The Big 4 Accounting Firms - How to Get That Perfect Job With One of the Big Ones
Industry professionals, recruiters and college professors are unanimous in their belief in one thing: there is no better way to start a career in accounting than experience with a Big 4 public accounting firm. If you are reading this you no doubt are well aware of who these guys are:
PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte and TouchA, KPMG and Ernst & Young.
While each of these companies has various strengths and weaknesses, they are all alike in the fact that they provide the recent accounting grad with a world class experience. First year associates at these firms are given a level of responsibility that is truly remarkable. When I was a first year I remember thinking on an almost daily basis "I can't believe they're letting me do this." As I strolled into the CEO's office of the firm we were auditing, as I tallied up a multi-million dollar mistake I'd found in another company's books and as I traveled the country with my very own American Express Corporate Card, I kept repeating this thought:
"I can't believe they're letting me do this"
Truly the world of accounting is at your fingertips when you are employed with one of the Big 4. There is an air of respect in those names: PwC, E&Y, KPMG and D&T. There is camaraderie and there is pride. These are the truly elite in the accounting field, and the top of the business world.
Starting your professional career at one of these companies is a ticket to a career in the fast lane. The experience you receive at a Big 4 is, literally, priceless. Many beginners at these firms admit that they would be willing to work for nothing: the experience is that valuable. Land a job and you will guarantee yourself the following:
- For the rest of your career your resume will automatically move to the top of the pile
- For the rest of your career you will have access to a network of professionals that is staggering in its depth
- You will earn an industry busting salary, putting your friends at regional and local firms to shame
- Your resume will contain experience that is recognized and respected globally
- An opportunity to travel the world
At a speaking engagement in 2004, Martin J. Whitman, billionaire and namesake of the Syracuse University Whitman School of Management, was asked the single best piece of advice he could offer college graduates. His reply? "Begin your career with a Big 4 Public Accounting Firm. Period."
Of course.
Think this all sounds good? Of course you do. You're probably thinking to yourself - there must be a catch? Unfortunately, there is. The benefits of working for a Big 4 are widely known and the demand for these positions is higher than ever. These positions are EXTREMELY competitive and often IMPOSSIBLE to obtain without an edge. A great GPA and resume are no longer enough.
If you are serious about your career and want to maximize your earnings potential, you need an edge. How do you land an interview with a Big 4 when there are thousands of others just like you? Once you get the interview, how will you be prepared for the barrage of questioning you will face?
When I graduated from college I had one interview and one interview only: I landed a job with PricewaterhouseCoopers on the first shot. How did I do it? Good grades? Charming personality? Incredible experience? No! I had an insider at PwC who knew the ropes and coached me through the process, from the application to the signing bonus! When I learned these secrets I just watched as my peers struggled and I jumped easily through all the hoops. Unfair? Sure, but life in a world class industry is not fair. While working at PwC I also experienced the recruiting process from the side of the recruiter.
For more information please visit The Big 4 Guru.com
Home Businesses
Home Businesses: Important Steps To Make Extra Money From Home
There are many ways to make money at home. You can either start your own home business or apply at a company that employs people who can work from home..
The most common ways to make money at home is by starting your own home business. Because of the internet, it is now possible for people to communicate faster wherever they are in the world.
Therefore, it is easier for people to start their own home business and sell their product or services more effectively.
However, starting a home business is not as easy at it seems, you also need to invest a little time and money for your business to work.
If you plan to make extra cash at home, here are some guidelines, much like making a feasibility study, to remember in order to put you on the right track.
Firstly, you need to create a business plan. To do this you have to find out how much money you want to make and the goals you want to reach.
Be realistic, starting your own home business does not mean that you can become a millionaire overnight. Determine how much extra money you want to earn and how much you are willing to invest.
Research what kind of home business you are willing to consider. Make a list of these businesses and try to figure out what suits you best and figure out the demands for each kind of business. Choose one that is easy to set up and one that does not require you to invest a lot of money.
Choose one that does not need much maintenance, for example, perishable goods like fruits and vegetables are a great income generator, but there are too many competitors and it also requires you to spend large sums of money for storage.
Look for a business that does not need these kinds of special care. Remember, you are in a business to make money not lose it.
To help you decide, here are some types of businesses that are great moneymakers:
Import-Export Business
Since we can communicate with anyone from around the world, you can look for a business that exports quality handmade products that are cheap. You can then import these products and sell them by using the internet with a larger price tag.
There are many quality handmade products with great designs and artistry all over the world. For example, you can sell exotic looking carpets from the Middle East that cost $20.00 each, including the packaging fee, and then sell them in your country for a lot more.
Affiliate Programs
This type of home based business has been around for quite a while and it is still popular. This is because this is one of the easiest ways to make money..
You just have to create a theme-based website and find a company to sign up as an affiliate that is relevant to your website’s theme.
For example, your website is about fishing, what you have to do is find a website that sells fishing equipments or fishing tours and vacations.
Once a visitor clicks on the advertising and buys their products or services, you instantly earn commission for the sold product or service. You are paid by just referring people. The key to this business’s success is targeted internet traffic.
There are many types of work-at-home businesses. All you have to do is find out what tailors your needs. Having your own home business can be either a part time job or a full time job.
It is also very convenient especially if you are a single parent who cannot afford to hire a nanny for your children. By doing online business you can make extra cash and take care or look after your children at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
home businesses?
Has anybody had any success with home online businesses? The ones Ive heard of seem like scams to me.-
ANSWER:
This is for people that are serious and who don’t want to be misled as we have tried many things and have found a company that has been around for 21 Years and pays you to advertise for them. My wife and I just started and are doing well. It is not an MLM company and no selling, no deliveries or stocking product. My wife’s aunt has been working with this Company (Melaleuca) for a little over 3 years and home schools 3 kids and makes ,000 a month. It is a 500 Inc company and the CEO is on the U.S. Chamber of commerce board. I can arrange a web cast with my wife’s aunt for you and you can decide by yourself and WE WILL help you be successful. It is an honest Win Win.
If you want to see a web cast (presentation) from your home let me know and I will arrange it as that truly is the way to see all about Melaleuca. Have you heard of it. We have just gotten started with my wife's aunts help as it is a team effort and it is fun. Just a quick F.Y.I. 8 out of 10 people that see the web cast join the company and 95% of the people that join re-order product each and every month. Let me know when you are ready and we will set up the web cast.
e-mail: cleanandsafehome@yahoo.com
Thanks,
Rich & Teresa
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QUESTION:
Home Businesses?
Has anyone tried that crap of "We'll make you filthy rich if you sell 92542544 gazillion of our product" home business?Home business doing that kind of business don't work right? I need this for a paper due after tomorrow.. any help? can someone explain what are home business all about? and if you have had a bad experience I would love to know why so you can email me at hippy_hayes@yahoo
HELPZ?
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ANSWER:
While there are scams out there, there are many more legitimate home businesses, or businesses that you can start and operate from home.Stuffing envelopes (get paid while stuffing envelopes) is almost always a scam, but not if you start instead a direct mailing fulfillment business from home where you prepare and send direct mailings for businesses. You collect and maintain the mailing lists for them, send out their regular periodic mailings, as well as any sporadic mailings. In the same way that businesses hire accountants, there are businesses who hire outside businesses to help them do their mailings for them (e.g. thinktanks doing fund raisers and sending 100,000 of letters, or companies sending out 50,000 copies of their books to customers, or a catalog business sending out thousands of their publication) http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol28/stuffing.htm
"Earn 0.00 a week Typing At Home" is almost always a scam http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol2/typing.htm but if you start a secretarial or virtual assistant business where you offer typing services for clients from your home, that is a legitimate home-based business.
Other legitimate home businesses include daycare, internet publishing, freelance writing, pottery and craft, jewelry making, ebay selling, etc.
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QUESTION:
Is there any legit work from home businesses that really work?
