Archive for the 'Starting a business' Category
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Create a brand. Spend a little money to create a professional logo, business card and stationery. Present a professional image.
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Ramp up Online. Make creating a Web site a top priority. A Web site is today’s calling card. You really shouldn’t do without one. Give people a place to go to learn about your business.
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Make Your First Sale. This is key. Get that first sale even if it’s friends or family at a discounted rate. This counts as getting started, so go for it.
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Promote Testimonials. Get testimonials from your first sales. Start building credibility for your business from day one.
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Build Buzz. Be creative. Look for a special promotion, big event, email campaign or something out of the norm for your business to get people talking about you, your product or service.
Brought to you by SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business.”
Source: SCORE
Technorati : SCORE, new business, promotion, sale, start, testimonials, website
For many of us, running a successful business is part of the American dream. That’s especially true in South Florida, where small businesses are integral to the local economy.
If you’re thinking about starting your own business, you should know the tax implications. Among other considerations, the business structure and accounting methods you choose can dramatically affect how much tax you pay.
Begin by learning the basics at www.irs.gov. Click the Business tab, then ‘’Starting a Business'’ for links on record-keeping, choosing a business structure, accounting information, a checklist and more. It will save time and money when you consult your accountant or tax advisor.
Alternatively, call 800-829-3676, toll-free, and request Publication 4591, Small Business Federal Tax Responsibilities; Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business; and Publication 1066C, A Virtual Small Business Tax Workshop DVD.
Source: Miami Herald
Technorati : accounting methods, business structure, irs, irs.gov, starting a business, taxes
Starting a small business requires determination, motivation, and know-how. Here’s a list of available resources to provide you with the know-how to have a successful small business startup.
Identify Your Business Opportunity: Choosing what kind of business to start can be an immobilizing task when confronted with the multitude of opportunities. Here at About, we have identified the hottest business opportunities to give you a few ideas. It’s important to determine where your passions lie and to understand your entrepreneurial personality type. So you think you have found the one business opportunity that will bring you freedom, fame, and plenty of profits? Does it meet the 8 simple rules?
Build a Business Plan: For the majority of start-ups, a business plan allows you to gain a better understanding of your industry structure, competitive landscape, and the capital requirements of starting a small business.
Name Your Business: What’s in a business name? Everything and nothing. The right business name will help distinguish you from a sea of bland competitors, provide your customers with a reason to hire you, and aid in the branding of your company. Apply these 10 commandments when choosing a name for your business.
Choose a Business Structure: Find the best ownership structure for your small business. The most basic of all business legal structures is the sole proprietorship. Other possible structures include the popular limited liability company, a partnership, or an S corporation.
Register Your Business: Starting a small business requires the usual paperwork and regulations. Secretary of State offices register corporations, LLC’s, partnerships, and articles of dissolution. Setting up your small business may require an employer identification number. The EIN is also used by state taxing authorities to identify businesses.
Find Start-up Money: Contrary to popular belief, most small business start-ups aren’t funded by grants, venture capitalists, or banks. Your seed money will come from your personal savings, friends, family, and any other creative means such as bartering.
Determine Your Business Location: A 2001 Inc 500 survey revealed over 56% of the fastest growing companies were started at home. Discover what you need to make your home office design more productive. If home business isn’t for you, learn how sharing office space can aid your startup. Don’t forget to review the pros and cons of office space leasing vs. buying.
Get Business Insurance: As a new small business owner, you have the responsibility to manage the risks associated with your business. Don’t put your new start-up at risk without getting the proper small business insurance to protect your company in the event of disaster or litigation.
Create an Accounting System: Unless you’re a number person, the accounting and bookkeeping aspect of running your business can’t be avoided. Setting up your accounting will help you understand the financials of running a business.
Source: About.com
Technorati : accounting system, business insurance, business plan, small business, start-up money
The process of starting a business involves key steps from choosing a business name to selecting a business structure. Once your doors are open, the first 90 days of being in business sets the foundation for successful survival. Learn what you need to know during the first 90 days of starting a business.
Get the First Customer: You aren’t in business until you have a customer. If you didn’t have a customer at the beginning of startup, make this priority one. Reach out to your warm contacts. People who know you will want to see you succeed and will give you the necessary business or referrals.
