Hello, I'm new

Hello,



My name is Ludovic, a French living in New zealand and have just opened my small business to simplify small businesses :)

Hobbies are business, travel, science and of course drink wine (white, red, rose...everything) and Champagne.

I'm here to discuss with people about small business, help people if I can and meet people.



Happy 1rst of december (NZ time) :)

Starting to teach my community

Hello Members,



Since I own my small business in IT and I am very well with technology I had this idea to start teaching people how to use a computer and other technology subjects. I want to teach MS Office, Basic Start-Up and Shut down procedures, Windows, and Apple. I just want to teach the basics to an audience that either needs it for work or for personal use. My questions is how should I advertise or market myself to do this, should I get certified and how? I have an idea of the structure of the class I will charge people per week or per class also give a trial period and etc. I just need to know how can I get this started.

Hiring lawyers, accountant, book keeper?

When opening a business who are the most common people to hire?



Like for instance few that come to mind are



1. lawyer - I always hear this but when do you need to consult with one? Average rate?

2. accountant/book keeper - Average rate of a book keeper and accountant? do you need both or is a book keeper the same as an accountant?

3. broker - What fees do you save when using a broker and at what quantity does it benefit?

4. graphic designer



Are there any you would recommend that aren't on the list?

reselling items free of duties?

2 part question:



When reselling items do you have to pay duties on the items on my end. Are they not added or have to be recorded and claimed? What about if they are raw materials used for production?



When buying items for resale or production, same question as above do I have to pay the sales tax, do I have to record or claim or its not claimable.



Any info would help.

International shipping. Worth it?

Looking for others opinions on international shipping. Our products are small and fairly light weight. I recently had an inquiry about shipping internationally and am inclined to do it so long as the customer realizes the costs associated with shipping from the US abroad. Does anyone have an opinion as far if it is worth the hassle? Are the USPS international flat rate boxes going to be the best choice price wise? I don't foresee this becoming a common occurrence for us, I appreciate any feedback.

How your manners impact your career?

According to a recent survey from staffing firm Vietnam Manpower, more than eight in 10 (85 percent) survey respondents say being courteous to co-workers has an impact on a person's career prospects. While this may seem like common sense, chances are you may be breaking some workplace etiquette rules without even realizing it. Even little offenses can make an impact, especially if they continue over time

Common behavior breaches

So what constitutes bad manners in the workplace? While it may be subjective, here are some common breaches of office etiquette in an open office space, according to the survey:

• Using a speakerphone or talking loudly on the phone – 36 percent

• Loitering or talking around a colleague's desk – 23 percent

• Eating foods that have strong odors – 15 percent

• Keeping a messy or cluttered workspace – 14 percent

• Leaving the phone ringer on loud – 8 percent



Have you ever done this? It’s time to make a new attitude for your behavior in office.

Hello everybody............Welcome to all

Hello,



Nice to meet you,



Now, I'm 26 years old, single, humurous.



I want to make friends with you



My name is Anhtommy,

i come from Vietnam Workforce Supplier, an oversea marketing officer. I supply any manpower to Oversea in many categories such as: Multi-Welders, Asphalts, Carpenters, Electricians, Form workers, Fabricators, Pipe Fitters, Masons, Plasterers……… insulators . Best regards,



Have a nice day

How do I keep an online business steadily growing?

Hello everyone. I own an online business that has been around since 2009. Right now, we have over 1,000 items in our stock. However, this has always been a very slow-going business, with things picking up during the holidays.



Do you guys have any advice on how to keep it going strong even after the holidays? We sell bath and body products as well as clothing accessories with a small jewelry section. Our business is also strong in social media with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.



Our main goal is to have consistent business with the customers (all the while increasing the incoming revenue) and stepping away from the rest of the year being slow-moving.

A simplier way to travel and plan vacations/the idea behind it

Hello everyone, my name is Joshua Cortigiano. This post is not intended to promote my website or business in any way, I'm just showing you another way to travel/vacation and would appreciate your opinion of my company. To start I am currently enrolled at NVCC and wanted to find a way to make some extra money online so I looked into affiliate marketing. The name of my business is Trusted Vacationing. This is how it works. I have created 4 categories on my website, the categories are Top Travel Agents, Family Vacation Packages, Couple Retreat Packages, and Theme Park Packages. When you click on the Top Travel Agents Tab you will come across worldwide services to book hotels, flights and rental cars. You will also come across a world wide service to book all-inclusive stays. If you would like to vacation you can start by clicking on any 3 of our vacation categories. Here you will find enjoyable destinations from all around the world. Under the destinations you will find a way to book hotels, flights, and rental cars. This website is intended to give a targeted audience ideas and advice. I am trying to target the industry demands and work from there.

Thanks Everyone! The website is http://ift.tt/1vtmIkN

Is this the correct information for selling on Amazon? Need a straight answer please!

I've been trying to find out if this How-To Guide on selling on Amazon is the right information I need to start selling things on the website. However I haven't been having much luck. People just ignore the question. I'm getting a tad frustrated. If you can be so kind as to just answer the question and not ignore it or answer it with a question or go off-topic, that would be really helpful.



Here's the link ---> How to Sell on Amazon (with Pictures) - wikiHow

Make Friends

Join www.mycomuniti.com. This is a great site. You can make friends, organize events, create groups, share with friends.

Stock Market Trading And Purchasing For Teens?

Hello! :D



For a while now I have been very interested in the stock market. For about a year now I have been in the works of starting a company with two other friends. We're now at the point of incorporating as a C-Corp in our state. I am going to purchase a large number of stock in our company once ready, but before I do that I want to experiment with other company's stock. The problem is, most companies (E-Trade, Scottrade, etc.) all require you to be 18. I read a little into it, and you apparently can't legally purchase stock without an adult. I'm not 100% on this, since my uncle purchased stock in RadioShack when he was 17. How would I go about this as a minor? I'm not 18 just yet, but by the time the company incorporates, I'll still be under 18. Any advice?



THANKS

Getting invoices paid through small claims - who to claim against?

Hi,

I'm a newby first time poster having just stumbled across this site. I'm really hoping someone has experience of my situation and can therefore help me with a problem... :)

I am a sole trader in a service industry and carry out work on an invoiced basis to larger companies that outsource specialised jobs to me. One of my better paying customers was taken over by another (not so great) company earlier this year whilst still owing several unpaid invoices (totalling about £2k). The company has sold off the arm of the company that I carried out work for but are still trading as the same name etc despite having a different address. I have sent reminders and letters which have all gone unanswered. Phonecalls I have made result in being told that since they have been taken over they are no longer liable for my invoices and there is nothing I can do. Can this be correct? I have had similar happen before - however in those cases companies have gone into administration (in some cases for a matter of hours) before being 'taken over' by another company - in those cases I haven't been paid any money at all.

I sent a letter to the Financial Director last week requesting payment once again. This was the standard 7 days notice before pursuing in court. They phoned me within a few days claiming that they want to correspond however only by email - not by letter - and to say that they are still not liable to pay for my invoices.

I'm hoping to pursue these invoices through the small claims court but obviously want to get my paperwork right.

Who is liable for this money? Is it the original (still trading) company that sold off this division to someone else or is it the company who bought it? The new company took over the premises, staff, customer contracts etc.

Where do I stand? Any advice would be appreciated greatly.

Seeking advice in starting up an online cross-stitch business

Hi everyone!



I just joined this forum and I already I am enjoying the atmosphere. :D



I would love to hear your advice. My objective is to set up an online business focusing on hand-made cross stitch pieces. I found many creative cross-stitch patterns on Pinterest, google search etc. and I want to use them to copy the designs.

How could I showcase these pictures in my online catalog without going against copyright regulations? What is the best way to give credit and recognition from where these images origin?



Thank you so much! :D

looking for beta testers

We're about to launch! Development is moving along nicely.



http://loadspark.com/



And since we're a firm believer that the best way to get most kinks out of a system is through honest feedback, we plan to do beta

testing.



Basically you get the Load Spark system free while we're in beta, which should be ready in the next few weeks.