I am currently looking for a good work from home business for my wife. My youngest daughter is having a hard time adjusting to day care as too I do not feel comfortable with the daycare right now. There are so many MLM businesses that I am not interested unless its real. I don't want the you have to sign up 3000 people in order to make 100.00. I don't know if there is a work from home selling job or travel agent job? Something flexible.-
ANSWER:
I read emails at home with my kids and get paid to do it. its really simple and doesnt cost anything.... i dont trust websites that want money. so i ended up at hits4pay. no sign up fees and it doesnt promise youll make thousands a day. its slow going at first. you get paid .00 to sign up and [FAQ-ANSWER].02 per email you read. these emails are not sent to an email address, the website has an internal inbox. (really nice.).,... so i did it for a few days... i averaged about 7-10 emails a day... well [FAQ-ANSWER].20 a day wasnt gonna help. so i started recruiting others. That's when you make the big bucks!!!
I have 50+ people directly under me and they all have people under them... so now lets say that only half of them read their emails everyday (10 emails x 55 people x 0.01) Im making .50/day for doing nothing!!!!
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QUESTION:
Are there really any legitimate work from home businesses?
I am looking for a work from home business. I do NOT want to fill out surveys. I dont want to have to pay any money up front. Are there any businesses like this around?-
ANSWER:
Here is an affiliate program that is legitimate, you don't have to fill out surveys, and it costs nothing to get started. You can work this business on-line and off-line. You can build a nice residual income.I retired last year and wanted something to do from home that also created extra income. I became an affiliate with Valley Telco. The opportunity is free and it is working for me. Simply click on the opportunity link on the following site for more info. http://www.valleytelco.com
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QUESTION:
Are there any legitimate work at home businesses?
I need a second income, and my day shift job does not allow me to have a true second job. I am curious to know if there are any legitimate online work at home businesses.-
ANSWER:
Yes, and I have found one! If you want a REAL job with a corporate headquarters (located in Texas), not some mythical online office, with daily pay, dental benefits, 401(k) , direct deposit and more, check this out. You won't get rich quick, but you will make a real residual income for years. Good luck and hope to see you on our team!
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Business Internet
Work at Home Business - Internet Jobs For Stay at Home Moms
In this present economy it is very hard to compete in the work force because too many people are applying for the same jobs whenever you find someone hiring. This is one reason why many people are starting a work at home business. Although home businesses are not as easy to start and be profitable at the same time as some would have you to believe, there are some short cuts that can get you there faster. In this article we will discuss Internet jobs for stay at home moms, and which road is best to take to be successful.
Depending whether you want to work full time or part time will depend which road you travel to be successful. In other words, If your plans are to make fast cash online or build a solid home business will determine where you focus your attention.
Affiliate marketing will be the fastest way to profit because there is practically no start up fee. You can get started today without your personal website because you can market the merchants website to get you up and going very quickly. Your primary focus will be to do your research to find a hungry crowd that is willing to buy your products and meet their needs. This can be done by opening a free affiliates account with Clickbank and find the answer to their problems and you can be in profit right away.
This may sound easy to do but in actuality it is in some cases, and in other cases it could be a bit more difficult. If you are a mom just starting on the Internet searching for a job, I would suggest you find yourself a mentor first to keep you on the right track toward your financial freedom.
On the other hand, if you plan to build a long term Internet business, the process maybe slower but can pay off big later on. In this case if you are a stay at home mom, I suggest that you learn Internet marketing skills to find where your strong areas are. Everybody isn't strong in the same areas. For example, you may love writing articles and enjoy it very much but seem to have a difficult time learning pay per click (PPC) marketing. Right away you have found that you should focus more of your time writing articles rather than perhaps wasting a lot of time with pay per click. Your work at home business can start off very quickly using this method.
Unfortunately, a lot of people come looking for Internet jobs and get introduced to Internet marketing and feel that they must learn everything before they take action. This can be a costly mistake. Of course you don't want to put all of your eggs in one basket, but if you want to be successful with your home business, you must take drastic action.
As you look for Internet jobs for stay at home moms, remember to do your research before you start your work at home business. You can save yourself a lot of time and headaches if you follow this pattern. Either way you choose part time or full time, you can be successful if you stay on track. Your success will be determined by the choices you make today.
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
Is it possible to get a business internet line for a residential location?
If you run a home business that is internet heavy, is it possible to get a "business class" internet line from your local ISP? Or do you have to actually have a commercial address? If so, what other options do you have for getting fast up/down and reliable internet for your home business? T1?-
ANSWER:
look for T1 connection in your area
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QUESTION:
Do I need to register my internet business as a foreign corporation?
I live in New York state, and am considering registering my business (internet - ad supported) as an LLC in Delaware. I don't sell any products - I only provide online content. Would I need to register as a foreign LLC in New York? Am I considered to be "doing business" in New York if only my office is located here and all revenue is from internet ads?-
ANSWER:
There is no good reason for you to register your business in Delaware. There are certain tax advantages for LARGE firms who choose to register in Delaware, but since you are in New York State, the simplest thing to do is to register as a New York corporation.By doing that, you will limit your paperwork to one state, not two, and if you have an S-Corp, or an LLC, you will have all the protections and benefits that you would if you registered in Delaware.
Good luck.
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QUESTION:
what is the number for At&T Business Internet Services help desk?
I need to get a hold of Tech Support for AT&T's Business Internet Services. I'm scouring the internet, but not having much luck finding a phone number.Thanks. I will give best answer immediately to whoever gets the right number.
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ANSWER:
The support services and number to call will depend on the specific service you have, and your particular location.http://localization.att.com/loc/controller?cdvn=localize&pid=1080<ype=res&prod-snip=support-lp2-internet
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QUESTION:
What kind of internet business or home business i can start to earn more money?
I want to start a internet business or home business to earn more money. Please suggest a honest company. If you have any other suggestion for business.-
ANSWER:
read this article. it was written by a board member of an American company, to help others from getting scammed.
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QUESTION:
What is a business that can not be enhanced by the internet called?
I am doing a research paper in which I am going to discuss E-commerce and internet businesses versus anti-internet businesses only that is not a real word. So please DON'T give me an obvious and idiotic answer like "business." I am looking for businesses that do/can not use the internet to greatly benefit themselves. THANK YOU!!
THANK YOU, AFTER DOING SOME WORK I REMEMBERED BRICK-AND-MORTAR BUSINESSES.-
ANSWER:
You may need to separate "Internet" and "E-Commerce" into distinctly different roles.Every business on the planet would benefit from an "Internet" presence, because of the potential mass exposure. The internet allows a business a space to educate its ideal consumer about the companies product and service.
The whole point of being in business is to make and keep customers...so being exposed to as many potential customers as possible, is a massive advantage upgrade.
E-Commerce....I think this is where you are trying to identify a company which would not benefit from "Purchase" transactions over the internet....and again...as I sit here I am having difficulty thinking how this would not benefit any company. If something comes to mind I will edit this.
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Small Businesses
3 Reasons Why Customer Relationship is Important in Small Businesses
Being a small online business owner it is evident that your objective is to promote sales and increase your income. So it becomes very important to maintain cordial relationship with your customers. Do not think that a successful sale is the end of your relationship with that customer. Build on the rapport you have established to keep the client in the pipeline for when you wish to expand your business.
Why you Need to Build Rapport:
Like most online businesses it is most likely that you might have other products or services to offer your customer and will find a pool of ready customers handy. You may even want to promote an up-graded version of the product you have already sold them. This technique of up-selling will benefit both your customers and your business. You may even want to introduce newer items or related products and employ cross-selling methods to enlarge your existing business.
There is no definitive or fixed time for one sales cycle to be completed and it may vary depending on the type of business you have. Even though you may have established a good relationship with your customers with your previous sales, remember to keep building on that relationship to convert ex-customers to potential customers for the future.
Relationship Building through Communication:
Although customers have a wide range of options they prefer to stick to companies with whom they have had a positive experience and built a good rapport. Relationship building is an integral part of developing your business and you may go about achieving it in a number of ways. All successful sales closures can be treated as new opportunities for future business. Communication plays an important role in relationship building and you must pay special attention in training yourself and your staff in how to communicate with customers either by email or over the telephone or even in face-to-face situations. If you have to correspond through email try and keep your messages short, pleasant and free from sales talk. Communicating over the telephone should also be devoid of sales pitch and more about being there as a support system for your clients should they require your assistance at any point.
How you communicate with your customers is as important as what you say. The manner of talking, and the tone you adopt can determine whether the customer would like to talk to you for longer or want to hang-up on you almost immediately. Being a good listener is of vital importance and asking the right questions at the right time can go a long way in building good relationships with your customers.