Master Selling: Selling is essential to business success. It’s a business function often downplayed by new startups lacking sales experience.
Set a regular time weekly to learn and apply new selling skills in your business. Forget the hype that marketing will do the selling. Marketing is a separate function from sales. Marketing will create the interest to contact your company. Once you have contact, use your selling skills to close the deal.
Make a Profit: Sales revenue shows on the top line of financials. The profit is the bottom line. Without profits your business will fail. Understand the costs of your business and ensure you focus on making money. For certain businesses, profits will follow an investment in inventory or other start up costs. Run financials to determine when your company will be profitable.
Evaluate Pricing: When starting a business it’s common to make assumptions about what prices to charge customers and the profits made. During the first 90 days your assumptions will be challenged with the realities of the market place. Take a close look at your price strategy. Don’t make the common error of trying to be the lowest price provider. Your competitors have established their businesses and can often undercut prices longer than you.
Set Quarterly Goals: Running a new startup is time consuming and stressful. You have to learn multiple skills and have numerous systems to setup. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day. Successful entrepreneurs know seeing the horizon and having a 90 day plan with objectives and milestones can mean the difference between failure and survival.
Find Your Entrepreneurial Type: Your business personality type is the traits and characteristics of your personality that blend with the needs of the business. If you better understand your business personality, then you can give your company the best part of you.
Reward Yourself: Starting a business is like launching a rocket into space. The amount of energy to leave the earth’s gravity force is tremendous but once beyond the pull of the earth the energy needed is reduced. Recognize the energy you have expended to start your business and take the time out to reward yourself. The time off will recharge your motivation and ensure success for the next 90 days.
Source: About.com
Technorati : Customer, Entrepreneurial Type, Goals, Pricing, Profit, Reward
How To Start A Sunglass Distribution Business
by Jorge Olson
—–Business Overview: Distribute Sunglasses to Convenience Stores, Supermarkets and Clothing Shops full time or part time.—–
—What do you need to get started? #1 You need sunglasses. You can’t do it without sunglasses! #2 You could use displays but you don’t really need them to start. These are sunglass displays that hold from 12 to 50 sunglasses. They can be quite expensive so you might as well start without them, at least for now.
—How much are the sunglasses? Your cost for these sunglasses is about $1 and you can sell them from $2 to $6 depending on where you are in the country. You also have to consider if it’s sunny all the time in your town. For example, I live in San Diego where it is sunny even in winter so you can sell sunglasses year round and sell a lot more in summer. On the other hand, it’s a large city and a lot of people sell sunglasses here. I sold them anywhere from $2.50 to $6.00, depending on the style and the type of store.
—How much money can you make? This depends on how much time you have and how much money you want to make. If you are only working weekends you can only manage a few customers per week. With sunglass accounts you have to visit them once a week to every three weeks, depending on the population of your town, how sunny it is in your part of the world and the size of your customer’s stores.
This is a good rule of thumb. If you only sell sunglasses you will be able to visit at least 20 stores per day if they all buy merchandise with a maximum of 35 stores per day. This is normal for a route type of business like this one. Believe me, 35 is not a lot of stores. Once you get to your route all the stores are in the same street or a few blocks away from each other.
So let’s say that you only work on Saturday and you visit stores once per week during summer. If you sell an average of just 8 sunglasses per store in just 20 stores you will sell 160 sunglasses. If you sell them at $3 a pair, buy them for $1 you will make $2 a pair or a total of $320 for one day of work.
Want to make more? Then work more days! Sell other products, you can easily sell $1,000, $2,000 or more per day and you could make 30% to 50% profit.
—Benefits of selling sunglasses
You don’t really need to buy displays from the start. Many stores already have their own displays. -Sunglasses are very inexpensive and they have a huge mark-up. -If you give good service you will keep customers for a long time. -Many stores already have their own displays. -Sunglasses are very inexpensive and they have a huge mark-up.-If you give good service you you will keep customers for a long time. -Sunglasses are small so you don’t need a van or truck. You can use your car. -You don’t need any storage or office either. You can keep a few hundred sunglasses in a small corner of your house or even in the closet. -Shipping is not expensive because sunglasses are very light.
