Outsourcing IT Services: A Prudent Move For Most Small Business Owners

One of the aspects that are paid attention to during any business startup is the cost saving measures implemented. As new companies usually have a limited number of resources, more emphasis is placed on measures that can help reduce the efforts and costs associated with developing and running their business.An important feature that is necessary for any business is the need for a good IT support team. This is crucial for smooth running of the IT infrastructure operations and can either make or break the business. However, implementing your own IT support team for your business can be quite a challenging and expensive process. The expenses are usually associated with the costs of hiring the relevant personnel and the equipment involved. In such cases, the best cost effective measure for such companies would be to outsource the IT computer services to another firm or company that specializes in this. As the companies that handle outsourced tasks usually have a lot of experience and expertise in dealing with the subject matter, they will be able to provide efficient service at a nominal fee. However, in order to get the most beneficial solutions, it is important to compare the different deals available before zeroing in on one.The different tasks and responsibilities of the IT support teamPrimarily, a good IT support team monitors the IT infrastructure of the business and must ensure smooth performance. When there is a problem with any of the servers, it may usually result in downtime. The IT solutions team must be able to detect the cause of the problem and take the appropriate measures to fix it in an efficient manner. They also take care of the storage and the data management aspect of the businesses critical files. They must be able to store the data in such a way that it is easily accessible and secure at the same time. Backups of data must also be created in order to minimize the loss to the company during any data loss or corruption. Apart from this, the IT services support team also monitors the security and must prevent any unauthorized entry or intrusions in the system servers.


Therefore, it is evident that an IT support team has a lot of responsibilities and tasks delegated to them. Implementing all these features in a company or business can be quite an expensive method. This can be especially difficult for small businesses and companies who are looking to make the best use of the resources available to them. Therefore, outsourcing these tasks to a firm or company can be one of the most cost effective and beneficial solutions that a business can acquire. As they will be able to handle all the problems and the maintenance tasks for the businesses IT infrastructure, the user will be free to devote his time and resources to achieving the objectives of the company. This can also help a great way in reducing the stress and the effort in a newly formed company. Therefore, outsourcing IT services can be a very beneficial and prudent option. Contact your local IT services company or local tech support guy for more information on the benefits of outsourcing IT services for business.

What an ERP Can Do for Your Batch Food Processing Business

Food safety and accountability are two very important priorities for batch food processors. When you first started out you did all of your scheduling, processing, and tracking by hand. Although you may have integrated some software into the process, chances are the various processes were not connected and required you to keep separate records to track everything. As your business grows you discover trying to stay on top of financial, quality control, and batch processing has become a time consuming chore. If you are finding yourself in this situation, the time is right for you to consider an ERP software solution.Tracking and AccountabilityERP solutions give you the ability to track specific ingredients from the cradle to the grave. This is an important benefit for batch processing operations to ensure accountability in the event you face an FDA recall. On the FDA's site there are over 20 food related recalls for June 2014. These range from contaminated food stuffs to undisclosed allergens. Either of these issues can cause serious health problems or even death in consumers. With the tracking ability this software gives you ingredients and batches can be traced from the moment they arrive at your facility to the point they are delivered to your customers.Streamlined OperationsInstead of trying to do everything manually or with disjoined software programs, an ERP solution integrates your entire operation. Not only will the software give you tracking ability, but it can also do financial batch processing, order scheduling, inventory management, warehouse management, and more. Once your ERP is up and running all of your operations will run smoothly and automatically. You will not need to manually schedule testing, processing, or deliveries. The software will do all of this for you without fail.


Increased ProductivityOnce you and your employees are freed from the mundane tasks of manual tracking and organization you are free to be more productive. Your operations will run smoothly, batches will be processed and tested in a timely manner, and deliveries will be scheduled to meet your customer's needs. With thee inventory control feature of the software you will no longer have to worry about raw materials spoiling since you will only have on hand exactly what you need to meet your needs. On the financial end of your business integrated accounts receivable and accounts payable functions ensure a constant stream of revenue into your business.AdaptabilityAs your business grows the ERP software will grow with you. If your batch processing recipes need to be updated or changed, the software can also handle this task. With an increase in productivity the ERP software grows with you ensuring your business has the freedom it needs to be successful and keep growing. The ERP software should be tailored to your business' needs and be able to be updated and expanded as needed.If your food processing business is experiencing growing pains you need to consider taking the next step to even more success and look into ERP software. You may be surprised how valuable this tool can be in the success and continued growth of your company.

A GSA Schedule Cautionary Tale

My company has been on the GSA MOBIS Schedule for nine months, with absolutely no success. Why? The answer is very simple and I am glad to share it with you, in the hope that my sad tale saves someone else from this costly and time-consuming misery.This is what I have learned:If you want to provide soft skills training or curriculum development services to the federal government, you need to have:(1) a large company with many trainers and support staff;(2) offices in the Washington, D.C. area;(3) offices on the west coast;(4) provided similar program services to the federal government in the recent past; and(5) dedicated personnel to watch for relevant RFPs and write the lengthy and complicated proposals.In other words, if you are a one-person operation located in the Midwest, if you lack the requisite person power, if you have to estimate and charge all travel costs, and if you haven't had any recent federal contracts, FORGET IT!!!Either the contracts are for millions of dollars over a multi-year time period or they are for a one or two day program, and both types of contracts typically need to be provided someplace to which you will need to travel (and even remain for long periods of time). Since the government says it will take the lowest cost and since I always need to factor in travel costs, I'm sunk. I don't have a chance. Not a prayer.And, guess what? I could have avoided all of this had I thought to research my chances on the GSA website, instead of asking the GSA preparation and marketing company (who wanted my money) if they thought my company would be a good candidate.


Recently, I discovered that there is a "Readiness Assessment for Prospective Offerors" on the GSA Website. If I had only taken this assessment, I would have realized the GSA Schedule was not a good fit for me.Here are the key questions that would have made this glaringly obvious:

Does your firm know how much time and money successful firms spend to market to the Federal Government? (Research shows that successful firms spend between $80-$130K a year to earn their first order).

Does your firm have the committed personnel or resources to write proposals and administer a MAS contract?

Does your firm know that as a MAS contractor you are required to sell a minimum of $25,000 within the first 24 months following contract award and are expected to exceed $25,000 in sales each 12-monthperiod thereafter?

Does your firm understand that 60% of the GSA Schedule contractors do not meet the minimum sales requirements as defined by I-FSS-639?

Have you developed relationships with potential federal customers? (GSA research indicates that it is important to have a relationship with the agency you are targeting to buy your product or service.)
These were "Yes" or "No" questions and my answer to each of them would have been a resounding "NO!"So, what have I learned from this ill fated and completely avoidable misadventure? I'll tell you in my article: My GSA Misadventure.

Working Moms and Mom Entrepreneur Business Tips

Today's technology makes it easy for mothers all over the globe. No matter what your skills or interests, you can be guaranteed to find a work at home opportunity that will meet your own personal needs. However, this does not guarantee easy money. Mothers that choose to work at home will find ample opportunities, but it will take a lot of dedication and stubbornness to make it work for them. The following are some tips for moms working from home online:Treat Your Work at Home Like a Real Job
The most common reason for failure in work from home opportunities is it is often not treated like a real job. An outside job requires you to work certain hours and actually work for the full shift. Temptations and distractions can easily get out of hand when working at home. You must treat your opportunity like a real job or you will end up on the list of failed entrepreneurs. This may mean enlisting the help of a nanny or working only when the children have gone to bed.Understand You Can't Do It All
Many work from home mothers dream of doing it all. Spending time with family in a perfectly kept home and bringing in a sizable income at the same time. You must let go of the idea that this is going to happen for you. If you are serious about making money online, you must realize that something is going to have to give. The dishes may not get done, but as long as the children are happy and your work is done, you should be satisfied.


Invest in Tools to Increase Your Income
You must also be willing to invest your time and money into tools that will actually help you increase your income. Technological advances make it possible for you to automatically email leads collected from your website. There is software available that make tracking your finances quickly and efficiently. You can even purchase software that will help you to create your own apps. The key is to know which ones will help you grow your business.Take Advantage of Social Sites
Social sites, like Facebook, are filled with other moms, just like you, who want to work and stay at home with their children. Making connections with them can give you a chance to bounce ideas on what works and doesn't work. It can also give you the chance to share your own opportunity to with others who want the same things that you do.Moms working from home online are not a rare occurrence. Millions of mothers are searching every day for a work at home opportunity that is going to allow them the privilege of staying at home with their children while still bringing in an income. If you are one of these moms, you must take your search seriously. It could just be the best change you ever make and may let you lead the lifestyle you have always dreamed about.

Certification For Your Women Owned Small Businesses?