Hands up to those who are interested in joining this opportunity.



Thanks in advance! :)

Anyone using Google Inbox? What do you think?

I'm always pretty unimpressed with yet another email service but I've been using it for about a week and I actually like it on my phone, over the normal gmail.

The one thing I still can't figure out is how it grabs all of my emails across all of my accounts, all my social media emails, and forum notices even from emails that aren't set up on my phone at all. That's kind of creepy, but it is actually a much better email client.



Anyone else trying it out?

What do you think?

Sales Behaviour During the Holidays

Does anyone track their sales by channel?



I do, and right now behaviour is pretty interesting. I sell on Amazon, Ebay, and my webstore.



Right before this Black Friday period, people stopped buying as if in anticipation of sales (I don't do sales). Starting yesterday there was an enormous surge of orders on Amazon, while my webstore showed a net decrease in shoppers, and Ebay was virtually silent. I guess Black Friday shoppers like Amazon

fulfillment order - important solution for saving time and costs?

Who has experience with fulfillment? Because no many people know about this possibility of logistics services of distribution. Order fulfillment is storage and warehousing, inventory control, pick and pack services, shipping of goods - third party logistictics or logistics outsourcing. Its cheaper than own warehouse and stockkeeper. what is your experience?

Why do Notepad files get all jumbeld up without line breaks?

Most times that I open a text file in notepad it keeps it's original structure. But every now and then something happens and every file I open is just one big mess of text. No line breaks.

I'm positive that this is a setting on my computer but I've never been able to figure out why it does that.



Anyone know what I'm talking about and what the fix is?

SCORP Dilemma

Hey guys,



Hope everyone is doing great :cool:



I got a dilemma and was wondering if any of you tax gurus could help me out.



I currently have an SCORP with me being the only employee. I started the SCORP in April and I have been filing my quarterly 941 forms. This includes sending the IRS a check for the quarterly payroll taxes . Since I am the only employee and my company is making around $60,000 I have been paying myself a salary of $30,000 which comes down to around $7,500 a quarter before I remove taxes.



Here is where things get good…. recently, one of my bigger clients has decided to hire me as a full time employee. This means that over 75% of the money that I am making is now going to be paid to me and not my business, and the taxes for this are going to be automatically deducted off every single paycheck. My business still has other clients and it will still be making money, but it will be no where near $60,000. If am lucky I will be able to make $15,000 from the business which will be enough to cover business expenses not including the salary. I can therefore no longer pay myself a salary. Below are my questions…



1) Can I still have my SCORP and not pay myself a salary?

Do I still need to file a 941 even though my new employer will be filing W2s under my name?



Any tips and suggestions are appreciated :)

Please critique our new service's website

We're actively developing a new site for a service we'll be providing and I would like general feedback on the site.



Please click MyWebGuys.ca and let me know:

• Does the site tell you what we do?


• Putting yourself into the shoes of a small business owner, would this service pique your interest?


• What was the first thing you noticed?


• What was the first link you clicked?


• What can we do better? (What would need to change to get you to sign up)

Don't hold back on the critique, as long as it's backed with some constructive comments.



Thanks!

Hey, New blogger enters...

Hey all, This is Yair Shalev and i am a blogger as i wrote in my bio..:) so a new blogger enters in your community and first of all hi to all..



I just wanna know how do you promote your blogs?

Thanks in advance..

Which way to improve my Wedding Photographer business ?

Hello everyone,



We are organized wedding photography service. We will help capture the intimacy and romance at your wedding with natural and fun photos, or during a portraiture lifestyle shoot.

If you have any suggestions which increase my business. You can share with me.



Visit :- www{dot}nadindunnigan-photography{dot}co.uk for more information about my business....



Thanks!

Hello everyone from Barry

Hi everybody,



I'm Barry and I'm interested in technology and hope to do some business

hey

myself Rohit. i have my own kings ville wedding Resort in Punjab,Ludhiana.

how many types of the marketing these days?

how many types of the marketing these days?

without SEO it is possible to increasing the ranking of the website?

without SEO it is possible to increasing the ranking of the website? if we just do SMO not SEO. so with the Only SMO the ranking will be increase or not?

my website not cached by Google from Last 1 Month. Please Suggest me?

my website not cached by Google from Last 1 Month. Please Suggest me what can i do?

Can a for profit own a non profit and vice versus?

Can a for profit own a non profit and vice versus?



I have several aspirations, none follow a similar route, so I'm wondering what business structure to form starting out to make things go smooth later on.



Any lessons learned?



I'd like to own a for profit business, while operating a non-profit on the side that supports veterans like me.



Any suggestions would be appreciated. . .

Is it just me or are social media sites a big waste of time?

Seriously, it feels like every company out there is desperate for my social interaction. But do I really want to socially interact with my tea bag supplier, margarine maker or dishwasher manufacturer? No!! So why do they keep asking me to 'like' them on facebook...



Am I missing something?



Any thoughts?

Any thoughts on Angie's List?

I love Angie's List not only for the opportunity to have reviews posted about my business on a reputable site for all to see but also because I like giving reviews. I actually saved a couple hundred dollars recently when my old insurance company tried to bill me for something I vehemently disagreed with. I told them I was going to put them on A.L. and their regional manager called me immediately and treated me like a king lol....and waived the bill!



Unfortunately they seem to make us hustle for reviews, as only one or two reviews for a company may not even show up. I've happily told a couple of small businesses that I was so thrilled with them that I was going to put them on Angie's List only to realize that since it was the only review posted it wouldn't show up, which is such a shame. Do you have any thoughts?

Hello from North Devon in the UK

Hello all



I work from home and run a couple of websites for graphic design services, 3d and illustration. Hard work working for myself but wouldn't have it any other way. Keeps me on my toes.



cheers

Jon

Hello! From Professional Voicemail Greetings recording service.

Greetings...Our company GreatVoiceGreetings.com provides professional, custom voicemail greetings, auto attendant recordings, IVR Voice Prompts and On-Hold Messages for small business owners and large companies...we even record cell phone greetings. We help businesses sound more professional when customers call. I look forward to contributing here by offering whatever advice I can. I am also interested in seeking out advice and referrals from others regarding various services and resources here on the forum. Glad to be part of the group!

Hello, my name is Amanda

Good Evening Everyone!



My name is Amanda and I eventually want to start my own consulting company. I am a subject matter expert in corporate training, business analytics and Salesforce. For now, I am going to be creating a blog to share information with small business owners so I can help other people who want to put the blood and sweat into building their own company.



I would like to get the following out of this forum:

• What issues other small business owners have had starting their companies


• What are some areas that small business owners would like free information about


• Would small business owners even be interested in the information I can provide

Thank you for taking the time to read!

Hi my name's Andrew. I'm new here.

Hi everyone,



My name is Andrew McDermott. I'm a copywriter and marketer.



Why I'm here: Marketing is hard. It's really hard for small and medium businesses.

I met a lot of business owners along the way who struggled to get customers, leads, sign-ups, etc.

1. I want to share what I've learned so others avoid my struggles and mistakes.


2. I want to learn from all of you, taking in your wisdom, knowledge and expertise.

There's genuine sharing and growing here. I haven't seen any one-upping, spamming or flaming here.

I'm really impressed with the quality people here, you guys are A+.



Looking forward to growing with you guys.





Andrew

Affiliate, Feeds or Sourcing

Wasn't sure where to post this but I am looking for some help. I am trying to find out how to offer medical supplies through affiliate opportunities..We do not have the option to warehouse and would like to be able to upsell medical supplies through our medical repair business. I see many companies doing this and they appear to be just using some affiliate since they have similair sku's/product images..



Can someone help me out on how to identify these original sources or what to even look for? I try to search sourcing options but all of them seem to look like scam sites.

Greeting from Reno!

Hi all,



My wife and finally took the leap in July and started a small online business. We have been making soap at a hobbyist level for a few years and decided that we would like to try our hands at selling it. We are both still working our day jobs and plan to do so for awhile while figure things out. We've had a ton of questions come up along the way and really look forward to being a part of the community here.



