Please feel free to critique my logo

I like the idea of the petals above the "O", I think it's simple and most of the work I do right now is landscaping, so I think it works. Just not thrilled with the way the petals look, maybe a little too cartoonish or too much like clip art. And the font was simply picked out of the choices in Word. Any thoughts good or bad will be appreciated, thanks!



Facebook logo (smaller) (150x93).jpg

Attached Images

• Facebook logo (smaller) (150x93).jpg (41.9 KB)

Blogs!

Ok, so I had this idea: I think vBulletin has a blog addon, so what if you let people write blogs? Maybe you can you WP Multi-site on a subdomain. That would be awesome :D

Any thoughts on advertising with Houzz?

Anyone here advertise on Houzz, and if so, how was your experience? Any other thoughts about it, please feel free to leave comments as I'm thinking about advertising with them. Thanks!

Getting an Illinois Tax Id and EIN before getting an LLC?

I would like to start an LLC but I was wondering if I could get an EIN number and a State ID number before paying for an LCC?

Meeting with Wal-Mart

From the buyers seat at Wal-Mart. What he/she is thinking....



Promotional Activity Impact / Sell thru / Remaining inventory.

Who is the consumer? (Spectra)

What else do they buy? (Look at Market Basket and Scarborough data)

Is this item carried by Other Retailers? If so, where? What’s the retail? (Nielsen / IRI)

What’s the BDI/CDI of the Brand by Region/Market?

Where do Opportunities lie?



Be prepared before you go. You might only have 15 minutes so get to the point quick!:)

Confirmed Ranking Factor-- Mobile Friendly websites

Google confirms Finding more mobile-friendly search results

So if you want to rank on Google you should have a responsive site.

Forum Upgrade

Hey All,



I upgraded the forum software earlier tonight. I ran into a few small problems, but think I fixed everything. Hopefully I did fix everything and no one will notice anything different, however if you notice something not working let me know.



Thanks.

5 Productivity Hacks Every Busy Entrepreneur Should Try

Let's admit it. We are all busy but we still want to be more productive and get more work done in a day.



Here's an article I've come across from Syed Balkhi of wpbeginner.com:

http://ift.tt/17FbmkS



He shared 5 productivity hacks that every busy entrepreneur should try.



1. Only answer emails during specific times of the day.

2. Keep your workplace clean.

3. Consider theme days or time blocks.

4. Wake up early.

5. Eject anything that doesn't move you forward.





What are your thoughts on these tips? Do you have more tips to add?

Business Investment

This is my first post, so here's a little back story on my ordeal. I have a full time job (independent contractor, my own LLC) where I make better than average money for a 27 year old in the hunting and adventure industry (six figures). About 4 years ago, I started a side business/company, it was a small clothing line. I went after it relatively hard in my spare time for about a year, then my wife got pregnant, and we had our son ... I soon ran out of time to do anything with my small side business, so it went on the back burner and I continued to focus on my full time job because that is what pays the bills.



Last year, a friend of mine who had been interested in the company approached me about taking it over. Keep in mind, I have not done anything with this idea for the last two or so years. My friend, his wife, and his father in law asked to take over the business, and essentially make me a silent partner, I retained 10% of the company, I no longer had to do any work, and we had an agreement that I would no longer have to put up capital unless I chose too. If they do well, I get a check every year, if they don't do well, I'm in the exact same spot I was in before with a business that I was not planning on moving forward anytime in the near future.



They are getting closer to the launch in April, they have sold some merchandise, and have more merchandise ordered or being designed. My friend who is running the company now, is looking for more capital to pay for orders and set up future orders, he is expecting it to sell well. He approached me about investing more into the company.



I offered him three options: 1) The more money I invest, the more my percentage of ownership goes up 2) I make a set investment, and receive a portion of the profit for each piece of merchandise sold until I am paid back in full 3) Supply a loan to the company and have a set date where I will need to be paid back in full, if paid back in full, I will allow it to be a 0% interest loan (probably not a great business move for me, but I'm not looking to make money, just help), if it is not paid back in full by the agreed upon date, I will then charge a low interest rate (2.5% - 5%).



He has not replied yet, this was just sent over about an hour ago, so I'm sure he is weighing his options right now.



Here's the questions ... Are all of those options realistic/fair? Does anyone on this forum have any other advice?



Thanks.

Restaurant Equipment Regulations

Sorry for another post so soon, but I'm trying to decide on some equipment and I'm having a little trouble deciphering the legalese as pertains to this question.

I couldn't find anything in the health code that was specifically about whether I could use residential equipment in a commercial restaurant setting.

I remember when I did some research in the past on cottage laws that equipment couldn't move back and forth between your home and commercial kitchens (which I wouldn't be doing, obviously), but I don't know if that implicit permission to use residential equipment was specific to cottage laws.

Specifically, I don't need the world's fanciest coffee grinder for my drip coffees. I want a separate grinder for each kind of bean to prevent cross contamination of the flavors and oils, and dropping two grand on the espresso grinder makes sense, but I don't need something that fancy for my drip coffees, since they're at a coarser grind.

Does anyone have experience with this? Non-commercial equipment bought specifically for a commercial purpose?

Liability Insurance

Hey guys,



I recently opened a single-member LLC. It's an in-home music tutoring business. In my tutor contract and parent/student contract I have lines that say the business will be held harmless for everything before, during, after lesson, etc. I was looking to also add liability insurance just to really cover my bases. Where should I go to for this? Any specific companies/policies to look for?



Thanks!





Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

Hi

Just drop in here to say Hi to every members of this forums before I get busy in other sections of this forums.



This is helpful and useful board. I am surely gonna gain knowledge and share too with all nice people out here.



So see all of you on board.



TC



Bye

The Power of the Raving Fan...

So what is the power of the Raving Fan?



Have you ever experienced a client that thinks your business walks on water. He/She go out of their way to tell everybody that your business is the best thing since sliced bread. They consider themselves a part of your business and they will do anything to help.



At the time you thought this person was a pain and a busy body that you wished they would go away. They had ideas and always offered solutions to problems you were having within your business. So your raving fan was only interested in doing anything that was needed to help the cause.



What do you do?



1) Blow him/her off and place road blocks at every turn...



2) Embrace his/her enthusiasm...



3) Ignore this person and pass them off as bad karma...



4) Do nothing...



If you have another answer beyond my 4 by all means add a new one.



I would like to know what everybody thinks?



Please join in and post...RR

POS Systems

Do any of my physical store peoples have any recommendations for POS systems and/or credit card processors?

I really like the look and feel of the tablet systems, but I have an allergy to apple products, and too many systems are unclear about whether they're Android compatible, which makes me nervous about the completeness of that offering, even if it does exist.

Leaf is looking tempting, but it sounds like I'd have to pay for their system and a separate card processor each month. I feel like I've seen systems where that was bundled? I might be wrong, though. I can't seem to find the first site I found with the comparisons anymore, and I'm pretty sure it was a prettied-up advertisement anyway.

As always, any help and opinions would be appreciated!

Online Web Solution Business Help

Hello,



I'm looking to start a small business offering websites, logos, SEO, and a few other services and I want to make sure I'm doing everything legal and by the books.



I will be doing this by myself. What advice would you suggest? Do I need any sort of licenses? I Live in Iowa if that helps. Any advice would be helpful!

What to do if accused of trademark infringement???

Ok so i have been re-selling sneakers for a couple years now, November of 2014 i decide to open my wings and start an online business and purchase a domain (thefreshstoreus.com). Now recently (02-25-15) I was contacted on FB by a local sneakerhead claiming to own the trademark "The Fresh Store" since 2007. I did the basic whois search and found the domain "thefreshstore.com" is owned by a gentleman out of wisconsin (pretty much irrelevant). Honestly i would like my store name to be -The Fresh Store-but this sneakerhead wants 10k over the course of the next 10 years and 2% of my sales (didnt say profit). Im at a crossroads he lawyered up right away and gave me the offical "48 hours" to cease and desist or take ownership of my business threatened to take all my inventory because I am using his trademark. He doesnt own a store or website so i do not know what to make of this plz help thanks in advance i did all the searching i could but i could not find my situation anywhere thanks!

Is it worth it.

Hello everyone!



