As a small business owner you know that you cant afford to not be ahead or at least on par with the competition right? Well if you’re a small business owner don’t have a small business websites yet, stick around.
So lets take an example, lets say you are a Plumber in the city of Long Beach, CA and someone has a slab leak, that someone is most likely gonna go onto his computer and type in Slab Leak Plumber near Long Beach, CA, right? Well if you don’t have a website then you will not come up and you are invisible to potential clients searching the internet. On the other hand your competition that do have small business websites will come up and you just lost yourself some new business!
Now we both know that you didn’t start up your business to let the competition trample you down now did you!?
You may think that creating a small business website is a complicated, expensive deal? If that is what you think then you are making a big mistake. Today, getting a website up and running is simple, quick and CHEAP!
If it isn’t obvious enough why you need a website for your small business then let me elaborate on a few other good reasons. Besides gaining new business from the internet, people searching for your company online would like to see a nice, professional looking website to make them feel better about purchasing your product or services. When you go to buy a new car would you rather the showroom be old, smelly and not well kept or a nice, new, modern styled and professional showroom? Your website is your image to customers on the internet and you want your small business to have a good image right?
Another great thing about that people don’t think about is that once you have it up and running you can list the website on your promotional materials such as business cards, flyers and even banners! Most people that see a banner will most likely just go on your website to see the list of products or services that you offer before they actually come in to ask about it. This way you are converting more potential clients into money… If you are driving down then road and see a banner for a plumber and a phone number, are you really going to call to see what he offers? No. But if there is a website that is easy to remember you will most likely go online and see what services that plumber offers.
In conclusion I think it is obvious as to why your company needs a small business website. But even if it isn’t, do your research, look up your competition online and see if it makes sense for you!
Hey Gang my name is Dana aka Small Business Resource Queen. For five years now I have been gathering up resources for small business owners and posting them online. I take pride in my work and my main goal is to help small business maximize their potential in this rough economy.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions and/or feedback!
Save 20% on all web creation/web hosting products! Use code TWC287 (expires 12/31/10) Small Business Website Design
Watch the video related to small business
www.merchantcircle.com In this video La Rose Skincare tells their story of how MerchantCircle has helped their business continue.MerchantCircle is the largest online social network for local business owners, offering many FREE marketing tools for better placement in search results and overall online visibility! As a member of MerchantCircle, you have the ability to advertise a small business by writing blogs, creating coupons, sales, deals, promotions, publishing newsletters, uploading photos or videos, and also through showcasing your products & services!
Not a Republican, but I can name one
Folk Rockers in Starksboro, Vermont.
There are 3-4 regular employees with 2 that work on breaks from college, they earn 12 to 16 an hour depending on experience with wood working, so at 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year, that would be 24k to 32k a year.
They make hand crafted rocking chairs.
Not sure if they will be hurt by the tax structure, but they do make a profit of 200,000+ a year, it is not a constant income amount as it is not a high repeat business.
Anything else?
If you are planning to start a business importing items into the USA, I suggest you read the following US Bureau of Custom's papers
Importing into the United States: A Practical Guide for Commercial Importers http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/toolbox/publications/trade/iius.ctt/iius.pdf — this is a 200-page document that tells you the eligible items you can import and the invoices required, among other things
How Cargo Flows Securely into the US http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/import/cargo_summary/cargo_flow_map.ctt/cargo_flow_map.pdf
US Embassy (look at the last page as it has a good link of websites for additional info) http://canada.usembassy.gov/content/can_usa/borderissues_brochure.pdf
Other websites worth checking are:
CMTAC Trade Information Database http://latrade.cmtac.org/trade_info/index.cfm
Dont's of Importing http://www.gattiassociates.com/CM/Articles/Articles1277.asp
Flowchart of the export process http://www.export.gov/exportbasics/index.asp
Going Global http://www.going-global.com/articles/
These trade association websites also have loads of information on how to start an export import business:
Federation of International Trade Association http://fita.org/index.html
Professional Association of Exporters and Importers http://www.paei.org/
You may also want to check out the following books:
- Import/Export: How to Get Started in International Trade
- Exporting, Importing, and Beyond : How to 'Go Global' With Your Small Business
- Selling to the World: Your Fast and Easy Guide to Exporting and Importing
- Start and Run a Profitable Exporting Business
- Start Your Own Import/Export Business
The key here is if you want to import "commercial quantities." If so, I suggest you hire a customs broker to help you navigate the customs procedures. If you are going to get small shipments — e.g. in a box (not cargos), then you may be able to circumvent the whole importing process and send it through mail. Ask your friend to check out freight forwarders companies in China and whether they have experience shipping to the US.
As for licenses you need in doing business in California, I suggest you check out the following websites
How to Start a Business
California Business Portal http://www.ss.ca.gov/business/resources.htm
California Business Search http://kepler.ss.ca.gov/list.html
Business Registration, Permits and Licenses
California Business Permitting Database http://www.calgold.ca.gov/
California Dept of Consumer Affairs Licensing Information http://www.dca.ca.gov/aboutdca/licnhelp.htm
Taxes
Sellers Permit – CA Board of Equalization http://www.boe.ca.gov/info/reg.htm
California Tax Service Center http://www.taxes.ca.gov/
Franchise Tax Board http://www.ftb.ca.gov/
If you're dumb enough to spend a lot of money for something that you could do by yourself, for free – go ahead.
No, jobs are created by consumer spending.
1. B (because his business requires financing or investors in order to operate, as well as his business plan must be presented to the SBA or investors).
2. A (an individual must have collateral as well as good credit to secure any loan, the SBA just like any other creditor wants to ensure that the debtor has the ability to pay in the event that the debtor should default on the loan).
The life of a cat adjuster – get up with the sun – hit the road – bust your hump all day (when working cat's – lunch for me is usually a pack of crackers and a coke while driving) – I usually scope and run – get back to the office in the evening – then the paperwork begins! Yep – now you get to write estimates for all the stuff you scoped – write reports – write checks – upload photos. Go to bed and get up and do it again.
Your going to work 12+ hour days for weeks straight without a day off. You may be in an area that has no street signs (hurricane took them down and you have never been in this town before – fun), no street lights, electricity or running water. With planning ahead – you may have a hotel room – but I have known some independent cat adjusters that could not get a hotel room and had to sleep in their car.
Your going to be absolutely worn out every day and be more tired than you thought you could be.
Your going to get to turn on the news and listen to the media say how your not doing enough. There going to find homeowners and let them complain about how it's been two weeks and you have not seen their house – I guess your just sitting around with your thumb in your ear just dragging your feet for the fun of it–(notice how they never point out how many claims came in? – so, post cat 4 hurricane- your company received 33,000-100,000 claims – do you know how an insurance company works that many? – yep, same as any other – 1 claim at a time! ) but the media does not want to show you pouring your heart/soul/ and every ounce of your physical resources into getting the job done and servicing the customer- it's more fun to bad mouth the insurance companies.
And in the end – despite it all – you'll do it again over and over – you'll love every minute of it. As a rule, you gotta be just a little off to be an adjuster – you gotta be just a little more off to be a cat adjuster!
I started my own business, and LOVE going to work each and every day! I am doing something that I love doing, and wouldn't trade it for the world.