Cheers,



Andy-Whiskers Soap Shop

Hello from Kentucky

I own a small repair business in south eastern kentucky. We specialize in medical equipment repair and performance verification for EMS and Private Practices. Thought I would join to see if I can gain some information to help hone in my business know-how and keep on track. Looks like a very active place and I look forward to contributing as much as possible.

The problem of irregular and many documents

I need some advice how to overcome the problem of irregular document and files..sometimes I loss the important document of transaction because there are too many document that i need to keep..and of course if this happen it will affect the process in preparing financial statement..



I want to know whether is there any existing system that I can use to overcome this problem or I need create the system that have those characteristics



1) for daily sales transaction..item that purchased by customers will scan through bar code and the information about the type, quantity and price will automatically link to the journal, balance sheet and financial statement..so that, it will reduce the hard copies of document that I need to keep...

2) for online order, customers will fill the form from the website..afterIi approve the order the same process once again occur..the system directly link the transaction to the journal, balance sheet and financial statement.



if I create the system could someone give me an advice about the factors:

1) economics

-how should I budget about the cost involve

-which are more cheaper create the new system or using existing system

2)schedule

-what is the constraint(activities) to build this system

-the timeframe for completion

-the probability of the project t complete within it schedule time limits by a planned due date

3)operational

-does the organization have access to people who can design, implement and operate this system

4)technical

-do you think is there any existing technology can be use to implement and develop this system



-thank you-

Questions about taxes from USA income issued by Delaware llc or UK ltd

We are PC game makers. Our publisher is from USA-California and we are going invoice them for services. I have company in UK (ltd) and I want create new company in Delaware (offshore llc).



I have questions:

I want invoice the game from Delaware llc or UK ltd. Are there some federal, VAT, withholding.... taxes in USA?.



There are no such taxes from UK probably. Invoice will be without VAT. Will I pay taxes only in UK?



And what about Delaware llc? Can offshore company incorporated in Delaware have an income from USA? Must such company pay tax from this income? How much?



Does anybody has experience with this?

How do you reignite your passion for your business

It's a slow time for me as a landscaper as I'm waiting for the snow to melt here in Michigan so I can wrap up a few remaining jobs while in the meantime searching diligently for winter remodeling work, which I already know isn't going to be easy. In the meantime, I'm reading "Steve Jobs" by Walter Isaacson and it's really helping me keep my chin up and stay enthusiastic. What do you do when times are tough?

Facebook to change algorythms to force brands to buy ads in 2015

Can't say we didn't all see this coming. They've already reduced the reach of your company page by like 90%, now they're going to put the final nail in the coffin.

As I've been saying for at least 2 years now, your website should be the core of your online marketing, not 3rd party sites that you have no control over.

Quote:

---

The change will be large enough that research firm Forrester is encouraging companies to decrease their reliance on Facebook. Instead, the site recommends they add social relationship tools to their own sites and use email marketing campaigns to reach customers.

---

Source: Facebook's New Algorithm Could Force Brands to Buy Ads | Adweek

How Does A Business Use Facebook?

I just started a Facebook page for my latest business (pre-owned luxury goods) which seems like a good match for social promotion.



What sort of activities does one do on Facebook to promote one's business? Adding a link to your business is of course the first step, but then what?



Raffles in exchange for likes or shares on your wall? And what does that do ongoing?



What else?

Traffic from Wikipedia to your website?

Wikipedia is among the most visited sites in the world and ranks page 1 for just about every keyword, so in theory at least it should be a big source of traffic to your website. Is this something any of you have experienced?

complete rundown of the jobs in order to run a company.

I looked online at a relatively new clothing store job opening and I realized that there are a lot of jobs that are behind the curtains jobs that I wouldn't have known about.



What are the bare minimum that you need in order to run a clothing brand in terms of employees for every aspect of the business?



I understand that its possible to list 100 different job titles within a company. Typically there is a main person in charge of the main marketing department as an example, overseeing the work and there are groups of workers that he directs?Is this correct?



Are there different formats of the typical manager and worker relationship.

Suggest some good business card design

I am looking for a good business card design for me for me, I am in IT industry. I have been looking for the perfect design from many websites since years but I am unable to get any that catch my eye at first sight.

can somebody recommend me something from their own collection? I understand that this is your own property but since the cards will be for offline use others will not be effected by sharing their card as their valuable property,.

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How to Make Your Audience Feel What You Want Them To

Many a tin-foil hat wearing conspiracy theorist has shouted from the rooftops that industries like PR and social media are all about manipulation. We want the public to think and feel a certain way and will do anything to achieve that aim.



Well, don’t tell them, but they’re kind of right! While I wouldn’t call it manipulation, we do spend an awful lot of time crafting messages perfectly so the audience will do what we want – buy our company’s stuff, usually. Getting them to a feel a certain way is part of our branding – Coca-Cola wants you to feel nostalgia during the holidays and think of them, for example.



Want in on this super top-secret-but-not-really action? Here are some tips.



Choose Your Words Carefully



If a certain “feeling” is part of your branding, then everything you write down works towards or against that. Every sentence, press release, social media post, etc. will either help or hinder what your ultimate aim is. This is why you must revisit everything you write to make sure it’s on the same level.



For instance if you want to be like Coca-Cola and make people feel all warm and fuzzy as they pick up a can of Coke, you would want to make sure all your blog posts and other content reflects that. You want imagery that makes people think of their childhoods, the holidays, or any other time that gives them a nice warm feeling all over.



This is all broken if you start posting messages like “Get hype for our new Coca-Cola, son!!!!” on your social media channels. Everything you post is part of your branding, and if one thing is out of line it could be all for nothing.



Images



I don’t doubt you’re able to paint beautiful images with your words, but sometimes a good picture just does that much more. Just like every aspect of your written branding, if an image steps out of line with the emotion you want to convey, it has to go.



Sometimes finding the perfect image to go with, say, a blog post is tough. There are zillions of pictures on the web but nothing seems to work. It’s tempting to just throw one up there and be done with it, but one slip up could ruin all your hard work.



It may be time to throw in the towel and start producing your own images. After all, you wouldn’t catch Coca-Cola using clipart or other nonsense in their branding efforts. They create their own content with painted works or taking their own pictures.



Not an artist? You don’t have to be an award-winning photographer to take a decent picture. There are classes you can take or even basic tutorials online. Heck, even smartphone cameras take high-quality pictures these days. At the very least you can collaborate with a friend who does know how to take pictures to get you started.



With your own images you can convey the exact message and feeling you want every single time. Getting a backlog of these images can also save you hours of searching around various websites looking for the perfect image. Plus, your customers and fans will know they’re getting something unique.



What feeling is your branding effort trying to create? How's it going?

Accused of being a moron for suggesting DBA ???

For the purpose of anonymity I am changing the business names.

Using ABC LLC and Pine Tree Apartments instead of real names.



I am a property manager, and the building is owned by ABC LLC, not me.

The building was bought several years ago, and when it was bought it had a sign on the front of the building with the building's name on it. It's called Pine Tree Apartments. So moving years later I am managing a building that's owned by ABC LLC and has a big sign on the front that says Pine Tree Apartments.



I did a search to make sure the name "Pine Tree Apartments" is not registered with anyone, it's not.



Here's what I proposed to the LLC owner:

Quote:

---

I proposed the LLC get a DBA (register a "doing business as" name) so that it makes it easy on me when conversing about the apartment building and lets us keep the big sign on the building. Taking it down is an extra expense (it's a hefty sign and high up on 2nd story).



As manager that has to refer to the building on a regular basis it is fitting for me to refer to the property as Pine Tree Apartments rather then ABC LLC (especially since there’s a big sign on front of property calling the building that). It’s more about semantics and having a name that matches what you’re talking about. It’s weird and cumbersome to refer to an apartment building as ABC LLC (no one knows what that is). Legal paperwork it’s ok, but when talking to people and in general corespondency it’s just doesn’t flow.

---

To this suggestion the owner got mad and here's the summary of their reply.