I am currently living in southern California. My husband is in the military and I have taken it upon myself to start a house cleaning business. I have been doing it on and off for a few years. At our current base I have about 10 full time clients that do monthly, bi-monthly and as needed cleans. I am at the point where I don't have time for any more clients, but I am being contacted by people needing me. So far I am making anywhere from $900-$1100 per month. I have decided to train someone to work with me. I will do the initial consults and schedule the cleans for her. I will also pick up all payments, take my cut and pay her at the end of each week. My question is, is it worth it to form an LLC or Inc.? I don't know anything about the paperwork part of forming the business, taxes and such. Any information you could provide is greatly appreciated!!

Membership Group Ideas!!!

Ok: so I had this idea.



What if SBF added these member groups:



Verified Investor - Someone with an investment portfolio and is a legit investor.

Business Owner - Someone who owns a functional, profitable, and legit company.

Business Account - Accounts for businesses (duh)

Getting My Product to a Trade Show

Hi There All,



I think I am small peanuts compared to most of you, but perhaps someone has been in my shoes. I have ONE product that is currently being manufactured in China (manufacturing will start up again after the Chinese New Year). I am planning on selling via Amazon's FBA but would love to get my product into the hands of one or more independent retailers. My product is a holiday novelty item (like a dancing Santa Clause).



I would not think that having a booth at a holiday trade show would be cost effective with just ONE item (with no variations). Does anyone know about having your product represented by another trade show presenter? I'm also not certain if a serious holiday trade show would be the optimal trade show for me or if there are other trade shows that are more appropriate for silly holiday novelty products.



Would love any advice!



Thanks!

contrbute to roth while having normal ira

i have a roth ira which i will contribute now. i am doing my taxes now. i also rolled over a 401k from a previous employer to a new normal ira last year,



i want to contribute everything i can to my roth ira for 2014. does my new normal ira affect this contribution as far as the amount or paperwork? i already took care of paperwork of rolling over from 401k to normal ira

estimated tax vs self employment taxes

in NJ, SE taxes , are owed if you make over $400 with your own business activity



is this SE tax taken care of once a year, during doing your yearly tax return? or is this an ongoing thing ?



i had paid once, an estimated tax to NJ last year assuming i will make enough from side actviities but i couldnt and my estimated tax turndd out to be unnecessary. for the most part. i owe very little to NJ now. which my estimated tax will cover. does estimated tax and SE tax are same things, i mean are they apples to apples?

conrtibuting to my roth

1-i want to make sure that there is no paperwork to be done during doing my taxes now for the amount i will contriubute to my roth ira. is there anything?



2-if i contribute now, it means i am contibuting for the year of 2014 correct? and i have until april 15 correct?



3-so i just login to my roth ira account, and do my contribution and thats it right?



4- what are the income contruibution upper threshold this year? it starts at 110 k and finish at 125 k or something?

No one takes graphic designers seriously

A little fun from Fast Company. I'm not a graphic designer, but when you tell people web designer it's pretty much the same from the idiots who think all you do is play on the computer everyday over charging people for things that they are sure is easy because the web is all drag and drop and magic.







Here's the Fast Company article:

No One Takes Graphic Designers Seriously | Co.Design | business + design

Why should anybody open your email?

Matt Bacak one of the most highly rated Internet Marketer has a 65 page free document about why should anybody open your email? I created the highlights to that said document and added it below:



What's The Purpose Of Your Email Campaign?



Before writing a single word, the first thing you must determine is what you want to accomplish. Don't just build a list but develop a purpose for developing that list that will lead towards sales and profits. Whatever your purpose is, you must ensure that each email draws your organization closer to achieving your goal. Everything you do, from building the list to writing each email in the campaign should move your subscribers closer towards taking the actions you desire, no matter what you are trying to promote and sell. Be careful not to make every email a promotion for your product or service. by doing so, you can actually chase away customers.



How To Organize Your Email Campaign



\It will take you sending a few different sorts of emails to potential customers to get them to buy from you. Among these are feedback emails, free gift emails, referral emails and content emails. All of these will combine to bring that customer closer to you and what it is you are offering them. The more value a customer feels they are receiving from a vendor, the stronger relationship they feel with that vendor and the more comfortable they are dealing with them. Don't be afraid to give your customers enticements, they will respond in a positive way that benefits you.



How To Create Credibility With Your Subscribers



It is vital to know how to create credibility with your subscribers, especially if they want you to make a purchase from you. The key here is for your subscribers to trust you. In order to gain this trust you'll need to be congruent in everything that you do and say. You'll also need to over deliver on your promises or to give them more value than they were expecting from you. Whenever you do these things your subscribers are going to want to receive and read your emails. More than that though, they're also going to want to spend money with you.



Creating Rapport With Subscribers



Building loyalty among patrons, may have you wondering how to create rapport with your subscribers.

Begin by demonstrating that you truly care about them. Give them something valuable in return for buying your goods. This can be anything above their original purchase. Keep it simple. Through email, send them: An inspirational quote with a care tip for their product. Ask how things are going. (Do not get real personal here, just lightly touch base.) It seems basic, but rapport gets built anytime you add value to an item they already own. They trust you to do the same for them the next time they buy.





How You Should Write Your Emails



Once you understand the reason for making a list and why you need to create an email campaign, you need to begin organizing everything. Everything begins with understanding how to compose emails. If you are reading this article, you may think a magic potion is going to instruct you in how you should write your emails that inspire people to read them and click on links. However, the main thing you need to do is make your emails intriguing. Write honest emails if you want more customers. Do not try to imitate others. Instead, write trustworthy emails offering insightful information.





How To Write A Good Call-to-Action



Writing a call-to-action in your email is an essential part of your message. Whether you want your readers to click on a link, watch a video or check out a new product, you need to tell them what to do. Thus, when writing a call-to-action, don't hesitate to be direct. Good calls-to-action tell people exactly what they should do and don't leave them wondering. Examples include: 1) Start by clicking here, 2) Find the full details in this video, 3) Go here to learn more...Calls-to-action can also be made as links to pages sent to your subscribers or simply shown as a URL adjacent or below your message.



Writing Headlines For Your Emails



Writing headlines for your emails correctly is very important. The headline for your email should be what grabs the receiver's attention. If it is not written well most readers will not continue to read the attached email. If your audience is not familiar with you it is important that the headline is written with an attention grabber. How to headlines are typically successful. There are different types of headlines as well. Direct Command Headlines direct the subscriber to take action. Question Headlines ask about a problem the subscriber may have. Offer Headlines promise something like a discount or free offer, with this formula it will attract a higher percentage of readers.



How To Write Content Emails



Are you wondering how to write content emails? Many do not realize it, but content emails are the main ingredient of their email campaign. In the email, you will be offering advice and information that will draw the reader (your subscribers) in. Sometimes, it may even help you build a successful relationship with the subscribers. The better the content is, the more likely they are to trust you. Writing content emails is easy to do, as long as you have a good grasp of the native language and have the ability to put words together. It's a lot like writing an article, except with emails, you will be using shorter paragraphs.

Buying practice: Use existing S-corp or create new one?

Folks,



I have been incorporated as an S-corp for a few years now while working as an associate dentist. Now I would like to buy my own practice. Should I buy the practice in my existing S-corp's name or should I form a new corporation to do so? (If I use my current S-corp, I do plan to create a DBA for this practice to suit the area)



Are there any disadvantages or pitfalls to using my existing corporation as the buyer? Which way is better (or recommended) in terms of accounting, taxes, liability, financing, etc.. One thing to note is that my S-corp has pretty sizeable assets built up over the years.



Also when applying for financing at a bank, should I obtain financing in my corporation name or should I get it in my name and then assign it to the corporation?



Thanks for your inputs.

Have flyers worked for you?

I am thinking about printing out a thousand flyers or so and pay a college kid to hand them out to home owners. My dads business is carpet cleaning. Has a strategy like this ever worked for you?

Business Investment

This is my first post, so here's a little back story on my ordeal. I have a full time job (independent contractor, my own LLC) where I make better than average money for a 27 year old in the hunting and adventure industry (six figures). About 4 years ago, I started a side business/company, it was a small clothing line. I went after it relatively hard in my spare time for about a year, then my wife got pregnant, and we had our son ... I soon ran out of time to do anything with my small side business, so it went on the back burner and I continued to focus on my full time job because that is what pays the bills.