—Learn more about the business of Wholesale Distribution
If you want to start a Sunglass Distribution Business or any Wholesale Distribution business you have to learn more about the whole business of wholesale distribution. How to sell to convenience stores, to supermarkets, how to export, import, merchandise and price your products.
On each article I will give you a great new resource to learn more about Wholesale Distribution. On this article I recommend that you learn more about DSD. DSD is the concept of delivering directly to the stores and giving them full service. The following website is a free resource that explains in detail the world of DSD.
http://www.DirectStoreDelivery.com Direct Store Delivery or DSD is the concept of delivering your wholesale products directly to stores instead of drop shipping or sending truckloads. DSD means you provide service and merchandising. This page explains in detail what DSD is as well as the 2 main types of DSD. </< div>
Jorge Olson is a consultant, speaker and entrepreneur and owns several Wholesale Distribution companies. His latest eBook teaches you step by step how to get started and make money in Wholesale Distribution. You can find it at http://www.DistributionBusiness.com
Full Author Profile –>
Source: How to Start A Sunglass Distribution Business
Technorati : benefits, selling sunglasses, sunglasses, wholesale distribution
By April Y. Pennington
The enlarged pupils, eager smile, hand practically thrusting cash into yours-if only it were this easy to spot impulsive buyers. Nothing’s sweeter than watching potential customers make a beeline toward your display; it’s even more heavenly when they quickly and almost effortlessly opt to buy. Kiosks, more than any other type of retail business, benefit from impulse shoppers. How can you attract them?
The first thing a start-up entrepreneur should know is what items make the best impulse buys. These are items “that people can see being usable in their lives,” says Jeffrey Stamp, co-author of Meaningful Marketing (Brain Brew Books), and vice president of R&D at Eureka! Ranch, an innovation think tank in Cincinnati. For example, personalized items are typically a good choice as a last-minute impulse purchase in the mind of the consumer.
It’s also important to understand the larger group from which impulse purchases originate: the unplanned purchase. There are three ways in which unplanned purchasers are lured into temptation, explains Ed Fox, assistant professor of marketing and director of the JCPenney Center for Retail Excellence at the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. First, something can act as a sudden reminder to the shopper. Whether the kiosk offers something that might be appropriate for an upcoming birthday or event, a visual cue triggers the memory. (Note: A smell or sound can be equally enticing.) These cues alert the consumer to a need that wasn’t terribly pressing before but is now.
Second, using the same type of visual cue mentioned above, a kiosk can suggest the purchase of products that are complementary, implying to the consumer that he or she should buy and use one product with the other. “It’s like selling soft drinks with popcorn,” Fox explains.
Third, a visual cue can create an entirely new need for a product-a need that didn’t exist before the visual cue. Says Fox, “The cue spontaneously generates a need for the product.”
Though studies on a shopper’s state of mind haven’t been conclusive in determining whether or not a browser, as opposed to a goal-directed shopper, is more likely to make impulse purchases, Fox points out another psychological facet of shoppers’ tendencies. The psychological construct called “need for cognition” is, for some, a desire to analyze. “Some people feel better if they think deeply about things,” explains Fox, “while others are very comfortable being bold and making quicker, more impulsive decisions.”
Fox speculates the purpose of a shopper’s visit will likely affect how many impulse purchases that shopper makes, but he also believes that the more the consumer sees and passes by, the more items she’ll consider buying. Says Fox, “What’s critical for a kiosk vendor is where you’re at in the mall. You’ve got to get them to consider you and consider your product. To do that, [shoppers] need to be aware of your kiosk and process [what you offer].”
Traffic volume is key-locations where people slow down and are receptive to visual stimulation are prime property for your business. “You’re more likely to start that process of generating an impulse purchase,” says Fox, “or reminding someone of a need.”
Sending the Message
While it’s fine to start a kiosk using impulse buys as a consideration, if you want something with a longer life, “then you must convert the initial impulse angle into a more meaningful one,” says Stamp. To do so, set your product apart by highlighting the overt benefit and making a valid argument that it will make a real difference in the consumer’s life.
