Author: Lisa Sicard

I requested this guest post from DoubleLinx to learn more about their new freelance site for listing services and finding freelancers. Because they put buyers’ money into escrow until their work is completed and they are selective about who will be listed, I encourage those of us who have services to offer to get listed right away.

Find out more in this post, and see the link to where to list your services at the bottom of this post. Continue reading Buy, Sell, and Discover Online Marketing Packages with Doublelinx: List Your Services; Find Service Providers

I’ve asked Gerald Weber @the_gman of SEM-Group.net to share with us how his new Joint Venture with Ann Smarty @SEOSmarty of MyBlogGuest can benefit small businesses and bloggers. Here is what he has to tell us:

SOCIAL MEDIA SHARING

Since its launch in June of 2011, Google+ has grown from an invite-only platform into a thriving ecosystem with over 500 million users. Although some social networks experience rapid but truly organic user adoption, the growth of Google+ hasn’t been an accident. Instead, it’s occurred as a result of Google’s continued focus on making all of their products more social.

It would be silly to assume that Google was Continue reading Social Media Sharing on Steroids – Viral Content Buzz

Many of us either run or work for small businesses, or freelance in order to provide for ourselves and our families. And for a while, we’re able to get by running our day-to-day operations without a hiccup. But do you know when you should incorporate your business, or even the reasons why you should consider incorporating?

When we begin a new business, we often create sole proprietorships, where we and our business are considered one in the same in the court of law. By choosing to incorporate, we essentially make it public that we are separate, meaning the law can no longer seize personal assets to cover expenses against the corporation.

So, why should we consider incorporating our small businesses? How can we truly benefit from this? If you want to learn the answers to these, and when you should consider pulling the trigger, let’s continue.

Why Should We Consider Incorporating?

We know that a corporation is considered separate from the owner and their assets, but there are specific ways your small business can benefit from this process. Here are a few ways you can reap the benefits.

• Personal Asset Protection

If you choose to form a limited liability corporation (LLC), you will be considered separate from your personal assets should you ever be sued or have charges levied against your company. If you properly structure your company – and yes, big or small, you run a company – you should have, at the very least, limited liability for your business debts.

• Tax Benefits and Flexibility

Did you know that a limited liability corporation is taxed the same rates you’re taxed as a sole proprietor? If you run a small business with a handful of employees, you can choose to be taxed as a corporation or pass your profits and losses off to the LLC and get these reported on your personal income tax returns, as well as those of your employees.

If you choose to be taxed as a corporation, you will be taxed both individually and corporately, though the corporation can be saved from double taxation of its profits if you choose Subchapter S tax status.

• Continual Existance

While ownership of your company may change hands, and managers are likely to come and go, by incorporating your small business, your business will exist regardless of changes in personnel. If you were to pass away with a sole proprietorship, or if you or your partner chose to part ways, your company would cease to exist. Choosing to incorporate can save your company from coming to a halt should anything happen to the you.

• Company Name Protection

Most states have laws in place that will prevent another company or individual from using your exact LLC or corporate name in that specific state. In the realm of the internet, where a company can fall victim of slander in the blink of an eye, this is a greater benefit than many realize. Think of all of the websites where you can rate businesses. You probably thought of at least one or two off the top of your head.

Well, there are plenty of these sites out there, and considering how easy it is to sign up for an online account, a displeased customer can try to defame your company name – but only if you’re a sole proprietorship. The second your company becomes a limited liability corporation, this kind of action is considered illegal. Incorporating your business protects your name recognition in the eye of the public while aiding in your current and future marketing endeavors.

When Should We Incorporate?

Before we get to this point, we need to dissect the differences between a corporation and an LLC. Both are considered legal entities that separate our personal assets from our companies, but both also receive certain legal protections that you wouldn’t receive as a sole proprietor.

By forming an LLC or corporation, your liability for business
obligations – such as debts – is significantly reduced.

Your business has limited ownership, can be owned by another corporation, and the owners don’t need to be U.S. citizens. However, there are a few differences between the two:

• If you form a corporation, you are allowed to issue stock shares to attract potential investors with a stake in your company – this isn’t an option if you form an LLC.
• Another benefit of choosing to incorporate is that you and your partners who own a portion of the company can split the business’ profits and losses with the business, thus lowering your tax rate.
• The other main element that separates an LLC from a corporation is that with the LLC status, you and the other owners of your company can report your profits and losses on your personal tax returns, whereas that is not an option if you become a corporation.

When should we incorporate our businesses? BEFORE we can conceivably see a situation that could arise in the near future where your personal assets could be seized for any legal reason. We have worked our tails off to get to where we are, and our possessions are our own. Just because we run small businesses does not mean we should lose what we worked for if things go south for our companies.

However, if you could benefit from the tax breaks and flexibility provided to corporations, there are plenty of resources online that can not only tell you whether you’d benefit more from forming an LLC or corporation, but can help you complete the process without ever leaving your office.

Take the time to truly consider incorporating your small business. There’s a good chance you could protect yourself and your family from falling on hardship should you choose incorporating your company. However, the choice is yours to make.

Bradley Derringer is a blogger for Tech Breach, giving you the latest on all things tech.

Businesses probably have no idea how many customers they use by not handling incoming calls well. Many people will not leave a message or are tired of playing telephone tag or going through what I call voicemail hell.

Marco Suarez shares with us what a quality office phone system should include.

A good phone system is a crucial element of any smoothly operating office.
Without one, you could be losing out on valuable enquiries and customers.

Your company will lose its professional image if you’re heard scrabbling around passing phones across desks. What you need is a phone system that will allow you to pass calls seamlessly to the relevant person without it turning into a major phone swapping operation, and several other features which will improve your customers’ views of your company.

The first thing you need to find out is whether you can rig all the phones in the office up to the same line. If this is the case, you can then use an extension system to direct callers to the relevant department. Or, if you prefer, you could get each department set up with a different line, so that different phone numbers are used to contact a department directly. It is likely that the most senior members of staff will want to be excluded from any departmental phone-line system, and may require a line of their own.

Call Transfer

Another feature you’ll need is the option to transfer calls easily. It’s no use having to go through a complicated process to switch someone to another phone, as the person calling will get impatient and may even hang up – not ideal if it’s a new customer.

One-press transfer systems are far easier, especially if you often find yourself referring to the same person. Avaya phone systems are particularly well known for their easy transfers, and are the preferred systems in many offices.

It’s not essential, but it looks much more professional if you have a personalised answerphone message for out of hours calls. The main information you should include is your normal office hours, your email address and who to call in an emergency. If there is any extra information a caller might need to know, such as unexpectedly leaving the office early or different opening hours to accommodate statutory holiday, include this.

International Calling

If you make lots of calls abroad, you could even consider using a VoIP system. This works by carrying the phone signal over the internet rather than by using standard phone lines, meaning you don’t pay an extortionate amount to call other countries.

This is particularly useful if most of your client base is overseas or if you have international offices you need to contact frequently. However, if you are primarily UK-based, a normal phone line may be a better idea, as if your internet is cut off for any reason, your phones will go down with it, which could leave you unable to get in touch with anyone.

Advanced Features

Any office needs a basic system that allows calls to be picked up and transferred between employees. There are many more advanced features, though, that could benefit your company. For example:

• CTI – Computer Telephony Integration (any system that integrates computers and phones – usually custom solutions)
• Call Logging and Recording – useful for hourly billing, time management, and measuring productivity
• Advertising on Hold – sharing details about your business while your potential customers are holding
• Mobile Collaboration – mobile roaming transfers office calls to your cell phone
• Mobile Twinning – using your mobile phone like it was your desk phone
• Multibranch Networking – treats calls between branches as internal calls
• Home Working – combines home networking, computer, broadband and advancing technologies

Don’t lose business because your phone system drops calls or makes it nearly impossible to transfer them. Professionally handling your incoming calls is key to increasing business.

Marco Suarez is a professional business coach who advises small businesses on the most suitable communications technology to help them succeed.

I’m sure we have all had the experience of a company asking us to call back because they can’t transfer between departments – or having the phone disconnect us so that we had to call back repeatedly.

It’s no secret that success is becoming more and more about the connections that you make. Whether you’re looking for a job, trying to make a sale, or attempting to further your career, there is nothing more annoying that hearing the words “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”

However, those words don’t seem to phase those who actually have the connections, and that’s where this article comes into play. You want to get yourself to a point where you know enough people in an industry to get you to where you want to go, and sharing other company’s or other individual’s content on your social networks is one easy way to make it happen.

Sharing Content: Myth vs. Fact

Now there is lots of evidence out there that proves that promoting content other than just your own content can help you succeed. For those who are unfamiliar, a few of these benefits include:

• Providing quality content for readers (which helps credibility)
• Making connections with other industry professionals
• An easy way to get the favor returned by those in your field

In theory, these are all fact. It might not work every time, but logic and experience tell us these benefits are good expectations to have, and there have been several articles written on this very topic.

While this fact might seem obvious to many, I have found that there are actually quite a few myths when it comes to the idea of sharing the content of others. A few of the most common myths associated with sharing other’s content include:

• Myth #1: Sharing the content of your competition will hurt your business.

After all, why would you want your readers to see a great article that you promoted, click on it, find your competitor’s website, and like it better than yours? This wouldn’t be ideal, but if you’re smart this doesn’t have to happen.

Try not to promote content that your competitor publishes if it is direct competition with you—discussing a service that you also offer, discussing a subject that you also covered, etc.

What you want to do is make sure that the competitor content that you share discusses something that your company does not offer or discusses some sort of unique study that doesn’t apply to your business. This way you can work with your competition and hopefully get a few similar shares (a “pay it forward” attitude) and your readers see that you are well connected in the industry as well as giving them a solid piece to read.

• Myth #2: It’s more about making sure the company who published the content sees your share than about making sure your customers see it.

Most people won’t admit it, but this is a mentality that many companies have. They want to share content in order to create that almighty connection and increase their number of followers or friends, and readers seeing it is just an afterthought (and if it’s a competitor’s piece, the readers not seeing it would be better—see myth #1).

The truth is that readers actually seeing the content you’re posting is just as important as the company seeing that you promoted the piece. It’s your social account that is leading a reader to click, so even if it doesn’t send him/her to your website, you’re still getting visibility that you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise (for example, if you just posted this content one after another at 11pm each night).

• Myth #3: It’s unnecessary to share content on all social accounts; Twitter will do the job.

Twitter is where most of this all occurs. However, you can’t forget about your other social networks. They providee just as many benefits in all the same ways regardless if this practice is less common.

The theme here is this: A lot of companies don’t really want to share the content of others because the benefits don’t always seem clear cut. In other words, the myths are starting to move more and more to the forefront of company minds. This is slowly causing less people to take the benefits seriously and push social sharing into the “annoying” category.

How Viral Content Buzz Can Help

Viral content buzz is a new tool that capitalizes on sharing other’s content and getting rid of these myths and this annoyance. I have utilized Viral Content Buzz for quite some time before I began writing articles on behalf of the tool. (Check out my article on Search Engine Journal from back in November) I quickly realized the value. After all, social media gurus Gerald Weber @the_gman and Ann Smarty @SeoSmarty developed the tool. The way it works is this:

First, determine which content you want to see on your dashboard so that you get a feel for what is out there. Share any of the content and earn credits. All of the content submitted is moderated for quality, so you won’t see much (if any) spam or poor quality pieces.

Second, publish your own content on the interface so that others can share yours. When it comes to sharing (and therefore promoting) your content, you have to have a certain number of credits that you earn by sharing the content of others.

If someone with 500 Twitter followers shares your story, you will earn 5 credit. If someone with 5000 Twitter followers shares your story, you will be charged 5 credits.

The idea is that you share others content to earn these credits so that top influencers will then share your content. You can learn more about ViralContentBuzz.com.

What Do YOU Think?

What is your opinion about sharing other’s content across the web? How often does your company make this a priority? Are there any other tools that have helped get you motivated? Let us know your story and your thoughts in the comments below.

Many are so focused on selling the “sizzle”or playing with the latest shiny gadget or social media platform that they forget the basics.

You must get the basics right first
or none of that will matter.

It goes without saying that your client’s first impression of your brand, office and even your staff is of paramount importance.

The way you present yourself and your working environment says a lot about your brand values and the company as a whole, so it’s important to get it right.

Think about your office as an extension of your brand.

How do you want your customers to see you?

The Exterior

Whether you have a shopfront or just a sign outside an office block, make it count. Keep all signage up to date and free from spelling and grammatical errors. Remove any signs of vandalism immediately. If you have a visible store front, keep the windows spotless and update your displays or window information regularly to increase interest.

Meeting and Greeting

Make sure all staff know the protocol for greeting a visitor. Should they offer to take their coats? Should they offer them a hot drink? Is there any reading material for them to browse while they wait? All staff need to be clued up. If you have a receptionist, make sure they’re comfortable with the procedure. This will be the first person your guest meets when they visit you at your office, so it’s crucial that they have a friendly attitude.

Furniture

Furniture makes a surprising difference to the way we view a room. Dated, chunky furniture suggests your company may not have enough money to afford anything better, and suggests that you don’t care about the way you are seen. Of course, this isn’t a good thing. Ergonomic chairs are relatively inexpensive these days, and sleek glass furniture doesn’t date, so is perfect if you want to invest in a new office furniture set. Glass also indicates transparency. To establish your authority, make sure you have an executive chair and desk.

Music

Not all offices will have music playing in the background, but many studies show that music can improve efficiency and productivity. However, make sure it’s the right kind of music. When clients are visiting, don’t opt for anything too heavy or fast. You want to create a calming atmosphere, so classical music is ideal for this. If not, the local radio is a good option, as it will be client-friendly.

Farewells

The final impression is just as important as the first impression. This is what the clients will take away from your meeting, so be sure to impress them. If you have any samples or product information you can send them away with, do so. Give them your business card, and remember not to say anything about the meeting until they’ve definitely left the building. Otherwise you could be left embarrassed and backtracking about something they’ve overhead that you shouldn’t have said.

Thomas Bardot is a small business development coach who advises businesses on the best methods to impress clients

Office Design Affects Productivity

Does your office suck? The answer is “yes” if it is dull, boring and distracting enough to make you unproductive. Whether you work from your home or own a business that employs hundreds, there are ways to make your office a comfortable place to be. Follow these five tips to turn your office from ho-hum to extraordinary: Continue reading Why Your Office Sucks: How to Fix It

Remember when college was intended to turn out “well-rounded” people? The first two years are usually general studies required of everyone. There is a good reason for that. No matter how brilliant you are at what you do (your blog, your business, your passions), if you don’t manage the rest of your life it will come undone.

My regular readers may realize that GrowMap is not tightly focused for this reason. We need balance in our lives – and basics like what is in this post are essential to success. Continue reading From Frivolous to Frugal: 5 Steps to Change Your Habits