Quote:

---

• We are not changing the name of the LLC (she thinks this will replace the LLC name).


• There hasn't been any problems before so why stir things up, nobody has complained about it before.


• This will make things complicated, confuse my taxes, and cause legal trouble in the future.


• It's not our name to begin with.


• I'm doing this to appease the tenants and make their life easier, we are a business and there's no need to add more work for us.

Then I got called a moron several times and told not to tell her how to run her business

---

The advice I was given is to keep using the ABC LLC name or just use the Pine Tree Apartments name (even though it's not registered as a DBA).



So here I am looking out for the best interest of the property and making a suggestion to the owner and got totally slammed. It wasn't even a mature conversation, just let me take over the conversation disregard anything you have to say.



Here's the thing. I think I'm right. I think getting a DBA is a minor act. I don't think it will cause any legal trouble or confuse taxes. Also think it's a smart move. I think her points are invalid and makes her seem like someone that doesn't know what she's talking about. I also think that using the name Pine Tree Apartments without registering it as a DBA as suggested by her would actually be legally irresponsible. That's because in worst case scenario the court will say it's ABC LLC and you're calling it something else that's not registered (DBA) to you.



BUT I'm giving her the benefit of doubt.

Asking the community for feedback.

Am I really wrong about this, am I the moron she claims I am?



I'm bringing this up not because I want to be a dick to her. But rather want to get an outside opinion. It just feels weird letting someone else invalidate you when you think/know you're right. But then again maybe she's right, like I said I'm willing to be wrong about this just seeking feedback from other business minded people.

New member from New Hampshire

Hi Everyone,



My name is John Mock and I am the proud owner of a new small business, TimeSheetify.com. So small in fact, I'm the only employee! My product is a web application aimed at simplifying time recording for small businesses. We have a simple set of core features at a low price point.



Hoping to connect with others on this forum to get tips on running a small business as well as hopefully get some feedback on my product. Also would love to share my experiences starting and running a company.



Here's a link to my product if anyone would like to check it out: TimeSheetify Online Time Sheets Made Simple!



Any comments are welcome, I really want to make the best product possible.



Thanks again for welcoming me to this community!

John

Let me be your Marketing Director!

Hey everyone!

My name is Lisa. I have an insane passion for helping people find their VOICE through building their brand. I am starting an online service to offer JUST THAT! With 10 years of experience working with large companies, start up companies, saving companies... I am bringing it all to you.



In beta phase so wanted to offer free services to start and connect with people around the world.



What's on offer:



A skype brief with me to discuss your business plan, visions, dreams, goals - and most importantly, who you are!

I can then offer you advice and structure to get started on:



Social Media

Copywriting

SEO

Graphic Design

Brand aesthetics

Demographic identification

Marketing strategies



Think of me (and my team) be your BRAND TEAM! We kick ass at what we do, let us help you get kick ass too!



lisacknox@gmail.com

Faebook to change algorythms to force brands to buy ads in 2015

Can't say we didn't all see this coming. They've already reduced the reach of your company page by like 90%, now they're going to put the final nail in the coffin.

As I've been saying for at least 2 years now, your website should be the core of your online marketing, not 3rd party sites that you have no control over.

Quote:

---

The change will be large enough that research firm Forrester is encouraging companies to decrease their reliance on Facebook. Instead, the site recommends they add social relationship tools to their own sites and use email marketing campaigns to reach customers.

---

Source: Facebook's New Algorithm Could Force Brands to Buy Ads | Adweek

hello i am new here

hello, i am Lubo from Slovakia. I am new here. i want speak about system bussiness, taxes, financial, logistics services. etc.

Technology Question

What would you use in your business if you are always on the go? Microsoft Surface 2 (3) or an Apple Macbook ?



I am in the IT field my business is all about IT, I still go to school and I would like something portable so I can travel and do things mobility. I am kinda leaning towards the Surface because of the design feature. Everyone has a Macbook and I never used a macbook and I kinda need to learn it i just dont know what to get soon?



Please help

Venture Creations- Social Media Maintenance and Promotion

Hello all!



My name is Sam Hogan and I am the single salesperson for Venture Creations, a small social media company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We started out with a successful DVD production and did a great job managing and promoting our products on social media. We did so well that other business owners started to ask us what we would charge to maintain and promote their businesses social media page(s) as well. This was the start of Venture Creations. We are in our fifth year of business and really looking to expand.



My business aside- I really do have a passion for small businesses and consider them to be the backbone to the economy. I look forward to hearing everyone's stories and gaining knowledge through the experiences of other business owners!



Thanks for reading!



Sam Hogan

Visa, Master, full Sell Cvv Good And Fresh All Country

• Hello, Dear People, how are you,


• i am selling fresh credit cards, Visa, Master Card, American express,


• i am selling standard and premium credit cards


• i selling hacked credit cards information


• i have freshly and stolen credit cards information


• Each Card must have good balance in it like 5000$ or more


• Each must be valid and fresh and high balance


• Suppose, if credit cards do not work, i will replace it free

Price



100$ = 6 Credit cards

200$ = 20 credit cards

250$ = 30 credit cards

500$ = 100 credit cards

• USA Visa, Visa with VBV code


• Master card, USA Master Card with Secure Code


• American Express and High balance valid Cards

Sample of credit cards information



Card Number: 4744721009545397

Exp date: 0118

CVV: 547

Name: Brenda Allen

Street: 1314 Crete lane

City: Pflugerville

State: TX

Zip code: 78660

Country: US



Contact me



Money_transfer500@yahoo.com



Money_transfer500@hotmail.com

The Top 10 Dumbest Hiring Mistakes Smart People Make

The Top 10 Dumbest Hiring Mistakes Smart People Make

You’re only as good as the people you hire.jpg

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Small websites under one LLC?

I have several small websites that make a little each month. I've just recently formed my first LLC. I want to associate these small websites under this one LLC, but I'm not sure about some legalities.



Do I need to have DBAs(official fictitious names) for each of the sites? Or, are they just brands of my main LLC? My LLC is pretty generic, and I don't mind having it listed on the bottom of each site.



Any help or direction would be appreciated.



Thanks

What career lessons are you most thankful for?

Even if a certain job doesn't go your way, there's no reason to be disappointed. In hindsight, everything can be a lesson, right?

Cameras

I seem to have lost a camera that I bought for my wife 2 or so years ago. It was a cannon that had an optical zoom that was x35 or something similar at 12Mp if that makes sense. You could spy on neighbors a half block away. It may be in our house somewhere or I may have left it at an event I attended.



So if it doesn't turn up, what should we buy. We aren't avid photographers. We would like to have ok pictures though. Also, if we do find it, it would be nice to have something better. The zoom feature was nice. Picture quality was good. I paid $300 ish for it.



Anybody have any recommendations?

Employee shares information to competitors?

This is only hypothetical. How would you deal or prevent an employee thats in charge or something

that is a kept secret. For instance you are working on a product thats new to the market, new technology and the person decides to take it and create it himself. I hear this happens a lot with small businesses that present ideas to big corporations and they just manufacture it themselves.



Is there anything that you have your employee or another business you are working with sign so that they can't work with competitors or take your idea and share it? What is this process or agreement called?

Questions about Charitable Donations in Kind

Hi, it's freezing in NY and I just dropped off almost 4000 pairs of surplus gloves (new with tags, that I manufacture) at the local Salvation Army as a charitable donation



What amount do I declare in my tax forms as a charitable donation? Cost to manufacture? Market price? MSRP?

I want to do things better

I want to do things better than Geek Squad. I was steps away from working from them and I stepped away because they were charging prices that were higher than expected. But that is not the only thing I can see the business I want to start to be a competitor against Geek Squad, being that they are not personal with customers and always loosing and overpricing products and services.



I looked at there website and I know I can do better, I have been fixing computers when I was 7 years old and my dream was to create a business by doing services for people involving technology.



What do I need to start in building a business that will take baby steps into being elite.

do you have experiences with fulfillment?

hi is here somebody who knows what is fulfillment?

