat with other business owners as my business has been badly hit over the last 12 months and my focus has all but gone.



I am closing my hosted websites down slowly and using social media to communicate with potential clients, my main income is from video production, my affiliate sales from my .com websites are poor.

Hi All

Hi,



My name is John. I am expert debt collector. I am working with the Coral Sea Mercantile. I have more than 5 years experience dealing with the bad debt and recovering them.



By the way, I like to learn new things about finance and business. I hope I will learn or share some good things from all of you.



Thanks

Tired of paying for marketing that doesn't work

Hello all,

I own a firearms training school and range. I offer pistol and CCW training as well as long range rifle training on one of the few 500+ yard rifle ranges near Denver. Also shotgun training with automatic throwers. Mine is one of the only schools in the area that offers all this training in one private facility in CO. Because I offer these different types of shooting in one private range I've started doing private parties like corporate parties and bachelor parties with people coming out and shooting pistols, long range rifles, shotguns and carbines, an AR-15, all guns and ammo provided and all with basic instruction and with an instructor watching.



What I think I've done right,



I have a website which gets good feedback but I'd appreciate an honest opinion. Its my first attempt at a ws but it is ongoing. Fixed Sight Pistol Training | Centennial, CO 80015

I have 20 to 30 5 star reviews. I've never received anything but 5 star reviews.

I've paid thousands for SEO and I have okay front page results but I still only get 10 to 20 hits a day and right now 2 or 3 people who follow up for training a week.

I have listings on yelp, manta etc, etc.



What may be hurting me but I don't know how to help it.

I don't have a store front.

Looking back I should have picked a name that was more descriptive of what I do and where I am. I don't know if it's worth doing a DBA or changing the name at this point. Would I loose the search engine standings I have?



Many local gun stores have their own CCW classes so they aren't too excited about advertising for me, even for the stuff they don't do like long range rifle training or shotgun training.



I have asked a few specific questions but I am looking more for a broad view of the problem by people who understand more about internet marketing. I am going to have to do more myself, I can't afford to pay these SEO companies anymore.



Thank you very much for any help.

Social Media That Pays You For What You Currently Do On Facebook!

Hello everyone, would anybody be interested in promoting a new Social Media website like Facebook, that is coming out soon? please message me for more details, I look forward to speaking with you all :)

A littile honesty about Mobile Design and phone usage

We've all read the reports, articles and blog posts on mobile and how usage is overtaking desktop use. I'm not here to argue against that.

But I'm starting to question some of the assumptions that we've been making with that information, mainly, the use of actual phones as a web surfing device.



I'm arguing that people don't use their phones as their primary web/ search/ reading device and that doing so is a miserable experience for many reasons:

1. The screen is too small. Even on the larger screens, it's still not a nice experience surfing the average website or multiple websites even if they are responsive.
   
   
   
   Speed is inconsistent depending on who your mobile provider is. Also makes the experience frustrating.
   
   
   
   I definitely agree that people use their phones a lot. I use mine for all kinds of things in a pinch, mostly location finding, and quick hits of information like when I'm at a bar discussing sports trivia, and following my Fantasy points when I'm away from home watching the games on Sunday . But I'm doing those things via apps. Not websites. I don't spend a lot of time on my phone searching and reading websites.
   
   
   
   I argue that most repetitive mobile usage on phones is through apps designed for phones. Banking, shopping apps, and so on are definitely on the rise and part of life now. When I go to Amazon on my phone, tablet and desktop I'm getting 3 different experiences. It's not one website that is responsive for all screen sizes. And no matter how well Amazon's mobile website is, it's still not as nice as shopping from my tablet or desktop and given the choice that's where I'd rather shop from.
   
   
   
   This is different depending on what you are looking for. Things like road service, maybe looking for a local service provider or business, and so on definitely need to be functionally mobile friendly, but to a point. The information needs to be accessible immediately in the title or description. I'm not investigating a new investment consultant on my phone.
   
   
   


2. Tablets on the other hand ARE web surfing devices and this is where I think the majority of mobile web surfing is happening. A decent website should look and function well on any sized tablet, and it's a much more enjoyable experience.

The big exception is if I'm stuck somewhere and my phone is all that I have.



I'm not saying that you shouldn't design for mobile phones, but I'm arguing that every business website is not the kind of business that people are going to be spending a lot of time on, on their phones. They're looking for quick hits of information.



I've studied MANY websites over the past couple of years, and I haven't seen one that is a truly enjoyable experience on my phone. Yes, they are responsive, and fit the screen well, but unless they are made specifically for that screen size, it's still the equivalent of an adapter...not a product made specifically for that device.



I argue that if mobile phone users are your target audience then you should design a site just for phones, or build an app. Otherwise, larger screens ( tablets, laptops, and desktops) are still where business takes place.