Concessions to Enhance Customer Relationship:
Offering rewards and discounts can also be a good strategy in building good customer relationship. The acid test lies in the number of times your customers reach out to you for help when they need assistance. Giving incentives and discounts for products or services can also help to motivate customers to call you when they again require a product or service. Fulfilling customer expectations and building a good rapport with the customers can help you establish a long-term professional relationship with your clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
small businesses?
what is the percent of small businesses in the US economy? i know there is corporations, etc. etc.or
how many small business reside in the US?
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ANSWER:
About 26 million small businesses.
That includes businesses that hire people and self-employed one-person businesses.http://www.score.org/small_biz_stats.html
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QUESTION:
What small businesses have turned in to very successful large businesses?
I'm writing an essay on small business and i want to have information about some well known businesses that started of small and google is not giving me that.Does any one know a few businesses that started of as a small business?
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ANSWER:
Microsoft, Apple, both started in someones garage. McDonald's was just a mom and pop hamburger stand so was KFC.
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QUESTION:
Over 60% of small businesses fail due to a lack of planning and execution of a business plan.?
Over 60% of small businesses fail due to a lack of planning and execution of a business plan. When businesses are so small it is rare to have an HR manager, because of that training and follow-up is non-existent. Who would be accountable and how could management implement a training routine to make it beneficial and cost effective?-
ANSWER:
If you're only really asking about training, then it would depend on the size of the business. If there's only about 1 - 10 people, then it would usually be the duty of the owner to train new staff, as he or she would be the person with the most interest in ensuring that everyone knows what they are doing. If you go into 10 - 30 or so staff, you'd probably have an operational or production manager who should take care of training.Most businesses don't fail because of inadequate training though. As you pointed out, it's more about lack of planning. I ran my own small businesses for a few years, and I made sure to only hire people that didn't need any training!
Is your concern that businesses fail because of no proper training programs?
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QUESTION:
What small businesses can be started with little to no financial support?
Other than mowing lawns or selling lemonade, what other small businesses can be started that will prove to be profitable? I'm a teenager looking to start a business but I'm pretty much broke. Any ideas?-
ANSWER:
Get on eBay and start selling stuff you and your family members don't want anymore. Take the money you earn and go to auctions. Buy more stuff and sell it. Tell your neighbors you'll sell their things on eBay for a certain percentage.
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QUESTION:
How many small businesses will go out of business if republican succeed in increasing health insurance rates?
Health insurance is one of the biggest costs for small business that choose to support their employees. We have seen 200% grown in premium costs over the last 6 years. It looks likely that republicans will succeed in squashing any significant reform in the health care bill. How many small businesses will go out of business as a result?Or will they simply drop employee matching leaving the entire cost up to individuals?
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ANSWER:
The more the better from their point of view as then that will mean that Obama's reforms are damaging America, or so they will argue. And that means that they can go back to the wonderful healthcare system that no other western nation has!It surprises me that so many Americans seem not to be aware about Obama’s healthcare plans [a]. During the election, he campaigned for these changes stating that he felt it was unfair to have a system where insurance companies try to escape paying claims and was elected to bring in changes [b].
First of all, too many people do not know that Obama wants to make insurance more available to all. His system is similar to that which works in Holland, Taiwan [c] and Switzerland. It works there and private healthcare companies provide most the insurance to the people there.
FACT - the USA spends more on healthcare PER PERSON than any other nation on the planet [d].
FACT – insurance companies admit that they push up costs, buy politicians and do not pay out for many claims when they should [e].
FACT - the US has higher death rates for kids aged under five than western European countries with universal health coverage [f].That means that a dead American four year old would have had a better chance of life if they were born in Canada, France, the Netherlands, Cuba, Switzerland, Germany, Japan etc, all of which have universal health coverage. And no western European nation with universal healthcare has moved away from it. And the sad thing is, that the insurance companies have spent loads of money to fight these reforms [g] and loads of politicians are taking the thirty pieces of silver from them to fight the reforms, rather than fight for the health of the American people.
Remember, I back my facts up with evidence. Those who say they are wrong tend not to. If they are wrong, e-mail me with proof and let me know.
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Buy Business
Buy Business List Leads
Getting leads for your business is one of the most crucial aspects of ANY business, it does not matter if your do work online, own a traditional business or act as a sales agent for various products. But how does a person acquire constant leads? Or better yet how does somebody get quality leads? Most times, when you find people online for your business that are leads, they're not very serious leads as they may not be a great match for your particular offer. They many just consume your time and not even genuinely be interested or they ask a million questions and in conclusion they never convert to a paying client.
One fantastic way to prospect for new business leads is to purchase business list leads for a given geography or for specific business categories and then communicate with them quickly and cheaply using electronic means. By leveraging large lists with cheap communication and a great offer you can quickly bring in hungry fish, people or companies that are actually interested in your products or services. This makes "selling" much easier as they are actually interested in your product or service or they would not have responded to your initial communication.
You can choose various methods of communicating with your new business leads once you acquire them on CD or in electronic format. Popular inexpensive methods include fax broadcast, voice broadcast and email broadcast. You must be sure to check local laws on such forms of communication to ensure you do not break any laws or offend your target market.
There are several great sites on the internet where you can buy quality business leads in bulk for great prices. The lists are categorized by geography such as; nationwide, state, city, etc. List prices can vary greatly and you should ensure that the sellers are responsive to your questions and have a good track record of providing decent data and also a decent help section generally demonstrates they are well practiced in properly serving their clients. The most common lists contain names, addresses, phone numbers, sales volumes and business categorization. You should ensure that you get enough detail to be able to identify the contacts in the list that would be the best leads for your particular situation.
One great Business List site that seems to offer many of these advantages can be found at http://www.businesslistsforsale.comFrequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
Business loans for USA investors to buy businesses in foreign countries?
Are there government loans for USA investors to help buy business opportunities in other countries (or through other governments)? Say, South America? Say, if the loan were backed up by real estate? Or is this available only to superwealthy americans?-
ANSWER:
by Joy M Member since:
March 26, 2008
Total points:
137 (Level 1) if you are looking for a loan then my dear i should tell you that you are in the wrong place most of the people who advertise here are scams,but there are still a few legit loan lenders on the internet,a man my friend met on a singapore website help her with her loan problems his address is jamesmith_lenders12@yahoo.com, try him and see if he will be able to help you,DO NOT FALL INTO THE HANDS OF SCAMMERS!!!
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QUESTION:
Where are some good places to buy business casual clothes?
I just got a job at banana republic and the dress code is business casual. I can't afford to buy everything from banana republic, plus I want some variety, so what are some other places I could check out? I have one outfit that can be considered business casual. Help!-
ANSWER:
I would look into any resale stores, or consignment shops. They typically do not accept clothes that are not in good condition, and they offer fair prices.Thanks for reading!
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QUESTION:
Scentsy consultants do you buy your business cards from Scentsy or make your own?
I recently became a consultant and i noticed to buy business cards from Scentsy its alot more expensive than buying them from say vista print so I was wondering where you get yours from.
if you have pics of your business cards that would be awesome too just so i can get an idea of what to put on it. Thanks-
ANSWER:
Hi Sarah!I got mine on Ebay. Some of the printers on there will develop the business card for you. You can let them know what you'd like on it and maybe let them know some of Scentsy's requirements, such as having "Independent Consultant" on the card. They will then send it to you for you approval. You can submit that to Scentsy for approval. Approval usually comes through quickly. Once approved, you can give the printer the go-ahead and they'll print and ship.
I believe there are also business card templates in the back office you can use. I think Scentsy Success also has templates.
Hope that helps! Congrats on your new business.
Lisa
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QUESTION:
Is there anywhere where I can buy business cards with paypal?
I need to buy business cards, but aint too fusy n using vistaprint. Is there anywhere I can have business cards designed for me and pay via paypal?-
ANSWER:
i use this business cards.there are thousands of design backgrounds to create your business card quickly.you can pay via paypal.http://tinyurl.com/abusinesscards
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QUESTION:
Is it better to buy a business or start from scratch?