Hi do you know fulfillment order? - i think its important solution for distribution

This is my definition and you save time and money with it. Order fulfillment is storage and warehousing, inventory control, pick and pack services, shipping of goods - It is third party logistictics or logistics outsourcing. With this services is possible make distribution of consumer goods, advertising items, industrial goods etc. Its cheaper than own warehouse and stockkeeper. I think its very good logistics services for distribution.

How to reach marketing people at big companies

Hey,

I work at a company that delivers high-quality video production in affordable prices all over the world. we need to grow our client base but the problem is I can't even "get in the door" of a big company to pitch my product.

I believe that I can save them a lot of money, but how do you reach the marketing manager? E-mail's won't work... calling them either.. LinkedIn in useless if you don't know anybody related..

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Yoav

Camara's

I seem to have lost a camera that I bought for my wife 2 or so years ago. It was a cannon that had an optical zoom that was x35 or something similar at 12Mp if that makes sense. You could spy on neighbors a half block away. It may be in our house somewhere or I may have left it at an event I attended.



So if it doesn't turn up, what should we buy. We aren't avid photographers. We would like to have ok pictures though. Also, if we do find it, it would be nice to have something better. The zoom feature was nice. Picture quality was good. I paid $300 ish for it.



Anybody have any recommendations?

What do you guys do for public speaking networking

How to prepare yourself speaking to people (networking). What do you wear, what not to do. Help please

one or two llc

I am civil engineer and I work somewhere as full time consultant. But I also just started doing construction scheduling on the side, remotely from home, to various contractors, architecture firms etc… for example, they will email me the construction drawings, I will look at them, and make a construction schedule and email it back to them. (this is not considered engineering by the way, which would need license etc)

I am thinking about establishing company or not. Because I already have one LLC. That was for something totally irrelevant to my engineering career, (I am the sole owner), for my interest in hi tech stuff as a hobby, where I have some websites about hi tech items… and I mainly make money by displaying ads on my websites. I do everything from home. Again side activity for me. It either lost or made little money so far.



Question1) what is your recommendation: to do both businesses under current LLC, to found a separate LLC, to do a DBA under current LLC (if it can be done), or do nothing and continue my construction scheduling with my own name and lastname. Note: My current LLC, being in hitech subjects, has the word “robot” in it, and it will sound funny among construction people. That is one big reason I was hesitating using my existing LLC. Or should I just change name of exiting LLC that would be suitable to anything, such as (my last name) LLC?



Question 2) for my construction scheduling, if I don’t establish an LLC, and don’t use current LLC, but use my name and lastname, do I need to register with the city or state? I am in NJ. All I have is an insurance to my name and last name, to cover me for my errors just in case.

Sales Tax Question

I'm starting a business where I deliver vegetables, fruit, and other things which I don't pay sales tax on when I purchase them. The question: do I need to charge sales tax when I resell the items? I plan on charging a delivery fee as well, must I pay tax on the fee? Just trying to figure out how all this works. Thanks for your help.

Going into a Potentially Fraud-Bait Line of Business - Need Advice

I've just gotten into a completely new and separate line of business, specifically selling pre-owned luxury goods over the internet. So far it's been a lot more successful than I hoped it would be during the first 4 months of operation within a small market (forums and specialty e-commerce sites). Now I'm looking to expand to Ebay, a much bigger market.



My concerns here are around fraud. The items I am selling can be easily resold at pawnshops and similar venues, so it's my concern that these types of goods will attract fraudsters and scammers who will buy and steal my goods through credit card and paypal shenanigans.



I need advice on how to navigate around these shark-infested waters and protect myself. I have been selling on Ebay for almost 10 years now with, but these have been specialty goods of my own manufacture that have a limited market so there was a low chance of scammers. So I've been around the block.



One thing I have done is to insist on a signed contract of sale for every item I sell for this new "pre-owned luxury goods" business. This way if any paypal or credit card shenanigans happen, I have enough paperwork to fight it, or worse case scenario to sic a debt collector at them. Not sure if this is enough.



Please no "don't do it" responses. This is not an option.

Hello everyone

Hello everyone,

I am a new member in this forum, I really want to have a friendly relationship with everyone in here. Nice to meet you guys.

New Member in this forum

Hello Everyone,



My name is Richard Richardson and I want to really have my business legal and firing at all cylinders. I started my computer repair business when I was 7 in my neighborhood. Currently I am 21 and I am a college student at Hilbert majoring in business. I am well known in my community I want to figure out ways to really get it out. I noted different ways I expand ways with my business eg. offering cleaning services(cleaning hardware & software), photo restoration,consulting, and others. I was thinking what marketing and advertising strategies would you guys prefer? I live in Upstate New York and there are programs that I need help with. I heard having an LLC is best for small business and I also need insight on using Legal Zoom. One more thing I have a website in progress and I don't know what I should use when it comes to hosting it.



Thanks for the help

Looking for 4 line phone for small business

I am looking for a desktop phone that can handle 4 phone lines. We are a small company engine repair company currently with 4 phones running on 3 phone lines. I've done a lot of searching online and have tried a couple at Staples. Most seem to be proprietary and only work properly with a couple other models from the same brand. Some beep constantly every 2 seconds when you put someone on old ( the customer hears the beeps ), which can be quite annoying.



Does anyone have knowledge of a good place to look or models to look at?



Appreciated, Ryan

Is there different categories of marketing?

Are there sub sections of marketing? Like tactic marketing (small tiny "tricks") For example at some bars they sell 50 dollar shots of their best alcohol and they do that because most people wont buy the 50 dollars shot but instead buy the 20 dollars shot.



On the other side, on a much broader scale of things the more common marketing. Advertising, internet marketing..



Im also curious if anyone else knows of the "tactic marketing" and where I can find research on it and what it is officially called.

Dream is to open a Medical Supply business

Quickly, I am a 24 year old out of school working construction. The pay is ok with opportunity for me to ultimately go as far as I want. However, I have no interest in the work. I was a sales two in college for a medical rental/supply company and loved the work. Interacting with hospital staff, completing orders before they were due, and helping establish new territory. It was exciting. I have the ultimate dream of creating my own company in this area. Maybe starting small with buying beds, wheelchairs, alarms, toilets etc abs renting them out and delivering them for profit.



I am looking to start my own medical equipment company in the next year or two. I have a means of transporting said supplies and a large warehouse for storage and cleaning. However, I don't have much of a clue in what the start-up cost will need to be registering my business, establishing relationships with hospitals and nursing homes etc and would like some help if it is available. Thank you

Hy...

Hello ... my name is Klaus Hosenberg ... are from Germany and I would be interesting it a site where you work with people who would help me to create an association ... or a company for the people ... without shelters or those who have problems ... thanks ...

Hi everyone

Hi everyone!

My name's Doan Bao, 26 year old , Im having a small coffee shop, about 100m2 , teenager style. i wanna learn evrything about business , i hope to receive some idea from everyone. nice to meet you all.

thanks

how to attract multi-nationals

I help a site owner to source for sponsors,I EARN a percentage of my referalls. So now I want to know how to attract multi national companies to sponsor talk shows and school campaigns. The site is a self development site (i.e premium self development blog) they're concerned with motivating, and inspiring young people to success

Greetings from Toronto

Hello everyone,



My name is Wojtek and I'm on here from Toronto, Canada! Been lurking the site for a long time and finally decided to enter into the fray and hopefully contribute.



My small business includes a small rental property here in the GTA, and I work full time. My wife also runs her own business of a home/office cleaning firm which is growing at a nice and steady pace which she's comfortable with.



I'm also looking at expanding my father's contracting business as to date it's been mainly for friends and through word of mouth but we are looking at growing and doing more work together in order to get the business more sustainable, and hopefully moving away from the working for someone else world!



Looking forward to my time here!

My wedding Photography in Chennai

This is traditional wedding photography. How is it friends?



Wedding photography in Chennai.jpg





Candid photography Chennai.jpg

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Hi Im New! Im The Pocket Shot.