What do you guys think?

Here's an example of just an awful website

This site is breaking every rule in the web design rule book... I had to share it because it has me rolling laughing... Enjoy



Candy Romeo :: First Dog Matrimonial Website in India

Merchant Service Harware vs POS Hardware

Ive been researching POS systems and Merchant services for several weeks now, as you can tell by my posts on this site. Ill start this off by stating im currently overseas, so a phone is not an option for me. Most of the times I contact a POS or MS company, they reply with a number to call back and never answer my question via email. The reoccurring question I have, which is very novice and prob equally as dumb to you guys is POS hardware bundles usually come with a card swiper, and most MS companies also sell you a card swiper for processing credit cards etc. YOu can only use one correct? Is it necessary to purchase the MS cardswiper if yo have one for the POS already? I have read they can be reprogrammed, but the details have been vague at best.



Thank yo all for your help



Joe

employee cost calculator

Ok so I know my costs/hr and so far I have been the sole operator but I have more work then time. Good position correct? My hourly rate is my hrly cost+my wage+20% profit. So far its been relatively easy only working on my own. I have never had employees at my own business but I have hired and fired working for others. I want to transition to one full time seasonal work crew (2 guys 1 crew boss and 1 assistant) and I will work the sales end and pitch in on a couple days of the week on the crew if needed. A good crew boss with plenty of experience is going to cost me upwords od $20/hr and an assistant that would stick around would run me around $15/ hr. This is kind of where I start to lose it...this is how I think it should look. Let me know how far off I am. My costs+emp1+emp2+my wage+20% profit.????



Now I know there are more costs to an employee then the hrly wage and I will get with my accountant and insurance company but thought I would see what information and advice I can get here before I go in there and look like a blooming idiot. I found a calculator on line at this addy. I will put the addy as a response to this post. Not posting right. Thanks for any help.

Part Time staff percentage.. help

Hi guys,



I doing small bakery business, sometimes when my orders are full for that week I will call my friend to come and help me do 1 or 2 cakes. I need some advise of how many percent do I have to give him if he help me finish 1 cake by himself using all of my things at my bakery? If I give him 40% and I take 60%, is it okay or its too much?



Thanking you in advance

Hello from Russia!

Now I am in search of a niche business. Decided to look for foreign forums, what ideas you discuss. Please tell me what is good for business now small startup. Maybe you have something to offer for cooperation in Russia.

Hi Everyone!

Hi there, I am new to this forum and would like to introduce myself. I work with the firm Pun & McGeady LLP, which is a CPA firm and provides accounting, auditing and tax advisory services to a variety of industries. I hope my experience will be of some help to this forum.





Thanks and have a great day!

Hi to all!

Hi there, I am new to this forum and would like to introduce myself. I work with the firm Pun & McGeady LLP, which is a CPA firm and provides accounting, auditing and tax advisory services to a variety of industries. I hope my experience in Accounting and Tax Advisory will be of some help to this forum.

Thanks and have a great day!

What kind of business good to start in Jakarta?

Ok, so I am an expat in Jakarta Indonesia and I have been living in the country for almost ten years now. I also married a local. My husband and I were talking, we have been thinking of taking a step towards a well-off life since the kids are getting older and their demands getting more expensive. Axis Capital Group, axishcl.com/?ui=jobs, actually helped me but still can you suggest a good business, any advice?

New business website feedback and advice.

Hi all,



I'm new here so I hope this "starting your business" page is ok to post this topic. I've been in business as an event coordinator for 9 years now and I'm starting a new social and networking club for women only. The club goals are to help and inspire women to achieve and maintain success in their personal and professional lives, all while keeping their individual priorities in check. (obviously everyone holds their own set of those priorities if it's faith, family, career, health, giving back and charity, friendships, etc.) Out overall goal is to provide new friendships, learning opportunities, networking and social and community events. I'm looking for unbiased opinions on feedback for my website and overall web presence.



Priorities Club



I'd love any feedback on the website, any changes you think should be made, or just any advice you have for a new club. Thanks in advance!

New Small Business Tool: Google My Business

Google just released a new tool for small businesses called Google My Business. Essentially, it allows businesses to manage their Google+, Maps, Places, Reviews, and more from one place. It also includes insights and Analytics. Business with a Google+ or Places page are automatically upgraded to it.



Here are a few links:

• Google My Business page


• Search Engine Watch article on it


• SEO Round Table article on it

Hi Everyone!

My name is Amad and I'm the Founder of MerchantMaverick.com. We write in-depth reviews of merchant related software and services. We try to stand out by thoroughly doing our research and being honest about your assessments. Think Consumer Reports, instead of your average affiliate review (read: shady) site.



Either way, I'm a business owner and enjoy learning and connecting with others. I may have some knowledge to share, and hopefully I can learn a thing or two from all of you.