Last year, a friend of mine who had been interested in the company approached me about taking it over. Keep in mind, I have not done anything with this idea for the last two or so years. My friend, his wife, and his father in law asked to take over the business, and essentially make me a silent partner, I retained 10% of the company, I no longer had to do any work, and we had an agreement that I would no longer have to put up capital unless I chose too. If they do well, I get a check every year, if they don't do well, I'm in the exact same spot I was in before with a business that I was not planning on moving forward anytime in the near future.



They are getting closer to the launch in April, they have sold some merchandise, and have more merchandise ordered or being designed. My friend who is running the company now, is looking for more capital to pay for orders and set up future orders, he is expecting it to sell well. He approached me about investing more into the company.



I offered him three options: 1) The more money I invest, the more my percentage of ownership goes up 2) I make a set investment, and receive a portion of the profit for each piece of merchandise sold until I am paid back in full 3) Supply a loan to the company and have a set date where I will need to be paid back in full, if paid back in full, I will allow it to be a 0% interest loan (probably not a great business move for me, but I'm not looking to make money, just help), if it is not paid back in full by the agreed upon date, I will then charge a low interest rate (2.5% - 5%).



He has not replied yet, this was just sent over about an hour ago, so I'm sure he is weighing his options right now.



Here's the questions ... Are all of those options realistic/fair? Does anyone on this forum have any other advice?



Thanks.

Restaurant Equipment Regulations

Sorry for another post so soon, but I'm trying to decide on some equipment and I'm having a little trouble deciphering the legalese as pertains to this question.

I couldn't find anything in the health code that was specifically about whether I could use residential equipment in a commercial restaurant setting.

I remember when I did some research in the past on cottage laws that equipment couldn't move back and forth between your home and commercial kitchens (which I wouldn't be doing, obviously), but I don't know if that implicit permission to use residential equipment was specific to cottage laws.

Specifically, I don't need the world's fanciest coffee grinder for my drip coffees. I want a separate grinder for each kind of bean to prevent cross contamination of the flavors and oils, and dropping two grand on the espresso grinder makes sense, but I don't need something that fancy for my drip coffees, since they're at a coarser grind.

Does anyone have experience with this? Non-commercial equipment bought specifically for a commercial purpose?

Liability Insurance

Hey guys,



I recently opened a single-member LLC. It's an in-home music tutoring business. In my tutor contract and parent/student contract I have lines that say the business will be held harmless for everything before, during, after lesson, etc. I was looking to also add liability insurance just to really cover my bases. Where should I go to for this? Any specific companies/policies to look for?



Thanks!





Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

Hi

Just drop in here to say Hi to every members of this forums before I get busy in other sections of this forums.



This is helpful and useful board. I am surely gonna gain knowledge and share too with all nice people out here.



So see all of you on board.



TC



Bye

The Power of the Raving Fan...

So what is the power of the Raving Fan?



Have you ever experienced a client that thinks your business walks on water. He/She go out of their way to tell everybody that your business is the best thing since sliced bread. They consider themselves a part of your business and they will do anything to help.



At the time you thought this person was a pain and a busy body that you wished they would go away. They had ideas and always offered solutions to problems you were having within your business. So your raving fan was only interested in doing anything that was needed to help the cause.



What do you do?



1) Blow him/her off and place road blocks at every turn...



2) Embrace his/her enthusiasm...



3) Ignore this person and pass them off as bad karma...



4) Do nothing...



If you have another answer beyond my 4 by all means add a new one.



I would like to know what everybody thinks?



Please join in and post...RR

POS Systems

Do any of my physical store peoples have any recommendations for POS systems and/or credit card processors?

I really like the look and feel of the tablet systems, but I have an allergy to apple products, and too many systems are unclear about whether they're Android compatible, which makes me nervous about the completeness of that offering, even if it does exist.

Leaf is looking tempting, but it sounds like I'd have to pay for their system and a separate card processor each month. I feel like I've seen systems where that was bundled? I might be wrong, though. I can't seem to find the first site I found with the comparisons anymore, and I'm pretty sure it was a prettied-up advertisement anyway.

As always, any help and opinions would be appreciated!

Online Web Solution Business Help

Hello,



I'm looking to start a small business offering websites, logos, SEO, and a few other services and I want to make sure I'm doing everything legal and by the books.



I will be doing this by myself. What advice would you suggest? Do I need any sort of licenses? I Live in Iowa if that helps. Any advice would be helpful!

Entrepreneurship Development Program?

I have interested to start business in Chennai. So would like to get suggestion from best business analyst for which business in better to start and earn money from that? Please help me to know any entrepreneurs are available in Chennai.

HRM (Recruitment and Selection)

Why do companies prefer to hire experienced candidates than fresh graduates?

What to do if accused of trademark infringement???

Ok so i have been re-selling sneakers for a couple years now, November of 2014 i decide to open my wings and start an online business and purchase a domain (thefreshstoreus.com). Now recently (02-25-15) I was contacted on FB by a local sneakerhead claiming to own the trademark "The Fresh Store" since 2007. I did the basic whois search and found the domain "thefreshstore.com" is owned by a gentleman out of wisconsin (pretty much irrelevant). Honestly i would like my store name to be -The Fresh Store-but this sneakerhead wants 10k over the course of the next 10 years and 2% of my sales (didnt say profit). Im at a crossroads he lawyered up right away and gave me the offical "48 hours" to cease and desist or take ownership of my business threatened to take all my inventory because I am using his trademark. He doesnt own a store or website so i do not know what to make of this plz help thanks in advance i did all the searching i could but i could not find my situation anywhere thanks!

Is it worth it.

Hello everyone!



I am currently living in southern California. My husband is in the military and I have taken it upon myself to start a house cleaning business. I have been doing it on and off for a few years. At our current base I have about 10 full time clients that do monthly, bi-monthly and as needed cleans. I am at the point where I don't have time for any more clients, but I am being contacted by people needing me. So far I am making anywhere from $900-$1100 per month. I have decided to train someone to work with me. I will do the initial consults and schedule the cleans for her. I will also pick up all payments, take my cut and pay her at the end of each week. My question is, is it worth it to form an LLC or Inc.? I don't know anything about the paperwork part of forming the business, taxes and such. Any information you could provide is greatly appreciated!!

Membership Group Ideas!!!

Ok: so I had this idea.



What if SBF added these member groups:



Verified Investor - Someone with an investment portfolio and is a legit investor.

Business Owner - Someone who owns a functional, profitable, and legit company.

Business Account - Accounts for businesses (duh)

Getting My Product to a Trade Show

Hi There All,



I think I am small peanuts compared to most of you, but perhaps someone has been in my shoes. I have ONE product that is currently being manufactured in China (manufacturing will start up again after the Chinese New Year). I am planning on selling via Amazon's FBA but would love to get my product into the hands of one or more independent retailers. My product is a holiday novelty item (like a dancing Santa Clause).



I would not think that having a booth at a holiday trade show would be cost effective with just ONE item (with no variations). Does anyone know about having your product represented by another trade show presenter? I'm also not certain if a serious holiday trade show would be the optimal trade show for me or if there are other trade shows that are more appropriate for silly holiday novelty products.



Would love any advice!



Thanks!

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Any more Question on infusionsoft software I will be delighted to reply on the thread or at my personal email at my earliest convenience at

- tristanf95@aol.com

contrbute to roth while having normal ira

i have a roth ira which i will contribute now. i am doing my taxes now. i also rolled over a 401k from a previous employer to a new normal ira last year,



i want to contribute everything i can to my roth ira for 2014. does my new normal ira affect this contribution as far as the amount or paperwork? i already took care of paperwork of rolling over from 401k to normal ira

estimated tax vs self employment taxes

in NJ, SE taxes , are owed if you make over $400 with your own business activity



is this SE tax taken care of once a year, during doing your yearly tax return? or is this an ongoing thing ?



i had paid once, an estimated tax to NJ last year assuming i will make enough from side actviities but i couldnt and my estimated tax turndd out to be unnecessary. for the most part. i owe very little to NJ now. which my estimated tax will cover. does estimated tax and SE tax are same things, i mean are they apples to apples?

conrtibuting to my roth

1-i want to make sure that there is no paperwork to be done during doing my taxes now for the amount i will contriubute to my roth ira. is there anything?



