Tuesday, 5 July 2011

Business News - From Newspaper to Internet

News media has evolved a great deal, from newspaper to television, and from television to Internet. Online media has played a large role in taking the news to much wider audience. Business media caters to a section of the society that is interested in this kind of news.
News, as some believe, tells what's happening NEW and the NEWS word is just the plural of it. However, as per folk etymology, the word NEWS stands for all the four directions - North, East, West and South. In any case it tells us an update of what's going on.
There was no proper media for news until the 17th century, when the newspapers came into being. The typesetting technology fostered the beginning of newspapers. Before that, it were the couriers who circulated the news. With time the new media kept on evolving. In 20th century, Business News emerged as a distinct stream of news.
The technology has evolved a great deal and so has the media for news, from Paper to Television, and from Television to Internet, more advances have come in the late 20th century than the rest of the history. With the advent of Internet, News has made its reach much wider.
Business news, as the name tells, is all about the business and commerce. Today, there are dedicated news channels, newspapers, magazines and digital media groups. This section of media caters to a section of the society that is interested in this kind of news.
With business news one can get
Updates about the Stock Market: There was a time when people lost a lot of their money in stock market through ignorance and carelessness. Now, with the stream of stock market news and experts' advice on disposal, there is little chance that an updater investor would lose his/her money. News channels keep giving the updates about the trends in stock market. There are interviews with people who know as well about the markets as the back of their hands. This helps the medium and the small investor to minimize the risk while putting in their hard earned money. One also can check how particular stocks stand in the market and get instant expert advice by contacting the experts.
Information About Corporate World: These news networks keep a full coverage to what's going on in the corporate world. They keep track of all mergers and takeovers and keep interested people informed. As the goings on in the corporate world have bearing on the stock market, it is important for the people to keep themselves updated about the corporate sector.
Budget Analysis: The budget gives an idea about the government policies regarding industry. This is the reason people are interested in knowing about the government's outlook regarding various industries and budget gives enough indication. Hence, whenever the government announces the budget, there is full coverage on the TV, with complete analysis. Reactions from the common citizens are also accommodated in the budget. News channels simplify the budget report so that a common man can also understand what the budget aims for and what impact it would have on the industry.
Product/Service Reviews: Business news media provides the product/service reviews which tell us about particular products or services and advice whether they should be bought or not. These programs are very useful for the people who have little or no knowledge about new gadgets and services. More aware is the consumer, better is the service.

