tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793430912733576232024-12-18T22:21:14.063-05:00My blog discussions cover a broad range of small business topics such as starting your own business, locating suppliers, small business tax tips and much more. My objective is to help small business owners: minimize mistakes and risks, make informed decisions, simplify legal jargon, and most importantly on how to get started.SmallBiz Stewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221645850731656090noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979343091273357623.post-78668532339388586832011-02-18T10:00:00.000-05:002011-02-18T10:00:13.917-05:00

Picking the right business color/smallbizstew.blogspot.com Your Business colorsKnowing the colors that should be associated with your business only strengthens your brand marketing. It enforces a unified look and helps consumers easily identify your business. Think about it for a second, you use colors for your website design, in store décor, business cards, uniforms, etc. so why wouldn't you

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Tagline/motto- smallbizstew.blogspot.com Taglines/MottoAre you in good hands?Don't leave home without itIt keeps going, and going, and going When you read the above taglines you instantly knew what companies these taglines belonged to.  Successful taglines are not necessarily catchy but are designed to remind you of what you get from their service or product. A lot of companies use their

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Logos A logo is an image created to represent your company. Your logo should be designed to remind consumers about your product/service. On a daily bases we are bombarded with thousands of logos from the designer logo on your clothes, to the little rooster on your box of cereal in the morning. Logos are smart and sometimes necessary marketing tools that help establish a company’s brand. SBS

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SmallBiz Stew, Who's hiring?. Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eszter/3513522028/ You’re ready to open shop but you just realize there’s only one thing stopping you and it’s the fact that you don’t have a staff to operate your business. Everyone has heard the saying, “good help is hard to find”, and so getting the right people to work for you can be a task. Of course everyone you hire, at

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SmallBiz Stew. Location, location, location photo by: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/751107 Where you choose to set up shop can be the deciding factor in your business success. When choosing a location there is so much to consider and decide on. You need to decide on things like if you should rent or own the store front for your business. There is a lot to consider and in order to make the

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SmallBiz Stew; photo by http://www.public-domain-photos.com/free-cliparts/computer/folders/another_folder_icon_01-1843.htm Today’s blog is about getting organized by creating an organization system. When you start a new business you are bombarded with information; some you keep while other papers you dump. Through-out your journey to start your business you will come upon paperwork that you

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SmallBiz Stew- Picking the right business name Business Rule 11- Create your business identity Now that you have figured out what business you want to start it’s time to start creating your business structure. First things first, you need to settle on a business name that not only describes your business but it has to be catchy and memorable to consumers. Burger King is an excellent

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Top three must have for small business During a time where business are closing faster than they are opening, small businesses need to be sure to optimize all venues that will bring in potential consumers. There are certain things that small businesses should have in place in order to be successful. They must have a business website, accept different methods of payment and have a consumer

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Importance of keywords. photo by: cambodia4kids.org- http://www.flickr.com/photos/cambodia4kidsorg/260004685/ So it’s time to get a website up letting the world know that you have a product or service to offer. In order to optimize the exposure your website will get, you have to make sure that your website has all the necessary keywords to bring in traffic. Keywords are important because they

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photo by: Star Dusts- http://www.flickr.com/photos/star-dust/775368469/ As a freelance writer you have complete control over your business and work flow. Freelance writers are independent contractors that help companies fulfill their freelance writing needs. In order to successfully start your own internet business, you must have a complete understanding of what it takes to be successful. Once

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Small business idea- consulting. Photo by: lumaxarts- http://www.flickr.com/photos/lumaxart/2137737248/ Everyone has something that they are particularly good at and that specialty can be turned into an online consulting business. Consulting is offering a service that requires a continuing push in marketing.  In order to start an online consulting business you must understand that

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When you start a small business you are responsible for all aspects of the business from general office needs to sales. Finding business software that will help alleviate some of the work will allow you to focus on the important things. Before you create a budget to cover the business software you need, first you should check online for free business downloads that you can use. This weeks

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Business rules recap. Photoby: ed.ward Over the past month we have went over all the basics for a solid foundation. If you followed the simple business rules 1-10 then you should be able to confidently finish the following sentences 1.    I should start my own business because… 2.    The reason I am starting a new business is… 3.    The small

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Forming a non profit. By Tracy O Another popular type of corporation is nonprofit organization. As a nonprofit you are in the business of providing a service or program for the sole purpose of development rather than for self or community. S and C corporations are for-profit organizations that sole purpose is to profit and redistribute those profits amongst the stakeholders in the business

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Forming a S & C corporations Photo by:echiner1 Starting a business requires a lot of decisions and some of those choices can legally bind you to them. Being completely informed on the decisions you have to make will help you make the right decision that best suits your personal and business needs. Today’s discussion will cover S & C corporations. To start a corporation means to start a

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Forming a limited partnership. Art by: Aidan Jones Limited means that most of the partners have limited liability (to the extent of their investment) as well as limited input regarding management decisions, which generally encourages investors for short-term projects or for investing in capital assets. This form of ownership is not often used for operating retail or service businesses. (SBA)

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Forming a business partnership. Photo by cquarles. In a market of uncertainty it is a relief when you are not going at it alone and instead you have a partner. Although your business goal might be to have complete control over your business and receive 100% of its profit but forming a business partnership may be the best option for you and your business. Having a complete

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Business Rule #10 Decide on an Entity Limited Liability CompanyA Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a business structure allowed by state statute.  (IRS 2009) If you believe that sole proprietorship comes with too many risks then maybe consider being a limited liability company (LLC). Just like the name states, a limited liability company limits your personal liability unlike a

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 How to Pick the Right Business Entity After getting all the foundation laid for your small business it's time to decide on your business entity. There is a lot to know about the different types of entities and figuring out which entity is best for your business is extremely important. There is so much information to be told about each entity that SBS will do a series the next seven

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 Have You Done Your Small Business Homework?#3 of a 3 Part Series Business Rule# 9- Find a Vendor Before you can begin to think about suppliers you have to figure out what industry you are in. If your business idea is to start a Hair Store then your industry would be: 448150 Clothing Accessories Stores- The industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in retailing single or

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Have You Done Your Small Business Homework? #2 of a 3 Part Series Business Rule# 8- Identify & Analyze Your Competitors Knowing your target market is extremely important to the success of your business but knowing who your competitor is, is just as important. Researching your competitors gives you an advantage because you are given a chance to study and learn from your competitor’s success

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"Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing." - Wernher Magnus Maximilian von Braun Although Business Rules 1-6 required a lot of research, Business Rules# 7-10 also focuses heavily on research. In order to prepare yourself for the ups and downs of small business it is imperative that you are well prepared and learn your industry inside and out. The following three part

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Business Rule# 6- Laying the Foundation Now that you have figured out what business you would like to start, let’s start examining if you have what it takes to successfully start and run that business. You first have to research the business you plan to enter. Once you begin your research on that business, answer the questions below:  What are the day to day activities of the business? &

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Business Rule# 5- Business Idea vs. Business Goals The purpose of business rule #3-Define Your Purpose is not only to figure out if you are starting the right business but it can also help you figure out if your business idea is congruent with your business goals. If your business goal is to achieve financial success, you probably don't want to start a business that only have the potential to

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"We believe that there is one economic lesson which our twentieth century experience has demonstrated conclusively-that America can no more survive and grow without big business than it can survive and grow without small business.... the two are interdependent.” –Benjamin Franklin. As readers defined their business goals in earlier discussions, it should have become clear to the reader what they

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