2-if i contribute now, it means i am contibuting for the year of 2014 correct? and i have until april 15 correct?



3-so i just login to my roth ira account, and do my contribution and thats it right?



4- what are the income contruibution upper threshold this year? it starts at 110 k and finish at 125 k or something?

No one takes graphic designers seriously

A little fun from Fast Company. I'm not a graphic designer, but when you tell people web designer it's pretty much the same from the idiots who think all you do is play on the computer everyday over charging people for things that they are sure is easy because the web is all drag and drop and magic.







Here's the Fast Company article:

No One Takes Graphic Designers Seriously | Co.Design | business + design

Why should anybody open your email?

Matt Bacak one of the most highly rated Internet Marketer has a 65 page free document about why should anybody open your email? I created the highlights to that said document and added it below:



What's The Purpose Of Your Email Campaign?



Before writing a single word, the first thing you must determine is what you want to accomplish. Don't just build a list but develop a purpose for developing that list that will lead towards sales and profits. Whatever your purpose is, you must ensure that each email draws your organization closer to achieving your goal. Everything you do, from building the list to writing each email in the campaign should move your subscribers closer towards taking the actions you desire, no matter what you are trying to promote and sell. Be careful not to make every email a promotion for your product or service. by doing so, you can actually chase away customers.



How To Organize Your Email Campaign



\It will take you sending a few different sorts of emails to potential customers to get them to buy from you. Among these are feedback emails, free gift emails, referral emails and content emails. All of these will combine to bring that customer closer to you and what it is you are offering them. The more value a customer feels they are receiving from a vendor, the stronger relationship they feel with that vendor and the more comfortable they are dealing with them. Don't be afraid to give your customers enticements, they will respond in a positive way that benefits you.



How To Create Credibility With Your Subscribers



It is vital to know how to create credibility with your subscribers, especially if they want you to make a purchase from you. The key here is for your subscribers to trust you. In order to gain this trust you'll need to be congruent in everything that you do and say. You'll also need to over deliver on your promises or to give them more value than they were expecting from you. Whenever you do these things your subscribers are going to want to receive and read your emails. More than that though, they're also going to want to spend money with you.



Creating Rapport With Subscribers



Building loyalty among patrons, may have you wondering how to create rapport with your subscribers.

Begin by demonstrating that you truly care about them. Give them something valuable in return for buying your goods. This can be anything above their original purchase. Keep it simple. Through email, send them: An inspirational quote with a care tip for their product. Ask how things are going. (Do not get real personal here, just lightly touch base.) It seems basic, but rapport gets built anytime you add value to an item they already own. They trust you to do the same for them the next time they buy.





How You Should Write Your Emails



Once you understand the reason for making a list and why you need to create an email campaign, you need to begin organizing everything. Everything begins with understanding how to compose emails. If you are reading this article, you may think a magic potion is going to instruct you in how you should write your emails that inspire people to read them and click on links. However, the main thing you need to do is make your emails intriguing. Write honest emails if you want more customers. Do not try to imitate others. Instead, write trustworthy emails offering insightful information.





How To Write A Good Call-to-Action



Writing a call-to-action in your email is an essential part of your message. Whether you want your readers to click on a link, watch a video or check out a new product, you need to tell them what to do. Thus, when writing a call-to-action, don't hesitate to be direct. Good calls-to-action tell people exactly what they should do and don't leave them wondering. Examples include: 1) Start by clicking here, 2) Find the full details in this video, 3) Go here to learn more...Calls-to-action can also be made as links to pages sent to your subscribers or simply shown as a URL adjacent or below your message.



Writing Headlines For Your Emails



Writing headlines for your emails correctly is very important. The headline for your email should be what grabs the receiver's attention. If it is not written well most readers will not continue to read the attached email. If your audience is not familiar with you it is important that the headline is written with an attention grabber. How to headlines are typically successful. There are different types of headlines as well. Direct Command Headlines direct the subscriber to take action. Question Headlines ask about a problem the subscriber may have. Offer Headlines promise something like a discount or free offer, with this formula it will attract a higher percentage of readers.



How To Write Content Emails



Are you wondering how to write content emails? Many do not realize it, but content emails are the main ingredient of their email campaign. In the email, you will be offering advice and information that will draw the reader (your subscribers) in. Sometimes, it may even help you build a successful relationship with the subscribers. The better the content is, the more likely they are to trust you. Writing content emails is easy to do, as long as you have a good grasp of the native language and have the ability to put words together. It's a lot like writing an article, except with emails, you will be using shorter paragraphs.

Buying practice: Use existing S-corp or create new one?

Folks,



I have been incorporated as an S-corp for a few years now while working as an associate dentist. Now I would like to buy my own practice. Should I buy the practice in my existing S-corp's name or should I form a new corporation to do so? (If I use my current S-corp, I do plan to create a DBA for this practice to suit the area)



Are there any disadvantages or pitfalls to using my existing corporation as the buyer? Which way is better (or recommended) in terms of accounting, taxes, liability, etc..



Also when applying for financing at a bank, should I obtain financing in my corporation name or should I get it in my name and then assign it to the corporation?



Thanks for your inputs.

Have flyers worked for you?

I am thinking about printing out a thousand flyers or so and pay a college kid to hand them out to home owners. My dads business is carpet cleaning. Has a strategy like this ever worked for you?

Bedridden Patients, Get Your Independence Back with the Grappler

Introducing the Grappler – the best extended reach pickup tool in the market today, and the most effective solution for extending your arm’s reach. Now, you don’t need to wait for an assistant to come by and hand you that TV remote. You don’t have to get up and struggle with your crutches to reach for the little bottle of water lying on a table nearby. Rest your faith in the Grappler, and you have an instant solution for grabbing the things that are just outside your arm’s reach, without having to strain your muscles.



The Grappler extended reach tool features a solid aluminum body that delivers maximum durability, but is equally light on the hand, so it doesn’t take much strength and strain to operate one. It comes equipped with strong picker jaws that are controlled by an easy trigger mechanism, which goes easy on the fingers while it delivers 17 pounds of squeezing pressure to snap shut the picker jaws onto the targeted object. With a splendid grip, you won’t be dropping any objects that you pickup using the Grappler extended reach tool.



You can pick from any of the available sizes – 24”, 33”, 40”, 48”, 72”, and 96” (in length). While the largest two sizes are available only in the industrial grade version and the smallest in standard version, the other three sizes can be obtained in both standard and industrial grade versions. Industrial grade versions contain no plastic parts and lasts for years without needing any maintenance. But not to worry on the maintenance part; because all Grapplers, irrespective of whether they are standard or industrial grade, come with a lifetime warranty. So once, purchased you’ll be left with a permanent solution.



Wheelchair users no longer need to move each time they need to grab anything from their vicinity. Simply pick a 24” or a 33” Grappler and use it to grab whatever you need in a jiffy. Patients recovering from spinal injuries can also rely on the tool to pickup objects from the ground without bending over and straining the back muscles.



A Phenomenal Trash Pickup Tool

The Grappler is a multipurpose tool, and many professionals and domestic customers use it as a litter pickup tool. Grappler extended reach trash pickup tools are preferred by professionals across many industrial sectors, including auto-garage technicians, DOT professionals, gardening and bird-keeping professionals, and volunteers of mass-scale cleaning drives like Adopt-A-Highway programs and similar community cleanup operations.

What's the Most Common Question/Topic on SBF?

Looking through SBF history I see this version went 08-06-2008 with an update in 2010, 8500 threads, almost 90,000 posts, about 18000 members,



What are the most common questions or topics that are posted about here at SBF?



Some of you have been around long enough to know?

Ein?

I am just starting out and had a question about the EIN (Federal Tax ID).



I formed a Single Member LLC, do I file for an EIN?



I see on the IRS web site the business will be treated as "disregarded" and it appears in 2016 I'll need to file a 1040C. Do I still need the EIN since they are saying it will be part of my personal returns?



Thank you

Dental S-corporation: Exempt or non-exempt in W-9?

Folks,



I am confused about this topic. The W-9 form says S-corps that provide medical or healthcare services are non-exempt from backup withholding. Do dental services provided by dentist fall under the medical category?



Can I use or not use the exempt code '5' for my S-corp while filling the W-9 form? If I don't use this, will insurance payments for the S-corp services have taxes withheld before being paid to the corporation?



Thanks for clarification.