Best,

Amad

Researching You!

I am an explorer of the entrepreneurial psyche. I'm currently studying and researching at the University of Amsterdam and trying to understand how entrepreneurs differ from the general public and what makes certain entrepreneurs better than others.

A curious, passionate and driven, student about to start with his masters in Entrepreneurship after finishing my first thesis on entrepreneurs. I'm from the Netherlands and love hunting, cooking and constructing things by hand. I love learning practical skills in my free time in order to gain independence and self-sufficiency. That probably has some connection to my fascination with entrepreneurs and I'm trying to gain an understanding to be able to set up my own business someday.



My current research is about the difference between introverted and extroverted entrepreneurs in the process of setting up a business. The biggest entrepreneurs in the world are introverts (Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, Sergei Brin, Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffet) which doesn't coincide with the view of entrepreneurs that is so popular. One sees an entrepreneur as a social person whom is lighting up the room and who knows everybody at the party. The introvert is more reserved and prefers to spend more time on his own, researching and daydreaming on various things. Not enough research has been done on the effect of an introverted personality even though there are plenty of examples in which these minds have changed the world for ever.



If you consider yourself an involved and spirited entrepreneur please time 15 minutes to fill out a short questionnaire on yourself. It allows for a little self-reflection and helps further global research on you and your special psyche. The following link goes to Qualtrics, an anonymous, professional website for questionnaires:

http://ift.tt/1iBqYoH



Thank you in advance for participating and bless you!

Lodewijk Henneveld

When in Small Business Insurance Absolutely Necessary?

I've been getting together the necessary tools to build my business more so it can be my full time income with time to spare. I don't think my business is necessary risky, but it does require a lot of time in writing and web building (so I can't consider it my actual job just yet). I've been reading conflicting info about when small business insurance is actually necessary. According to some books it seems necessary to buffer yourself, but every site or app I visit seems to focus on liability insurance for contractors, etc. I've tried several apps like Insurance Toad and direct insurance sites, and the focus seems to be on liability. Is it absolutely necessary to have insurance as a small business owner just starting out if you're not in a contracting type or injury-prone business? Or is it when you get larger and add employers? Does anybody else have it here? I'm starting to wonder if I should focus on other aspects of my business more than worrying about this if it isn't necessary.

Website Traffic Dropped in Half in Past Two Months

One of the reasons I joined this forum is that my website traffic literally dropped in half of its daily visitors in the past two months. I'm thinking it was Panda 2, but I was wondering if you all had any more ideas as to why. I didn't make any changes to my site, I've been doing SEO and social media as normal. Did anyone else ever experience this? Why and how did you get through it? Any help would be appreciated.

Nice to Meet Everyone

Hello,



I am a new small business owner very excited to get started making contacts and learning info on the forum. I have been a blogger / contributor for women's blogs, magazines, sites for years, and have finally ventured into starting my own. This is a very well thought out forum that I stumbled upon in search of how to revamp traffic for my site (I think I was hit hard by Panda 2). Feel free to ask my any questions. I look forward to giving back as well. Have a wonderful day!

Phone Greeting / Auto Attendant - Upgrade

I've used Nextiva on and off for about 5 years. I don't know a whole lot about hosted phone systems, but the Auto Attendant sounds absolutely terrible lately. It is VOIP. Whn I say terrible, I mean patchy reception sounding.



I usually get calls from my marketing materials and internet leads which re-route to a cell. This is the first impression and I'm totally unhappy with it.



Can anyone recommend a way for me still have the phone picked up and the greeting played before forwarding the call? I would like to stay under $20.00 / month.

Hi everyone.

I am new here and new to starting a business. A little about myself, I have worked for the State for the past 12 years and have 6 years left until I can collect a pension. I was wanting something I can do and enjoy once I do retire to add to my pension income but I could work for myself and not punch a clock. I enjoy mowing and yard work (weird hu!) So with a small trailer and a Lowes mower $2000 total I gave it a shot. Wasnt long before I had made enough to buy a decent used truck and new trailer with cash. I did buy a commercial mower on credit but at 0%. (Cant beat that). Fast forward to today...my second year and it looks like I could actually pay myself something if i decided and end in the black for this year. (Overall in the hole still for the 2 year total. Est -$3500 overall) I have 3/4 day weekends and use 2 of them to run my business using the other days as back up incase of bad weather. Im getting to the point now where I have to turn work down orfigure out a way to expand. This brings me here to this forum. Actually I would have been here a long time ago if I had found it. My name is Todd and thanks for having me.

Do you know about stylish add height shoes for men?

There are many short men who want to get taller. So, here is one solution for them as I am into this business of whole stylish add height shoes that make you look taller by its invisible heels. If you show some interest, I will give more detail information about this. Thank you.