When You SHOULDN'T Become an S-Corp

I'm sooo frustrated with the advice some CPA firms are giving out to people who are just getting started in business! Last week, I had an appointment with a fairly "new to me" client to get their QuickBooks file straightened out for year end. The client is a service based business that has office space in town. 2010 was their first "official" year in business, even though they started purchasing things for their business in 2009.
Why they shouldn't be an S-Corp:In order to start their business, they took out a small business loan, and got some money from their parents. Then, they went and met with a local CPA firm (like they thought they should) to see what was next. What was next was shocking to them...the CPA firm told them they needed to become an S-Corp, because of all the wonderful benefits they'd get. Now, mind you, this was before they even had their first customer! In fact, this was OVER 6 months before they finally had their first customer.
And, I asked what "wonderful benefits" the CPA firm promised they'd get as an S-Corp, and they couldn't tell me!
Because they were unsure, but trusted this CPA firm (which is really the largest CPA firm in the town they live in) they checked around locally for a lawyer to put together an S Corp for them. Couldn't find any good referrals (how sad), so ended up going to an online legal service. They STILL had to spend over $1,500 to get the paperwork done and be legally setup as an S-Corp.
That wasn't the worst of it! The CPA firm said it would cost $1,200 or so to get their bookkeeping setup on QuickBooks, and it would cost another $1,200-$1,500 to get their tax return filed each year. And, on top of that, there is a $170 fee this business has to pay every year to their "Registered Agent".
Maybe in the future an S-Corp would be a great way to go for this business. But, this situation DID NOT call for an S-Corp at the beginning. Looking at the year end records, there was no income! In fact, a pretty large loss remains after their first year in business. The only thing the S-Corp has provided so far is lots of paperwork, large bills to pay, and many recordkeeping headaches.
Here's what to expect when you form an S-Corp for your business:
1. Tax return preparation rates are at "corporate return" rates.
2. Hiring someone to setup your paperwork is not inexpensive for a business just starting out.
3. You'll need to keep yearly Shareholder Meeting Minutes.
4. You'll need to file a yearly fee with the "Registered Agent."
5. Keeping personal and business money separate becomes much more stringent.
6. Once you're making a profit, you'll need to pay yourself a paycheck...which means setting up payroll and filing payroll taxes. (When you're an LLC, you can still take draws from the business).
Now, there are benefits to S-Corporations, but it's obvious that this very tiny business did NOT need the hassles of the S-Corp status right now. They could have saved several thousand dollars this last year by just starting up as an LLC, and slowly growing their way into an S-Corp.
MORAL of the story:
1. If you're thinking about switching your business to an S-Corp, find out what benefits it will provide your business.
2. If you don't understand what benefits you'll get, then I would suggest talking more about it, asking others, and researching it some yourself. Never pay money for things you don't understand!
3. Know the costs of setting it up and maintaining it year to year. It'll cost more time AND money to maintain than your LLC.
4. And, if your business is at the right stage, and is ready to move ahead, then go for it!
Have you ever been talked into becoming a business structure that you didn't understand?

Discovering Taste - Aspects to Find in Spices Exporters

Spices are extremely important to any person nowadays. Without spices, food will taste bland and unsavory. Nowadays we no longer associate spices with things like Indian cuisine or South East Asian delicacies. It is so common across the world nowadays and that is why it is important to serve quality spices and condiments to the food industry and even those who prepare their own food. Spices, however, do not grow just anywhere else and that is why purchasing them from a qualified exporter is necessary. Finding a good one might seem difficult but one has to understand the unique characteristics to search for.
Products
What products do they export from their home country across other nations? Countries like India offer a diverse range of spices since they are known for their aromatic and flavorful cuisines. Therefore, one can find numerous Spices Exporters in this region. Their products could either be processes already and packed or it could also be raw spice that can be distributed to the market in various forms. Therefore, it is crucial to look at the products they offer. Normally, one can find websites of these exporters with a list of products they provide. It would be best to contact them so that the one can ask for more in depth information regarding the products.
Pricing
Look at the current trend for spice prices. It is crucial that you actually know the price and how they are sold in the market. There are small time suppliers that you can check and they might be offer a decent fee for the spices. If you are a small company or distributor, you might find that going to a large exporter might not benefit you the best. If the company offers good quality spices then ask for a good deal when it comes to the pricing. As much as possible, do not make a big fuss about the payment terms as you might suffer the consequences.
Reliability
How fast does the exporter organize and ship the goods? Do they offer open lines of communication? Is the delivery service fast, efficient and safe? Do they help in covering some important costs to save time and energy on your part? A good spice exporter must be able to offer one or more of these things so that at the end of the day, you know that these people will be with you for the long haul. Though it is a business, purchasing and selling, it does not mean that each one has to have cold shoulders for each other. Developing a good working relationship makes the service more reliable and more advantageous at the end of the day.