Has anyone used the crowdsource technique

I would like to see if we can create a new thread about using the crowdsourced technique to create new content.



To demonstrate the crowdsource technique if each of us just add one of your favorite headlines. These headlines are used in email subject lines, content titles, landing pages and where ever we need a good headline for our business.



What are your top 10 headlines?



Mine is using the word "Unlock" for my headline...



"Unlock The Secrets Of Selling High Ticket Items!"



Let's try to get more than 10 headlines that work well in our small business...

Reconcile 1099-MISC within a partnership

We are a group of about 5 people in a partnership. We complete work as Independent Contractors in an online Marketplace. We also perform some work outside of the Marketplace.



Employers hire ICs through the Marketplace. The Employers will issue a 1099-MISC to each individual who earns more than $600 per year, and optionally issue one below $600. The Marketplace issues a 1099-K to each IC.



The Marketplace requires a SSN for each IC.



Three out of 5 ("high-stakes") of the partners use all 5 Marketplace accounts to complete work. The remaining 2 ("low-stakes") partners use only their own Marketplace accounts. The low-stakes partners complete only around 10% of the work completed on their account. (The remaining 90% is completed by the high-stakes partners.) However, Employers send a 1099-MISC to these low-stakes partners for the full 100%.



In the past all five partners have joined incomes on a 1065 return. Then the partnership redistributes the income accordingly. The partnership issues a Schedule K-1 to each partner. All income is reported and taxed. However, an Employer's 1099-MISC does not match the low-stakes partners' income as reported.



Is there any way to reconcile this?

Buy online Dish tv, Dth India, Mdu, Tata Sky, Big Tv at best price

Onlinedthservice.com -Buy all Dth, Dish Tv, Tata Sky, Videocon d2h, Airtel Digital tv, Reliance Big Tv, Sun Direct & Other Products at Best Price in India.

What Entity Do You Recommend?

Hello :D



Alright here's a small description of my business and its owners:

Two out of the three owners are under the age of 18. We are making a 3D printer, going to various cities, have booked booths at technology expos in the New England area, and will be showing off this printer this fall, seeking angel investing and venture capital. Now here's some general questions answered:



How is this business financed? We currently have funding from our own pockets. We plan to seek larger venture capitalists and angel investors when the printer's first prototype is completed.



What state is this company's office in? The company is currently ran in Maine. We plan to branch out to either New Hampshire or Massachusetts once larger funding is being invested.



How will these minors be able to operate this company? Since I have been studying business administration and management for almost six years, I would consider myself pretty knowledgable about this kind of field. Since I won't be 18 years old for about two and a half years, I plan to emancipate when investors have grown interest. The other minor will be 18 in less than a year.



Can this (product) cause harm to others? Yes. It could cause burns.



Hold up...if you're "so knowledgeable" how come you're asking random people on a forum for help? I'm guessing you all have a lot more experience than me. It's also the same reason I'd go to an accountant or an attorney for help.



How much money do you think you'll make within the next five years? Well, considering if the company receives enough investments within its first round, the prototype is completed within the expected time frame, and we don't get bought out or destroyed by a larger company, we hope to have profits of $500,000 USD or above.



How do you expect to pay back investors? Equity/Ownership of the company.



What entities are being considered? C-corp or an LLC.



Why don't you ask a lawyer or accountant Mr. Powerful Teenager CEO? Well, if you read the TEENAGER part, you can guess 95% of the money being spent is spent on the printer. You can also probably guess I don't make much money at the MINIMUM WAGE job I have now.



How old are you? Take a guess.



THANKS EVERYONE! I appreciate it :o

New Here From DFW

Just dropped in to say howdy guys.



I have experience in real estate and e-commerce. Still have a lot to learn every day. Looking forward to hanging with like minded people. Good luck to all.

I'm the Digital Marketing Wizard aka DigiWizi

Greetings Mortals,



I am the DigiWizi, I come to make a name for myself by offering free advice to small business owners on SEO, general online marketing, analytics and social media. I work for a multi million dollar website driven company that gives me a certain freedom to make a name for myself on the side. I have been a full time online marketer since 2008 and have worked as the lead for several vastly wealthy web based companies.



Help me brand myself and I will share a little marketing magic with you.



Happy Ranking!

- DigiWizi

Using Price Conditioning in your Sales Meeting?

Has anyone had experience with Price Conditioning during a Sales Meeting?



I have a fencing client that is getting hit with the shell shock of misaligned pricing. The client thinks a fence is worth $2,000 but the real price is $3500.00. The fence client is not on the same page and my fence contractor is loosing clients because of this misalignment.



I think he needs to employ Price Conditioning in his strategy. Can anyone help?



I have found this to explain it a bit...



The concept of price conditioning is centered on the idea that usually, a bewildered mind will say "no". A price conditioning strategy gets your prospects prepared for the total price you will charge for your service or product. Often, if you fail to employ a price conditioning strategy, you will leave your prospects feeling "shell shocked". Consequently, they will hesitate to reach for their credit card and you may lose the sale.

Hello form a warm climate!

My name is Gary and I am fortunate enough to have my business in a warm climate. I really look forward to what I might learn from this forum. I am the US importer/distributor for an ergonomic product called the Ring Pen Ultra gripper. Growth of my company will depend on expanding the number of companies and organizations that purchase my product for resale, although I do sell a small amount at retail from my website. I look forward to your suggestions and hope I will be able to offer some ideas that are helpful to many of you on this forum.

Hello!

Hello!



Sorry that I posted a thread before I found the intro page! Leave it to me to be blonde most days!



Just found this forum... hoping to get a bit of insight! Wish me luck! Hoping you do not allow trolls!

General Liability Insurance

Hello! Sorry I am new to this site, and have not read where there is an introduction area.



Silly question... what does anyone know regarding the general liability insurance audit? I normally have just been sending in our numbers, but a new company is now performing the audit and they want to see the P & L statement, and total gross receipts.



Isn't there a company that does this type of insurance without being so invasive?

Licensing Applications for Android Platform (B2B, no selling through Google play)

Hi,



I have a question regarding Licensing (if anybody can help me):



I want to sell my apps for Android but not through Google Play, I'm focusing strictly on B2B, for example selling to software distributors or hardware manufacturers.

Can anybody offer me some advice on licensing my solutions? I'm having a hard time finding something for the Android platform. I need something that could allow me to license more than 100,000 apps.





Many Thanks,

Cris

Hello Everyone

Hello,



My name is Tim and I'm a freight broker agent. I just joined and wanted to say hello.

Facebook Business Page

I'm just getting caught up to speed on the changes to Facebook and the fact that business page posts are likely not going to be displayed in people's news feeds. Is there *anything* I can to do make sure my followers see my posts ASIDE from paying to promote?

does this work out?

Ok, vague title, and not sure how to search this on here and on somewhat of a time crunch... so I'm very appreciative of any advice or links.



Basic situation is that I had started an LLC in Florida a few weeks ago in preparation of perhaps moving that way. In the meantime, I was offered a pretty sweet job with a friend who owns a company, he'd pay my LLC. The money is a pretty significant raise from my current W2 job not taking anything else into account.(+50% increase). Searching online makes my head spin and as most accountants are, mine is super busy at the moment and I'm not sure when I can get in to see him.



Now, I know there are things I can write off, etc, so if someone can help me figure out what those are and help be able to confirm with some sort of an estimate that i'll come out ahead in the end with this job and my own company vs my current W2 job.



Sorry for not searching and I hope someone can help, I probably have to have a decision on if to do this within 36-48 hours.



Thanks!

Do I need a business ID to buy from a supplier?

Im looking into a new business idea and first need to get a hold of a few chemical supplies that can only be found from a supplier online. It will only be for research/personal use and to perfect the product before I plan on starting up a very small scale business.



They haven't got back to me yet but I have been asked for a business ID before from a supplier and since it was a small order they sent it with a 0's in place of the Business ID. Is it common place to have to show a business ID to purchase in small quantity? If so do I need to do anything else besides register for the ID to order from suppliers?

How to get carpet cleaning customers online?

As I have said before my dad owns a carpet cleaning company. How can I help get some customers for him online? How can I use Facebook for it? Craigslist? Any other way?

Need input for a new website

Hi Everyone,



I just launched a new business, a monthly subscription club base on being stress free, because honestly- who doesn't love being stress free?



