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Want to give your company a higher profile online? If starting your own blog seems like too big of a commitment for your business, don't worry. You don't have to start your own blog to get publicity-you just have to get mentioned in someone else's blog. Before you begin your quest to get blogged about, it's important to understand a few things about blogs. Most successful bloggers post new content at least two or three times a week. Of course, many of them post much more frequently than that-several times a day isn't unusual. That means...
You may have incorporated your business or formed a limited liability company (LLCs) with the idea of obtaining liability protection for your personal assets. Think you’re protected? Think again. You may not have the protection you expect. Here are three traps that can put your personal assets at risk and how you can protect yourself. 1. Sloppy business practicesGood business practices require that you keep good books and records on your business activities and that you separate your personal finances from your business finances....
If you are a fitness aficionado (or if you aren’t but wish you were), then perhaps you have noticed the way that doing exercises changes the way you move. Dancing does the same thing but I figure there are probably fewer ballerinas out there than there are microbusiness owners trying to avoid becoming mouse potatoes. Besides, for some of us, (aerobic) dance is our favorite form of exercise. See, you can think about improving your posture. You can spend a small fortune getting yourself adjusted while enduring lectures from your...
Do you remember the last time you made a major purchase? Whether that purchase was a house or a car, you attempted to gather as much information as possible in order to make sure you were doing the right thing. Well, investing in a franchise business of your own is major. Here's how to research one. I do about 20 franchise seminars/classes a year. I enjoy it, and I feel that my audiences benefit tremendously. Once in awhile, an audience member will come up to me after my presentation, and say this: 'Joel, I wish I would have heard...
Sometimes it seems like the government speaks another language. There are thousands of government acronyms, from agency names to company designations to personnel titles. In today’s post, I provide a short glossary of government-contracting acronyms. Phase 1 Acronyms GSA: This is probably the most basic government-contracting acronym you’ll come across. It stands for the General Services Administration – the government agency that connects government buyers with commercial sellers. If you want to sell to the government,...
As an employer, you can be held liable for actions that occur during or as the result of your company-sponsored social event – particularly if alcohol is being served. It’s a concept known as social host liability, and it is recognized by many courts across the country. While each state’s laws differ, there are some general guidelines you can follow to make sure your holiday festivities are fun, safe and don’t land you in court. Make sure employees understand attendance at the company-sponsored event is purely...
Manage your long-term goals and the short-term steps to achieve them. Develop measurement and accountability. Optimize your use of resources. Manage your business better. All of these benefits can be part of business planning process, whether you fully develop a formal business plan document, or not. This is a classic case of keeping it simple. I call it the Plan-as-you-go Business Plan. It's just big enough to manage your business, with no extra effort. I could also call it the 'just-big-enough business plan.' It's not a plan...
Producers, distributors, marketers, equipment manufacturers, and representatives from just about every area of the domestic wine industry have embraced social media strategies with plenty of enthusiasm. What have been the results of this emergence in such accessible technology that is still new but clearly powerful? And what does it mean for the rest of us? Here are five ways you can benefit from what the online wine world has accomplished. In short, do what they do: 1. Boost your involvement in a trade group. What could be more thrilling!...
28Number of places in the United States named Plymouth, as in Plymouth Rock, the landing site of the first Pilgrims. Plymouth, Minn., is the most populous, with 71,486 residents in 2008; Plymouth, Mass., had 55,705. There is just one township in the United States named “Pilgrim.” Located in Dade County, Mo., its population was 128 in 2008. And then there is Mayflower, Ark., whose population was 2,231 in 2008. Where did I find all of those nifty statistics, and much more, about Thanksgiving? I went to Facts for Features &...
Consumers have it easy—they use their Social Security number to file their taxes, open up a bank account, and obtain a credit card. When it comes to businesses, however, things can get complicated; you usually have to use a different number for various purposes. Here are the numbers you may need to obtain for your business. Employer Identification Number An employer identification number (EIN) is a nine-digit number used as a business’ federal tax ID number on all federal tax returns. Businesses, such as partnerships and...
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by Rieva Lesonsky, Guest Blogger on Wednesday, December 30, 2009 - 19:36