Would you be able to make millions if you start a business from scratch or buy one?If you wanted to hav a career on a side to earn some cash to buy businesses such as a doctor or such would that be a good idea?
If you buy them but cannot attend many meetings can u stil be earning thousands or even millions if u left it to someone, or is that too risky?
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ANSWER:
I think a successful business starts from a small size then gradually becoming bigger and bigger. That's the secret of a successful business. You should start at the lower level to know what are the problems and constraints you would encounter during the establishment of your business in the future. Hope this helps!
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Business Website
How to Create an Effective Business Website Sales Copy?
Creating or buying a business website and creating a perfect search engine optimised business website will only increase free valuable targeted visitors’ to your business website?
Free targeted visitors from any major search engine to a business website is probably the most important conclusion for any business website owner, although in reality and being negative now, as the business website server costs directly relative to the amount of bandwidth the business website is using, the increased bandwidth will inevitably will result in increased server bandwidth costs – usually bandwidth costs will increase to the next bandwidth level – example from Basic Level to Silver Level, or even from Basic Level to Gold or Platinum Level, which bandwidth increase is appropriate then higher business website server costs are guaranteed.
The increased server cost can be financially matched if a percentage of the visiting targeted visitors buy the business websites products or services, but just because tageted visitors arrive at your business website don’t automatically decide to buy, unless the business website message – referred to as the ‘Sales Copy’ on the business websites’ ‘Landing Page’ covertly encourages the targeted visitor to buy the product or service within the necessary few seconds of the visitors’ arrival, the visitor is likely to lose interest and leave – possibly never to return – the visitors leaving within a few seconds can have a negative effect on your current Ranking within the major search engine Rankings – Google for instance, closely monitors the targeted visitors behaviour after their arrive at the business website and any negative monitoring is likely to have a negative impact on the increase business websites Rankings.
The business websites’ Sales Copy is not necessarily a common topic within the search engine optimisation techniques arena, so is not necessarily considered of any importance, yet is probably one of the most important search engine optimisation techniques and must not be ignored by any business website owner.
A business website Sales Copy must be instantly compelling and covertly persuasive because intensive research concerning the habits and expectations of website visitors are examined in the finest detail, and the most important detail which must not be ignored is the fact that website visitors will decide buy or flight within the first few seconds of entering the website, if the Sales Copy is not compelling and not covertly persuasive to buy the websites products or services, then the website visitor is more than likely to flee to another website and possibly buy the same product when and if, covertly compelled by the next websites Sales Copy.
There tends to be a natural resistance for website visitors to buy a product especially when the visiting website is not a recognisable multi national brand name, so the main priority of the business websites’ Sales Copy is to covertly persuade the website visitor that buying the website product or service that buying the product or service is the right thing to do, and the product must be bought now, with no long term doubts that the product or service, offers short and long term benefits – if you don’t buy now you will forever regret the decision.
The effective Sales Copy to not force a sale, it gives reasoned and realistic arguments that will be compelling to the visitor to buy the product – best described as ‘keeping the visitor on the edge of their seat’, and much thought must be used in advance by studying the likely resistance to buying your product – mainly through effective market research, giving compelling reasons for buying the product within the first sentence of the first paragraph of the Sales Copy and continuing the sales compulsion through to the Payment Click Now Button – usually Paypal, at the bottom of the Sales Copy of the ‘Landing Page’.
If in your initial planning – prior to creation, of you business website you concentrated your efforts on creating an effective ‘Landing Page’ then the creation of an effective Sales Copy can be devoted to this one single webpage – this being the webpage within the business websites ‘main hub’ where at least initially, the main relevant buying keyword phrase is embedded within this ‘Landing Page’ and can create a very powerful solution to a potential successful business website.
An effective Sales Copy must be linked in the other aspects of the business websites search engine optimisation techniques (SEO), and every single individual SEO tasks must be completed as a whole to ensure the business website has the potential to be ranked in the first three webpages of the major search engines search results pages (SERP’s), preferably the effective SEO techniques within the business website is to such a standard to be ranked within the first webpage of (SERP’s).
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
Business website?
I want to make a simple business website but not sure what to use to make that. I want it to look good. Should I use a company? Which company?The site will just look good with information about our company. It doesnt need anything fancy.
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ANSWER:
Ok i give you something to consider. to make a website you need the following.1. web hosting - you could get around USD5 per month and that is USD60 per year.
2. domain name. you could get .com for USD10 per year.
3. web design. cost? check out below forum to know what is the price webmaster would charge.
http://www.earnersforum.com/t10089/
http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18033
4. autoresponder. this is an autopilot services that allows you gather your newsletter's subscriber information so you can send them automatic response. USD20 per month so USD120 per year.I could say it could easily cost you more than USD500 per year just to maintain simple business site if you don't have the knowledge to do it yourself.
So what if you got an option if you can have business site for less than USD300 per year.
- you got web space. (unlimited with condition that don't violate their term)
- you got unlimited bandwith (as long you don't make your site as social site like myspace, a video site like youtube or a forum or download site. they are not a media web hosting). so if you got a pet site and so popular you can receive unlimited visitor without extra charge.
- domain name.
- autoresponder.
- you can make it simple or put a lot of content when you want to
- you can attach a blog to it.
- you can do keyword research.
- you don't have to know html to make your site. the infrastructure is there so you just give the system what you want to put on your site.
- you got access to a private forum where ambitious and hard working business owner hang out. good for networking and link building for your site.
- you can add on an online store capability with extra fee but less than USD50 per year.
- 30 days 100% money back guarantee. after that pro rate basis.Believe me their system is worth more than USD1000 a year.
65% of sites that are built using this system is at the 3th percentile of all the website in the world(the current statistic is around 100 millions sites). and that means at least 10,000 visitor per month. but you got to remember it takes time to reach that point because traffic come with content. so if your site stay 5 pages the whole life time don't ever dream to get that much traffic. on the net traffic generate income.
I'm an Infopreneur. I earn a living providing information services to others who needs useful knowledge and would save a lot of their time especially on the net when information is abundance yet the quality is questionable.
I've been online about a year now. so many things i have learned so i'm trying to provide good stuff that would really help anyone who needs real information.
So go to below link for new breath of fresh air. until 4th of january the are offering 2 for the price of 1. why not find one partner who want to create a business website too so you can save even more. please watch the videos. the knowledge is invaluable for your business future. hope that helps a bit. wish you happy new year and all the best.
http://www.clickaudit.com/goto/?89035 (30 min video)
http://www.clickaudit.com/goto/?89010 (homepage)
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QUESTION:
Business Website?
I'm starting an internet based business and I need to get a website. What is the best way to go about this? Who should I use? Also explain web hosting and domain names please.
Thanks in advance.-
ANSWER:
Go to http://www.intrinzicdesignz.com they will be able to help you, they provide everything that you will need to have your own website. They provide complete packages, so you do not have to worry about finding a hosting company, registering your own domain name, building and maintaining your website.
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QUESTION:
business website?
How do you get a business website on a google search engine, or other websites?? thanks so much!!-
ANSWER:
submit it directly
Learn how to submit your site to Google http://www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurlLearn how to submit your site to MSN Search http://search.msn.com/docs/submit.aspx?FORM=WSDD2
Learn how to submit your site to yahoo
http://search.yahoo.com/info/submit.html
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QUESTION:
How to start a business website cheap and easy?
A family friend of ours has just started a small business venture. The business is related with designer bags and women accessories. Our friend wants to explore export opportunities and she needs a simple website and maybe develop it into a sophisticated one once the business grows so that through the web site she would be able to tap new customers and unlimited business prospects abroad. I just want to advise her how to start a business website that is cheap and does not cost that much and easy to set up and manage the website.-
ANSWER:
Hi Canda, tell your friend to draw out a concept first and make herself clear on what she wants to appear in the website. After that, find a domain name, preferably the same name of her business so that the website has its own identity and is easy to remember or memorize. You can get a free domain at http://www.webhostingreality.com/hostgator.phpI suggest that in order to avoid hiring an expensive webdesigner, just use a free open source software, no cost at all. Just click and install the software and your friend's website will be live all in a minute. WordPress or Joomla are two popular softwares for making a business website. I prefer WordPress. Get a free WordPress installation at http://www.webhostingreality.com/justhost.php
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QUESTION:
How can I create a business website that provides a service as opposed to selling actual products?