I am looking for some advice on some low cost/no cost ways to get the word out beyond my network.



I also am open to any website feedback. The site is very simple. (livestressfreeclub.com)

Thank you for your help and support!

Human Resource Management (School Project)

Why do companies prefer to hire experienced candidates that to a fresh graduates?

Independent Contractor vs. Employee HELP!

I'm a wedding video editor and have been at the same wedding video company for 10+ years. They shoot the weddings and employees of the company also edit them as well, so the job roles are interchangeable for the most part.



I originally got the job in 2004. They held a contest for the job and contestants had to make a 3 minute highlight video. I won first place and got the "job". They made me sign a contract saying I had to give them 40 hours give or take per week and not work for other video studios in a 30 mile radius of the company. I was required to go into their basement (home business) but they said I can show up and leave whenever since I was an IC. But I still had to show up and use their stuff. I was paid hourly.



In early 2005 the owner of the company went to a seminar for weddings videographers. Upon returning he said "you can work at home and it's now paid by the project and not hourly". He then asked that I still stop in a few times a week. He set the pay rates for the projects.



Thing is from about 2005-2006 the work wasn't enough to pay the bills. I went from a $600 weekly hourly pay to doing about 2-3 $200-600 jobs a month that would often get held up over clients not getting back to them. So I started shooting weddings and editing for other studios but it was literally like 5-6 gigs. He found out and verbally yelled at me for working for others, I explained the cash flow/client delay problem and he pretty much blew that off. So I still tried to find work to fill in the gaps but now was afraid to respond to job offers online (there's a wedding video forum etc and they're very tight knit so everyone knows everyone, even across country). So it's' easy to find out if someone starts working somewhere else etc.



While he doesn't fire me, I did get plenty of verbal and email complaints and threatening messages about not showing up enough to his basement frequently enough during this time period, 2005-06. They had another contract editor who started there in 2003 that showed up at his place of business every day 9-5 using his stuff and you could say he was the sr. editor there. In 2006 the other editor pretty much had it and quit so I was now the primary editor and they started charging more money and luckily I was getting paid more. I was still afraid to work for someone else but since I no longer had the need to, I just played it safe and stuck with this company.



In 2006 I bought a Steadicam device and asked on a wedding forum about tips on how to use it. The owner of the studio called up and yelled at me for posting that saying "it made him and his studio look bad", since they knew I worked for him and he was a steadicam guy.



In 2007 I got an offer to edit ONE (LITERALLY ONE SINGLE PROJECT) from another videographer that was a corporate video, not a wedding video. The studio I worked for wrote this videographer a letter saying that I couldn't do the project without risking my job.



Slightly later on in 2007, he asks me to do a video where I talk about editing so they can show it at a demonstration. He said "I want to get your name out there" like it was an exposure opportunity. I found that odd that he wanted my name "out there" since earlier, he threatened me. I'm pretty sure that his real intent was to give other videographers the impression I was an employee so they wouldn't offer me any work (this is a national convention in vegas the demonstration was in. For the record, wedding editors do a lot of work by mail across the country).



Late 2008 he started actually hiring employees that in effect did the same job I did except they were in the studio. He did a staff page which included me and other workers, without any indication of them being an employee or contractor...this is important because in 2011 they get audited for 1099s for the year of 2009



For the 2011 audit, he took down all contractors from his staff page and erased them, like they never existed. He asks me for a business card to show the auditor. I don't have any given 2007's letter. I just had a website with my work on it. He admitted to me via email that he was going to just forge my card and admitted to taking down contractors off the site for the audit. I eventually learn he passes the audit and I get put back on the staff page. For the record, he said the audit, which took place in 2011, was for the year 2009. During that year, the recession, I was out of work with them for about a month since they had no work..needless to say, I had no outside work aside from them for 2009.



At the beginning of 2011 he says something along the lines of "Hey I have 2 employees now, but I still rely on you for your speed"...he was holding back something, I can tell from the tone of his voice and it was very weird. The wedding edits take about a workweek give or take to make, and I generally churned out at least 3 per month and was the most prolific of any editor. For most of 2011 he complains that I haven't been as productive. I then start getting verbally questioned by one of the employees, who's a family member of theirs, about stuff I'm working on outside (I did a lot of promo videos and charity work because I wanted out of that place). The employee starts saying "Oh no wonder you slowed down, in a hassling tone, like he was prodding me on behalf of the studio etc. I can't know that for sure, but it just seemed odd and he was getting pissy with me as 2011 went on with similar questions and comments.



At the end of 2011, they accused me of overcharging them for shooting (he does have IC use invoices). For years, he said shooting rates were $40hr for shooting gigs USING THEIR GEAR. (I had gear of my own but he didn't like the brand of camera so I had to use his gear from about 2010-2012). He then said no no, $40 hr with your own gear was the rate, the rate without gear was less (yet he didn't specify that lesser number). I had MANY emails where he had in writing that the rate was $40hr WITHOUT gear of my own...to which he blew off and insists that "it isn't fair to my employees that I pay them $40 with gear and you $40 without)...despite the fact I had like 5 years plus experience and seniority over most of them. He later agrees to let it go after I said I'd stop shooting there.



During 2012, most employees LEFT. He starts hiring contractors only instead.



In 2013/2014, he starts putting in more control towards contractors. They now have to contact the client (bride and groom) and ID themselves as "with" the company. He also insists that contractors now log hours...for flat rated projects. Other contract editors are going in his studio and working at his place using their computers, although not on a schedule, but pretty much every time I visit there's several ICs there.



Recently I responded to someone's post on Facebook looking for an editor, he then emails me on Facebook "Why are you looking for work? Are we not paying you enough, you have a backlog with us"...The reason I was looking for work was because one of their employees said they were running low on jobs...he then interrogated that employee and that employee had to "rephrase" what he said. That same employee referred me to a friend of his that needed editing done (like 2-3 jobs per year) and he's terrified he did that and said we'd have to keep it a secret.



Meetings and Language used - he doesn't mandate meetings, but always barked and yelled at me for not being a team player. Usually he would wait for me to drop off a project and just call the meeting right then and there so I was "forced but not verbally forced" to attend. He always referred to me as an employee-he told clients I was an employee and had me edit his kid's mitzvah for dirt cheap because "we've been employing you for all these years"...which I kind of felt was a threat the way it was phrased.



Contests: The contest I won in 2004 was again labeled and advertised as an actual job. This studio has held several more contests just like the one I was originally hired in over the years SWITCHING back and forth between IC and employee. 2007s contest was for a contractor, 2009-11 being employees, and 2014 being a contractor.



On a Facebook wedding video forum he advertised the 2014 hiring contest as a "contractor job" for a new editor. Late in 2014 someone posted an article about FedEx being slammed for contractor fraud and wedding video studio owners were getting paranoid. The owner of the studio that I work for said that everyone was fine. Then other wedding studios replied saying: "No you cannot tell a self employed person that they can't work for other studios via contract" - such as the one I originally signed. Another studio said "Even if you don't control them, if they make more than $30K per year and it's their main salary over a long period of time, your IC are in fact employees". The guy that runs the studio I work for DELETED HIS POSTS in that thread and EDITED the 2014 contest entry saying "contractor job" and deleted the word "contractor". Kind of like he got scared.



Freelance:: He "allows" me to do freelance stuff...but he isn't too happy about it - again as noted, I get harassed if I don't turn in jobs frequently enough since I worked there. But I only do a handful - i.e. like 3-5 gigs per year.



Even though I work from home and make my own hrs (which I now am supposed to log) and do freelance, I have been harassed for working with other people, have been with them for 10 years as a permanent editor, and have the same duties as their employees, I'm integral to their business, and I have to communicate with the other employees on a routine basis. I roughly make about $30K per year with them give or take some years with only a few grand for other jobs, if that.



Any insight of guesses would be appreciated...

Buying a established business

What do I need to look for when buying a established business.P&L looks good,numbers look good mostly,growth is steady.Owner wants to do something else.What else do I need to look for.

Become distributor!

;)

Hi all!



I want to start up small business alike a distributor for any stock, produced

Out of my country! I have 10 years experience of it; I was distributor of motor oil!

For me is crucial problem to find stock(s) which not exist in my country, maybe in all my

region, South-East Europe!