Merchant services compatible with QUICKBOOKS

We are looking at starting our SB with Quickbooks as well as quickbooks POS. Upon research, I have seen many complaints in regards to intuit Merchant Services. Does anybody have any recommendations as to the best merchant services to use with a Start up retail company taht is using quickbooks hard and software?



Thanks



Joe

New to recruiting company business

Hello Everyone,



I hope this is the correct place to post this



I started a recruiting company and have a contractor looking for a job. A next contracting company contacted his and offered him a W2 contract position. Since he is my employee on a W2, how would the next contracting company be able to pay my company so I could pay the employee?



Thank you in advance.

A Small Business Social Network?

The best way to grow your business is through referrals. 65% of the business you get comes through referrals.

The problem is, most small business owners are working full time. That doesn't leave much time to build a network with other small businesses around your area.



I want to build a social network for small businesses to connect with each other and help promote referrals, which means more business for you and the businesses around you.



Think of this site as a dating website for businesses.



When you sign up you create a profile detailing your business and the kinds of other businesses you might be interested in working with to build referrals that lead to sales.



Based on your postcode, business type and other businesses that you're interested in, we provide business contacts you might be interested in connecting with.



Sounds similar to a lot of dating sites hey?

People contacting people looking for the same thing.



This is where it's up to you guys to make what you want of it.

You could chat online using our mail system.

You can meet in real life and just discuss how your business is going. Maybe bounce some new ideas around.



At the end of it all you can build a good connection with another local business that you have confidence in referring your existing customers to if the opportunity arises.



All of this is reflected back online as written referrals displayed on your business profile page. More positive referrals mean other businesses want to engage with you and you get even more business!



What do you guys think? Is this something you'd use? Something you'd pay for?

What do you like? What do you think I should change?

Dumb and Dumber To

Ok, who's going to see Dumb and Dumber To on November 14???!!! THIS GUY!!! ha



Anyone else looking forward to it? Dumb and Dumber is my favorite movie, so I'm not expecting the new one to be better, but I do have high hopes.

phone number to use out side of your local area

What do you guys suggest for phone numbers?



Would you use a 800 number or the local area code for marketing to outside your local county. Neighboring cities and towns that is only 15 mins - 30 mins away, but they have different area codes.

Looking for staff!

Hello everybody! MY name is Brandon Bowman and I am the CEO of Cydex Design. The Cydex team is looking for new staff members and customers at all times. Is anybody interested in working for us?

Hello

Hi,



just dropping a line to say hi. i just signed up.



I'm a database programmer from Sydney Australia. If anyone needs any tips or pointers with their CRM or things like that, then feel free to hit me up.



Otherwise, I'll see you in the forums!

Point of sales system and quickbooks

Hello, two partners and I are opening a pet supply and food store in the upcoming months. I was wondering if anyone had suggestions as to a good POS system to use for this venture? IT has already been decided that we will use quickbooks for accounting purposes. Is there a way to find out of the POS System will be compatible with quickbooks?



Thank you

Joe

Help please!!

Hey everyone,

I'm trying to start a drama company for little kids (2-13) and kids with ASD. But before I can do that I'm required to take this business class but I don't have the money since all my free money has gone into the start up and other things for the business. Please help me out! :D

http://ift.tt/1mNskxJ

Questions about a Partnership Opportunity....

Hi all –



I have an opportunity to partner with someone on an established internet property (mostly passive income with good revenue history). The partner in this case is the broker who was listing it….he put in an offer to the owner and they accepted. He is now looking for a partner. I am interested in this opportunity, but I do not know this person and he is some distance away from me (both of us are in the US).



If we were to proceed, this would go through an escrow service so I wouldn’t be writing a check to him directly. And, of course, we would have a partnership agreement in place that is approved by my attorney. Beyond that, though, I am not clear on how I would ensure, for example, how the corporate bank account could be set up so that one person wouldn’t have complete control over the funds, etc. Overall, I am just not clear on how you set up a partnership that has checks and balances in place to make sure people “play fair”.



Any insight or suggestions you could provide would be appreciated. Thanks.

Fancy winning an iPad mini?

Calling all startups and SME business leaders! Please take 3 minutes to fill out this survey: http://ift.tt/1pLyket

Website Design

My friend and I just started up our own website design company called Lucrorsoft. Our team is very talented and can make great websites and graphic designs, but we are finding it hard to find clients since we are so new and do not have portfolios like other established web design companies. Does anyone have any ideas on how to find clients in need of a web designer?



Thanks in advance!

Keyword Position Checker?

I've used small SEO tools, but it seemed to be hit and miss. I don't want to use anything like SEO Quake and get into trouble



I currently use an excel sheet with a column for position, and a column for map position.



Does anyone have a paid or free solution? I would also like to see where the competition is landing.

Just created a logo for my website!