From Upholstery to Accessories: Qualities of Good Leather Products Exporters

Leather is a quintessential material and nowadays, we see this classic material anywhere. From upholstery, beautiful bags, ready to wear outfits to accessories and other products, leather always is a special product used by different crafters in different ways. If you are in the home furnishing or retail business, finding an exporter of leather products is probably an important deal for you. With the industry continuously flourishing, it is but important to find a qualified set of supplier that can offer the best range of goods at prices and service that you will be most happy about.
Products
What products do leather products exporters offer or more importantly, what industry do they serve? There are leather goods suppliers that offer a wide range of products for furnishings such as leather sofas and other products. You might also find exporters for accessories and other small goods. The best way to make sure is to do some research online. You can use business listings so that you can easily search for competent suppliers that fit your needs. Look at their credentials and visit their site if they have any or if you wish, contact them directly by phone or by email to make an inquiry.
Stability
How long has the exporter in the business? Stability is a good gauge whether they are reliable and if they offer good service. A company that has served years in the business will probably know the best possible methods to make themselves more reliable and to offer faster, more efficient delivery of goods. A business with executives that work for them for several years already is a good sign that the company is offering quality and professional service to their clients. It would probably take a lot faster to manage the goods and dispatch them since they will also have developed good ties with shipping businesses.
Competency
If you need a specific leather good that has been laser cut or has been weaved, the company should have the skills and methodology to supply or manufacture these particular goods. It matters which industry they serve since each industry will demand some unique needs. For those offering leather bags as well as accessories, different treatments are offered. It is crucial that the suppliers have well trained employees. Customer service should also be top notch. Who would want to deal with a company that does not answer their phones speedily or even show any enthusiasm in offering useful information for their customers?
These are just some of the crucial things that you must find in Leather Products Exporters. More or less, if these things are present, you are assured of good quality service that you can depend on.

Various Aspects to Think About When Searching for Rubber Products Manufacturers

Rubber is a very versatile material. It can be transformed into industrial materials like those we see in machinery or even vehicles, replacement parts, commercial goods and even toys as well as other products. Processing of rubber can be quite difficult and that is why finding a good manufacturer for your demand for quality rubber products is important. Here are some things to consider when looking for a good manufacturer:
Delivers goods on time
As much as products are concerned, they should be able to offer good products but what's the sense if they cannot deliver on time? In the world of business, especially in retail and other goods, those who are able to offer goods first will definitely gain a more business advantage. In business, timing is of the essence and therefore the Rubber Products Manufacturers must have good shipping partners and should be able to handle or manage the goods effectively and deliver the most effective way. Manufacturers invest a great deal of effort in finding not only cost effective delivery services but also qualified and reliable ones.
Good price
Some companies add the price for raw materials into the retail price that they give to customers and that means the cost is a lot bigger on behalf of the buyer. There are some companies that do not include this cost or offer very minimal additions to the cost making it less costly and more affordable. The best way to understand this is to first research the cost and prices of rubber goods across the market before making any deals with any one manufacturer. This will help in ensuring that the cost that you spend is just good enough for your intended budget. You do not want to spend a lot of money for something of the same quality as a cheaper one.
Minimal paperwork
Let's face it, when dealing with goods; we want the least amount of paperwork for the goods. The company should be able to offer a wide range of services to help easily manage things like buying and other important purchasing matters. An experienced company will definitely have a lot of experience in handling such projects and that is what we want to expect from our manufacturers. They should be experienced or reliable enough so that they can offer more than what a regular one could offer.