I have idea to be distributor of teas, but I can’t find kind of tea(s) which not in

retail trade here?!

How I can to find teas and other wellness products which to be refreshing our market?!

How I can to find other stocks which to be newest in my country?!

How I can explore our market?!



Best Regard

Badi Macedonia

How should I spend my advertising money?

My small landscape/remodeling biz had only 2 part time employees last year, so we're very small right now but hoping to expand. I hope to spend about $1200/month on advertising starting in the spring. I'm in Metro Detroit and about 20 minutes from Ann Arbor as well, so my area is packed with potential customers. Any advice on how I should spend my advertising money would be greatly appreciated, and please feel free to ask any questions. Thanks!

How to Create a Survey?

I have opened this thread to start a discussion about the "How To" step by step processes used to create a survey for your clients and/or products.



Here is my check list to making Surveys:



How to Design a Successful Survey



The Simple Way to Write Surveys



It is easy to decide to survey people. However, it can be difficult to create a survey. We do our best to make it simpler. Surveys may be like a science or art, but they are not meant to be rocket science.

The first thing that you must determine what your objective is. What's the purpose behind your survey? What are you hoping to learn? You must be absolutely clear about this purpose, so that you can make your survey a successful one.



The Basics behind Survey Construction



You have many different options when it comes to writing a survey. By following these rules, you will be able to make the right choices all of the time. These 10 tips for making a survey will help you find your answers.



1. Format the Survey - Put similar questions together in order to create a focused survey. Instructions are excellent, as well as page breaks and titles. Let people know why you are asking the questions.



2. Be Repetitive - It is a good idea to use the same or similar questions within the same survey or over a series. This way, you can measure the changes in your respondents' opinions and attitudes.



3. Make it Short - Keep the survey as brief as you can. That way, your respondents will stay interested and want to finish it.



4. Start Out Casually - Don't ask more sensitive or personal questions right at the beginning. You may end up turning people off from finishing the survey. If the questions are necessary, leave them for the end.



5. Be Specific - Make your questions be as specific as possible, around one idea. Then, your respondents will have an easier time understanding. Try to avoid using multi-part questions, or ones that are vague.



6. Be Clear - Be sure to spell things out. If you are asking about a particular aspect of something, it is important to specify.



7. Relevance Is Key - Keep the respondents focused when you only display the questions that are applicable to them. You can use a skip logic function to get rid of questions that are irrelevant.



8. Don't Use Yes/No Questions - When you use these types of questions, you likely won't get an accurate answer from people who are on the fence. You want to get the details of their opinions, as well.



9. Avoid a Matrix - When they are presented with a matrix, respondents may not pay as close attention to the questions. This will decrease the quality of your data.



10. Stick to Words - The degree of preference should be expressed by words such as "slightly" or "extremely", instead of using a number scale. People will be able to understand the choices better this way.

PVC Wire,PVC Cable

solutions.



We believe customer satisfaction to be the cornerstone of our corporate ethic and that the customer is ‘King’. We therefore boast the ability to handle any customer query within 24 hrs. with 100 % customer satisfaction guaranteed.



Our Commitment to Quality

Sohna Forge Pvt. Ltd. is committed to achieving excellence in customer satisfaction by providing products of the highest quality at a reasonable cost, within a specified delivery period & prompt after sales service through good manufacturing practices, stringent quality management systems & by continuing to improve all our products and systems through various R&D techniques.banner1.jpgbanner0.jpgbanner3.jpg

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How can we are increasing our Business?

Praj HiPurity Systems a Praj Group Company, has been engaged in providing value-added solutions to the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, Cosmetics, Food and Beverage industries for over two decades.



We offer integrated solutions which help to optimize the investments of the clients. We are perhaps, the only organized solutions provider in India with wide range of solutions for the high purity sector.



Together with Praj Industries, a globally leading process engineering Company, Praj HiPurity Systems provides cutting edge, end-to-end solutions. This includes water treatment solutions & modular systems, waste water treatment solutions and process engineering & design capability to ensure superior level of service to clients in these sectors.but now we want to increasing our business, so if anyone have any idea about this so please suggest me.

Hello Dear Friends...

I am New There this forums. My name is Ankur. I am basically Ludhiana, punjab.I am currently staying in Ludhiana. Coming to my strength are honesty, self motivation and positive attitude. My hobbies reading book, listing music and traveling.

Best Coupon Strategy?

I'm opening a coffee shop and doing a lot of talking through it with an experienced friend who is coming on as a manager. Tonight we were discussing marketing strategies and coupons and the topic of digital coupons came up, as well as direct mail marketing.



I'm all for sending out postcards that double as coupons, especially for something like my grand opening. My friend dismissed it as junk mail. I've seen a lot of support of direct mail, especially the kind that can be "lumpy." But can mine be effective without the ability to send along a cup of coffee?



For a steady coupon strategy, I was debating between paper coupons that could be handed out or digital coupons for phone and web. I like the idea of digital coupons, especially as I'm attempting to be as environmentally friendly as possible (even though I'm sure the difference between the energy output for cell phones and making the paper is probably negligible). But I don't know if I'm interested in trying to tread that fine line between never sending out enough coupons and sending so many I'm annoying. A general coupon app or a Facebook coupon would work, but I'm not sure if those are as effective a marketing tool as the direct text messages or e-mails.



And with the addition of the reward cards I plan to have, is this even something I should do? Am I risking doing too many coupons and undercutting my bottom line? My products are already in a reasonable price bracket for the industry, even on the low end.



Any of it? All of it? Something I didn't think of?

Becoming a resume writer

Hi, all. I've been lurking around this board for a few weeks, contributing where I can. I do some freelance writing and, after much prayer, have decided I want to get into resume/cover letter/career search document writing professionally. I'm working my way through a rebranding process, refocusing my business on this area, and have a web site, Ted Perrotti, Copywriter | Stories That Sell.



However, my greatest challenge seems to be in that I don't have a background in HR or recruiting, like many resume writers do. I just have a skill for writing and a grasp of human nature. I learn as much as I can by reading the articles of resume writers and recruiters. But how do I use that fact to promote myself?



Also, might starting out working with a resume writing service help get me some more marketable experience and help me to discover experiences I can blog about--even if it doesn't pay much? (Thus marketing myself even more.)



Bottom line, how best to market myself in this field if I don't come from an HR background? (I work in retail sales.)

Spring, Seasonal Businesses

Spring is here!



My business is very seasonal since my town is a popular tourist destination in Summer with fair & sunny weather. So it's very nice coming out of the bad, gloomy, depressing weather and looking forward to paying all my bills. The cash starts flowing in the warmer time of year!



(Plus the women start taking their clothes off in public!)



:cool:

Killer Marketing Campaign

If you want to see a great example of a marketing campaign from a big company than you need to follow Pens.com.



Last summer I registered my LLC. About couple months later I received some lumpy mail from Pens.com Inside was an example of a pen with my LLC info. I was impressed. They sent me a pretty cool pen with my info already imprinted on it along with a killer offer for me to order pens from them. They had the offer, deadline for me to order the pens before the price goes up, and a guarantee!



I thought, what's $80 for 150 pens. So, why not, I'll order some pens that I can pass out or leave at businesses. I got the pens about two weeks later along with another great offer (this time I didn't bite). But, I loved how they were trying to upsell me.



And, the buck doesn't stop there...



Ever since I bought those pens I've received two other pens from them (one was a really nice aluminum pen with my LLC engraved), with many offers and, not only do they follow up via DIRECT MAIL, they also use email. Oh, and almost ever site I visit they have an ad showing a pen with my LLC.



FRICKEN AWESOME MARKETING.



A Few Key Takeaways:



1. They used DIRECT MAIL (yes, good 'ole fashioned snail mail). I never heard about them, or saw them online until I got their direct mail. And, no... direct mail is NOT dead, nor is it going to be.



2. They used "lumpy" mail. The engraved pen inside the envelope made it lumpy so I was definitely curious to find out what was inside.



3. They had a great offer along with a deadline.



4. They had a guarantee. They're confident you'll love their products.



4. FOLLOW UP: This is a biggie. Most companies get a customer to make a sale. You want to MAKE A SALE TO GET A CUSTOMER. Pens.com hit the bullseye. They constantly follow up, and not just with direct mail (one form of media), but they follow up using email (another form of media) and ads (yet, another form of media). Not only do they sell pens, they sell other little nick-nacks, too, which they always offer.