Quite often one of the topics of discussion among small business owners is "certification". To push the thought process a little further, I will usually ask; "What type of certification are you seeking and who are you planning to do business with?".For example, if you are seeking to grow your business with federal contracting you should explore certifications with The Small Business Administration (SBA). Yes, you can certify with the SBA as a Women Owned Small Business, Economically Disadvantaged Business and Veteran Owned Small Business. The certification process with the SBA is free and you can do it yourself. Since the federal government has 'set asides' for both contract and bid opportunities, certification may be quite beneficial for your small business.If your goal is to work within the private sector, perhaps with a major corporation, you may want to consider a national certification. However, there are fees associated with third party certification councils including fees for annual renewals.Your certifications should align with your business strategy. I always stress to business owners that it is important to do their research related to the types of certifications that would best support their business strategy.Prior to making any investment of your time or money in pursuit of certification, I cannot stress the importance of doing your research. Also, as a contractor or supplier, you should become familiar with the terminology of contracting. If you are pursuing federal contracting, you should become familiar with acronyms. For example, if you are seeking contracts in the private sectors understand the agency's meaning of terms such as vendor, supplier diversity programs and contracting tiers.


Utilize online information and websites to equip you with vital information related to the company, its goals, its commitment to diversity, and any other strategies that can help you prepare for contract opportunities.View their "Supplier Diversity" programs specifically targeted toward women and minority owned businesses. Leveraging your status as a women owned small business can have its advantages. The Federal government, corporations, state and local governments have established goals that commit a certain percentage of business for women owned companies. This commitment provides you with the opportunity to leverage yourself as a women owned business.A word to the wise, make sure you are an informed business owner as you enter the world of contracting, there could be a range of opportunities available to help you compete for contracts that can grow your business.

Choosing The Best Air System For Starting A Paintball Field

Which air system you choose for your paintball field will have a huge impact on the outcome of your business. Which equipment you choose for your initial inventory will have a direct effect on the size of the initial loan you acquire. Obviously, starting out with a large monthly bill will put considerably more stress on your business, so it makes sense to be as conservative as possible with spending at first. Besides the initial start up costs, you also have to consider other factors like how durable the equipment is/how long it will last and the overall convenience of it. A higher initial cost for better supplies to start out with may be worth it if it saves you money, hassle and time later. Even if the air system was cheap to begin with, it may end up costing you more in the long run with ongoing costs of air refills, maintenance and replacements of paintball guns and cheap air tanks.A CO2 tank refill system is the cheapest way to go initially however comes with a few headaches. Your system will consist of a bulk size CO2 tank, refill equipment (hoses, gauges & scale), and portable CO2 tanks that attach to the rental paintball guns. Before air can be transferred from the bulk tank to the portable tanks, bulk CO2 tanks must be filled by a commercial gas company and you will be reliant on this source as long as you use them. This means your paintball field must be located within a driving distance away from a commercial gas company. If you're going to use CO2 at your field, it would be wise to check for a location of a commercial gas company before even starting your business. If there is a no source to fill your air tanks, your paintball guns will not work and you do not have a business. Fortunately, companies that refill bulk CO2 cylinders are not hard to find in most cities however if you live in a rural area, sources may be too far away and CO2 would not be the best choice for your business. Refilling your bulk tanks will be an on-going expense, tedious task and of the reasons to consider using a different air source other than CO2. Some gas companies offer a convenient trade-in program like they do for propane tanks and this can help save money.Another important point to consider when deciding on CO2 as your field's air source is how hard this gas is on your other most expensive and important initial start up cost - the paintball guns. When CO2 is trapped in the bottle under high pressure, it's stored as a liquid. As it's released into the air (or a paintball marker), it converts to a gas. When it does this very rapidly (like when a paintball gun is fired repeatedly), it's temperature drops and can cause the air tank + the inside of the marker to freeze. This causes the gun to sputter, malfunction and misfire until it warms back up again making for a dangerous lapse in action on the field. Besides being less fun, freezing the inside of a paintball gun over and over again causes o-rings to break and many maintenance issues that will soon to lead to replacement. If you're dead set on using a CO2 air tank refill system at your field, you should consider purchasing regulators for your paintball guns. A regulator is an accessory part that will 'regulate' the air temperature and warm it up before it goes into the gun, preventing freezing. These cost $10-$30 a piece and do not come stock on most rental paintball markers.


With all of this trouble, it seems few would venture into a CO2 air tank refill system for their business. However comparatively, the initial prices are what makes them the most popular. For a bulk size CO2 tank, expect to pay $1-$2K. Depending on the air tank refill kit you choose and how sophisticated you want to get, prices will range from $200-$900. Most fields start off with at least 10 paintball guns, meaning you will also need at least 10 portable CO2 tanks. These will cost $20-$30 each depending on the size of the tank you choose. This makes the total cost of a CO2 air refill system roughly $1500-$3500. While this may seem like a lot, it's very small comparing to a compressed air system, the other choice besides CO2.Choosing a compressed air system as the refill source for your paintball field may cost more up front however will save you much money and trouble in the future. This kit will consist of a bulk size compressed air tank, commercial size air compressor to fill it with, refill equipment, and portable high pressure air tanks that attach to the rental paintball markers. Of this amount of gear, the air compressor houses the largest cost, however will make you independent of any outside sources. High pressure air is also the easiest on paintball guns. It maintains the same temperature and does not wreak the same kind of havoc on markers that CO2 does. This means your paintball guns will last longer and have less maintenance issues when you run compressed air. The constant temperature of compressed air also allows paintball gun better consistency and more accurate shooting for an easier (and more fun) time on the field.For a high pressure air tank refill system, a bulk scuba tank or something larger can be used to cost around $3-$400. The commercial air compressor will cost $4-7000 depending on the size and type. Sometimes you can find cheaper prices by looking for a used one, however beware of the quality. The most cost effective hpa portable tanks are aluminum (not carbon fiber) and will cost $50-$75 each. For a field renting out 10 paintball guns, a compressed air refill system will cost roughly $5-$8000, significantly more than a CO2 system. While it may cost more up front, the most efficient air systems for paintball fields remain to be compressed air, yet more fields tend to opt for the cheaper, more troublesome CO2.

Residual Income is A Must! Part-time or Full-time Discover How To Build Residual Income Today

Stating that residual income is a must is a strong statement. However, it's true, if you have any desire for financial freedom. Residual Income earns you money even if you are not working. In fact, you can build your residual income stream to be paying you 24 hours a day/7 days a week.Many people are not sure what the difference is between residual income and other income. Over 90% of the people work for what is known as linear income. Linear income is swapping time for dollars. If you work eight hours a day for five days a week, the company will pay you for those forty hours of work. Miss a day or week, and you lost the ability to earn income.Residual income is different; you do the work once and get paid month after month and year after year, and this becomes a very powerful way to earn income. As you continue to build your residual income stream, you will find the income paying for your car, then your house, finally you will have more income than bills at the end of the month. You will notice an increasing amount of discretionary cash in your bank account allowing you to become debt free.Residual Income can come from many sources; some of them are:
Royalties from books, films and songwriting, etc.
Advertisements, subscriptions and affiliate links from your website
Investing in stocks, bonds and mutual funds
Real Estate holdings
Selling the business you owned
Interest from Your Savings Account



Residual income from these sources are very good vehicles, but they take a special talent or large sum of money up front to build the financial freedom people are looking to achieve. Residual income is the preferred income for the rich and famous.One of the most accessible ways to build Residual Income is starting a Home Based Business. Below is a chart that shows the power of a Home Based Business that rewards you with Residual income.Residual IncomeDesired Monthly Income Required Bank Account Value$20,000 $8,000,000$10,000 $4,000,000$5,000 $2,000,000$2,500 $1,000,000$1,250 $500,000$675 $250,000$388 $125,000$194 $62,000This chart is based on 3% annual interest rate (approximately.)Shortly, after starting your Home Based Business you should be able to not only recoup your return on investment, but also be making over $200.00 per month (That is equivalent to having over $62,250 in a savings account!). With the right guidance, think of the possibilities! A Home Based Business; not only gets you the power of residual income, you will get major tax benefits that will dramatically help build your generational wealth. Yes, Residual Income is very powerful and has built Generational Wealth for many people that have sought it out.

Advantages of Local IT Support

A majority of large-scale companies these days have become prone to outsourcing their IT support to countries like India and China. Why is that so? Well, for the simple reason that they are horrified in terms of economic concerns. However, with the passage of time, all of these businesses have come about to totally ignore the advantages that taking on local IT support can offer.The fact of the matter is that outsourcing IT solutions to offshore service providers comes with its set of drawbacks. For one, each time that technology experiences a failure, it is necessary for communications to be conducted in a timely fashion, and in this case, across hundreds upon thousands of miles. Although companies of all sizes these days have just the sort of internet infrastructure required for these purposes, you simply cannot deny the advantages that you get to gain by working with someone that you can actually talk to in person.What Local IT Support Services Have To OfferA contract that has been put in place between a business and a local IT support company initially works out the basics of elements including PC upgrades, network safety, system defects and computer monitoring etc. Local support is particularly beneficial in the sense that it has the potential to recover systems from any impending problems. To be honest, local IT support guarantees that the business is going to be able to reach out to them as and when required without having to worry about time differences, and other elements that might impact communication. A local company is always there to resolve issues right away, and they can visit the premises personally to inspect what all has gone wrong, and how it needs to be resolved. On the other hand, service providers based abroad will need to be described precisely all that has gone wrong, after which they will be able to come up with a solution.