I want to create a business website that provides a service (similar concept as 'sittercity', but different service) and charges a modest membership fee, but I am not sure where to get started. I've heard of web hosting, but am not sure if this only applies to businesses that are selling products.My ideal website would be free to everyone with restricted access, but only paid members would be able to fully access all features of the website. Does anyone have helpful information on how to get this started?
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ANSWER:
You hit the nail right on the head. You must create a site that is warm and inviting. Start by offering free access then follow up with charging for full access. Your free access should presell the full access. It gives the visitor the chance to get his/her feet wet then decide to go further.
There are several hosts that can assist. Some hosts offer better tools then others. The key is to find the best match for your needs. In order to find the best match, I would suggest comparing several options. First comparing feature-by-feature then dollar-for-dollar. Using this process will ensure the best fit and the most value for your money. The web host that I use for my business is http://find.sitesell.com/UnstoppableDreams.html
They have great examples and specialized tips/assistance for building specific/targeted sites. One of their specialties is service sites as well.BEST WISHES!
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Business Online
aIn the Trenchesa Approach to Growing Your Business Onlinea. Even If You Don't Have One Yet!
“In the Trenches” Approach To Growing Your Business Online…. Even If You Don’t have One Yet!
- By Lou Harty
I have spent over 20 years in the Australian Army, and one thing I did carry over into my civilian life was the importance of sticking to basics. Basics are the foundation of everything.
Whatever you build or create needs to have a strong foundation. With a strong foundation you can grow your business until it becomes an impenetrable tower. From there you can add more bricks for more growth. Running and operating a profitable, sustainable long-term business is exactly the same.
Over 8000 people start an Internet based business online everyday. However only 4% of those go on to become a long-term profitable businesses. There are a number of ways that you can be in the top 4%. Firstly you need to have the right Mindset.
MINDSET:
When stating an Internet business you need to adopt the right mindset and ask yourself:
- Why do I want an online business?
- How badly do I want this?
- What are my goals for an online business?
- Can I adapt to changes easily?
- I need to full responsibility for this?
One of Napoleon Hills success principles is “Desire”…Now having a strong burning desire to succeed is great, but having that desire alone is not going to help you get started. You need to take action and continue to grow with your business. Growing mentally and commercially, particularly when faced with obstacles. Remind yourself of the reasons you want this business to be successful.
The following are two case studies, each with individual desires and goals. This case study will show you the steps each will need to take in order to achieve their desired outcome.
Let me introduce you to Ken and Barbie. Both want to start an Internet based business. Firstly lets look at kens reasons for wanting this.
Kens Story:
Ken has a small gardening business. His needs are simple. He wants more customers, more money and wants his business to expand nation wide. He has no idea how to run an Internet business and is prepared to hire a team of experts to operate his business online. Ken doesn’t want to do the work and is happy to outsource.
Outsourcing is increasingly becoming a key business strategy and is a great way to leverage your time and help grow quickly. If you are not an expert then hire people who are.
Many people waste time trying to learn all about online marketing techniques only to give up. If you have a team of experts you can simply tell them what you need and let them do the rest.
HOW TO OUTSOURCE
If you do a Google search for the term “outsourcing” you will find an endless stream of companies who are more than willing to assist you. You can also use Elance, Rentacoder and ReplaceMyself.
SELECTING A TEAM
Its recommended to initially hire 2-3 different people and task them and see who does the best job. Ideally if you are dealing with an overseas outsource team you want them to be able to speak English clearly to eliminate any miscommunication.
If this seems a bit daunting, then you can hire a Virtual Assistance (VA). The VA will find a suitable team based off your requirement. The VA can take care of the monitoring of task, the cost and can manage your account for you.
Here is a list of tasks for Kens VA to outsource:
WEBSITE CREATION
• Design
• Installation
• Maintenance
• Installing blogs & plugins
• Moderating blog comments
CONTENT CREATION
• Article writing and distribution
• Video and audio creation and distribution
• Bonus offers
• Info product creation
TRAFFIC GENERATION
• Article creation
• Article distribution
• Blog commenting
• Video media
• Audio media
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Pay Per Click advertising (PPC)
• Building back links
• Social Networking
COST OF OUTSOURCING
Outsourcing costs are relatively low in comparison to normal hiring and staff costs in Australia. Most outsourcing is done overseas in countries like The Philippines, India and Europe. Some are as low as $3- 4 an hour. Or you may prefer to hire a full time person for as little as $200 - $400 a month depending on the company you use.
Once ken has an outsourced team he can then focus on building client relations and providing a better gardening service for his clients.
Barbie’s Story
Barbie is a stay at home mum who trades the markets electronically. She earns a great income from her day job. Barbie wants another stream of income and likes the idea of running an online business from home, however she doesn’t have a product or service to sell. Barbie wants to learn all facets of Internet marketing as she has the time to be creative.
Barbie doesn’t have a product or service to sell. But learns that she can make money from promoting other peoples products. Jill joins the trading company’s online affiliate program.
Here are the steps she will take:
STEP 1: Join an affiliate program
An affiliate program is where you receive a commission from making referrals. Barbie will receive $500 for each referral.
Upon joining Barbie receives a unique affiliate ID that is tracked to all her referrals. So now Barbie has a ready made website and can focus on getting customers to the site.
STEP 2: Buy a domain name
As Barbie one day wants to become an expert trader and would like to create her own trading blog helping other mums become better traders, Barbie buys her own name. www.yourName.com. She also buys another domain name that is keyword rich and related to the product she’s promoting which is trading. She then redirects or points her affiliate link to the new domain names.
STEP 3: RESEARCH
Market research is where you will need to find if there is a demand for your products. There are number of ways to market research. You can visit authority sites of where people go to find good information, e.g. Forums, blogs etc on your topic. Search Google Trends and Google Insights, EBay Pulse and authority sites like Oprah.
Keyword research is finding the keywords that people are search for, what people are actually typing into the search engines. There are number of free research tools online.
STEP 4: CONTENT CREATION TRAFFIC
You want to become an authority in your market, and therefore will need to position and brand yourself. You want to offer your readers and subscribers relevant and awesome content on your subject. Soon you will have a following of people and they will see you as the expert. The next step is creating the content and driving traffic to your website.
There are three types of traffic online. Free, Paid and Borrowed.
Free traffic is in the form of written content such as Article, forum, blogs, and social network sites. You can visit blogs and forums and join discussion groups in your niche and make comments and link your comment back to your website.
Paid traffic includes Google Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising. This is where the business owner pays every time someone clicks on his or her ad. The ads are displayed on the right hand column and on top of search engines. The other content in search engines is known as organic listing. Ideally you want to own the first few pages of Google's organic listing in your market.
ARTICLES
Articles are a great way of getting the word out. People go online for information. So begin by writing articles on various topics relating to your product. In Kens business he would write articles relating to gardening such as best soils to use to grow grass or the best time of the year to plant tomatoes and so on. Barbie would write articles relating to trading, this can include trading psychology, trading systems and money management.
You can either write the article yourself or have them written for you by using outsourcing or paid services. Once you have your articles you will need to place them on your website or blog and then distribute them.
ARTICLE SUBMISSION
Submit your articles into article directories such as EzineArticles, GoArticles so others can read them, share them and use them on their own sites. This will then become viral, as others will also share your content.
DISTRIBUTION
Once your articles have been submitted into article directories you want these to be distributed across the Internet. Ensure you have a link in your article pointing back to your site. Two links are betters, one for a video and one for your site. This is usually placed in the Bio or resources box. This again can be done manually which is time consuming, or you can use a paid service using sites like ISnare, SubmitYourArticle, AutoArticleMarketing, and many others available online.
MULTIMEDIA
The Internet has allowed users around the world multiple ways of gathering information. People can read about it, watch it, listen to it, share it and best of all; download it. Google loves media rich websites including the following:
• Video
• Audio
• Picture, images
• PDF
• Google likes to display media rich content
VIDEO
Create a series of videos on your subject. You don’t need an expensive camera for this. Some of the world’s highest viewed videos are made with your trusty mobile phone or digital camera. You only have to visit YouTube to the most viewed videos. Get filmed talking about your product
• Ken could do a series of videos on the content he used in his articles, organic vegies in WA and the best lawn for tropical climates.