Hi Everyone,

Started working and manufacturing our product a little over 2 years ago. We launched in September. I figured this would be a great place to get answers quickly and meet other business owners in a similar field. Looks like this Forum has lots of members. :cool:



I won't give a Shark Tank sales pitch but a quick synopsis of my business is:



We sell a totally unique product and were issued a patent about a month ago. It is a circular version of a slingshot. Very powerful, compact, stores ammo, great for recreational, campers or hunters. Shoots slingshot ammo, paintballs and airsoft. 18+ to buy.



Our website is: thepocketshot.com



Hope we can help each other make some money...

Looking for a Place to Invest

Hello,



I am looking for people that really do have a great business idea, and are looking for investors. We are a group of two people, and if necessary, we are willing to invest up to 50 000USD to the concept, that we think has a great potential.

Let me provide some specifications for the ones that are looking for investors (in order to filter flimsy offers):



• If you have an idea, and if you haven’t yet started a business, please provide me a specific vision how are you going to accomplish it. I want to get all the detailed information where the money will be used, and why exactly there and not somewhere else.

In short, it will not be enough to tell that it is a good place to invest, and that it will make you tons of money. You need to provide all the detailed information, facts, statistics and etc. to prove that this is the case.



• If it is an already established business, then you need to provide all the financial data.



• As I already mentioned, the investment is up to 50 000USD. It works in a very simple way: we provide the investment for your business, and in return we get a particular amount of shares (we become partners). We don’t want more than 60-70% of shares, because we are not seeking to purchase the business. You also have to be a part of it.



Some things that you could mention:

1. What niche are you in and why?

2. What is your target market?

3. How popular is your product or service?

4. Is your product or service seasonal?

5. What is the age-range and income-range for your potential customers?

6. How much competition do you have?

7. What is unique about your business?

8. Do you have any abilities in this sphere?



Please PM me, or send a message to my email: jonasaleksandravicius@yahoo.com

Using money from business "A" to invest in business "B"

Hi....I just started working for myself doing affiliate marketing this year.....I understand that a lot of the things I buy are tax deductible if they are purchased to "improve my business. My question is... Can I use the money I make from affiliate marketing to invest in a small music studio and still get a tax deduction for the things I purchase for the new business?

Who's in charge? You, or the Customer?

Quote:

---

"Who ever said the customer is always right, never met the customer"- Mozzy, White Collar.

---

We've all come across the customer that wants to be in completely control and change the way you do business for them and them alone.



They're the ones that want to dictate everything from how you're going to accept payment, to the time that a project lasts based on their day to day schedule and whims.



We've all been there and I think we can all agree that these are nightmare people to deal with.



My question is, how do you handle this type of customer?



I generally choose between 2 options:



1. Don't take them as clients in the first place, and send them on their way (The Most Popular Option).

2. Charge them more than everyone else for pain, suffering and the extra time and attention that they are going to demand.



Don't get me wrong, the customer is paying and deserves good service. But some people are bad customers and treat people as if they are on their payroll.



How do you deal with them?

Signage HELP please...

So we are moving from our starter location to a much better location. Of course, the new location (in a popular shopping center) requires that we have certain signs. The one of concern for me is the outdoor frontage sign. It must have back-lighted, channeled letters that are 24'' tall for uppercase. My company name is 4 letters. Long story short our local sign maker wants to charge me $5500 for 4 letters and said it could take a month to complete. This sound absolutely ludicrous to me. I went online to several places and found I could have the letters built to my specs and shipped for $600.



I'm not super sure what I'm asking, I guess...

1. does $5500 seem crazy to anyone else?

2. Has anyone bought channeled letter signs online before?

3. Am I missing something?

4. Any help with good signage you can offer will be of great help.





Thanks much folks!



Guy

Hello from GenX Computer Solutions

Hello everyone! My name is Guy and I own "GenX Computer Solutions" in Olympia, WA. I have been lurking here for awhile... getting good advice, so I decided to join up and see if I could help others (and get more help myself :) ) Thank you to everyone who contributes here. You are are real life saver for those new and struggling business owners.

Everyone can be rich just by opportunity

»Everyone dreams about certain things in his life, everybody has an own dream.«


Everything in our life begins with some dream, an idea that inspires us. Everything we do has a reason and a purpose.

If we want something to eat, we go to the nearest bakery to buy bread. If we want to buy something that we need,we borrow some money.



We start a business, because it is associated with another attractive lifestyle: financial independence and the

possibility to fight for something we like; a life without problems.An own home, financial independence, travelling; think about it what are you dreaming of? Why are you doing this business? Write your dream into your calendar down.

To make your dream a reality.



Set a goal for yourself


Set a goal that is worth it! Imposing goals that you deserve.You are unique in the very fact that you are willing to

take the risk to start your own business. By that, you have taken responsibility for your own life into your own hands!

Become a brilliant in 90 days the easy way. We believe that everything will go well. You are neither the first nor the last.

Maybe you are even faster. It all depends on each individual and that person is you. Your desires, your dreams are

your goal.



It is your chance to get the highest recognition for your business!

The chance to get all the ranks, prizes and bonuses!



»Brilliant« is not just a beautiful name for a business

status. It means an income of at least $10,000 per month

as well as the car of your dreams! It means independence.

Your option is to support other people to start with an

interesting business.



Please reply just for who have the MLM marketing expierance!

Hello from the great white north!

My name is Mark Poppen and I live on the Saskatchewan (Saas-catch-eh-wohn) prairies in Canada. I run a web design, development and hosting company called PoppenWorks. I enjoy talking to people I haven't met before and helping people succeed in their business online.



In my very little spare time, I binge-watch TV shows (usually with my wife) and I picked up a new hobby: Candle making, to keep my eyes off any kind of screen and my hands in a different position than typing on a keyboard. :)



Nice to meet you all!

Does facebook PPC work?

I used Facebook PPC several years ago and was disappointed at it. I tried it again recently. However the Facebook report does not match Google Analytics report.



Has anyone used Facebook PPC? Does it work for you?



Thank you.



Casey

Employment Tax Due Dates

As an employer, you need to deposit funds and file tax forms in time. Do not miss these important date.



Employment Tax Due Dates

General Liability Insurance for LLC

I'm looking for a good general liability insurance for LLC that does travel services in NY and NJ with 3-4 employees and a few dozens of contractors. Does anyone know/have any good insurances for this type of business? How do you cover yourself? Thanks.

Google Business Review Question

I have noticed some companies on Google do not have any reviews and you cannot even leave a review for them. Google simply shows there web site link only. If I am starting my business advertising online how can I get Google only to list my company web site address and turn off the option for people to leave reviews on Google? What I want is when someone surches for me on google all they see is my company info and web link, NO reviews.

Approaching Companies For Dealership/Partnership

Were just starting out our business and I feel like approaching companies for dealership or partnership is a downfall for us. What ways you have approached companies in the past? Wrong and right things to say? I normally do my homework on the company before contacting them to see what their all about.

Also when I say dealership I'm wanting to offer their products to my customers. We are in the Agriculture field wanted to clarify don't know if its the same in each field.

New Around Here From Ohio

Hey everyone.



Ive been poking around here for awhile now. Got lots of help just by reading other peoples threads. I am a Agribusiness major hoping to launch our ecommerce site by thanksgiving, Also going to slowly work into opening a physical store front. So hello!

Book Cover illustration - Feedback please?

Hello!



I would like to know what you think about my latest work - cover book illustration?

Tell me your thoughts, ideas, critiques..



book copy.jpg



Thank you so much for your time,

Kath

Attached Images

• book copy.jpg (51.7 KB)

Thank You!

Thank you for allowing me to be a part

of your forum...



Rick Brier:)

How would you invest a lot of money right now?

I know someone who has a lot of money and is looking to invest in a business. He just put $40,000 into an e-cigarette "vaping" shop.



Does anyone know some other or better investments he could do?

What is the best way to promote a book?

I am currently finishing writing a book. It is a book about world religions.



How do I find the best publisher, or is there a difference between one and the next?



I talked to one one time and they said they would get someone to illustrate the book (which is definitely necessary) and they would promote it on their website and on amazon, kindle, ebook and whatever.