The best part about taking on local business IT support services is that they are rather reasonably charged. No matter what sort of support services you require, be it computer or internet installation, or troubleshooting network issues, the technical support services that they offer are actually going to help you save up on a whole lot of money in the long run. Most interestingly, local IT support services even offer warranties, so this is additionally going to help reduce costs on IT support - something that foreign based managed service providers simply cannot offer.The major reason why businesses these days should consider taking on local IT support services is because in case of failures, they can be instantly contacted for resolution purposes. This particularly holds importance in the fast-paced world that we live in today where delays equal business loss. If a hardware failure or any other issue comes up, local IT solution providers can be contacted in a jiffy, and they will be there to resolve the issue instantly - this simply isn't the case with offshore providers. For more information contact your local tech support guy or local IT services company.

Choosing a Vending Machine Company

If you have decided to set up a vending machine in your office, then choosing a good vending machine company is the next important step. When it comes to vending machines companies; you won't have a problem in finding one. Each one of them, at first glance, seems to be better than the others. So, it can be bit confusing for you to select the best. Through this article we can help you with some tips that can help you in deciding the best vending companies.The first step is to check how technologically advanced the machines are that the supplier is offering. Always look for the most up-to date models. Do your homework so as not to fall into any sales trap of a company offering out-dated and inoperative scrap items under the label of top-notch products. Even if the exterior of the machine seems brand new and appealing, though the technology inside might not be.Next important thing is to check what services the company is willing to offer. There is nothing worse than having your machine break down a few days after your buy it and then having to wait for someone to come and fix it. Reliable companies offer to perform scheduled maintenance checks on your machine to make sure it is operating smoothly. If some problems do arise, they are supposed to deal with the problem in hours. A qualified member of their team will ensure that the problem is solved.


Another important thing to know is the range of products for the machine the vending company can offer. It may turn out that half of the items listed are not available and your business ends up with a very limited range of options. Make certain that the service provider has the products in stock for your vending machine.Always, remember to know about the optimal placement of vending machines. A good vending company will recommend the best location for your machines that goes with your office setting and also helps reduce the time it takes for your employees to get the hot cup of coffee or a snack that they need.Last but not least, maintenance and repairs should be professional and should be done regularly as this is important for any business. In addition, they should resolve issues within 4 hours; else you risk upsetting your staff and looking unprofessional in the eyes of visitors who may well be your clients! Choosing the best supplier is vital as well. So, start your search for the best vending company for your office right away!

The Benefits of Having Management Accounts Prepared for a Small Business

Small business owners should prepare management accounts alongside financial accounts. Management accounts are important for tracking, recording and reporting financial information for management purposes. There are no set standards for preparing managerial accounts and any business can design their own style according to their operation and business needs. There are several benefits associated with these accounts. Not only can small business owners enjoy the benefits of creating a competitive advantage but can also leverage the way they do business in their markets.Reduce ExpensesManagement accounts can help a small business to lower its operating costs. The information from these accounts will help the business owner to review the economic resources and other business operations. It helps them to understand the cost of doing business in their current situation. They will know the costs of producing goods and services and find out if cheaper raw materials will affect the quality of the final products and how consumers will respond. This will help them to source for cheaper factors of production and reduce the cost of doing business.Improve Cash FlowManagement accounts involve a review of the budget in comparison with the actual expenditure. This is a good way for small businesses to understand their roadmap to the future. Management accounts will go through the company's financial history and come up with a master budget for the entire business. The owners will then know when to spend money and which items are either necessary or unnecessary.Business DecisionManagement accounts also help the small business owner to make appropriate decisions based on financial facts. Without these accounts, many managers make decisions based on qualitative analysis - this can be dangerous in the long run. Management accounts provide quantitative analysis for several decision making opportunities. Small business managers will be able to have a clear understanding of the implications they expect when they make their business decisions.


Increase Financial ReturnsSmall businesses can increase their financial returns using managerial accounts. This is because the accountant can prepare a financial forecast showing consumer trends, potential sales and the effects of pricing strategies in the economic marketplace. The small business owner will be in a better position to know the amount of products to produce in the current market prices in an anticipation to beat the competition in any future price changes.Determining Production QuantitiesA company's intention is to produce more than one product or service using the same resources. For example, a baker will produce cookies and bread using the same resources. A good accounting firm will make use of the workers to perform both auditing and preparation of management accounts. This will help business owners to understand which products to produce most and which ones to reduce. This is a complex process that involves market demand analysis, capacity verifications, and costs of production and financial ratios that can be achieved through management accounts.How Far To Process ProductsSmall business owners are often unable to clearly tell whether to process a product further or sell it in whatever form. Some think it would be more profitable to add value to the product while others prefer to sell it raw. Management accounts will help a small business owner to understand how far a product or service should be processed to maximize profits. The accounts show what happens when factors of production are increased even by one unit.

6 Key Advantages of Cloud Accounting

Every day we turn on the TV or read an article and hear about the benefits of working in the cloud. How the IT industry is using it to make a bigger mark in the world. How the medical industry is using it to become more innovative. But what about YOUR industry?Yes there are tons of other industries that can benefit from working in the cloud. And there are a plethora of advantages why someone in those industries should use the cloud more. Even for accounting. Yep accounting.Accounting is one of those conservative industries. Not too much risk-taking going on. Well, if you haven't figured it out by now, I am not your traditional accountant. I like to call myself and The Tech Savvy Accountant™. I like numbers but I also like technology but I could never find the time to play with the latest and greatest gadgets. That is until I discovered cloud accounting.Cloud accounting is the process of managing your business finances over the internet. You can say "in the cloud" or you can also call it "virtual accounting". It essentially means the same. And today I am going to share 6 key advantages of using cloud accounting.1. Saves you timeCloud accounting saves you a ton of time with your day to day processing. By connecting your accounting system to your bank account, your transactions are automatically downloaded for you. This saves you hours from inputting each... and every... transaction. (say it slow)2. Reduces your costs (code for saves you money)There is no initial or upfront fees, no installation costs and now expensive software to purchase. Simply sign up and subscribe to the low monthly fee. And in most cases you get to try before you buy. If you don't like it, simply cancel the program. You don't have to worry about trying to package it back in the box like you never opened it. (Don't act like you haven't tried that before).


3. Accessible anywhere and anytimeAre you always on the go traveling for work or for play? Well now you can check in and see how business is going while your away without picking up the phone. Simply connect to the internet and login. Easy as pie!4. Real time financial data Take that access anywhere feature a bit further. With cloud accounting, you have access to real-time data. You can know what money is being spent at any given moment. Need up to date financials for a meeting? Just a few clicks and you will have those reports right at your fingertips.5. Go GreenYou are doing something good for the planet. Once you start using cloud accounting, you also start to using other cloud services, such as cloud storage. The end result equal less tress killed for you to print out all those reams of reports every month.6. Up to date technology & systems (code for no maintenance)Technology changes every minute. Have you heard the saying that as soon as you take a car off the lot it depreciates? Well I think the same thing is true for technology and software. As soon as you leave the store there is an update. When using cloud accounting, you have access to these updates 24/7 and they occur without you doing anything. And they are at no additional cost to you. Those IT worker bees are constantly at work to make your life a better place. (smile)What advantages have you benefited from since using cloud accounting?

Ten Things to Consider Before Taking the Plunge From Employee to Entrepreneur

If becoming an entrepreneur crossed your mind, you may have wondered; what does it really take? So you are currently in a job or may not have one. Yet the thought of starting a business to support your family or just to make extra money seems like a good idea. One small problem: you have never been an entrepreneur. The word entrepreneur or business owner might illicit fear, if not dread. Maybe this stems from being trained to work for money as an employee in someone else's company. However, this should not stop you from providing a useful service or product. The best way to overcome your fear is through knowledge. The more you know about taking the plunge into your business venture, the better chance you will have of succeeding. Below is a list of a few things that an employee needs to consider before diving in head first into their own business:1. Why are you starting this business?
What is your "why" for starting your own business? If you are in it just for the money, you will find that you will get very despondent quickly. It takes a lot to start and run a business. There are many challenges to face in starting this new venture that may quickly test your will. In the beginning you may wear many hats such as CEO, general manager, accountant, computer technician, sales person, secretary, etc. The different skills needed for each of these may not come easy for you. The good news is you can get help from people you know or hire someone to cover these. The aim here is to have a strong enough why to keep you going when you feel challenged. Write your "why" and read it daily. This will ensure you have enough steam to keep going when the going gets tough.2. What is your product or service and how good is it?
Your service may be cutting lawns or selling pizza (a family recipe). The thing that will stand out is how good you are at what you do. Using the example of a landscaping company: Are you friendly, reliable and competent compared to other landscapers servicing that area? Think about adding a discount on a six month contract for cutting their lawn as an extra. Using the example of selling pizza: How does your pizza taste compared to similar pizza sold in the area? If your product or service is similar add value to your service, maybe offer free delivery during the week.3. Who are you offering your product and services to?
This may seem like an odd question, people would be your answer. However, what do these people have in common and what do they want? The sooner you can answer these questions the better you will be able to serve them. FedEx, for example, offers fast, reliable overnight shipping. When FedEx first opened, USPS was already delivering packages. However FedEx figured out that businesses needed faster delivery to keep their businesses going. FedEx met the needs of other business owners.4. How will you show what you have to offer?
If this sounds like marketing, then it is. Don't be scared of the word marketing. Marketing can be considered as a way to show your costumers what you have to offer. Then consider what method you will use to communicate that message to them. The internet has created a whole slew of ways to market for free: Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn and others are examples you can use as leverage for free. Or you may want to go the traditional route of word of mouth, ads in the newspapers or flyers. Another option could be hiring someone to do it all for you. Starting a business also means letting others know how to find what you have to offer.5. Where will you exchange your goods and or services?
Depending on whether you offer a service or a product you may have operating costs or very little. If you sell a product only online there may be no need for an actual physical location in addition to your garage. However, take for example, an education consultant. He or she may visit his or her clients in person or have an office. Either one will generate a cost associated to conduct business; one may be less than the other. Travelling may cost the consultant time and money in transportation, this possibly limiting how many clients he or she can see in a day. When compared to having an office, the rental cost may be unaffordable in the beginning. It all boils down to how your costumers will get your product or service.


6. Do you have all the supplies you need and how will you acquire the supplies?
In addition to location, do you have the tools to do the job? Example: Let's say your new business involves selling hand-made jewelry. You decided you can do this from home. Your list consists of strings, beads, storage containers for you supplies and finished products, etc. After listing these items, you may find a local hobby store that is both conveniently located and reasonably priced.7. How will you get paid?
Consider your method of payment from your clients. Setting up a merchant account and getting equipment are important in your store front or you can take only cash and checks. If you are an online only business you may set up a merchant account like PayPal. The more payment options you have available the better it will be for your costumers.8. How will you set up your small business?
Registering your business is a very important part. You can choose to operate as a sole-proprietor, limited liability corporation, limited partnership, etc. The important thing is to remember to file the necessary paperwork with the federal, state and county where applicable. As a business owner you are now responsible for paying your taxes. You are now the employer of yourself and anyone else hired. In addition you wouldn't want to miss out on the tax benefits of owning your own business. The best way to set up your business is to seek professional advice from your lawyer and accountant. Or you can get assistance from legalzoom.com, Score, or the US Small Business Administration.9. What will your total start up cost be?
Having answered the questions previous questions, you are now better able to answer this one. Your businesses start up costs maybe small or large. Example: a freelance writer may have a much smaller start up cost than starting a pizza restaurant. Knowing what your numbers are allows you to be better equipped to start. If leaving your job to start your own company is your choice, knowing this number will tell you where you need to be. The aim is to be best prepared for the success of your new venture.10. Where will you get your funding?
Will your 401k, savings account, or trust fund provide the funding to start your company? Or will you need a loan? Answering question number nine truthfully will help you answer this one. It maybe you want to start with your savings or borrow the money from a friend or relative. They may be able to give you a much lower interest rate than the bank. Or you can opt for a business credit card. Or grow your business as you make more profit. There are many options available if you do need it.Starting your own business boils down to your mindset. Entrepreneurs know that in order to be successful, they have to think success. Their success is directly proportional to how creative, resourceful, and imaginative they can be. In the beginning, you are jack of all trades. However, none of this should stop you. Remember, the more you know, the better equipped you are to succeed. And if you aren't sure of something, always seek professional advice. Prepare to succeed and keeping providing the best product and services you can.

Tips on How to Reduce Freight Cost

In general, freight is the cost for transporting merchandise from point A to point B. Freight includes the move's entire cost, from documentation, packaging, insurance costs, carriage costs, and pallet or container costs. The more your business establishment depends on the moving of goods, the more your business will benefit from lowering the overall freight cost. Being aware of the need to reduce freight costs is one important thing. The challenging part is finding a way to actually reduce freight cost.Below are some helpful tips on how to reduce freight cost.Shop Around
The very first and obvious step to reduce freight cost is to look around for the best rates. There are a lot of different carriers (local, national, or international) available today. You may be tempted to use the same delivery method or carrier company to avoid hassles, but this could cost you more. You'll have to prioritize the most important prior to shopping for and comparing freight rates. Different carrier companies have different strengths and could be able to give lower rates.Use Express Delivery Only When Needed
If a certain cargo is absolutely needed immediately, use express delivery and ship others which are not really time sensitive. Different carrier companies also have various pricing range, so express delivery might cost more with one carrier compared to another. Also, you can save by a significant amount of money by making sure that all carriers that you use could accept shipments with dimension surcharges or additional oversize without additional charges.


Loyalty and Reward Programs
Use rewards cards as often as possible. Some freight forwarding firms offer loyalty programs that enable their clients to save. You could also earn cash or miles. Some freight forwarders offer more rewards when shipments are processed electronically. Also, ask for volume or group special discounts through memberships with professional associations and leading freight forwarding companies.Billing Accuracy and Freight Forwarding Brokers
To shop for freight forwarding broker systems, you can browse the internet. This way, you can find the best shipping deals online. Online freight brokers can also help in finding freight supplies sold at a lower cost. This is especially helpful when you are moving goods in bulk.Billing Accuracy
Another way to reduce freight cost is simply by watching for errors in your billing. Keep in mind that everyone commits mistakes, and such errors could cost you if they're not noticed and corrected. Regularly audit your invoices for accuracy.

Business Card Printing and Design With a Professional Touch

With businesses trending largely toward digital marketing and advertising, the single stand-alone seems to be the business card.A quality business card, not only conveys your contact information, but the overall image of the business. Don't expect the card to tell the consumer everything that your company does. It is important that you don't over-design the card with too much information or distraction. Remember space is limited. Keep it simple. Use your logo as the basis, this should be the largest element on the card.Most people tend to scan over marketing materials such as cards, brochures, flyers, or other forms of advertisement vs. actually reading them. Meaning, they don't actually read every word, but quickly scan looking for desired information. This is why it's best to provide only concise, pertinent information. If you have several social media accounts, provide the one that you are most active on. Make sure that the information that you are conveying has contrast to the background so that it is readable. The same applies to the font-style, make sure it is readable. Cosmetic appeal and accuracy of information is what you are shooting for. Is the information clear and concise? Is the information accurate and up to date? If you can answer yes to those two questions, you're doing alright.Your business card is a reflection of your business. It's best not to skimp on design, style, or paper to save a few dollars, if it isn't an absolute necessity. Most business cards are printed on a 12pt. card stock, to 16pt. card stock which are pretty durable. Some companies will offer cards on a 80lb to 100lb cover stock. The cover stock is not as thick and sturdy as a card stock. For a more professional image, stick with a premium card stock. There are also coating options which give you an option for a high gloss appearance. Although this looks really nice, it isn't recommended for a surface that needs to be writable. An example of needing a writable surface would be on a doctor's business card. Having a "next appointment" on the back of the card that needs to be filled in for the patient would be an example of where gloss will have a negative effect. Some companies will offer more intricate designing options, such as Spot UV Business Cards. The spot UV cards are relatively inexpensive, but extremely eye-catching and elegant because only selected areas have a high gloss, while everything else has a matte finish. As you can see there are many things to consider when creating a business card, and the level of professionalism that your company portrays. Keeping it simple on a thicker stock will provide you with a nice, professional business card.

Importance Of Commercial Cleaning Services For Offices

It's a hyper-competitive times in today's world. Meeting deadlines, conducting meetings, workload, stress and so on. Having a clean office space is all the more crucial for your business' success. Offices are witness to hectic activities - paperwork, foot traffic, unintentional spillages and so on. No wonder, cleaning and maintaining offices or any commercial establishments is no child's play.An unclean workplace can result in reduced productivity, employee disengagement and loss of customers. After all, customers or clients or even visitors would not look forward to engage with a business which can't keep its premises clean.Your office premises and environment is the first thing that is noticed by your potential customers, clients and potential employees. Cleanliness of your workspace creates a first impression on your potential client. It can make or break a contract and attract or turn off potential clients. All this makes it all the more necessary to get commercial cleaning services done for your office. Let's have a look at look some of the benefits of a clean office space:Attract clientsWould you like to deal with a company that has a shabby, unorganized workplace?Can you imagine working with a company that has cluttered desks loaded piles of unattended files, dingy washrooms, and dirty floors?Well, if you can't fancy yourself working in such an environment, you can't expect your customers to put their best foot forward in such an unkempt atmosphere. An organized, clean office space is welcoming and inviting. When the clients see how you keep your premises spic and span, it builds trust in your potential clients and encourages them to initiate further professional association with you.Promote your brandHaving a clean, shiny office space adds to your brand value and promotes recognition of your business' name and services.


Enhance productivity of your staffIt goes without saying that a neat, orderly workplace enhances productivity of employees to a great extent. It not only brightens up the mood of those working there but also encourages everyone to perform better with a calm, relaxed mind in a clean setting. After all, no one wants to work in a cramped, unhygienic, grimy workplaces which unnecessarily build up frustration and annoyance and hamper efficiency and performance of employees. Moreover for potential candidates coming to your company for an interview, an unclean space would clearly be a big turn-off.Hire professionals for immaculate cleaning servicesOffices or any commercial establishments require dusting, sweeping, mopping, disposal of waste, sanitation services on a daily basis. Though such cleaning activities are indispensable, they are time consuming. Hiring a professional and reliable commercial cleaning services provider in your locality to undertake cleaning activities is the best thing for business.Commercial cleaning services not only mean mopping and sweeping but also include cleaning and scrubbing of restrooms, locker rooms, kitchen, spot clean walls and wallpaper, scrubbing and re-coating of floors, carpet cleaning and maintenance services, upholstery cleaning, cleaning of windows, tiles and grout cleaning services and other such professional cleaning services.Professional cleaning services not only keep the office premises clean and hygienic; they help create a work-friendly atmosphere and ambiance and raise productivity levels. A clean and sparkling office draws clients, builds your corporate identity, establishes your reputation and brings you more business.

Eligibility Checking Part 2: Taking a Proactive Approach

In Part 1 of our post on patient eligibility verification, we examined some of the ways to check eligibility. This post details how practices can take a proactive approach to reduce denials due to eligibility issues.More than 20 percent of claim denials from private insurers are the result of eligibility issues, according to the American Medical Association. To reduce these types of denials, practices can employ two proactive approaches:1. The Basics - Many eligibility issues that result in claim denials are the result of simple administrative mistakes. Practices must have comprehensive processes in place to capture the necessary patient information, store it, and organize it for easy retrieval. This includes:o Obtaining the patient's full name directly from the card (photocopying/scanning is recommended)
o Patient address and phone number
o Obtain the name and identification numbers of other insurance (e.g., Medicare or other type of insurance plan involved). Again, photocopying/scanning of all health insurance cards is recommended.
o Patient's date of birth2. Looking Deeper - The increase in high deductible plans is making patients financially responsible for a larger percentage of a practice's revenue. Therefore, practices need to know their financial risks in advance and counsel patients on their financial obligations to improve collections. To accomplish this, practices need to look beyond whether or not the patient is eligible, and determine the extent of the patient's benefits. Practices will need to gather additional information from payers during the eligibility verification process, such as:


o The patient's deductible amount and remaining deductible balance
o Non-covered services, as defined under the patient's policy
o Maximum cap on certain treatments
o Coordination of benefitsPractices that take a proactive approach to eligibility verification can reduce claim denials, improve collections, and reduce financial risks. Practices that do not have the resources to accomplish these tasks in house may want to consider outsourcing specific tasks to an experienced firm.Specifically, there are certain patient eligibility checking scenarios where automation cannot provide the answers that are needed. Despite advancements in automation, there is still a need for live representative calls to payer organizations.For example, many practices use electronic data interchange (EDI) and clearinghouses with their EHR and PM solutions to determine if a patient is eligible for services on a specific day. However, these solutions are typically unable to provide practices with information about:• Procedure-level benefit analysis
• Prior authorizations
• Covered and non-covered conditions for certain procedures
• Detailed patient benefits, such as maximum caps on certain treatments and coordination of benefit informationImplementing these proactive eligibility approaches is important, whether practices handle them in house or outsource them, since denials resulting from eligibility issues directly impact cash flow and a practice's financial health.

Canadian Healthy Vending - MAX!

In today's society everyone is always busy, always running around and is always in need of a good snack during the day. Most of us look to vending machines either in our schools, workplaces or anywhere that has one to get a quick snack so we can be on our way. However, must of us are not looking for a bag of chips or 'junk food', some of us actually want a nutritional snack that will give us energy that will not be gone five minutes after we have eaten it.Canadian Healthy Vending is now giving those who would like to work from home a chance to take action, and do something of your own.Schools, universities and businesses alike are all trying to remove junk food from vending machines and are trying to replace them with healthy, nutritious snacks that are better for our health, and our energy levels.Canadian Healthy Vending is receiving multiple requests for healthier choices in their vending machines, and they plan to answer and give out was is being demanded. Most companies have a hard time with getting their voice heard because of the lack of healthy choices that most vending machine companies have, so they go unanswered.But the truth is, not everyone likes protein bars or those power bars that make your mouth cry out, "no more!" Canadian Healthy Vending understands that, and they are here to save the day - and give you a job at the same time, from your own home!The first step to your success with CHV, is making a lineup of products to offer to your clientele that are healthy, but delicious at the same time but you also have to be sensitive as to where this lineup of products, and vending machines, will go - like gyms or public recreational areas for example.Because of the fact that most people these days are so conscious to their health, if you have a lineup of products in your machine that are full of fat, sugar and who knows what else, people will just keep walking by. Either that, or they will take a glance at what you have, take in the fact that there is nothing healthy for them in there, and walk away.


Look at all your options, figure out what else you can put in except for just snacks, like drinks for example. Instead of putting just cola's in, try adding water and drinks that will boost your energy, without all the sugar such as regular energy drinks, and add them combined to make a snack and drink machine to take up only half the space as two machines would.Other tips that can be used for success are;· accept all forms of payments - cash (including coins), credit cards, bill note acceptors, cell phone payments, etc.· combo machines - as previously stated.· graphics on the machine itself - by using bright colors you can attract more attention.Choosing the right location is also very important to your business, so have your machines at places such as;· businesses
· gyms
· schools
· recreational areasThe most important thing of all if you want you vending machine business to work is, of course, having determination, but also giving the public and your community a comforting statement about how you are trying to improve the health and well-being of your fellow people.If you or anyone you know would be interested in working from home and at the same time working with Canadian Healthy Vending to improve the health of the world, their web page will you give you all the help you will need to start a successful, and healthy, business operation.

Cyber Becomes Essential - Cyber Essentials

Cyber Security a Real Concern Cyber security is big news gloabally. News feeds regularly feature companies that have had an event of some kind. It may be lost data, lost credit cards or an outage of their service. It is now hitting the board room as a relevant issue of modern business.
Cyber in the UK In the UK this is just as revelant and now the issue is being taken up by the UK Government. The UK Government is launching a new scheme. The aim is to try and simplify the topic and make it easier for business to implement good security controls.Introducing the Cyber Essentials SchemeThe Cyber Essentials Scheme consists of five key areas. It is intended to "provide a clear statement of the basic controls all organisations should implement to mitigate the risk from common internet based threats."The Five Areas Covered

Boundary firewalls and internet gateways
These are devices designed to prevent unauthorised access to or from private networks, but good setup of these devices either in hardware or software form is important for them to be fully effective.


Secure configuration
Ensuring that systems are configured in the most secure way for the needs of the organisation.


Access control
Ensuring only those who should have access to systems to have access and at the appropriate level.


Malware protection



Ensuring that virus and malware protection is installed and is it up to date.


Patch management
Ensuring the latest supported version of applications is used and all the necessary patches supplied by the vendor been applied.Assurance FrameworkThe Government is looking to organisations to demonstrate they have the basic, good practice principals in place and will expect them to demonstrate this through an accredited process.Where does ISO27001 (Information Security Standard) Fit In?The official site states "The first stage in the certification process is to decide which level to certify against - Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus. Although there are only two certifications to consider now, an organisation should be aware that future levels are planned, with an aim to further entrench the scheme into an organisation's over-arching approach to information risk management, such as ISO 27001 and in accordance with the 10 Steps to Cyber Security"If you are already ISO27001 certified or working towards this standard then you are already doing much of what is needed in the 'Cyber Essentials Scheme'. But for those businesses who are struggling with the topic or need a baseline to start from, the scheme offers a simple first step.

Growing Your Business Broke And How To Avoid It

Sounds too bad to be true - right? Growing your business broke. How can that happen?Well, it happens everyday in this country.Death Of BusinessesWe are losing businesses in this country rapidly - something that we have never seen in this country before. And, while this data is a bit dated, 2007 to 2011 (the last actually data the U.S. Census Bureau has) - it is estimated that this trend will continue if not accelerate.Bottom line: We are still creating about 500,000 new businesses each year but are also losing more than we are creating. Why?Why Businesses Close Their DoorsThere are probably as many reasons that businesses close down as there are businesses. Some close for personal reasons - the opportunity is gone, new opportunities arise, just don't want to do it any more - to forced closures - just cannot keep up with the company's bills.If you survey 100 businesses that have recently closed and asked them for their top 10 reasons why their company shut down, you will get 100 different lists. However, common among all of those lists will be reference to an inability to manage and finance growth.In fact, according to a NY Times article regarding the "Top 10 Reason Small Businesses Fail," found that five of the top 10 reasons had to do with:

Out-of-control growth.

Poor accounting.

Lack of a cash cushion.

Operational inefficiencies. And,

Dysfunctional management.
All of which leads to statements like this:
If that company is already out of cash (and borrowing potential), it may not be able to recover.
Not having cash or the ability to get cash (working capital) can lead to - like these companies - growing yourself broke.Growing BrokeSo, what does that mean? It means that your business is growing so fast (faster than you can handle financially) that you end up with more customers or customer orders than you have ever had (making your sales look good). But, for any number of reasons, poor collections, untimely payments, bad working capital management, etc., you just do not have the money or can't get the money needed to 1) service all those customers (even though you agreed to do so) and 2) meet your current bills (although money might be coming in a few days or weeks or whenever - it is not here now to meet current, pressing obligations).And, if you stop meeting or exceeding your promises to customers as well as are unable to pay suppliers, vendors and especially employees on time, you will lose your business - by choice or by force.So, let's look at an example: Your service business usually has roughly 10 active customers on any given day. And, based on how you have run your business over the years, you have 5 of those customers paying while you start on (and incur the cost of) those other 5 customers. No problem.Then, one day you get another customer (growth). Yet, while you are happy about the new business, you don't have the money coming in to start that new job - which needs to be started right now.So, what do you do? Do you ignore the new customer and wait until you have the money to get started? Do you take those funds from another customer's job to start this new one? Do you just ignore them all?In most cases, one or two additional customers can be handled. But, if you start getting more than your business can handle, you find yourself short the working capital needed to service those jobs (even though you have additional sales - booking sales and collecting revenue are two different things). At that point, the money you have coming in - which is used to start and complete other jobs - is not keeping pace with the money that you have going out - to pay bills and other obligations. Thus, you start playing around with your accounting and maybe even with your actual cash - which might buy you a day or even a week. But, in the end, you will miss a payment or a deadline and your company will start to spiral out of control.


You start missing customer deadlines and you start losing customers - not one or two but in groups. Or, you miss a supplier's payment and you lose that supplier or you miss a payroll and you end up in jail. Either way, you grow your company but as you don't have the money to manage that growth, you grow yourself broke.How Do You Solve This Problem?You cannot just do one thing. You have to manage several aspect of your business - especially your working capital - at the same time. Here is a short list of items to concentrate on:

Have a great payment and collection policy to ensure that you are getting paid when you expect or forecast to be paid. This could be done using discounts to accelerate payments or demanding payments up front or any combination.

Manage your expenses. If you are growing and growing at such a rate that your capital is taking a hit, find ways to slow down your expenses. Look at ways to extend, delay or flat out ignore your cash out flows - like with economies of scale - to ensure that you always have more money coming in (actual cash - not just sales but revenue) than you have going out.

Manage your working capital. It makes no sense to be paying your suppliers, vendor, etc. in 30 days when you are collecting payments from your customers say every 60 days. That just does not work. Switch that around and get your money in before it has to go out.

Manage your growth. Yes, it hurts to turn down business. But, if you cannot meet your promise to a new customer, you have to say no. Better to say no and hope the customer just feels unimportant (as that might make the customer want to work with you even more) then to say yes and not be able to deliver. You don't deliver and those customers, if they don't sue you, will surely bad mouth you. But, bruise the ego of those customers and they will not say a word to anyone out of fear of additional embarrassment.

Have - already in place - the ability to get needed working capital funding if and when you need it - like the time you were already swamped and you landed that big, dream contract you thought you would never get. Based on how your business earns its revenue - already have in place - relationships with lenders that will quickly fund your capital needs. Would hate to see you miss completing jobs on time for existing customers or have you turn down that dream customer all because you did not have the working capital on hand to manage your growth.
Now, this list is not all inclusive and all items do not work for all businesses as each company is unique and has their own unique obstacles to deal with. But, you should be able to refer from this list what you need to do in your own business. Remember, the focus is on ensuring that your company has the working capital to fully satisfy customers or it has to cut back on those customers or grow itself broke.

My GSA Misadventure

There is good that has come out of this ill-fated and completely avoidable misadventure trying to get onto the GSA Schedule.1. The process and requirements forced me to focus and articulate my areas of expertise.2. I had to give serious thought to what differentiates my services from others who work in similar areas.3. I learned about the importance of identifying my company as a certified woman-owned business. That is not something that I have played up in the past.4. The massive documentation I had to develop will be very useful in future proposals and marketing efforts.a. Creating the narratives of projects that I have completed was very instructive.b. Writing the capability statement gave me a head start in defining what it is that I do.c. The responses I have written to the requests for proposals contain information I can and will use again in future (and hopefully, more successful) proposals.5. I got practice pricing potential travel and lodging expenses, which was illuminating in itself.6. All may not be lost. I do have another year to watch and see if there is work I can do for the federal government.And what hard lessons have I learned?

It is important to conduct thorough research into any venture that appears attractive. I should have spent a lot of time on the GSA website. I also should have checked out the websites of more of the women-owned contractors who did and did not get contracts- and called to talk with them about their experiences.

I need to ask more questions to get a complete picture of the requirements before I voluntarily jump onto the merry-go-round.




If the application is incredibly difficult to complete, that is a good indication that the application process will be incredibly difficult.

If the application process is so complex that it requires paid expertise to complete it, then the implementation (marketing) phase will also require paid expertise.

If you want to do business with the federal government, you need to be in a financial position where you do not need the business.

If the solution to stress creates more stress, it is not a good solution. The reason for wanting to get onto the GSA Schedule was to reduce my stress about the paucity of work and finances. Sadly, the process of getting onto the GSA Schedule kept me highly stressed for two years and didn't do anything to get me work or improve my finances.

I need to be aware that I was guilty of magical thinking: getting on the GSA Schedule will open the door for lots of federal lucrative contracts. I didn't consider how difficult it would be to introduce myself and build relationships with federal agencies.

When I consider taking a risk, I need to think through my decision to its practical and most likely conclusion. I can't allow my desperation to muddy my view of the most realistic outcome.

Nothing involving the federal government is ever simple or easy.

If it sounds too good to be true, be wary, because you don't have the full story.

How to Earn Residual Income By Starting A Home Based Business

Everyone requires an additional income in today's economy. Creating a residual income through home based business is a great way to earn extra money. Another great thing is that you can earn this additional income from the comfort of your own home.Nowadays many people are starting a home based business or working from home for many good reasons. There are several ways to create residual income from home based businesses. But it is significant to know how to find the right one that suits your needs. One of the best ideas for making a residual income is to discover something that you find interesting to do. Start working with your desired home-based job and you can develop it into a residual or passive income stream. When you are truly passionate about something, and envision your life 5 years into the future because you are doing it, you will always find tremendous success.Making residual income from multi-level marketing (MLM) is one of the more popular opportunities for gaining income from home today. A large number of people have found MLM or network marketing as a way to generate an additional source of income for them. In this type of home based business, you have a service or product that allows you to attract customers and like-minded business owners whom you want to work with. Working together and building together leads to great success. As it is a multiple level marketing system, the business is completely dependent on the performance of the entire team you are working with. As long as your team is growing and getting customers for themselves, you are also assured that you are getting the residual income from your business.


Another great way to make an additional income is to join in affiliate marketing programs. You can promote services or products by other companies and you will get the commission when a transaction happens. You can also develop a marketing system and allow other companies to use your system for a fee. The more companies join your marketing system, the more will be your residual income.If you are interested in article writing and SEO projects, you can work from home as freelance writer. You can write articles and post them on different websites and the sites will pay a share of ad revenue to your account. Once the articles are published you can continuously earn income from different ads on the site and you can gain an ongoing residual income. Similarly, you can create a blog or website and allow others to run advertisements on your site for a fixed fee. You can also choose social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook and provide links to promote various sites from your profile. When people will visit your profile and click on your provided links, you will receive your commission. You can also make ebook, videos and audios and create residual income by publishing it online.By doing some online research you can find a right home based business that you can work with. The Internet has resources where you can meet wide variety of people who are interested in home based business and residual income opportunities. No matter which type of business you choose, it will require dedication, focus, and consistency to begin with and by working hard it will help you move forward successfully.

Fraud Alert - Carsales

OK, this one does the rounds quite regularly, but it is worth bringing up again because it is a Fraud Alert on carsales.Just 2 days ago I put my trusty old ute onto carsales and gumtree.But within 24 hours I had a very promising lead from someone who was willing to pay my full asking price... no questions!Well!! I had a few questions - LOL...Here is the text of the email that I received... so that you can recognise it if you get something similar.It is quite hard to read... but that's how it came!Thanks for mailing back,am OK with the price and the condition,i work with New Zealand Oil and Gas (NZOG) and we are presently offshore in New Zealand Taranaki Basin on kupe project.We do not have access to phone at the moment that's why I contacted you with internet messaging facility.Regarding the payment,i will be paying you through PayPal because i don't have access to my bank account online as am not with my credit card details here but i have my ANZ bank account link up with my PayPal account so I will be paying you through PayPal to your nominated bank account or better still is if you have a PayPal account,please get back to me with your BSB and account details or PayPal account so i can proceed with the payment.I have also contacted my courier who will come for pick up and deliver it to my place in Darwin after the whole fund has been cleared into your acct. Await your replyNote the following about this email:

No formatting - designed to be confusing and hard to read

Poor English and very bad grammar, (not that this alone means it is spam or a fraud)

No name given

None of that alone is conclusive, except that I have seen this fraud before.Here is how it would read with some paragraphs added...Thanks for mailing back,am OK with the price and the condition, I work with New Zealand Oil and Gas (NZOG) and we are presently offshore in New Zealand Taranaki Basin on kupe project.We do not have access to phone at the moment that's why I contacted you with internet messaging facility.


Regarding the payment,i will be paying you through PayPal because i don't have access to my bank account online as am not with my credit card details here but i have my ANZ bank account link up with my PayPal account so I will be paying you through PayPal to your nominated bank account or better still is if you have a PayPal account,please get back to me with your BSB and account details or PayPal account so i can proceed with the payment.I have also contacted my courier who will come for pick up and deliver it to my place in Darwin after the whole fund has been cleared into your acct.Await your replyThis is the part to look out forso I will be paying you through PayPal to your nominated bank accountHow this scam worksYou get paid into your bank account via the buyers PayPal account.The buyer then sends his 'courier' mate around to pick up the car and the papers.Once you hand over the vehicle, you literally are STUFFED.Next thing you know, the buyer lodges a claim with PayPal to say they never received the goods.PayPal refunds the money to them, and then extracts it back out of your bank account.(Yes, apparently they can do that!!)You are left with the onus of proving that you have in fact handed over the vehicle which is almost impossible to do.Why?A 'courier' picked up the vehicle so you do not have a signed transfer paper, nor have you sighted the buyers drivers license.You have no id for the buyer to report to the Police.Worst of all... you have no car and you have no money!You don't have the money, and try getting your car back!Just You Tube search on "carsales fraud using PayPal" and you get any number of listings...What should you do now?

If you are going to sell your car, take care about the offers you accept.

Want some help or ideas? Just contact us at Hotpink Websites now.

Residual Income and How You Can Build It

Nowadays, it is easy to get trapped in the corporate world. We barely notice how getting a day job eats up most of our time only to be rewarded by so little income, or at least income that equates the amount of work that you do. What many of us do not understand is that there is a way for us to earn money in such a way that it will be the one that works for us, not the other way around. We can actually become our own bosses, and when we become such, we earn residual income.What is residual income?There are generally several types of income, first being the earned income. With earned income, the amount of work that you do equates to the amount of money that you earn-basically, it is a linear process. Then we have the portfolio income, where you sell an investment for a price higher than what you paid it for. Lastly, we have the residual or the passive income, where your assets earn the income for you. For example, buying a property and renting it out to tenants. Residual income is not just limited to physical properties. This could also be applied in intellectual property. Getting paid for the photos that you posted on the internet so that a commercial brand can use it is another example of a residual income.


What are ways on how you can earn residual income?Needless to say, the best type of income is the residual income because it is basically letting the money roll in while you sit back and rest. In essence, it is like you are investing in something that people are willing to pay for over and over again. Can you think of investments that can do that for you? Investing in travel and leisure is the way that is closest to us, but it is not limited to only that. There are numerous investments that you can have. Aside from investing in a travel property, you can also invest on a blog. When you are already reaching a decent number of readers, brands and businesses will actually pay you so you can promote them.In a nutshell, the possibility of building residual is endless, and the more creative you are, the better. It can be about mixing and matching-investing in travel property AND writing a travel blog sounds like a dynamic duo. What matters the most is how willing you are to invest.

Are Economic Factors Changing The Concept of Quality in Small Business Environment?

What exactly does "Quality" mean for small businesses? Has the economic downturn over the past 6 years changed the definition of quality relative to small business's delivery of products and services? Is quality, the major driver in delivering and selling to businesses? Are consumers now willing to compromise on quality, to save money? How much will small businesses and individuals tolerate in diminished services or product quality and decide less quality is more important if they can save money?I recently met with an acquaintance that operates a small commercial oriented service business. He was lamenting that 10 years ago he launched into a program whereby he structured his company to deliver the highest quality service to his industrial customers. His quality goals were defined based upon what the customers told him were their highest priorities for good product and service qualities. Those attributes were (in order of preferences): timely responses to their requests, error free production/finished product, on-time delivery of the product/service, and fair pricing for their quality demands. It is important to note that fair pricing was not defined as being the cheapest.Today, he is finding those customers that said, " we buy only quality products and services" are now doing business with vendors offering rock bottom pricing. To get rock bottom pricing quality has suffered; flaws are tolerated. Some small companies are now working with vendors that are moonlighting to pick up a little extra cash and may lack experience working with the latest software technology, equipment, and materials. So, what has happened in the small business sector, relative to the pride a vendor once took in high quality personalized service with a commensurate return? They seem to have vanished; at least for the time being.Conversely, some large manufacturers found a component of quality to mean, components delivered on-time/just-in-time saves them money and equates into sales. Does this example also apply to small businesses across the board, well, maybe not? But there are disconnects; just look at the GM issue of late, where quality was not worth the expense (at the time). This aside, it does seem quality is no longer the coin of the realm with small commercial service businesses. They may look at quality as a product component that is hard to justify on a revenue basis. Some managers might think they can fine tune the service or product quality in house and not pay the vendor for a high level of quality.Businesses catering to the end user of products and services still demand quality. But, most of them offer product and services that are focused on high touch and personal attention to details industries. This quality is not inexpensive to deliver.Could all the changes in small business methods, with pressure on costs, be forcing a new definition of how small business develops their pricing for various levels of quality? I guess if the service or product isn't life threatening it could slip on the" need for quality" scale. Offer quality but at a premium; let the customer decide what price quality is worth.I think discussions about quality from a small business perspective need to be targeted; defining exactly what elements of quality are worthwhile? As standalone considerations, such things as-glitz, glamour, individualized services, and attention to detail may not add anything to perceived quality. For example, the precision delivered in a service product maybe isn't appreciated or needed. Therefore, maybe this is just one example where companies are trading with vendors based on cost and less on quality. Some companies are picking apart the elements of quality being offered to them and settling for a lot less of quality.


It is hard to really understand all the issues involved in small businesses purchasing services and products with the primary consideration being quality. Now the question is: Why does there seem to be a shift in small businesses buying services that are primarily price driven? Quantitative data seems to indicate there is a shift from the holy grail of quality. And, we do recognize, there are still a plethora of companies offering services and product purely based on quality. For example, there are some hotels and car companies having a nice customer niche based on quality; those markets being consumer and extremely large. Everyone could probably agree that any service and product could have such quality if their market would be broad enough to support such quality.Gucci had a corporate mantra that said: Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten. Of course that was their market and it is still large. Maybe the 1% is enough to support that kind of quality.For small businesses today, owners must balance costs, revenue demands, marketplace, competition and sophistication of the marketplace. If adding elements of quality to the product line do not generate enough revenue to cover incremental cost, then redefine quality. Quality is in the eye of the beholder. I would imagine a farrier (installer of horseshoes) isn't concerned about the packaging, website, product guarantees, or hand polished horseshoes. He just wants horseshoes at a competitive (lowest) price and from a supplier that keeps them on hand.Some thoughts on quality:
Quality has a myriad of definitions and quality definitions are industry specific and customer dependent. Maybe quality in an industry is simply having a human answer the phone... thinking of the DMV.

The customer will always dictate quality levels.

Don't expect the quality to be free; there are no free lunches. Quality does impact margins.
I can remember in the early dot com boom, as a vendor and customer, quality was measured by such things as how expensive were the give-a-ways, how costly were entertainment bills, running online ads no matter the end results and justifying expensive tracking programs and site designs for no substantiate reason. So glitz, glamour, service, and value of the end results were components of what we thought was quality. Is that your definition of quality today? Quality in today's business environment is being re-evaluated relative to costs and revenue impact.