• Barbie could do videos on the mindset of traders, and a beginners guide to juggling family and trading.
• Submit your videos into media sharing sites such as You tube, Viddler and Tubemogul.
• Create videos in a MS PowerPoint presentation and record it in Camtasia or Screenflow
• Add images in your videos
• Use automated professional videos like http://www. ClickAnimoto
AUDIO
Audio is a popular way to also get your message online. You can go and buy a Dictaphone or recording device. They range from $50 - $400 and can record voice for up to 10hours, depending on the model.
- Record yourself reading your article, or talking candidly about your product.
- Upload it into your blog using Audacity, this also converts into different files including Mp3
- Create a number of Podcasts on your subject, this will give you more traffic.
- Start your own radio station.
- Transcribe your audios into PDF documents
- Share the information on social networks
- Once done then distribute your audios, same as you do article and videos. There are a number of automatic audio submission sites available.
This is just a small list of techniques to increasing your traffic and converting them into paying customers. However it’s a great starting guide for those looking at growing your business online.
CONTINUED GROWTH
Although Ken and Barbie are adopting different business strategies, both want their businesses to grow and expand…don’t we all!
Just remember, the Internet is fluid, and you have to be like water. You will need to keep current and up-to-date with what’s going on. This means continually learning and can be achieved by:
• Attending seminars and workshops;
• Reading forums and blogs,
• Subscribing to newsletters and websites.
• Reading journals, magazine and newspapers.
• Modelling people who are successful already
• Find mentors, people who will stretch you and take you with them.
You want the edge over your competition. You want to see what they are doing. Review their products, their websites, their advertisements. You want to be able to adapt quickly…. You want to innovate and you want to position and brand yourself as the leader in your market. Most of all you want your business to grow old with you.
If you would like to read the original article, it is our latest magazine Think and Grow Inc. Here's my gift to you, a 6mth magazine subscription. http://www.freemagazinesubscriptions.com.au/
If you like this article please share it with your friends.
For more on the author, please visit http://www.LouHarty.com
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
business online??
anybody know of a good site which involves business online? it's for a project, so i would appreciate any help.
i'm doing a school project of what business online involves, so i would have to find information about, for example, how it's done or how effective it is, stuff like that. any help?-
ANSWER:
We need more information.I don't know if I understand what are looking for...but if you're looking for an online business that sells hubcaps (just an example), then go to Google and type in ONLINE HUBCAPS and you'll find a slew of them.
If you mean that you're looking for information about how to start a businss online, then type into Google RUN A BUSINESS ONLINE.
If this info is not any help to you, please explain yourself more thoroughly.
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ADDITION TO RESPONSE:The following website should help - it covers every area of online businesses. Good Luck with your project!
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QUESTION:
Starting an online entertainment business online can u help?
I am planning on starting an entertainment(mainly tarot and astrology readings) business and will be charging clients a fee of less that 20 bucks. What is the first thing that I MUST do in order to start a business like this online? I need it to be 100% legal and not a scam. I am honest and would not like to be labeled a Scam artist! Thx in advance.-
ANSWER:
I don't know anything about tarot and astrology but I started an online business not so long ago and the main issues were:1. Building a website that works intuitively
2. Marketing the website so that the right people now about it so I can make sales
3. Apart from that, to make it legal you need a legal entity
I used a mob called Business Switch in Sydney and they were really helpful in guiding me through the important issues (there are quite a few) when starting a business. They also do it for a fixed price which was good because you hear lots of stories of people getting ripped off when starting a business.
Good luck with it.
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QUESTION:
What difficulties will my business face when going online?
I am preparing to start a new business online for retailing designer handbags. My business preparation is designed for woman and young girls. The concept of setting up my business online is to gain consideration from my potential customers and the idea of running my business online suits my lifestyle. My business company will be named ‘Dream Bagz’.~What difficulties will my business face when going online?
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ANSWER:
Your website will need to comply with Distance Selling Regulations which set out clear terms about returns, refunds and cooling off periods.It will be important to make sure that your site ranks well with the Search Engines so that people looking for designer handbags can find you. Choose your keywords carefully so that they reflect what people are searching for. Include colours in your keywords so that it narrows down the search.
What payment gateway will you use? If you're using Paypal, make sure you register it as a business account, do all the verification steps and then you'll be able to transfer the money to your business bank account easily.
Make sure that you can fulfil orders within the period you say on your site. This includes having good stock control and being able to acquire more stock quickly if you have a run on orders. You also need to strike a balance between carrying too much stock that doesn't sell and not having enough to satisfy orders.
Good luck!
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QUESTION:
How to start online business? Do you have to register or pay before starting an online business? Is it free?
Do you need a business license to do business online? Or do you have to register or pay for a certain fee to start online business? And also, what are the steps to start begin an online business?-
ANSWER:
My suggestion is to do some research on the subject before starting. Check with your local Chamber of Commerce, the Secretary of State, the Small Business Administration. Read up on it -- go to your local library, check Amazon, etc. Write a business plan -- there are plenty of books available on this subject.Prior to investing your time, money & effort into an online business name, it is strongly advised that comprehensive research be conducted to ensure that the name you're interested in is truly available.
This entails searching the pending & registered Federal and State trademark files as well as the US National Common-Law files. Then, if clear, you can decide if you would like to file for a Federal or a State trademark.
Research is needed to make sure your trade name is legally available, before opening, before expansion, before incorporation or before designing your logo. Similarities in sound, appearance and meaning affect you too!
There are 16+ million trade names in use in the United States. Similar names matter, if close in sound, appearance or meaning. Similar names in related classes, distribution channels and customer matter too. You are affected by Common Law use (14 million), State Trademarks (500,000) and Federal Trademarks (2 million).
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QUESTION:
Do you need a business license to have a home based online business?
What are some reasons that you need a business license for an online business? Are you required to have one in Los Angeles, CA if you have a seller's permit and are going to be doing all your business online on your own website?-
ANSWER:
Since the internet is not regulated by any one state or country a business license is not required to have a exclusively internet based business, however many people who run internet based businesses will get a license to apply for a DBA which will give them access to many services only available to businesses most importantly the ability to setup their own merchant account and take credit cards payments without the use of third parties. Still others might setup S-Corps or an LLC simply for the tax benefits when they start making a decent amount of money through their business. The choice is really yours if you want to get a business license.
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Business Planning
Small Business Planning
Small business planning – no excuses, you need to write it down! Before you condemn me and say “he’s dead wrong”, let me share what I have seen. There are two schools of though about starting a business – one is “Jump In” and the other is “What If”. Both sides have strong reasons to uphold their opinions but in the end they want the same thing - success - they just take different paths to get there.
Two Schools of Thought
The “Jump In” crowd say that one of the simplest things that prevents getting started is ‘paralysis by analysis’. This concept is that you can dwell over your idea and the details behind it for such a long time that by the time you tell yourself you’re ready, you’re actually too late because the market has changed, and you have spent so much time and money trying to get to that point. The idea to prevent this paralysis is to just do it – just start the business, start acquiring customers, start delivering your product or service, deal with the problems and you will learn the your business by doing.
The entrepreneurs whom I’ve dubbed the “What If” are the people who understand that mistakes are costly. Some mistakes are burdensome when you’re bootstrapping the entire operation, others can be so detrimental to the business that they could break it. To prevent these errors, these people want to know what they are getting into and they take the time to look at the market, to look at the future customers, make sure that the basic financial equation [ Revenue (-) Costs = Hey, I can make money off of this(!) ] still holds.
Why You Need One
So you have an awesome idea, right? Great, now all you have to do is go out and do it! Well, that’s the same thing as being 14 and saying that you have an awesome idea to start driving and you’re going to do it. You can get behind the wheel of the car, you can get the engine running, you know about the gas pedal – I mean you’ve seen everyone else do it, so you pull out on the street and 2 minutes later you’re looking at a wrecked car. Sure, you’re still alive and the car cost $10k, but don’t you think you should at least ask about the rules of the road?