Can't I just put it on amazon myself? I don't want them to take a cut for doing something I didn't need them to do.



If it sells well, I want to get the most out of it.

Question to those more experienced in residential real estate than me...

As you may know, I want to invest in residential real estate. I am still going back and forth between "real" homes and mobile homes.



I know that there are all kinds of things that can happen and that I should expect the unexpected, but if I plan for the unexpected, shouldn't it work out like I hope?



I have a MS Excel formula that I made that I put variables in to, and in a perfect world, things should work out this way. I realize that perfect conditions probably won't exist, but the "imperfect" conditions are taken into account in the formula.



I tried to attach my Excel formula, which is a .xlsx file, but it said invalid. Any reason why this is invalid?

payment processing

new to the site, hope it is full of legit small biz/e-commerce owners looking for trade/biz secrets.

been doing biz for over 10 years online. use paypal and also cc for processing of payments. everytime i sit down and look at all the stupid fees and extra charges from my processing company i feel like i am getting screwed!



anyone in the same boat? who do you all use and why?

How would you promote a nonprofit?

Rather than claim to know it all, I will ask the people who have more business experience than me.



How would you promote a non-profit? I am registered in Florida and have a solicitation license. I will have a website up shortly, along with social media sites.



The only idea I've had so far is to rent venues for fundraising events and I have spoken to a self-proclaimed "event planner" about that.



Do you have any other ideas?



It is for spinal cord injuries. We give money to stem cell research programs. I tried to find individuals living with spinal cord injuries, but they surprisingly did not want the help of my charity, so that is why I decided just to give to research.



We are not 501(c)3 yet, but the first $400 I raise will probably go to that.

How can I make people take me seriously?

I am going to try to acquire clients by direct mailing and then try to make a sale when they call but will meet up with them in person if need be. But I am 16 so when I am on the phone with them will they take me seriously? How can I make sure they take me serious?

complementary products

Hi All,



We have a well established business running since 2004, we have 15 employees and business is going good so far and we've been growing year after year, our business is providing GPS Tracking hardware and software to help business better mange their vehicles, we have about 500 customers wit more than 10,000 vehicles. our competitor are companies like GPSinsight and fleetmatics.

I'm looking to benefit from our existing and future customers by developing or distributing a new product or a software that could be complementary to what we do already, can you please help me with your ideas about products or software that we can offer them.



Thank you so much for your ideas :)

Considering breather from my small service business

First of all, I'm new here. I am a 36 years old guy, in my 8th year of my business, which is a service/ delivery type operation. I have always had an entrepreneur ambition since about High School age, so while gaining new business and new work is still challenging in our flat-line economy, it comes fairly easy for me.



Short story, I originally purchased my business from a guy who wasn't doing very well with it, and who was undercharging and taking on very problematic accounts. Within four years, I had turned the business around and was gaining traction. Hit a road block into my 5th year as my two year old (at the time) was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.



I pretty much sold 80% of my accounts, and ran the business on "auto-pilot" while my wife and I spent the next year focusing on our sons illness. Fast forward, after my sons recovery, I got back in full gear and hit the ground running. It was at this time I made a decision going forward to only take on new work locally. Over the next two-three years business doubled, almost tripled and exceeded expectations.



However looking at where we are today, I find that I'm in a terrible position and unsure what direction I should take. I have turned away or referred out more business this past year, than ever before (deep down inside I hate to tell a paying client no). My best skill sets are sales and marketing. I am mechanically inclined enough to do quality work and labor, but I don't LOVE that part of it. For me the gaining of new business, sales and marketing are my first love.



Right now in my town, my company is probably number #2 out of a myriad of competitors. I actually send all of the work I can't take on anymore, because I'm maxed out to the #1 company which works out great. I find that by promoting my direct competitor and mentor, he will not bad mouth or berate my company when a prospect is cross-shopping our services. We also communicate, albeit on a thin line about rates, services and fees to make sure that we keep the rate for quality work where it needs to be, and not lower. He has his niche and I have mine, so we are not exactly battling for the same work all of the time.



Anyway, now with a 2year old and 5 year old, there simply isn't enough room or time in a day, to add or take on anymore work without working late weeknights or weekends. I could hire an employee but with an almost $2000/month childcare bill (wife has full time job of her own and doesn't help with my business), it simply isn't in the cards for us right now.



I was thinking of pretty much selling the entire business, but keeping the name, since our reputation is part of what brings in the work. Taking a few months off to take a breather, and build everything back up till I'm maxed out again?



Like I said it's the "sales" part of the business, that I enjoy and find rewarding, and when I'm so busy I can no longer take anymore work, I start to despise the doing what I'm doing.

What are your favorite phone or tablet productivity apps ?

The first thing I do when I get any device is get rid of all of the stuff that I'm never going to use or are redundant, however I'm always interested in good apps and I usually discover them via articles or suggestions from other people.



Thought it would nice to have a thread of the different apps that people use in their day to day that help with work productivity or just make life easier. Obviously we're all on different platforms, but even better since your suggestion may be of interest to someone on the same platform and many are available in all platforms.



A new one that I just started using is Pushbullet (Beta)

http://ift.tt/Xk5vVM

It's available for both Android and iOS.



My personal and business communications are a mix of email addresses and different phone numbers. Transferring things back and forth is usually a 3 step process that almost always requires plugging the phone into the computer or emailing from one to the other.



It makes it easy to wirelessly transfer images, files, and addresses from your computer to your phone with just a right click.

It also displays a caller ID notification window on your computer of incoming phone calls and you can respond to text messages right from the notification window.



What are some of your favorites?

New to the forum!!

New to the forum..

I am a business major and business owner.

I own my own webhosting company in Texas, if anyone has web hosting questions or business questions in general I can answer most. Specifically about accounting or business finance, but a lot of business managing as well.

Franchise Question- please help?

I have recently been looking into franchises such as McDonalds.

I am a bit confused on some of the figures they claim...on average each location pulls in about 2.6mil in gross revenue, and claims to earn approx. 200K net profit. I did a search for McDonalds profit margin, and found that there margins are 6.4%...something isn't adding up? This would give me a profit of roughly $166K without taking expenses out? I must be doing something wrong or misinterpreting the information? Can anyone provide some feedback? Thanks a lot.

Interesting marketing stories?

A story I heard a while ago is about how Nike has a store front that is multi storied, has thousands of items and staff, yet month after month, never turn a profit. Each month no matter how much they sold they wouldn't come close to the amount owed for rent and the cost of operating the store. It was explained that the store was to act only as a showroom for people to try clothing, interact with the sales people and its main purpose was to be a billboard in high traffic areas.



I'm always interested in learning about marketing, have you heard of any other companies or tactics that are similar?

Business Funding Axis Capital Group Jakarta Review

Investing in an employer-sponsored retirement plan is one of the easiest ways to save for your future.



Many people don't think about how much they should be contributing, or they don't pay attention to how fluctuating markets can affect their portfolio. If you're serious about building your nest egg, there are lots of ways to be smarter about how you add money to your 401(k).



Here are some tips you'll want to follow when enrolling in a 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan.



1. Contribute.



The first thing you need to do is contribute, period - especially if your company offers a match. If you don't, you're literally turning down free money. The most common employer-sponsored plan is a 401(k), in which pre-tax money is deducted from each paycheck based on a percentage you choose, with an annual max of $17,500. If you're lucky, your employer may "match" with its own contribution (typically topped off at 6%). Did we mention that it's free money?



If you work for a public education organization, non-profit, or hospital organization, then your retirement plan consists of a 403(b). As with a 401(k), the money is deducted from your paycheck before taxes. Government employees have similar options under a 457(b) plan.



2. Be sure to contribute enough.



Contributing a default percentage (on average 3%) simply isn't enough. A bump in your contribution percentage could mean thousands of dollars in retirement income down the road. And while not everyone can afford to max out his or her contributions, you should at least put in enough to get the full match offered by your employer. Put that money to use.