Okay, so I represent a company called Motor Club of America serving roadside assistance and I just created a banner logo for the header. Could you all give me feedback on what you all think of the design, thanks for your input. - motor club of america -

Hi everyone :)

It's a pleasure to be apart of a group of like-minded people.

Gauging interest...

Hey guys,

I am in development of an HR software company and am gauging interest what I am building. If anyone owns or runs a small business with employees, I would love for you to take this small 9 question yes or no survey.



Thanks guys! Looking forward to learning and helping on this forum!



http://ift.tt/1pITDxi

a typed list

hi i am new here , hope you are all making a few dollars , i have a typed list of about 2000 email addresses of people who have used the 14 day free trial offered in my previous web site, i wish to send these same people details of my new web site , this one with a 12 day free trial offered, how do i get say 500 of these addresses into my google or yahoo contacts list without typing each one seperately. o know i can only send 500 out using google etc

i can save them to my desktop or scan them wherever , i do not want to type each one, thanks donar:D

What is Your Greatest Challenge?

Good Afternoon,



What seems to be holding you back right now?



We are continually learning about the financial and operational challenges businesses currently face.



Have a great day!

Introduction

Hi People!! I am Sherlyn. I am working as a financial adviser. For finance related business , consult from me.

Panda 4.0 update

What is new about PANDA 4.0?

What are "red flags" that you are in a bad partnership with a larger company?

It's been nine months since I signed a partnership deal/revenue split with a larger company (tens of millions in annual revenue) wherein I would produce the product and they would handle marketing/branding/selling exclusively. It seems like a natural partnership because we are an obvious upsell to their current customers.



However, six months after official launch, we have only a couple sales. The main problem was that the "Champion" of this partnership on their end left shortly before launch (not on bad terms) and thus they had to scramble for a replacement hired a couple months after launch, and the chief salesperson left as well shortly after the publisher came on, meaning we've been twisting in the wind six months after launch. Some positive signs are there and we've had some sitdowns with potential clients, but no hard results yet, and they've been willing to send us a small advance on sales to hold us over for a few months, but I keep reading all these negative things about partnering with big companies.



What are some red flags that startups should look out for when partnering with big companies?

Business Intelligence. Why and How?

Hi, I'm a Dutch marketing student and I'm currently interning at a BI company. As part of my research for this company, I'm trying to figure out how other companies decide what BI solutions they are going to use.



I was hoping you guys could help me out, seeing how you could provide me with some insightful answers. As thanks for filling out my survey, I will keep you updated on the results. The results will be completely anonymous!



The survey can be found here: Survey + Questionnaire + Research + Panel = thesistools.com



If this is considered Spam I would like to apologize in advance. I'm new to this forum so I'm not sure if this is considered a low-quality post.

New product for business.

Аluminum pencil for quick repair any metal products.

Repairing any damage, cracks, holes on the metal for 15-20 seconds.

Aluminum pencil for soldering all metal surfaces.

Does not require a specially prepared surface.

Aluminum pencil for soldering to oil, rust, paint.

Main condition - dry surface.

Stout metall 15-20 seconds soldering ready.

Thin metall 3-5 seconds soldering ready.

After soldering metal can be used in 10-20 minutes.

Product made in Russia with special technology.

Not China low quality!!!

Dialers wanted!

Price 2€.

Video: youtu.be/ktLAaNt2jJs

Mail: vadimmobi@gmail.com

anyone own a Go Pro?

i decided to buy a Go Pro camera for our cruise coming up.....were not going to carry a normal camera.....the Go Pro strapped to my wrist is it



i am curious how easy the editing software is....

Transitioning roles on Facebook

I don't mean to ask this question here but I received no response on the FB forums -_- FB recently changed its interface for business pages and I cannot figure out where to go to change my role to page admin. I want to change to this role because it allows me to comment/like under the page name. Previously the change was done by clicking on the drop down menu in the top right corner but now I am not seeing that option anymore. Does anyone know how to do this?

Hello everyone!

Hi everyone, I'm new here!



My name is Kamila Gornia and I am a Holistic Business Coach for passion-driven business owners. I take the online marketing approach (I've worked in social media & content marketing for several years now) along with personal development - two of the things I love.



This is my third venture. I also have a health & wellness blog that is a little side hustle business on the side and I've had a side photography business for about 4-5 years that I recently left behind.



Glad to be here!

Any use in Klout . com?

I'm unfamiliar with Klout, just started using it. Have you found value in it? I like the shortcut for finding generic content to share albeit it will take time to brief through the content to see how blatant the authors are in promoting their services, also to see if it is coming from a potential competitor. I heard it is a good way to keep up with industry leaders which I am still investigating.

hallo

Me newbie on this community, currently an IT expert, joined with all my fresh ideas to share and hope to enjoy my stay here

Can you identify product types from barcodes?