Here is why I say you NEED a business plan. No matter how well you think you know what you’re doing, you just haven’t thought it all the way through. A business plan does not have to be elaborate, does not have to be a 40 page color document, it doesn’t even have to be a quick 10 pager, I’m saying that if you can “write” it in your head then even that is great. A business plan is taking the time to ask yourself the basic questions about your new operation and coming up with the answers. The answers make up the plan:
1.Executive Summary – what is the nature of your business
2.Product/Service Description – what are you selling
3.Market Analysis – who is buying
4.Management Team – who is helping you
5.Operations Strategy – how will you deliver
6.Financial Plan and Projections – how much money can you make
Different Types
So, why is there so much talk about putting a business plan together and one being better than another? Well a business plan not only allows you to gather your thoughts about your new business, it also serves as a resume to partners and investors. Different levels of investors require different levels of analysis and insight. A financial institution such as a bank may want to see some specifics about sound financial operations; do you know what they want to see? Looking at thousands of business plans is the job of Angel Investors and Venture Capitalist and they may want to know the precise assessment of your customer base; do you know how to calculate it?
There are several ways you can put a plan together and each type of solution comes with its own price tag and those range from free to $10,000. You can look online and see a similar six-part summary that I wrote above (free), you can buy software that walks you through the different parts (about $400), or you can hire an expert or a consultant to write the plan for you..
It costs How Much?
Here is what you should know about the typical three types of business plans that a business plan professional can create charging per page or per hour. A Level 1 Business plan is about 10 pages, costs between $700 and $1,500 and is used to secure a bank loan. A Level 2 plan is from 20 to 30 pages, costs from $2,500 to $5,000 and is intended to capture an angel investor for an investment of up to $1M. The third level of business plan is intended to secure venture capital in the multi-million dollar range and can be from $7,000 to $10,000. If you think that $10,000 is a lot, you’re correct, but keep in mind that some plans have been written for up to $100,000…but they were used to secure tens of millions of dollars.
There should be no doubt in your head about whether you should have a business plan – if you are staring a new business you need one! Make the right decision of how you will write your business plan, who will write it, how much time and money you will spend on the process and for what outcome you are writing it.
Here is to you making it into the small percentage of successful startups!
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
Business planning????
I am writing a business plan for the first time and am confused on how to figure the following:Estimate how much start-up capital you will need to begin your business.
How will you obtain this needed capital?
Revenues covering all costs, both fixed and variable.
Estimate your revenues and expenses for 10 years.
Any explanation would help so much. Thanks!
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ANSWER:
These are big questions regarding your business plan, and I suggest you acquire one of the many business plan guides that are available. You will need a guide to a start up business plan.To make a brief stab at your questions;
To estimate needed start up capital, you itemize all expences you will incur to start up, determine approximate cost and add them up. Include advertising, marketing, etc.
How to obrtain the capital -- once you have a complete business plan in place, you can approach potential investors or you can take the business plan to a bank or other financial istitutuion and ask about a bank loan. (Or you can borrow from family and friends. It's advisable to have a written agreement if you go this way, to avoid confusion and bad feelings later on.)
Revenues covering all costs ... not sure what you mean by this. There is a formula for determining how much you need to charge per unit to break even and to make a profit.
Estimate reveues and expences for ten years .... you base this somewhat on your market research, your competition, the amount of growth you anticipate your business will experience over five to ten years. As near as I have ever figured it, there's no way to know this for sure. At best, you are giving an educated guess.
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QUESTION:
Over 60% of small businesses fail due to a lack of planning and execution of a business plan.?
Over 60% of small businesses fail due to a lack of planning and execution of a business plan. When businesses are so small it is rare to have an HR manager, because of that training and follow-up is non-existent. Who would be accountable and how could management implement a training routine to make it beneficial and cost effective?-
ANSWER:
If you're only really asking about training, then it would depend on the size of the business. If there's only about 1 - 10 people, then it would usually be the duty of the owner to train new staff, as he or she would be the person with the most interest in ensuring that everyone knows what they are doing. If you go into 10 - 30 or so staff, you'd probably have an operational or production manager who should take care of training.Most businesses don't fail because of inadequate training though. As you pointed out, it's more about lack of planning. I ran my own small businesses for a few years, and I made sure to only hire people that didn't need any training!
Is your concern that businesses fail because of no proper training programs?
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QUESTION:
When did business life first met business planning?
I would like to know what is the history of business plan/planning.When did it start to be applied in the business life? Was it 1940s?
I would really appreciate some sources, if you answer this question.
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ANSWER:
Check the source below, "A Short History of Business Plans"
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QUESTION:
How much time do you spend on planning your business or venture?
I have helped quite a bit of users here on business planning, some financial stuff and business in general, but what comes to mind is how much time and energy people actually put into planning?Do you feel that if you should plan better you are more likely to succeed?
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ANSWER:
It depends on the business or venture. But, in short yes, planning will usually make a big difference. Creating a business plan is a very key part of keeping your imagination in check, and a good business plan will take a few weeks to prepare after all the research is done.
A business plan should identify exactly what you plan on doing, when and how. For instance if you want to start a cleaning service business, Your business plan will identify your up front costs, how much capital you will need for things such as material, advertising, gas, etc. who your ideal clients are and where they are, the plan should also set realistic goals and show how your going to spend the money you make. The BIGGEST mistake people make when going into business themselvs is thinking that the money they make is theirs, it's not. Its the businesses money and in order to grow you need to take a very modest cut & use the profit to help the business grow, advertise more, buy better product put the money to good use and it will make you more money.
And the reason that most people put so much time into business plans is usually because banks & lending institutions require them before handing out any capital, unfortunatly so many people forgett about the business plan after they get the money
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QUESTION:
How do I use a Feasibility Study for business planning?
I am planning on opening a restaurant, but before the bank would give me a business loan for startup costs, they require that I conduct a Feasibility Study. I grew up in the restaurant business, so I know it will work, but I guess I need a third-party to verify the idea. How do I get a feasibility plan for the business loan?-
ANSWER:
Banks want objective "due diligence" into your business plan, so you will need to hire a third-party to conduct a feasibility study. Just google "restaurant feasibility study company" or something like that and find someone who can work with you who understands your industry. Restaurants have particular questions that are unique from other businesses, so be sure to ask if they have worked with the food service industry.
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Business Marketing
Small Business Marketing Tip: Conduct A Marketing Crusade
Let me ask you a question. The answer is to the question is critical to your business success.
Do you fully understand the real nature of the business you are in?
Your instant response is of course, I'm in the [put your industry name here] business. For example, you probably said, of course, I'm in the real estate business, or the plumbing business, or the printing business, etc.
But that is only partly correct if you are the owner of the business. As the business owner, the real nature of your business is marketing the business you are in.
You may have the greatest service or the best product in the world, but if no one knows about it, you will soon be out of business.
One method of increasing the exposure of your business to your potential customers, is to conduct a marketing crusade.
You can compare this marketing approach to a missionary’s work or the launching of a crusade because only the fervor and the determination of a missionary or crusader will assure your marketing success.
Missionaries are driven by more than just their desire to sell someone on buying their product or service. Rather, a missionary’s goal is to convert the world to their way of thinking, their mission and their crusade. Only through such a conversion process can you expect to receive not just a customer, but customers for life.
When your business launches a marketing mission, it takes a different approach than traditional marketing.
Traditional approaches are taken and set aside in favor of our missionary or crusader’s goal. In a traditional marketing effort, the real motivation for most marketing activity is just to make money. That’s nice to do, but that’s not all we need.
Every marketing effort, at this point, is tied directly back to its contribution to money coming in.
Now, as a missionary, your business goal becomes an effort to win your customer’s lifetime business and loyalty. If your business’ marketing activity is successful in changing the way your customers think about your business or products or services in such a way that the customer sees you as a vehicle to accomplish their goal and growth, then your goals and your growth will be a natural result.
As your business manages its sales growth properly, increased profit is going to follow. Immediate profits are nowhere near as important as long-term profits. To insure that you’re going to continue to profit for the long-term, your real objective is to convert your prospect into a customer who shares your vision of what you’re trying to accomplish and is a true believer.
Vision is a problem with the normal sales approach. There is no vision other than the short-term, which is to make the immediate sale. There is little or no real focus on back-end selling and the life time value of a customer, which we’ll talk more about later on.
What is your vision?