3. Roll over your plan from your previous job.



With all the excitement of getting a new job, it's easy to forget (or dread) rolling over your old retirement plan into a new one. But failing to do so could cost you. If left untouched, the funds you've invested in could eventually change or turn into cash by default. Once you're eligible to join your company's retirement plan, it's a good idea to roll over your funds to your new account or open up an IRA account. An IRA account comes with the same tax-deferred benefits as 401(k), 403(b), and 457(b) accounts, with lower administrative costs and a wider range of funds to invest in. Talk to a financial adviser to figure out what's best for you.



4. Increase your contribution over time.



Early in your career, it's common for your initial contributions to start off low. But as you advance in your career and earn more income, your contributions should take the same trajectory. A 1% to 2% increase each year could make the difference between having enough for retirement and coming up short.



5. Be mindful of your portfolio.



Stocks and bonds fluctuate, a lot. "Setting it and forgetting it" isn't a viable savings strategy. Even if you have target-date funds, it's important that you re-evaluate your portfolio periodically - either by yourself or with the help of a financial adviser - to make sure that it reflects changes in the market and that you're not holding onto depreciating funds or missing out on potential gains.



6. Wait until retirement to cash out.



While this seems like an obvious piece of advice, a lot of people look at their 401(k) as a reserve fund. It's far better to resist the temptation of touching those funds, and think about saving for the long haul. If not, you can expect to be taxed at your current income tax bracket, as well as pay a 10% penalty fee. Emergencies are bound to happen, but withdrawing funds from your retirement savings account should be an absolute last resort.



7. Resist the temptation to borrow from your plan.



Borrowing against your account is far better than cashing out early, but you still face numerous risks. For example, if you have an outstanding loan and quit your job, in many cases you could be forced to pay the loan back immediately. Many accounts don't allow you to continue making contributions while you're paying off an outstanding loan, which means not only are you unable to grow your retirement, but the amount you've borrowed no longer has the potential to grow, either.

Physical Presence

We created an S-corp for a new school in Colorado and are having trouble with the term Physical Presence. We have a PO box but online I find that PO box's are not physical presence. Thoughts?

Ashfaq Chowdry from India

Hi guys,



I'm running a video business in Bangalore, I've developed a Video business card for my company. The video will be give relevant information about me.



I love to be associated with the global market for getting work outsourced from the world. I've worked for New Zealand and USA company earlier.



Love to read all your feedback.



thanks in advance



AshChowdry

Double bidding

There are two companies under one ownership. Each company operates independently with office and sales staff. However the on-site crews and repair facilities are shared. The business is high end decorative windows. Bids are submitted by both companies and have different values. The one owner sets all the pricing. The sales staff is not aware of the final pricing and competes against each other as they would against any other competitor. There is only one commission paid to the winning bid.



It seems this should be illegal and research points to the practice known as complementary bidding. Any advice on how I could deal with this?

Looking for "Businesses and Business People to participate in Beta Test

Would you like to increase Sales without spending a

Penny on Advertising?



We will create a unique Youtube Video promoting a

Special Offer for a very Limited time. You will then

E-mail this Special Offer to 100 on your E-mail list.

We expect a 6-10% return.



In order to Qualify, you must have at least 500

customers or clients on your E-mail list.



We will receive a 10% commission only when a Sale is made.



You can be a One Man Business, a Small Professional Service,

a Medium Size Business or a Large Corporation to participate.



Because of time constraints, we have to limit this Special

Offer to the first 10 that Qualify.



Please contact me, Bill Craig at billcraigmarketing@gmail.com

with your

Name

Phone #

Company Name

Website Address

Facebook Page



We will contact you to share ideas on your E-mail Offer.



Thanks-Look forward to working together

Bill Craig

Looking for sources of information on business buying and operations

A little back ground on me first. automotive and diesel master tech with a huge range of mechanical experience. currently I am a instructor at a technical institute. I am a military veteran also. I have worked for some of the best and worst shops out there. in the best shops, I picked the brains off the owners a lot. In the worst shops I just observed the incorrect practices not to do. Since deciding to become a business owner I have picked up a second job to pay off all my debt except mortgage to put me in a better spot.



In the mean time I want to educate my self a lot more to better prepare for this under taking. I have decided it would be better to purchase an existing business instead of opening one from scratch. the following is a list of some of the information I am looking for sources on (I.e. a book, video, or personal experience).



1. When I purchase a business I know I can hire an accountant to review the financials (and I will), but I would like to be able to look at the books and be able to see if profits and losses are legit, charge offs, and anything else dealing with the financial information when dealing with an automotive shop.



2. Advertising when dealing a small business. I know what worked for some of the shops I have worked for in the past but it doesn't mean it will work for me, so I would like to read up on the different types of effective advertising.



3. Small business management when it comes to payroll, taxes, and legal ramifications that comes with a small business.



4. Any book dealing with running an automotive shop in general.



5. Any information that will be beneficial to me to prepare to apply for a small business loan.



I have considered taking an online degree course for small business management for some of this information. I have heard this looks better on myself when applying for a loan. does anybody have any experience with these online degree places? I am posting this on a couple of forums to get different opinions on it so sorry if it looks familiar.

Does it raise a red flag if a seller is reluctant to provide payment of sales tax?

Hi. I ran into a puzzling situation regarding sales tax clearance in the process of purchasing a business & was wondering if this is a common occurrence & how I should proceed.



The seller has been great by opening up his business to me for review. He's given me access to his financials & his POS to verify sales, income & inventory & secured the assignment of the lease for me. However, an issue came up when my lawyer requested for verification of sales tax payment by asking for 2 years of filing receipts or copies of canceled checks.



For whatever reason, the seller became non-compliant & even confrontational when pressing for it. He kept stressing that it was not necessary since he claimed he owned no back taxes, is currently not & has never been audited & the amount held in escrow is sufficient insurance. Then ultimately, he only agreed to provide copies of sales tax payment only if I signed off on the contract & gave my deposit, & also requested that any liability outstanding is capped at the escrow amount, not more.



I would like to think that the seller is honestly trying not to be deceitful, but his action is puzzling given how he's been accommodating up to this point. The issue is the business has been in existence 10 years so my lawyer is just trying to provide some protection, but at this point not sure how I should proceed. What's his reluctance to show proof? Could the seller have taken the request as being disrespectful? If he truly believes he has nothing outstanding, why request that his liability should be capped at the escrow amount.



My lawyer is suggesting at this point we can add a clause requesting that the filing receipts or canceled checks be provided within 1 week & that I have an additional week to review with the option to cancel the contract if I wish. In addition, she is stressing that the contract doesn't limit the liability of the seller to just the escrow amount, that the seller should be responsible for the full amount of any tax liability generated by the seller up to the date of closing. Alternatively I have the option to request that the entire amount of the sale be placed in escrow until I get sales tax clearance from the state? Are any of these options valid, advisable or simply not necessary?



I really want this business, but given it's my first time purchasing a business, I just want to make sure I think rationally through the situation. Therefore if anyone has any idea of the seller's intent or on how I should proceed, I'd appreciate the insight. Thank you.

Could you help me with naming?

Hello! I'm entrepreneur from Russia. I started to learn English 1,5 yers ago, and I need help :)

I'm preparing to start up new online service. It will be a MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) provider.

The goal of this project is learning some fresh new knowledge, which are unavailable with traditional education yet, because these ones are such new.

"Social media marketing" for example, or "Modern ways of Conflict Resolution", or "History of rock music" and anything from other authors.

And now I have to choose a name (domain) of this project. I have 9 favourite variants:



FunToSkill.com

WillSkill.com

Skillar.com

UnSkill.com

UniLore.com

GotLore.com

AveLore.com

BidLore.com

LearnFor.com



As a native speakers, can you help me understand these deeper and make out the best one?

What do you think about each of list?

What associations do you have with them?

Which of these are sound good?

Which of these are remembered well?

Which of these are definitely unsuitable and why?



I'm really thankful for your any help!

How we can increase Likes on Facebook Pages?

How we can increase Likes on Facebook Pages?























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