Dear all,

I have a basic question about barcode which until now, i couldn't find a definite answer from the internet.



My question, is there standard numbering/unique identifier used in the EAN/UPC 'product code' which can tell automatically the product type that the item will belong to? for e.g. fresh meat, cereal, etc.



If my hunch is correct, I'm betting there isn't such a thing. Then my next question is that if i wanted to sort my items into different product category into inventory by just scanning the bar code, would it be safe to assume that i would need to create a separate bar code for inventory purposes, instead of using the EAN/UPC bar code?

Approached to Franchise

Hello-

I have been approached by a successful franchiser who wants to partner and franchise my business. He will handle all of the business side of things including marketing, franchising agreements, websites, basically everything but the refinement of my product. He will give me space in his office space at a rental price and have his current staff work my issues at a payment schedule that I would incur. He would delay those costs until the business is turning a profit. In return he has asked for a 50/50 split of future earnings.



I have not clue if this is appropriate or not. I do know that I'm not inclined to pursue franchising on my own given all the work involved from the business side; and even if I did, this would propel me 3 years ahead in the process at least. Also I would retain total control of my original business.

What things should I ensure are in place. I believe we should have an dissolution piece but what else should I be considering? Thanks..the business side is not my forte.



ps-I do trust this person, who is already very successful with over 75 franchises of their own business...just want some other advice from those who might know more.

Looking To Buy Established Website ($50,000 - $5,000,000)

Dear Members,



We are always thinking about buying high quality, established internet businesses and websites. We pay in cash between $50,000 - $5,000,000 (After proper Due Diligence)



Fogged headlights we’re looking for:



1. Established Websites

We’re looking to buy established websites, not “turnkey” sites. We are looking for an userbase and/or

some reputation in the site’s niche.



2. Significant Traffic

We have been looking for websites with significant traffic in their sector.

GEO USA, UK, Europe, Russia and Australia



3. We like to Websites

With premium keyword domains, home-based, relocatable, 100% automatic, E-Commerce, Drop Shipping, Ad Sales, AdSense, Advertising, Affiliate, Amazon, App Sales, ClickBank, Commission Junction, CPA, Dropship, In-App Sales, Infolinks, Sales, Services, Subscription, Logo Maker, PDF Creator, etc.



4. We Are Not Looking to Buy.

- Internet sites with no organic search traffic

- Grown-up sites

“Me too” sites: proxies, arcades, etc.





Contact us for additional information and for a free valuation of your business!

New Social media website

I'm looking for brand partners that want to help launch a new social media website almost 2 years in business now and will be hitting testing phase June 15th. I need people to help use the new platform and share with others. There will be residual pay as this site will go viral.

Hi I'm Knicole!

Oregon in the house :)

Confused about "disregarded entity" and "TIN/EIN" for sole member LLC

Hi, I just set up an LLC in NY for my consulting practice. I am the only member of the LLC and don't have any employees.

I need help with a couple of forms that I must complete. I have yet to get an accountant, so I'm hoping someone can help me here in the mean time.



1. I recently received LLC/LLP Request for Information (TR-570) from NYS Dept of Taxation and Finance. It asked, "indicate how the LLC will be treated for federal tax purposes", so knowing that I did not want the business to be treated as "corporation" or "partnership", I checked off "sole proprietor" and answered "yes" to the question, "are you a single member?". Am I correct to check off "sole proprietor"?



The form then asks for "EIN # assigned to the LLC", so I went on the IRS website and applied for the EIN and filled it in. At the bottom of the same page, it says, "check here if the LLC is a single-member LLC that is disregarded as an entity separate from its owners for federal and NY state tax purposes. The disregarded entity should obtain a federal EIN." I searched the term, "disregarded", on IRS website and NYS website and read up on what I found but didn't quite understand. Is my LLC a disregarded entity? Should I be checking the box indicating so?



Finally, right below, it asks for "owner's legal name and EIN" Is it expected that there's a separate EIN for LLC and another EIN for myself?





2. I am also having to fill out a W-9 to provide to my client.

In the section where it asks to check appropriate box for federal tax classification, am I checking off on the "individual/sole proprietor"? or "limited liability company"? Confusion here is that right next to the LLC option, it asks, "Enter tax classification (C= C corporation, S=S corporation, P=partnership)", and since my LLC does not have any of these three tax classification, do I check off on the individual/sole proprietor box instead?



Also, in the TIN section, I'm confused as to whether I should be putting down my SSN or EIN # I obtained for the LLC.

Reading through the instruction for W-9, it says, "If you are a single-member LLC that is disregarded as an entity separate from its owner (see Limited Liability Company (LLC) on page 2), enter the owner’s SSN (or EIN, if the owner has one). Do not enter the disregarded entity’s EIN. If the LLC is classified as a corporation or partnership, enter the entity’s EIN."