Is your business focused on an area of interest to your customers, prospects or clients?
Are you driven fervently by the need to help them or yourself?
Why should others patronize your business rather than any other business? Or not do anything at all?
What can you do that will not only cause your customers to return again and again, but cause them to tell others to buy your products and services as well?
Can you take that vision and incorporate it with a main sales and marketing thrust, advantage or Unique Selling Proposition and use that for an advantage over your competitors?
A good marketing crusade will integrate all this together and soon have customers coming to you as a result of what Dan Kennedy calls a Magnetic Marketing System. If you were Jiffy Lube, you might call it a well oiled marketing machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
Business Marketing?
What does business marketing have to do with math? Please give a well explained answer.-
ANSWER:
In order to generate demand, interpret market or consumer behavior, growth, changes in consumer preferences, etc. you have to measure and have statistics on each and every variable that is relevant to design a strategy or a course of action.Math is in all of these stages of analysis.
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QUESTION:
What is the difference between business to business and consumer marketing?
What is the difference between business to business marketing and consumer marketing?Its part of a question for my AS level business studies homework but I don't know what each of these are, please help!
Thakyou (:
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ANSWER:
Business to business marketing is facilitating the sale of one business's products or services to other companies or organizations that in turn resell them, use them as components in products or services they offer, or use them to support their operations.Consumer marketing is selling directly to the customer.
All the best to you with your studies!
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QUESTION:
What's the difference between Business Marketing and Business Management?
I'm going into business and don't actually know if Marketing or Managment(Administration) is best for me. What's the responsibility of the two and what are some differences of both?-
ANSWER:
Marketing is looking for a market where your product can be sold. its basically the process of promoting, advertisng, developing a product for a certain market, designing a concept to fit your marketing mix.Management is the way you bring your company to whatever direction. Its the art of planning, organizing, leading and controling whatever resources you have
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QUESTION:
Is a minor in business marketing good with Psychology major?
HiSo I'm currently a psychology major hoping to earn a PhD in Neuropsychology. I'm in the process of planning to take a minor in business marketing in case the Neuropsychology doesn't workout since Graduate programs are very competitive.
That way I can go straight into marketing with what I know from psychology. I'm just want to know if marketing is a good minor to couple with a psych major. Also what other minors would go well with psych majors
Thanks
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ANSWER:
Hi, I'm not a psych major but I am a marketing major so hopefully this helps!Marketing is a very competitive field so my only concern is that you may feel you can't compete against those who majored in marketing when it comes to those jobs. However, a lot of marketing classes pertain to the psychology of marketing, in jobs relevant to this you would be an asset.
My roommate is a psych major and many of her psychology classes are practically identical to mine, however hers will focus on relationships and social situations of psychology where mine are the same theories but used in a marketing sense (ex. memory, senses, information processing etc.)
If you think you would enjoy marketing, I think the two can go well together, however you would most likely be in the consumer behaviour side of it (with your psychology degree) rather than the creative side. Of course this isn't to say you can't do either, a degree can get you anywhere! You just may find the creative jobs to be more competitive.
I hope this helped give you a bit more insight!
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QUESTION:
What jobs are available with a business marketing degree?
I'm researching jobs for my enrichment class project and I'm looking in the business field. What would the available jobs be with a degree in business marketing?-
ANSWER:
Ok, so you can be a Marketing Manager or Associate, PR Associate, Market Research Director, Brand Manager, or an associate at an Advertising firm . You can go into sales, as well -- if you like it, of course.
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Writing Business Plan
Business Letter Writing, Business Plan Writing
Why Write a Business Letter?
The research of a written business letter is not the final-answer of the business plan. The target of writing business letter is to expect the ultimate goal. Anyway, the writing plan is an essential middle stage and useless plan can fail the business. For a reputable business it demonstrates that vigilant thought has been given to the business's growth.
Purpose of Writing a Business Letter;
An official business letter is just as significant for a reputable business, for the development and growth of business it is for a startup. It serves many important functions.
Helps organization or an industrialist to make clear, hub and research their businesses or project's expansion and projection. Provides a careful and logical structure within which a business can expand and follow business strategy over the next years.
Business letter Serve as a source for conversation with third parties in the sense shareholders, agencies, banks, investors etc.
Just two businesses are identical, so in addition with business plans. When an issue in a plan will be extra significant to some businesses, it is essential to adapt a plan's filling to suit individual situation. However, the majority plans track a well-tried and tested arrangement and general suggestion on prepare a plan is generally applicable.
A business letter must be a sensible view of the outlook and long-term objectives for a reputable business or new scheme. It provides the structure within which should operate and, eventually, succeed or fail. For supervision or entrepreneurs looking for outside support, the letter is the most significant sales manuscript that they are always likely to create as it could be the answer to raising finance etc. research of a comprehensive plan will not promise victory in raising funds or mobilizing hold up, but be deficient in of a noise plan will, approximately certainly, ensure breakdown. If you need our business letter writingservices Read Here
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
Where can I find info for writing business plan for ornamental nursery?
I am writing a business plan and I need to show that the plants I want to sell are still selling strong despite the drought and economic downturn. I am specializing in drought tolerant plants that are used at most new businesses. I need the most recent plant sales and pricing information.
I am also looking to find out about the other nurseries in my county. Most of my competition will be small family owned businesses and may even be operating without a business license.
Anyone know any good websites?-
ANSWER:
I don't know of any websites for you but I do know that your local county agricultural extension office should be able to help you. They do yearly crop reports for the county and should have that information you need. If they do not have everything you need, they can refer you to an agency that can.You can also try your state's nursery association. I'm in California and our association is called "California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers." They do have a website and they have this report there: http://www.cangc.org/documents/20080613/08EconomicImpact.pdf
I know that when we fill out the forms for the county crop report, we have to list detailed information about what plants we are selling and it's pretty extensive so I hope your county is as thorough.
Good luck!
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QUESTION:
where to get numbers for writing business plan?
I am writing a business plan for a photography and creative services company and need to project revenue and personnel for the next three years. How do I approximate these amounts and costs?-
ANSWER:
create a simple spreadsheet... 'business cashflow" you can download one from google. Use graphs too, they are easier on the eye for a quick glance.Take into account what incomings and outgoings you have at present and REALISTICALLY extend on the figures...
Once your more established - you'll be making more money etc.. just slowly build on these figures... but don't over do it!!
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QUESTION:
Need help writing business plan for bakery?
I need to write a business plan for a bakery idea i have. Does anyone have a link to a good template and possibly some pointers?-
ANSWER:
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QUESTION:
Any good business plan writing tools for a Mac?
Need to write a business plan and I refuse to use a PC. Anything out there compatible with a Mac?-
ANSWER:
Refuse to use a PC?
People who use Macs have absolutely no understanding of what a computer is and let themselves pay hundreds upon hundreds of dollars more for an inferior product. Then to make themselves feel less moronic, they pretend they their product is better even though every independent study shows that this is far from the truth.As for tools to write a business plan? LMAO. Use a text editor.
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QUESTION:
I need some help in Writing a business plan?
I am planning in opening a Kennels where i stay,it is a perfect location and the plans are going through just now but there is a slight problem i haven't written up a business plan and i think they might ask me for one soon so i was wondering if anyone had ever opened a Boarding Kennels business before and if you could they please give me some important pointers with writing a Business Plan as i know it is a pretty important thing if you want your business to be taken seriously and also be a success.-
ANSWER:
Before you write your business plan, please look at the steps below to assist you.
1- Think seriously about your business. Before putting any words or numbers on paper.
2- Research all facets of your business and research your competition even more intensely learn what your competition does, how they do it.
3- Prepare an executive summary. Try to keep this document to a maximum of one or two pages.
4- Describe your business. Note what you will be selling and to whom. State the profitability of the products or service you will be marketing.
5- Detail the major marketing aspects of your business.6- Clearly display your projected financial information. State the amount of money you need to accomplish your goals and where you hope to get it.
7- Carefully describe your management team ( even if it's only you ) Note the cost of this management on an annual basis.
8- Decide whether your business plan needs more detail, pictures, graphs or other support material.
If you are seeking loans or investment of thousands of pounds, this is no time to save 500 pounds if a professional business plan export could make your plan irresistible to funding sources.
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