Why You Should Look for IT Support

Looking for IT support services when starting a business can be very helpful for you over the course of time, particularly as your business starts expanding. Whether it is for help in managing the network and connectivity issues or more efficiently managing the data involved, business IT support is very important for efficient management and control. However, most small scale companies and industries will not be able to afford the costs involved in maintaining a good IT support for their businesses. In such situations, the best option is to outsource the work to other companies that specialize in IT support. Apart from being a cost effective solution, you will be able to manage your business efficiently and handle any problems quickly. However, it is imperative to make a well informed decision while choosing an IT support company in order to get the best value for your money and time.Outsourcing your work to the right IT company can help you avoid a lot of stress and effort involved in handling server problems and other related issues. These companies usually specialize in dealing with IT problems and will completely take over all the management issues of your company. The right IT solutions can also help reduce your operational costs and help you make the most out of your available time and resources. As you no longer need to implement extra security measures or hire administrators to manage the servers and the systems, you will also be able to save a lot of time and money when outsourcing your work to an IT company.The benefits of implementing a good IT support
For every company, a prerequisite for a long and successful venture is the establishment of a good IT support. This can help you manage your company more efficiently and also deal smartly with any problems or system failures. Without IT support 247, any problems with their servers or the company can take a longer time to detect and solve. This can lead to a greater downtime thus decreasing the productivity of the company. The other benefits that you can avail when implementing good it support are:


Better management and control - After delegating the job of security and management to the outsourced IT support company, you will be able to devote your time to effectively manage and tackle the other issues concerning the company. This can be a change in organization, product development, etc.Better use of resources - Rather than focusing your resources on handling security issues or other common problems, by outsourcing your work to an IT services company, you will be able to use your resources for accomplishing the goals and objectives of the company.Expertise - Without good IT support, any problem with the server can take a longer time to get rectified. As IT support companies are experienced and deal with such issues on a daily basis, they will be able to apply their knowledge in order to develop the best solution quickly.Therefore, by spending a little time to upgrade the existing IT support systems in your company or by outsourcing the work, you will be able to have a peace of mind and work towards achieving better productivity from the company. For further information contact your local tech support guy or local IT services company.

Mom Blogs: What Are the Benefits?

The emergence of mommy bloggers is a direct result of women's desire to work online from home and build a community of like-minded friends. These blogs differ in content from other types of blogs by focusing mainly on topics revolving around the home, family matters, spiritual issues or work at home topics. While on the surface these mom blogs may seem like a way to pass the time, there are actually many other real benefits to running one.Provides a Creative Outlet
For many bloggers, the ability to simply express their thoughts creatively is reward enough. While getting your works published through traditional means can be quite challenging, publishing on a blog takes literally seconds. Whether you seek to write news-worthy pieces or simply maintain an online diary of your life, the blog is a perfect outlet for your creative talents. Don't limit yourself to just writing text on your blog, as they are also wonderful ways to showcase your photography as well.Launch a Writing Career
For those who are serious about wanting to work online from home, a blog is the prefect starting point to building a professional writing career. In essence, a blog is your portfolio and demonstrates your ability to capture the reader's attention and communicate through the written word. While it may take time to grab the attention of higher-ups, your blog is a great springboard toward paid professional writing assignments at larger websites or blogs.Monetary Gain
While most blogs don't start out making much money, they have the potential to turn into a viable way for a single working mom to earn extra money. By building up your readership and focusing on the right way to monetize the blog, you can at least earn a very lucrative side income. Traditional forms of monetizing blogs include displaying advertising on the side rails or even in the context of the post themselves.


Find Like-Minded Friends
Another important benefit of running a mom blog is that you will gain readers who quite often become lifelong friends. This is particularly important if you're blogging about topics such a health issues or if you are a single working mom who simply needs to build a support network. Many of these friends will also have their own blogs and can help you build your readership by linking to yours. Bloggers also hold meet-ups in various locations where blog followers can meet in person to grab lunch, converse and get to know each other better.Make an Impact
Finally, mom blogs have the ability to make a real impact on your community, the lives of others and even on state or federal policy. If you feel strongly about certain issues, blogging about them can help you gain increased support for them. Today's viral blog posts are often picked up by local and national news outlets who expand on the stories by interviewing the blog writers. This is a wonderful way to bring attention to your cause by simply spending a little time at your computer keyboard.

What First Impression Does Your Business Give?

If you run a small business what is the first impression that you create for your customers? What is their initial experience of your business, how professional do you appear? A first impression may not even include any personal interaction with you.For example, what is your out-of-hours customer experience like? Potential customers may not know your opening hours, may call in person or on your landline and expect to find details of your website, your mobile phone number, be able to leave a voice mail. Is the first impression your business gives positive and professional or does it turn people away?Practice being your own customer, put the boot on the other foot and check out your own first impression of your business. What first impression does your business give?I work from home, see my clients there and regularly stop outside upon my return home to double-check how the front of my house looks, the first impression I get as I pull up outside. I want to reaffirm that it's still okay to invite customers there, that the neighbourhood is smart, tidy and looks acceptable to the type of customers I want to attract. Does the garden look tidy and welcoming, are the windows clean; all important, subtle things that clients will pick up on, often without realising.When I walk through the front door I'll usually pause to take in the first impression the room presents, how it looks, smells, feels. These things are all important, especially to a first time customer or client. Do clients or their companions have somewhere to sit and wait if necessary and is that place comfortable?I recently called at the advertised shop premises of a driveway laying business. I was considering spending quite a lot of money on a new driveway and wanted to see examples of their work, the different options available for colours and styles, but every time I called their shop was closed. I tried at different times, all within the usual office hours. Daytime, Saturday afternoon; the business was styled as a shop but had no receptionist or staff present and no information explaining why. It was an exasperating experience which conveyed a rather indifferent attitude towards potential new business.


They could argue that they're saving on overheads, are able to offer a more economical service as a consequence but when a new customer is trying to make contact it's important that they're able to do so. Why have a shop in the middle of a row of shops if it's unmanned? What first impression does that create?Competition is fierce in the world of business and as a small business or sole trader it's important to offer that special something extra to customers and clients. Yes, pricing is always going to be an important consideration but it's by no means the only one.Quality customer service, professionalism and reliability are often almost more important than the price and can certainly put you ahead of the competition. Creating a good first impression helps you to get your foot through the door and reinforces potential customers belief in your ability to deliver well on your promises.A good first impression helps you to look professional, conveys the message that you take a pride in your work and in your reputation and that your business is important to you.

The Benefits of Good Credit Control Procedures in a Small Business

Credit control is important in a business especially for small businesses. This means that every small business should ensure that it collects its outstanding invoices. Some small businesses let their uncollected invoices accumulate which ultimately affects their cash flow and also the performance of the general business. This problem can be attributed to poor credit control and lack of knowledge on the benefits of good credit control procedures in a small business.One of the primary benefits of good credit procedures in a small business is that there will be sufficient funds to ensure that the business runs smoothly. The outstanding uncollected invoices mean that the business has some money which is deemed to be available but cannot be used in the operations of the business. This is especially a major issue in a small business which might not have enough funds to run the various operations without collecting the outstanding invoices as required. This makes it paramount for a business to ensure that it has set down good procedures of credit control so as to ensure the business runs smoothly with sufficient funds available.Having good procedures is also important since it enables the business to know its reliable and trustworthy clients. This is because having good procedures in place will enable the business to explain to its various clients when and how the invoices will be collected. The reliable clients will keep to the payment terms and will ensure that the invoices are ready by the time stipulated by the credit control procedure. Through this the business can identify the clients that keep to their payment terms and therefore it becomes easier to extend credit to such clients since they keep their word.Another major benefit of having a good credit control procedure in place is that the businesses are able to plan properly. This is because a small business with good control procedures will be able to know the money it has and the money to expect. As a result, the business will be able to budget even on the uncollected invoices since the laid down procedure will ensure that the outstanding invoices are collected on time.


A business can even get outsourced providers of credit control services who will ensure that all the outstanding invoices are collected on time. Having outsourced providers will give the business time to concentrate on other issues regarding the growth of the business. Furthermore, some outsourced providers even pay for the uncollected invoices and then go ahead to collect the invoices after the stipulated dates. This gives the small business the assurance that funds will be available on time to run the various operations of the business.Good credit control procedures that enhance collection of a businesses outstanding invoices are also beneficial because it allows a business to control credit limits. Small businesses should have a limit of the credit to be extended. This means that these businesses should have a limit of the outstanding invoices. When the outstanding invoices surpass the set limit, the business might not be able to extend credit to other clients.But with good credit control procedures the small businesses will be able to set limits and therefore be able to extend credit to other customers and also to those whose outstanding invoices have been collected. Therefore, it is paramount for a small business to have good credit control procedures in place which will enhance their collection of outstanding invoices.