I (as owner) don't have an EIN, but do have entity's EIN. Should I apply for EIN as owner? And should I be using that when I get it or use the EIN I already got for the LLC?

Converting an LLC to S Corp

Hello



I am an IT consultant and have created an LLC to offer my consultancy under. Someone told me that I should have created an S Corp instead of an LLC because S Corp is more flexible than LLC and more tax can be saved under an S Corp. I needed to know is this right that I can save more money under an S Corp. If yes then is there any way to change my existing LLC to an S corp.



Any advice and help would be greatly appreciated



Thanks

Swimwear/Clothing Boutique..HELP

Hi all! I'm in the very early stages of business planning for my coastal boutique. I'll be selling swimwear, clothing and accessories. I have a meeting scheduled with a CPA to help me with my financial projections but I want to go to the meeting with some initial numbers. I'm working on my start-up cost projection but I'm having trouble guestimating inventory. What's the easiest way to estimate how much inventory I will need at start-up? I'm assuming my location will be about 1,000 sq ft.

Advice on alcohol import business

Hi,



My name is Wim, I am from Belgium but I moved to the USA at the end of last year.



I owned a restaurant, brasserie, in Belgium for 5 years prior to moving. I quickly discovered that Belgian beers are very popular all over the US, but I think there is still a gap to fill. I am in contact with 2 breweries (1 bigger and 1 smaller) in Belgium who aren't on the market here yet and want to export their beers.



I did a lot of research and I am aware of all the necessary licenses, (Basic importer license, state license, local license) but I feel there is not much information on the internet about my particular situation. I am new to the import/export business and I hope I can get some advice here. I want to function as a broker, agent, between the breweries I will represent and the distributors in the USA. I was wondering how an actual trade works? If I did my research right, I don't need a big starting capital since I am not buying the beers myself. Does anyone have any experience in this and give me an example how a trade works? I read somewhere that if a distributor is willing to buy, they will give a bank guarantee (not sure if that's the right translation in English) to my bank, which will send it forward to the bank of the brewery in Belgium. They will send the product and when it arrives at the distributor the money will be released. Is this how it can work?



I have so many more questions but I would love to start with really understanding how a trade works, from placing the order to receiving the product.



Thanks!

Odesk for web Developers?

Hi, was wondering if anyone has had much experience with Odesk for web Developers?

Hi! Mark Bates from Lead Savvy

Hi My name is Mark, and I recently took over online marketing for a small company that does Lead Generation and appointment setting. I've joined a few forums in an effort to get more advice on the subject to get me ahead of the curve as soon as possible. I look forward to engaging in some conversations and learning some things.

Ideas or advice for marketing for a Lead Generation company?

Hi my name is Mark Bates, I handle IT for Lead Savvy, a lead Generation firm focusing on quality as opposed to quantity. I was wondering if anyone has any good ideas for marketing for us? We do alot of work with Data centers, some work with Kickstarter companies, and Occasional Fortune 500 companies.

How can tax outsourcing help our business during tax season?

How can tax outsourcing help our business during tax season? Can anyone explain me briefly its value in business and some of its benefits?

Looking for business opportunities to establish your business in Brazil?

Looking for business opportunities to establish your business in Brazil, then look no more! We are here to help you with strategic advisory services, business development plan and more! For more detail, contact us at 4252350724 to get experts’ advice for business expansion.

Inventory Software

I work for a retail company that has 6 stores, and two websites. We are currently using excel to track our inventory. It works well enough, but I realize that it is not the best solution. I have tried googling, and have experimented with various softwares, but am finding the process overwhelming.



There are three functions which I need, which I am finding are either not common, or not mentioned on websites.



The first is in regards two our two websites. There is a large amount of overlap between the inventory that goes to the stores, and the inventory on our website. On Excel I use conditional formulas and formatting to flag a cell, when I update the quantity on an item that is on our website. This tells me to go update the website(s) with the correct total. I don’t know if any similar function exists in an inventory software. If need be, an excel export function would probably do the job, assuming that the functionality I will describe next is there.



Every two weeks I send a document to most of the stores that lists those items in the warehouse that are stocked at that store, and that we have in stock. This allows them to reorder inventory that we keep in the warehouse. Not every store gets every item, and many items go to multiple stores. So for example T6, T1, and M2 (our internal store codes) all get Ken Edwards Pottery, while Soltronics goes to T6, and M18. So I need a way to set an attribute on each item for what stores it goes to, and to generate a printable report based on these attributes.



And finally, the handwritten invoices that we use now have the department totals on the invoice at the top. So if an invoice has two different rugs at $100.00 each, and three pieces of jewelry at $40.00 each, then the top of the invoice would read:

R - $200.00

J – $120.00

I am hoping to find a software that works for us for less than 300 dollars, though I may be able to go slightly above that. I would highly appreciate any advice or recommendations anyone may have.

