Hints from R&R Property Services, Inc.

Free Advertising, Promote Business

2010-10-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

Most companies are looking for the best, inexpensive ways to advertise because they don't have millions, or even thousands, to spend on advertising. Make the most out of the ad dollars you do have, no
matter how limited you are. These cheap ways to advertise give you a variety of options to choose from when you're on an ad budget diet while giving you a good return on your advertising investment:

Create a Flier

Creating your own flyer to advertise your business is simple, inexpensive and it's a great way to generate buzz about your company. If you really want to make your flyer an effective advertising tool, offer incentives or discounts to people who bring in your flyer. This also
gives you an informal way to track how many people are coming in just because they saw your flyer.

Advertise on Cable

Wait! Before your eyes skip over this section, thinking it's just for those who can afford a TV commercial, keep reading. You can advertise on cable through crawls, full screen ads and above program listings. These alternative advertising methods are very affordable. Crawls can cost under $10 a day.

Use Your Web Site to Advertise Your Business

Many business owners think they only need a Web site if they sell products online. No matter what type of company you have, you need a Web site. Potential customers hit the Internet looking for companies in their local area. If your competitor's online and you're not, guess who
has the advantage. Build a Web site that's beneficial to customers, though. You want to make a positive, lasting impression and having a poorly built Web site is a terrible way to advertise your company.

Post Your Commercial on YouTube

If you do have a TV commercial, get more shelf life out of it without having to pay for more air time. YouTube is an often-overlooked advertising vehicle. It costs nothing to post your commercial on the site and you can promote it on your own Web site so customers in your
area can watch your commercial(s) online.

Cross-Promote Your Business Through Partnering

National companies partner every day because it's an excellent ad tool to reach new customers and cut the advertising costs at the same time. But partnering isn't just for corporate giants. Going in withother businesses helps you save advertising money while increasing your exposure to customers.

Produce a Newsletter

A newsletter helps you keep in touch with your current customers and tap into a market of potential customers. Your newsletter shouldn't be used to send ads to your customers, though. Use your newsletter toprovide your customers with valuable information that makes you the company they remember when they're ready to buy.

Podcast Ads

Podcast ads are easy for you to create on your own and podcast ad time is a very reasonable buy. If you can find a popular podcast that's related to the types of products and services your company sells, sponsoring that podcast may also be a good option for you to consider.

Don't let the advertising game intimidate you. There are so many opportunities out there for you to advertise your company that don't involve thousands of dollars. If you're willing to do a little
legwork, you'll save money and find the best, inexpensive way to advertise your company.

Hope this Helps

Thank You,

Brian Roth/Operations Manager
503-630-6233 Office
503-867-5355 Cell
503-609-0894 24 Hour Emergency
206-888-7373 Fax
Brian's Email

Check our Website at the following: R&R Property Services, Inc.

Our Mission Statement "Preserve Our Neighborhoods for Tomorrow" and by doing so, we maintain the integrity of our communities.

My profiles:
Contact me: rrpropertyserviciesinc

Employee or Independent Contractor

2010-10-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the differences between your employees and independent contractors seems negligible. Their work may be the same and their salaries almost indistinguishable, but regardless of whether you see significant differences among the people you pay, there is someone who does: the IRS.

With employees, companies are required to withhold and pay certain work-related taxes like income, Social Security, Medicare and unemployment. With independent contractors, they aren’t. In fact, companies are only responsible for filing one form (1099-MISC) for contractors, and that's only if their salaries exceed $600. If a company mistakenly classifies an employee as an independent contractor, it faces a load of paperwork and penalties and is generally held liable for employment taxes and then some. So it's important to carefully
distinguish between your workers and your independent contractors.

Remember these qualifications of contractors so you can stay out of trouble with the IRS, an agency not generally known for its forgiveness:

They provide their own training.
Independent contractors already have experience in their fields and require no specific training from employers.
They have control over the means of accomplishing their work.
They can decide when, where and how the work is done. They don't have to follow any instructions, and the only control the employer has over the work is the end result. Keep in mind that sometimes employees may seem to fit this description, but in this case the company still maintains ultimate control of the situation; with employees, an employer can choose whether to exercise that control.
They have control over their salaries.
Independent contractors decide how much their work is worth. If you are paying on commission or by the job — or any other way other than on a fixed, periodic basis — you are probably dealing with independent contractors.
They can only be fired for a breach of contract.
You cannot fire contractors because of general cutbacks or poor work ethic the way you can fire employees. Generally, you can only fire them for breaking contract stipulations.
They cannot terminate their relationships with employers at will.
Conversely, independent contractors are usually contractually obliged to finish a job, and they can be held liable for failure to do so.
They have their own tools.
Independent contractors will always rent or use their own tools. However, so do many employees in certain trades, like painters and plumbers, so it's best to consider the personal costs of the equipment. If these these tools require a significant investment and expensive maintenance, you're probably working with an independent contractor.
They have to pay for all business and traveling costs.
Like their tools, independent contractors are responsible for their business and traveling costs, so if you don't foot this bill, you can reasonably assume that you are not working with employees.
They run the chance of making a profit or incurring a loss.
If the worker carries the risk rather than the employer, the worker is an independent contractor. He or she has the responsibility of balancing equipment costs, delays, operating costs and the like with the salary
being paid, hoping to come out on top.
Their services are available to the public, and they usually have multiple clients.
If workers are offering their skills to anyone and everyone, they are probably independent contractors. They are not bound to companies the way employees are. They strive to get as much business as possible, and they do so by taking on as many clients as they can. Because of this, a continued relationship with a single organization, though possible, usually does not exist.
Your company has no control over the contractor's assistants.
If your company hires, pays or supervises any assistants helping a worker, that worker is an employee. Contractors take care of their own assistants if they use or need them.
Oral and/or written reports are not required.
Companies only exercise this control over employees. Independent contractors are under no obligation to provide the company with any updates of their progress or anything except the end result the two parties agreed upon.
Their services are not completely integrated into your company.
Chances are the work performed by an independent contractor will not be critical to your business as a whole. The more crucial their services are, the more likely workers are employees.