So how do you proceed in marketing your wares? When it comes to signage at your kiosk, Stamp claims the cliché “A picture is worth a thousand words” is untrue. “If you really want to get an impulse buyer, you could have placards that just say, ‘Need a last-minute gift?’ Clear and simple words put everyone on the same page, and the leading question is a very good way to get people to stop and see.”
However, if you believe pictures better portray what your item can offer to the shopper, Stamp recommends using one that clarifies the benefits of your product. “If you’re selling sunglasses, don’t just have pictures of sunglasses-have a picture of people wearing sunglasses out in the sun.”
Also make sure any visuals are relevant to the target audience and the occasion. “It’s not that consumers aren’t smart,” says Stamp. “Americans see more than 2,000 advertising messages [per] day. Our bandwidth is so clogged up, people see the [images], but they don’t [always] register.”
While mindless marketing-persuasive tactics like shouting and circus-like promoting-can be an easy option for kiosk owners, Stamp warns that a good customer experience can be thrown by the wayside when your sales staff has nothing meaningful to say. “You have to remember the definition of business: the exchange of value between two people,” says Stamp. Understand the value behind the object or service you are providing, and explain it to the customer. “Convert the features of your products or services into true benefits that the customer needs, and you’ll sell them every time,” advises Stamp. Consider your encounter with a customer as an opportunity for a 20-second commercial. Inquire into what they need, and see if your offer fulfills that. Emphasize quickness and convenience to last-minute shoppers.
Salespeople are crucial in this aspect. Stamp sees one mistake made time and again at many kiosks: “The people who work at them look as if they don’t care. We have learned in the sales process that there’s nothing better than a smile to bridge a distance and get people to look at you.” Proper training of your sales staff should emphasize friendly customer service as well as knowledge of the product. “We’re consumers of products, but as humans, we all crave service,” says Stamp. “So if you’re going to run a kiosk, make it look as if you’re there to serve someone’s needs.”
Don’t get discouraged if you still see plenty of shoppers passing by your cart without that impulsive gleam in their eyes-you can hope you’ve left enough of a lasting impression on them that they’ll buy something another day. “The data is very clear,” says Stamp. “When you’re trying to attract a new customer, it often takes up to three impressions before someone gets it.” It doesn’t matter so much if you don’t sell the first time-it’s more important that, at first glance, you make them see there’s a need for what you have. Next time, they may make a beeline straight to your kiosk.
Source: Entrepreneur.com
Technorati : entrepreneur, impulse buyers, impulse buys, impulse items, impulse purchases, selling sunglasses, starting a business, training sales staff
There are certain things one must consider when getting started in a retail business. One of those things is startup costs. How much is it going to cost you to get the business up and running? How much will you need to market or advertise your business? How much inventory is involved or needed? Do you need to lease a location as a storefront? How about salaries for employees? Is it safer to be the only employee to start until the business gets rolling? These are all questions you must ask yourself. For everyone it’s different depending on the goals you have in mind for your business and your budget. But if you’d like to know what it might take you to get started and to assess first what costs are necessary and what can be on hold for now, use this terrific Startup Costs Calculator to help get things moving in your new retail business!
Technorati : advertising a business, getting started in a retail business, marketing a business, starting a retail business, startup costs, startup costs calculator
Getting started in a retail business can be an overwhelming process. But in the end, it’s totally rewarding to be your own boss. But make sure you do it right…there are some great tips in the following links which can help you get to where you need to go and what you need to do to get started.
First assess, and this link is a great resource that Starting A Retail Business is right for you. This article will give you a little insight into what it takes.
Sounding good but looking for a little more information? Read about Pros And Cons Of Starting A Retail Business just so you know what’s ahead.
Getting ready to go? Look at some Types Of Retail Businesses that may be great avenues for you.
Hope some of these small resources will help you get on your way to big dreams and lots of business ahead!
Technorati : Be Your Own Boss, Pros And Cons of Starting A Retail Business, Retail Business, Starting A Retail Business, Types of Retail Businesses
Hello Entrepreneur!