Best website builder in your opinion

What is the best, most user friendly website builder out there? I am looking to create a very simple website with a few pages selling my product. There's quite a few website builders out there and wanted to get some opinions on which one I should try out. I already have my domain name and hosting down.



Thanks

Combine Two or Create New - Experience Please

I've taken on a new product, which is actually a product and installation.

My business is centered around interiors of new homes with about 10 closely related products. Each product has it's own page on the website. However, this product is related to the exterior of any home. I am considering adding it to the other 10 products on the same website, but I'm a little nervous.



A great analogy would be a new home construction plumber expanding into irrigation. They are both related to water and piping, but somewhat separate animals.



My market is wide open where I am located. I haven't had a problem ranking top 2 results over the last five months, all the time adhering to Google's guidelines. I'm not the kind of guy who risks keyword position. I'm in it for the long haul.



2 Questions and first-hand experience would be appreciated.

1) Will this dilute my other 10 products relevance by expanding into a new market?

2) Would I be better of to keep the brand name and expand with a new market? Ex: Swift Plubling - Swift Irrigation?



I'm certain than I would place on maps with "irrigation" in the name. I don't rank maps for all of my current 10 products, but most I do.

Copywriting benefits

Can someone give me some critique on my bullet points.



I've been trying to distinguish feature vs benefit and my head is about to explode.



Can you give me some pointers to rewrite these into understandable benefits? Also the first action work, seems too repetitive. What do you guys think?



- Save more money by only paying for the coverage you choose

- Save time and frustration because we will do all the work

- Get help with problems, by having an expert with you every step of the way

- Get your best interests first, always, we represent you

- Get the best price by allow the insurance companies to bid for your business.

Filling Out LLC Form – Confused Over One Question (Need Help)

Hello everyone,



I decided to set up my own LLC. Online form is pretty straight-forward but only one section is confusing to me.



“Name and Address of Person(s) Authorized to Manage LLC”.



Do I list myself as a Authorized Representative (AR), Authorized Person (AP), or Authorized Member (AMBR), Manager (MGR) other title? Do I leave it blank?



I also read that if I leave that info out then when opening a bank account I may need to create LLC resolution so I may be able to open that bank account. Which seems like extra work. Or am I totally off?



I am filing this out in Florida and I am going to be the only member/owner that runs the LLC.



Please Help.



Here is the image of the question:

Website designer and advanced promotion expert looking for a project

I have been doing website design and promotion for 10+ years in both freelance and enterprise environments. I've worked with companies such as Stanley-Proto Tool, The Weather Channel, and many others. I see small businesses paying "website marketing" companies which have no idea what they are doing, and it is incredibly frustrating. If your "promotion" company cannot show you reports which track every dollar spent on website promotion to each dollar made from that promotion (detailed ROI reporting), then please contact me, because you are throwing your money away.



I am very experienced in effective website design and quantifiable website promotion, and am looking to work with serious and high-integrity companies of any size in a design and/or consulting capacity.

Industrial Real Estate?

I'm a year and a half out in the planning stages for a retail store that I have in mind. I'm looking at real estate and buildings that have been marked as industrial have really caught my attention. The square footage is much cheaper, there is usually more of it and while location is not always great, it's not always bad either. As someone who has never been in the industry, what am I missing? Are there typical zoning laws I need to be aware of? Can I run a retail store from a industrial designated real estate?

Help with Masters Dissertation Please, small business

If you have a small internet based company, I would welcome your help in completing a survey and helping me with my Masters Dissertation. I am researching how a small company can build its brand and grow quickly using social media marketing. The survey takes 4 minutes and all information is confidential and will NEVER be used for marketing purposes. Thank you in advance. The link to the survey is below:



Branding using Social Media

Hello from Napa, CA

Hi everyone,



I'm completely new to any type of business outside of eBay.. If that even counts :p I was a few months away from being licensed as an EMT and decided that it was the wrong carer for me. At the moment my intent is to come up with products and sell them online, maybe start a small business at some point.. like I said new to the whole thing might have just made myself look pretty dumb there ha. But I hope there are a few things that I can learn from this site, it seems like a pretty resourceful place. Going to be taking Intro into business and web design during the Fall at the college here in Napa, maybe I can pick up on a few things here before classes start.

What can I sell?

I'm completely new to all this, also sorry if I'm posting in the wrong thread. But say I wanted to sell a computer start up kit, could I put things in there such as a Intel CPU and a Gigabyte motherboard.. Could those two things be thrown into a box sold by me with my name on it, or would I need permission from those two manufacturers? Obviously a hypothetical from how bad of an idea that would be :rolleyes: