What are the benefits of blogging for small business?

Blogging has become quite popular for small businesses as of late. I have noticed on PR Leads that there are several story requests for experts to talk about the benefits of blogging for small businesses. So, I decided I better do my homework and see what this is all about. It turns out that there are several benefits to blogging for small businesses. Here are the most important ones:1. Blogging Software is Super Easy to Use: Simply write your thoughts, link to resources, and publish to your blog, all at the push of a few buttons. I use the software blogger.com. It took me 2 minutes to set up my account and 3 minutes to publish my first blog. Check out my blog at: http://uplevelstrategies.blogspot.com/2. Build Relationships Online: Business blogs provide your small business with a chance to share your expertise and knowledge with a larger audience. You have the opportunity to share a piece of yourself with your community allowing them to get to know you better.3. Higher Search Engine Rankings: Search engine marketing is hot. Business bloggers are achieving top search engine rankings because search engines rank based on link popularity and easy to index regular content among other factors. Learning the basic skills of search engine optimization and good content management are keys to better rankings for bloggers.4. Easy Communication: The biggest benefit of Blogging or RSS (see definition below) for your web audience can prove to be a better solution for notification than websites themselves or email. As indicated by Bill Gates in a speech at the Microsoft CEO Summit 2004 in Redmond, Washington: “if you just put information on a Web site, then people don't know to come visit that Web site, and it's very painful to keep visiting somebody's Web site and it never changes. It's very typical that a lot of the Web sites you go to that are personal in nature just eventually go completely stale and you waste time looking at it… And so, getting away from the drawbacks of e-mail -- that it's too imposing -- and yet the drawbacks of the Web site -- that you don't know if there's something new and interesting there – this [blogs & RSS] is about solving that.”Definitions:RSS - RSS is an acronym for Rich Site Summary, an XML format for distributing news headlines on the Web, also known as syndication. First started by Netscape as part of the My Netscape site, it expanded through Dave Winer and Userland.Blog - Weblog, web log or simply a blog, is a web application which contains periodic posts on a common webpage. These posts are often but not necessarily in reverse chronological order. Such a website would typically be accessible to any Internet user.

For Entrepreneurs A Simple IRA May Be Best

Q: I own a small decorating business and I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know anything about taxes or retirement plans. I’d like to set up a 401(k) or an IRA or some other kind of retirement plan for me and my three employees. What are the various retirement plan options available for a small business owner and in your opinion, which would work best for me? -- Wanda S. A: Wanda, I appreciate your confidence in my humble opinion, but asking me for financial advice is like asking Donald Trump for a recommendation on hair care products. I can tell you what works best for me and my business, but you’ll need to do your homework and seek professional advice to figure out what would work best for you. As a side note, I hear that Donald Trump is coming out with his own line of hair care product soon to be called “Big Head.” The formula is 1ousse, 1iquid nails, and 98
ot air. It should be a big seller among the high brow, comb-over crowd. Here’s my best advice on retirement plans: find yourself a financial advisor (or financial planner) who is has experience working with small businesses and have him or her explain the options available and make a recommendation as to the type of plan best suited for you and your business. When I say “financial advisor” I’m not talking about your know-it-all brother-in-law or your accountant. I’m talking about a broker or financial planner (or other licensed professional) who has a proven track record of making his clients money and is an expert on IRAs, 401(k)s, mutual funds, etc. The best way to find a good financial advisor is to ask for referrals from your most successful friends and associates. Find the richest, stingiest man in town and ask who his advisor is. Meet with several advisors, explain your situation, and ask for their recommendations. You should also make sure the advisor is a good fit for your personality and your business. If all goes well you will be doing business with this person for many years to come, so make sure the relationship feels comfortable to you and that you are confident in the advisor’s ability to manage your money. Let me give you a quick overview of a few of the retirement plans available to small businesses so you at least have an idea of what’s out there before you start your search for a good financial advisor. As a small business you basically have three types of retirement plans that you can take advantage of: the Self-Employed 401(k); the Simplified Employee Pension Plan or SEP IRA, and the Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees or SIMPLE IRA. Each allows you to make pre-tax contributions to the plan, which lets you save for retirement and lessen your taxable income by the amount of the contribution. Your investments also grow tax-deferred until withdrawal. A Self-Employed 401(k) is an option for self-employed individuals or business owners with no employees other than a spouse. The business can be a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or a corporation, including S corps. You can make salary deferrals to this type of plan of up to $14,000 for 2005. Next is the Simplified Employee Pension Plan or SEP IRA. A SEP is an option if you earn a self-employed income from a full or part time business, even if you are covered by a retirement plan at your fulltime job. A SEP allows you to contribute up to 25f earned income, up to $41,000 for 2004 and $42,000 for 2005. My preferred type of retirement plan is the Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees or SIMPLE IRA. The SIMPLE IRA was created to make it easier for small businesses with 100 or fewer employees to offer a tax-advantaged, company sponsored retirement plan. With a SIMPLE IRA you and your eligible employees may contribute up to 3f earned income (with a maximum contribution of $10,000) on a pre-tax basis to individual SIMPLE IRAs. You must deduct Social Security and Medicaid from your gross income, but you can then make your SIMPLE IRA contribution before other taxes are levied, effectively lowering your taxable income. As the employer you must make “matching” or “non-elective” contributions into your employees’ SIMPLE IRA accounts. Matching contributions means that the business matches the elective deferral contributions made by employees. For example, if the employee opts to contribute 3f his salary to the plan, the employer must match the 3 ontribution. At first you might cringe at matching your employees’ contributions, but as the business owner and an employee yourself this can be great news. As an employee of your own business you can contribute up to $10,000 to your SIMPLE IRA and the business can then match your contribution dollar-for-dollar, which means that you can put up to $20,000 in tax free dollars into the plan per year. The cost of the contributions is also deductible as a business expense. The non-elective contribution option requires that the company contribute 2f every employee’s earned income to the plan on the employee’s behalf regardless of whether or not the employee contributes to the plan himself. For 2005 the maximum contribution you would be required to make is $4,200. Like a traditional IRA, you can withdraw money from a SIMPLE IRA at any time; however distributions within the first two years of participation are subject to higher early withdrawal penalties than traditional IRAs or Roth IRAs. Withdrawals within the first two years are subject to a 25arly withdrawal penalty. Withdrawals taken after the first two years are subject to a 10arly withdrawal penalty. As the employer, the advantages of a SIMPLE IRA include: company contributions to the plan are tax deductible as a business expense; plan documents are simple and easy to administer; administration costs are low; and there is no government reporting required by the employer. The advantages of a SIMPLE IRA for your employees include: contributions are immediately 100ested; contributions and earnings are tax-deferred until withdrawal; employees can contribute 100f earned income up to $10,000 for 2005; and employees can direct their own investments within the IRA. This is a complex topic and I’ve just tipped the iceberg here, but hopefully this will give you enough information to get the investment ball rolling. Here’s to your success!

What are the benefits of blogging for small business?

Blogging has become quite popular for small businesses as of late. I have noticed on PR Leads that there are several story requests for experts to talk about the benefits of blogging for small businesses. So, I decided I better do my homework and see what this is all about. It turns out that there are several benefits to blogging for small businesses. Here are the most important ones:1. Blogging Software is Super Easy to Use: Simply write your thoughts, link to resources, and publish to your blog, all at the push of a few buttons. I use the software blogger.com. It took me 2 minutes to set up my account and 3 minutes to publish my first blog. Check out my blog at: http://uplevelstrategies.blogspot.com/2. Build Relationships Online: Business blogs provide your small business with a chance to share your expertise and knowledge with a larger audience. You have the opportunity to share a piece of yourself with your community allowing them to get to know you better.3. Higher Search Engine Rankings: Search engine marketing is hot. Business bloggers are achieving top search engine rankings because search engines rank based on link popularity and easy to index regular content among other factors. Learning the basic skills of search engine optimization and good content management are keys to better rankings for bloggers.4. Easy Communication: The biggest benefit of Blogging or RSS (see definition below) for your web audience can prove to be a better solution for notification than websites themselves or email. As indicated by Bill Gates in a speech at the Microsoft CEO Summit 2004 in Redmond, Washington: “if you just put information on a Web site, then people don't know to come visit that Web site, and it's very painful to keep visiting somebody's Web site and it never changes. It's very typical that a lot of the Web sites you go to that are personal in nature just eventually go completely stale and you waste time looking at it… And so, getting away from the drawbacks of e-mail -- that it's too imposing -- and yet the drawbacks of the Web site -- that you don't know if there's something new and interesting there – this [blogs & RSS] is about solving that.”Definitions:RSS - RSS is an acronym for Rich Site Summary, an XML format for distributing news headlines on the Web, also known as syndication. First started by Netscape as part of the My Netscape site, it expanded through Dave Winer and Userland.Blog - Weblog, web log or simply a blog, is a web application which contains periodic posts on a common webpage. These posts are often but not necessarily in reverse chronological order. Such a website would typically be accessible to any Internet user.(c) Kelly O’Neil 2005

The Power of Small Business Branding Through Private Labeling

Please consider this article for publication in your newsletter or on your website. Permission is granted to reprint for free with resource box and byline intact. Please send me a copy of your publication if you choose to include my article. The Power of Small Business Branding Through Private Labeling Your Label Says A Lot About Your Business A brand is a powerful tool in your hands, a visual image that encapsulates a perceived value associated with your company, product or service by customers and potential customers. As competition intensifies, small business owners are realizing the power of branding through private label as part of an ingenious business strategy. Owning your brand is not only an alluring marketing and sales tool, it makes good small business sense. Wholesalers of private label products offer resellers and diverse others the opportunity to build recognition for their own company and product, as well as develop customer loyalty. With a lead on identity and a secure on loyalty, new and repeat sales are sure to follow, given that your product meets consumer expectations. The bottom line is: You will drive your revenues and increase profits through the use of private labels. Once thought of as a value-added, low cost substitute for higher priced name brands, private label brands were referred to as store or generic brands; remember the no name brand! Interestingly, the private label perception is blossoming in today’s marketplace as the upscale alternative to national brands. As burnt cream evolved into French crème brûlée, consumers now consider private label brands as an affordable extravagance. Associated with distinctive, premium quality products and services, private labels are now positioning as your own proprietary brand or personalized brand, and rightly so. Private Label Brands Are Packed With Benefits A private label packs numerous marketing and sales benefits into your product. The basics of any good marketing plan are simple: Increase your customer base, increase the frequency of repeat sales and increase the average expenditure, the question is… how? Designed to display and impress your image and developed around your target market, propriety label may be the answer. Your own brand is what sets you apart from your competitors and builds brand loyalty. Differentiating your product as a unique brand also enables you to compete on non-price factors such as quality. A smart move for small business because typically, they cannot achieve sales volume levels to be a low price favorite. Stocking name brand products does little to entice consumers into your brick and mortar or online store. National brands are widely distributed and can be purchased almost anywhere. A private label will bring customers to your place of business, as your brand is exclusive. An additional benefit is that of product awareness, every time a customer opens your private label product sitting on the counter top the customer is reminded where the product was purchased. Small businesses do not have abundant resources to spend on large marketing and advertising campaigns like their national competitors. Your proprietary label, imprinted on an appealing package, is an excellent advertising item and channel. You gain exposure and get the word out about your business and product, requiring little effort outside your input in the label and package design. Using a private label is a cost effective method to market your small business. Of course, customers will not rush back to your store and beat down the door for a label. Establishing the brand with a high quality product is essential for repeat sales. Generate trust in your brand by selecting a respected wholesaler who knows the product and the business well. To promote consumer purchasing the reseller must also perfect the private label to meet the desires and expectations of the target market. Black Tea or Decadently Rich Chocolate Chai? You Decide Let’s take a look at a fast growing, competitive segment of the beverage industry, tea, to see how the benefits of private label are put into practice. Once trailing far behind the specialty coffee market, tea is now surging in the popularity and so are the sellers. The trend is driven by consumer lifestyle shifts toward good health, luxury and pleasure. Specialty tea is forecasted to become a major portion of the tea industry. Demand is stimulated by the new products available as consumers seek extraordinary and exotic tea flavors. It is essential reseller’s offer a quality product from a knowledgeable wholesaler supplier, as product choice can make or break a business. Working in partnership, the private label wholesaler and reseller will bring together knowledge, experience and creativity in the design of a captivating label and appealing package. With endless choices, from loose leaf to tins, the finally product is presented to exceed the reseller and final consumers expectations. An up and coming leader in the national spa market, exhale spa promotes a whole body rejuvenating selection of services based upon the wisdom of traditional healing and movement therapies. To enhance the relaxing ambience of the spa, exhale serves their own signature tea blends, formulated and packaged by Lapis Teahouse, a provider of premium private label tea. Resellers turn to Lapis Teahouse (http://www.lapisteahouse.com) and other select wholesalers that offer both private label and custom blending services for a competitive advantage. Private label companies build trust in a brand by selecting and custom blending extraordinary teas for flavor, aroma, and quality. Exciting new products are designed to fit the customer’s unique needs and compliment their business image. Private label producers serve a diverse customer base, and each benefit by selling a private label brand. From a nutrition center prescribing the health benefits of organic herbal tea, to an elegant teahouse serving a taste of luxury for tea connoisseurs, a brand can be developed to reflect and project your image. You don’t have to be a reseller to capitalize on the rewards of a unique identity. The private label extends into the service industry to enhance professional services and company ambience. Small business branding through private labeling conclusively builds company and product recognition. Positioning your unique product through private label, aimed at your target market, results in an effective, low cost-effort marketing strategy. It is the solution to getting customers into your store and back again and again… If your company is competing in the beverage or any other industry by using other brands, consider the benefits of your own proprietary brand. No matter how you label it, small business branding through a private label wholesaler is powerful marketing!

Catalog Printing: A Subtle Way Of Seducing Customers

As a business grows so is its need for better and cost-effective advertising materials. One option that business owners may try to consider is catalog printing. Catalogs are not only known for its ability to effectively grab the attention of customer but it is also famous in terms of the convenience it brought its readers. Convenience in the sense that it can be easily browsed and especially when done in full colors can really left a mark on the minds of its readers. Catalogs are best option for businesses who may want to increase their sales. Another advantage derived in employing catalogs is that it saves the business time and money. There would be no need to employ separate advertisement materials for each product and services since everything are incorporated in a single catalog. The catalog will not only showcase products and services but will also show the prices as well as the individual description of each products and services. Customers are therefore provided with ample information that assists them in deciding whether they want to purchase or not. Catalogs also provide a source of future sales since customers who may not have at present the money to buy any of the products and services on display would tend to keep the catalog for future reference of any product and services they may want to purchase. The significance of catalogs in promoting business is undeniable that is why it is important to hire only the best catalog printing company there is. A well crafted catalog can tempt customers to take hold of products and services even if they don’t have a need for it yet. Professionally done catalogs are like nymphs seducing customers to indulge and take hold of products and services. You can attest to the catalog’s effectiveness in captivating customers, how many times have you ordered products that you don’t necessarily need, simply because the pictures look so tempting that you feel you just have to have one of those displayed products? I for one have always been a victim to the allure of catalogs. I just can’t seem to resist astounding pictures of cosmetics, bags, shoes….you name it, I ask you what a girl to do especially when the catalog is teeming with great discounts? And how about catalogs on cars? Those awesome full color catalogs that seem to say go and ask your bank if they can grant you a loan right away! The effects that catalogs have on its readers are simply amazing that is why it is important to hire only the best catalog printing services available.

Catalog Printing: A Subtle Way Of Seducing Customers

As a business grows so is its need for better and cost-effective advertising materials. One option that business owners may try to consider is catalog printing. Catalogs are not only known for its ability to effectively grab the attention of customer but it is also famous in terms of the convenience it brought its readers. Convenience in the sense that it can be easily browsed and especially when done in full colors can really left a mark on the minds of its readers. Catalogs are best option for businesses who may want to increase their sales. Another advantage derived in employing catalogs is that it saves the business time and money. There would be no need to employ separate advertisement materials for each product and services since everything are incorporated in a single catalog. The catalog will not only showcase products and services but will also show the prices as well as the individual description of each products and services. Customers are therefore provided with ample information that assists them in deciding whether they want to purchase or not. Catalogs also provide a source of future sales since customers who may not have at present the money to buy any of the products and services on display would tend to keep the catalog for future reference of any product and services they may want to purchase. The significance of catalogs in promoting business is undeniable that is why it is important to hire only the best catalog printing company there is. A well crafted catalog can tempt customers to take hold of products and services even if they don’t have a need for it yet. Professionally done catalogs are like nymphs seducing customers to indulge and take hold of products and services. You can attest to the catalog’s effectiveness in captivating customers, how many times have you ordered products that you don’t necessarily need, simply because the pictures look so tempting that you feel you just have to have one of those displayed products? I for one have always been a victim to the allure of catalogs. I just can’t seem to resist astounding pictures of cosmetics, bags, shoes….you name it, I ask you what a girl to do especially when the catalog is teeming with great discounts? And how about catalogs on cars? Those awesome full color catalogs that seem to say go and ask your bank if they can grant you a loan right away! The effects that catalogs have on its readers are simply amazing that is why it is important to hire only the best catalog printing services available.

How do commercial debt reduction companies work?

Don’t stress it – commercial debt reduction companies are proven authorities in debt negotiation to reduce your commercial debt in the best way possible for you, especially when you’re least interested in the worst alternatives like Chapter 11. The best debt negotiation companies are there for your small business or medium-sized company - the size of the companies involved is never an issue to these debt negotiation professionals. The heart of the matter is debt reduction to take your commercial debt through rough patches including recession that creates those limited dry spells in your cash flow. Debt Negotiation Will Reduce Your Debt And Save Thousands Off Your Commercial Debt! You know what’s best for your business or companies – and debt reduction companies know best how to get your business back on track. Companies across the country have chosen a debt reduction program to effectively structure their commercial debt. Your debts can seem like an insurmountable obligation – and the most frustrating thing with commercial debt is that as hard as you work to succeed, your supplier companies demanding payment – or even larger factors like a bad economy - create bad credit issues that can be completely out of your control. You know you offer one of the best products or services in the marketplace, and all you need to do is reduce your commercial debt, re-establish your credit rating and get your business back on track. Debt reduction companies understand your hard work and best efforts, so you can depend on qualified counselors, CPA and legal pros in debt negotiation and debt reduction to put your debts on the firing block.

Auto Loan Options for People with Bad Credit

Internet surfers with bad credit looking for an auto loan are bombarded with advertisements most days. Many of these ads are truthful in their bad credit auto loan options. However, there are many things to avoid, and this article will describe some of those. Directly financed auto loans for people with good credit are a bit different than those with bad credit. People with bad credit are expected to pay more of a down payment as well as a higher interest rate on their auto loans. Many creditors won’t even extend an auto loan to those with bad credit. Depending on how bad someone’s credit is, auto loans can range from a 20 – 50% down payment requirement, interest rates from 5-26%, and amortization (the length of the loan) anywhere from 2-4 years. This may sound like a lot of bad news for bad creditors looking for an auto loan. But with some good planning and foresight, these auto loans can actually help people with bad debts rebuild their credit history. The worst situations in bad credit auto loans show up when car dealers artificially inflate the pricing or interest rates on their cars. Auto dealers who specialize in bad credit loans will take a car normally selling for $5,000, inflate the price to $8,000, take a $2,500 down payment and then finance the purchase at 24%. Now the bad creditor will be in debt to the auto loan company for an inflated price that isn’t indicative of the vehicle’s real value. A way to counteract these types of sneaky bad credit auto loan dealers is to check the value of the car you are looking at, first, and then only pay $200-500 extra then what’s listed. Only in exceptional circumstances would you ever pay more than this for a car. Two different ways of selling a car have emerged recently with the new, Internet economy. The first is called the ‘dealer network system’. Auto purchasers can get a loan regardless of their bad credit history with this option. Essentially, a potential customer looks at a car on a website, and then answers some basic questions if interested in buying. This information is then passed along to a dealer specializing in bad credit auto loans. Since there are no fees involved, this can be a real boon for the bad creditor looking for a decent car loan. However, with this system, there is no way of researching the auto dealership you are about to do business with. The other new option is called an application service. In this situation, a person with bad credit applies online for an auto loan, and the financial information is then sent to multiple lenders at the same time, with the hope that one or two will be willing to take the credit risk. If the system works, several dealerships with fight for the customer, using price and convenience as their selling points.