Wholesale Drop Shipping; what kind of an animal is it and what does it eat during the winter, right?
Hang on, we’re about to shed some light on what exactly wholesale drop shipping is, its benefits and how you can get started for pennies on the dollar!
Hopefully in the end you’ll have learned something and you can decide if the Wholesale Drop-shipping way of doing business is for you.
Drop Shipping and its benefits:
Alright, so Wholesale Drop Shipping is not an animal, and it doesn’t eat anything in the winter, except maybe your money if you’re not careful and you don’t read this article 
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So what exactly is Drop Shipping?
Drop-shipping is when another company sells you merchandise at discounted prices for you to turn around and re-sell to your own customers. As soon as you receive an order from one of your customers, the distributor then ships the ordered item(s) directly to your customers so that you never have to come in contact with the merchandise.
What are the benefits of drop-shipping?
No worries. With drop-shipping, the supplier does all the work for you and you get the rewards.
You never have to touch any of the merchandise. With drop-shipping, you remove the need to warehouse any of the ordered merchandise. You don’t need to package any of the ordered items. The ordered merchandise is shipped from supplier directly to your customers.
Why waste your time with money making ideas that have not been time tested?Let’s face it, proper “tweaking” comes not from being lucky. Rather, it comes from hard-tested knowledge and experience — two qualities that are in short supply these days when just about anyone can hang up their shingle and claim to be an “Internet business Expert.” Drop Shipping has proven itself as a method that works.
Yes, you’ve heard a lot of things that sound good on paper (or in this case on screen ) before, but by now you’re probably saying “Wow, that’s all fine and dandy, but now show me the money!”
So… Is there really money to be made? Well, does Winnie the Pooh like honey? Alright, enough with the corny remarks, let’s look at it together.
Let’s summarize the benefits.
-No need for warehousing, so you have no investment or capital tied-in huge stock of merchandise and the risks and costs associated with it.
-No need for order processing and shipping, potentially saving you a lot of time and money.
-Ability to obtain wholesale pricing without having to buy thousand of dollars worth of products.
-No need to worry about returns as returned merchandise are returned to the shipper of the merchandise, not you.
-Ability to offer more products to your customers without having to invest more capital. Since you have no inventory to hold, the cost to offer 10 products or 10,000 is virtually the same.
-More time to focus on growing your business. Since you save so much time and money on the other aspects of your business, you can take that money and time and invest it in growing your business!
Now, let’s take a look at the inconveniences:
-Because shipping is not taken care of by you or your company, you might feel a bit useless in the process and may not feel comfortable having another company shipping to your customers that are so precious to you. You might feel that they can’t possibly put the care and attention in it that you would.-If you were handling the warehousing/shipping aspect of your business you might be able to sell package deals for certain items.-You don’t have control over the shipping and handling costs.
With thousands of products available for drop shipping, there is certainly money to be made. How much depends, like anything else, on the time and effort the individual or business is ready to put in.
SCAM Watch !
If you’ve already been checking around for various drop shipping resources and contacts on the web, you have certainly been impressed by the number of various “Lists” or “Opportunities”.
We’ve bought all of the lists we’ve come across and tested every opportunity just the same. Here are some things we noticed along the way that could help you decide who to do business with.
-There are a lot of lists out there; you can find some for $10.00, some for $60.00 or more. Most of these lists contain a lot of the same companies. What you want to look for is a list that is being updated regularly and some kind of rating system in place for the companies, so you can judge the company somewhat by the rating given by others.
-Some companies will try to “label” ALL the other companies as “Scams” except for theirs as the ultimate list or program. Be careful of such companies, they are most likely trying to sell you a list that is as good as anyone else’s but have to put others down to make theirs look better.
-Some companies will offer you e-commerce system along with their program, but their e-commerce systems are un-flexible and you are limited to selling only their products and/or you can’t change the appearance of the site. You want to look for a solid company that can provide you with a flexible solution with no hidden costs.
So there you have it, Wholesale Drop Shipping: something to look into if you’re one of the thousands of individuals looking for a business opportunity that doesn’t require you to mortgage your house to get started.
Drop Ship Sunglasses with ReplicaWholesaleSunglasses.com
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