Knowing how to distinguish your employees from the independent contractors you hire allows you to maintain the upper hand in worker relationships by knowing where your organization does and does not have control. Plus, this knowledge can help you be completely prepared for your employment-based taxes, so that not even those formidable IRS agents will be able to bring you down.

Hope This Helps

Thank You,

Brian Roth/Operations Manager
503-630-6233 Office
503-867-5355 Cell
503-609-0894 24 Hour Emergency
206-888-7373 Fax

Check our Website at the following: R&R Property Services, Inc.

Our Mission Statement
"Preserve Our
Neighborhoods for Tomorrow" and by doing so, we maintain the integrity of our
communities.

Brian's Fabulous Fall Home Maintenance List - On Bizarro World

2010-09-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

It's fall here on earth and time to get the house ready for winter. For some of us the house needs to be ready for cold, and for others maybe only for cool-er or wetter ...

Fortunately for us, it is spring on Bizarro World. You remember Bizarro World? From the Superman comics? On Bizarro World, the cubed planet Htrae (Earth backwards), everything is opposite or backwards of what it would be on earth. The people are grossly ugly, they try to break things, lose money in investments, wash with dry dirt - well you get it. And everything they do is considered the right thing to do.

Since it is spring, Bizarro Worlders are trying disrepair their houses in time for the cold weather. I publish their list, perhaps for the first time in history:

CO Monitor - break the test button so it can never be pushed.
Pests - why bother? Let them run free.
Moss on the roof - perfect! Leave it alone.
Gutters and downspouts - keep them clogged!
Boilers - an unsafe safety-relief valve not tested is the best relief valve.
Furnace - never, ever oil anything.
What's an HVAC filter? Don't even check for one.
Caulk nothing, leave gaps, don't eliminate mold or muck.
Smoke detector - why have them anyway? But break that button too.
TPR valves - testing is always a bad thing.
Hose bib - leave on full power at the indoor valve so it freezes.
Water heater - it is illegal to hook up a hose and drain a little out.
Toilet - hopefully it rocks on the floor so badly it can't be tightened.
Septic system - it should be years and years of never pumping it out.
Private water system - never add pressure to the blue tank.
Smoke detector battery - remove now! Don't replace!
Foundation - slope toward the house and don't extend downspouts.
Wood-burning chimneys - let the creosote build. And build.
Kitchen inspection - grease should get thick on everything.
Refrigerator - sweep dirt under it and never vacuum the coils.
Garage door - should it work at all? Never oil anything.
Disposal - bones clean it really well. Baking soda and vinegar don't.
Fire extinguisher - don't bother checking the pressure dial!
GFI's - those buttons should be stuck and don't do anything anyway.

Well, what do you think of the list? Enjoy!

Hopefully it helps. Read it carefully!

Keep it in your pocket and pull it out as you walk around the house.

It should come in handy.

And, as to lists, we all use them and we all need them.

And remember, old Preservation Contractors and home inspectors never die.

The just grow listless...

Is Your House Covered

2010-09-25T14:37:00.000-07:00

"Having an unoccupied home can create several insurance implications that typically are not covered under a standard homeowners policy."

Homeowner policies are meant to insure homes that are occupied, so they generally include exclusions for neglect or property abandonment on a home left vacant or unoccupied for a specified number of consecutive days.

In insurance terms, a vacant home is one the resident has moved out of and taken his/her belongings with him/her. An unoccupied home is one where the resident is not staying at the home, but the furniture and other belongings remain.

Because vacant and unoccupied homes pose a higher risk for damage than occupied homes, insurance companies insure these properties differently and usually at a higher price.

These risks include break-ins, no emergency response and property liability. When a home has been unoccupied for awhile, it can show signs that nobody is around—unkempt lawn, full mailbox, no lights on— tipping off burglars to an easy target.

Without anyone home to call 911 or respond to emergencies, a manageable problem—such as a small electrical fire—can turn into a much larger,more costly disaster.

There is no one present to prevent others from entering the property or to supervise activity, which could increase the likeliness of an accident on the premises or property damage when the owner is not there.

The definition of vacancy and unoccupancy can vary from policy to policy. Some insurers may not pay claims if a home is vacant for 60 days or more. Some policies might automatically shift to a different amount of coverage (e.g., liability insurance only) after a specific number of days unoccupied.

Many policies have a "vacancy clause" that can be triggered if the homeowner is gone for an extended period of time. If this happens, the homeowner could violate the terms of their contract and some or all of their coverage may not apply in the event of a loss.

"Before you decide to leave a home vacant or unoccupied for a long period of time, talk to your insurance agent or company to learn how they define vacancy and unoccupancy, and whether the company will pay claims if a house is unoccupied.

"Be honest about your situation, because while an extra policy might cost more, it could save you money down the road should there be an accident or damage to the home."

Many insurance companies offer an endorsement that will provide coverage for a dwelling that is unoccupied for an extended period of time. Vacancy policies can also be purchased for different term lengths to cover a few months to a year, depending on the need.

The cost of vacancy coverage depends on the company and state in which the property is located, but costs usually are higher than a typical homeowners policy due to the overall increase in risk.