So, if you want to see a great marketing campaign follow Pens.com. Visit their site, browse a little, and then go to your normal sites and you'll see that they start to stalk you with their ads. Oh, and be sure to request your free examples. This way, you'll get on their marketing list and you'll see how marketing should be done! LEARN FROM THEM.



Anyone else ever use Pens.com? Anything you'd like to add?



*NOTE: I am NOT an affiliate for Pens.com. I wanted to share this with you because they have a great marketing campaign that you should take notes from.*

Researching Revenues

Hello all!



My wife and I are in the early stages of starting our own business. Our business plan and many, many spreadsheets of data have been compiled. Forgive me if this is a repeating topic, but I have searched and cannot find any direction. We don't know where to find the sales, profits, etc... for comparable business currently operating. We took one class through SBA Denver (and plan to take more) and they mentioned that this data is available. We just don't know where to find it. Is it through the IRS? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. I can Google with the best of them, but I'm stumped. Thanks.

Hello from Florida

Hey guys! Been lurking on the forums for quite a bit, figured I should finally start posting. I haven't started any businesses of my own yet, but I'm hoping this forum will help me with that. Nice to meet all of you :)

Is it necessary to retarget your ads

Iam currently using Inout adserver Standard Edition.Should I change over to the Enterprise Edition where I can retarget the ads.I want to know whether it is necessary to retarger your ads?Can anyone help me and give your valuable suggestions and opinions?

Human Resource Management

Why companies always ask for experienced candidates even at entry level and what to do you think that how a fresher can get experience without a job?[C[/B][/B]OLOR="#000000"][/COLOR]

Hello! From a Freelance Content Marketer!

Hi there!



I've been posting on the forum for a bit and decided it was time to introduce myself.



I started my business 6 months ago because I wanted to make money online and travel the world (ain't that the dream? :p).



It took me about 4 months to really get it off the ground, and now I can work from wherever I want (as long as there's internet) and I'm planning to travel to South-East Asia within a few months.



I'm also doing some cool work for my clients. Here's some of the stuff I'm working on:

• I'm helping one client build an entire business online -- from marketing, to SEO, to lead gen, to product development, everything.


• For one client, I'm working on lead generation, and it's starting to move into deeper work.


• For another, I'm creating content strategies for him to implement with his own clients.


• And for another, I'm writing articles on inbound marketing.

I'm having tons of fun, and I've learned so much in the past 6 months I can't believe it.



I can officially say I love what I do!



I work much more than I would in a 9-5. (Yesterday, I busted out an 11-hour day of work, not including meals and my morning run.)



It's tough sometimes, but nothing worth going for is easy. And if you love what you do, even the crappy stuff isn't that crappy.



I wholeheartedly believe that it's better to build your own business, chase your own dreams, and earn less money, than it is to work towards someone else's dreams and have no freedom to live your life the way you want to.



I also believe that if you're working for yourself, your earning potential is much higher than most regular jobs. For me, I just take it step by step. I don't try to learn everything at once.



I learn skills as the need arises. For instance, I've known about link building for a long time now, but I never implemented it. I had other things that took priority.



Now, I'm in a position where link building is going to do wonders for my client, so it's time to learn this skill and become proficient in it. Once I understand it, I'll move on to the next skill. As my skill base grows, and I get better results for my clients, I'll be able to increase my rates and grow my business.



I think this framework could be used to build any small business (or business in general). That's how you hear of those stores, websites, etc., that started out in a tiny market and eventually became nationwide successes. Take it one step at a time. One skill, one market, one milestone.



I also believe that it's important for your business to have an underlying purpose -- a philosophy behind it.



For me, I believe that content isn't just a marketing asset. I believe that it's a way for businesses to make a meaningful impact in people's lives, and grow their business at the same time.



Content marketing is a reciprocal exchange of value. The business provides value up front, by helping people solve their problems with free content, and people reciprocate that value by becoming followers, brand ambassadors, evangelists, and customers.



With my business, my ultimate goal is to help other people build their businesses, and change people's lives at the same time.



Anyway, that's enough about my business. Now I want to hear about yours.





Why did you start your business? What's driving you? What type of impact do you want to make with your business?





Share your deeper purpose with us, and let's discuss the impact we can make with our businesses.



;)

Feedback on Website

Hi everyone,



We recently launched our website: Wicked Biscuit - Home, and I'm looking for some feedback on what we've got so far. I decided to use Weebly to design my site and host my store - Mostly because I'm just not savvy enough to build my own from scratch and after a decent amount of research on these types of tools, Weebly seemed like a good option. I've found it's missing some good features, but I think we did a decent enough job to start off. I'm looking for constructive criticism on what we could do better, and what you think works well.



I'm getting a decent amount of traffic to my site - mostly from direct visits, but a few referrals through Facebook and other sites. However, we've only made 1 sale so far (from a friend). So any advice you have on how to increase sales as well is greatly appreciated.



Thanks in advance for your feedback.



--

M

Hi from North Carolina!

Hey my name is Eric. Hope you all are well.



Keep on coming across this forum so I thought I would actually register. I have been a small business owner for 5 years now and love every minute of it!

Hello

Hello,



My name is Mike and I've been a freelance consultant for the last couple of years. Web design and development has been my primary focus although I've also done some general consultancy/business optimization work as well. I've been an occasional lurker on the forums and decided it was time to join and contribute. See you all out in the threads soon.

Getting into big box retailers

FYI... Sams Clubs has a neat little program called a "Roadshow". They are always looking for new products to demo. It is a great stepping stone to get your products into Wal-Mart in the future if you decide to expand. So many people want to get new products into Wal-Mart and it can be a monster! Sometimes little steps to build up your sales history is the best way to go instead of taking the big bull by the horn. All you have to do is go over to Sams club website and look for the Roadshow tab. GOOD LUCK!

Hi Everyone!

Very nice forum. Hope to pay it forward and help some good people out.:D

Hard Drive Failure- Not Happy Right now

It started last week. I saw a few inconsistencies that kind of worried me. I scanned, dumped old files, lightened the load on the tower..but all to no avail.

Over the weekend it finally crashed on me, but I wasn't absolutely sure until Tuesday morning.



It wasn't a complete failure, it let me do a complete restore to factory...which sucks.

And I did have my files backed up.



After the reformatting, everything seems to be running well. Drive is completely empty and all scans say healthy.



Now I have to go through the painstaking task of reconstructing everything the way I had it while trying to keep up with the work I have on a laptop.

Nope, not happy at all.

promotion suggestion

hey guys.

i just developed an web application . this application is a call me back widget. it helps the seller to talk to his customers when they are still uinterested. the application gives you a place where you can put your number then after a short period of 30secs the application calls back the client. i was wondering what will be the best way to launch my application. can i use the low cost approach or give people a trial then later they have to upgrade it.

using trials to launch

Hey guys I have developed a web application. I wanted know what is the best method to launch it. Can I use low prices at the start or offer trials for the first customers that come and buy the product. Which will be the most effective way of launching the application?

One Small Step

Hi all. I am fairly new, and I am sure some of you have seen my insight to some of the posts along the page. I hope that they have been constructive in nature and not harmful. Now I am the one seeking additional advise.



My business partner and I are looking to start a Wood Pellet Production facility in NE Indiana. We have several sawmills around us which could supply our site with all the raw materials we would need. We are looking to produce enough for the local market (50 mile radius) our first 2 years. We estimate that this consumption via private sales and the possibility of a corporate account will requre approximately 2000 tons each year for our first 2 years.



Would word of mouth be enough of a marketing campaign or would an encentive based referal program provide additional benefits?



We are considering a $2 credit per referal off the cost of a tonage purchase. We intend to sell our product at a fair market value yet still undercutting the larger competition.



Would Social Media be a beneficial outlet to promote as we are attmepting to stay local in our initial reach as not to overload the plant in it's capacity?



Any advise you could provide on any subject pertaining to this type of startup would be greatly appreciated.



We have the following on site, and already agreed upon.



~ Production Building

~ Storage Building

~ Invoices

~ Bill of Sale

~ Bag Design W/SKU

~ Raw Material Loader

~ Augers

~ Conveyors

~ Floorplan Layout

~ Office Space



Thank you again.