Why An Integrated Payment System Is A Must Have For Your Credit Repair Company

Starting a business is pretty tough. It requires courage to take an idea and to make it into a reality. Starting a Credit Repair Business to meet the demands of many who are in need of getting their credit fixed is an excellent choice of business. If there are millions of people who are actively searching for your particular kind of service then you have it set. Just get the word out and customer are sure to come your way.
When that happens you are going to need many systems to handle your customers. You might need to hire a few employees, accountants, and obviously a great Credit Repair Software to help you stay organized. Depending on the kind of Credit Repair Software that you are working with you might have to get other systems to help you with various tasks. One of these other systems that you might have to get from a 3rd party will be a payment system.
We are going to discuss 4 advantages that your Credit Repair Company will benefit from by having a great payment system. There are many payment systems to choose from, but the one that we are going to discuss is a Credit Repair Software that already has an integrated payment system. So instead of using multiple platforms to get the job done, you are only using one.
4 Benefits of Working With An Integrated Payment System
# 1) Greater Organization For Your Company: If you don't have a reliable way to control payments from your clients it will eventually become a disaster. A payment system that is already integrated with your main platform will allow you to control all features of getting paid in one single place. Forget about having to go from one system or software to another. It will all be under one single roof. Thus giving you great control and organization overall.
# 2) Automation and Simplicity: When you are working with an integrated payment system it will interact with your invoice system to create invoices automatically for you to send to your customers. The beauty of this is that all of the information that you would need to make an invoice: customer's home address, name, amount they are going to pay, etc. all of that will be automatically included in the invoice, without you having to manually put it in yourself. Just click a few buttons and the integrated payment system will do the rest for you.
# 3) Makes Sure You Get Paid: This might sound crazy. At times you are overloaded with so many customers and tasks to deal with that you actually forget to charge them before you begin working on their disputes. Now this is actually a great thing because that means that customers are flying your way, but isn't good practice overall for your business. So with a integrated payment system the payment control will be integrated into the dispute area where you are generating the disputes for the customer. As you are generating the disputes for your clients the system will tell you what their payment status is, thus helping you to remember who has paid for your service and who hasn't.
# 4) Lowers Overhead Cost For Company: One of the most expensive things for a company are its employees. When you are working with different systems and software it is only natural to hire more and more employees. If you need a special report about which customers have paid or which haven't paid etc. you would most likely have one of your employees do it on your behalf, and depending on the system that you are using it might take a while to pull up such a report. When working with a Credit Repair Software that has an integrated payment system these reports are created within seconds. You will have the option to select disputes from those who have paid, not paid, or going to pay. All of this at a click of a button. Thus allowing your work to be a little easier and a little lighter on the company's wallet.
Using an integrated payment system within your Credit Repair Software is an essential feature for your company. It will not only allow you to be more organized, but will virtually make the payment side of this business automatic and simple. This will result in lower overhead for the company, thus increasing revenue.

Who Are You? (Or, What To Include In Your Pitch)

I coached a client who had made wine in Paris, modeled for major magazines, and started and sold a tech company. Most recently, to better round himself out, he went to business school. So when he introduced himself, did he talk wines, high fashion, or life as a former CEO? No, he called himself an MBA.
What?!? This eclectic, accomplished professional immediately lumps himself along with thousands of others by picking one of the most generic things on his resume. The MBA was from a good school, yes. It was an interesting counterpart to his otherwise very technical background, check. So it deserves to be mentioned, sure. But not first! It's still much more plain vanilla than any of the other things he also had. So, rule # 1 for your pitch is to lead with the memorable. As a recruiter, I've interviewed tons of MBA's (this guy wanted a financial services career, so no shortage of MBA's there). But, I can count the number of successful entrepreneurs and/ or fashion models. Are you a black belt in karate, a former prima ballerina, fluent in multiple languages? Don't be afraid to be unique.
I'm not suggesting to not mention the MBA at all. It's a key part of his added value because he has the finance and technology combination. But it's the combination that's so interesting. So, rule # 2 is to frame your qualities so that they build on each other. Absolutely mention the different degrees you've completed, industries where you've worked, and functional roles that you've held. But weave them into a coherent plot line so that each adds a welcome dimension, not just another factoid for me to remember. So you started and sold a tech company and have an MBA from Top School X - interesting combo!
Results still matter. The wine stood out because it was Paris, the modeling was significant because he had worked at a top level, and the entrepreneurship added value because of his successful exit. (The MBA also fits in nicely because it's from a top school.) You can't just mention every interesting thing you do, like fluency in Pig Latin, if there is no business context. When I listed out black belt, prima ballerina or language fluency as possible unique items, these are all levels of mastery. So, rule # 3 is to pick the qualities that have substantive results to back them up. You want to intrigue but also amaze.
Your pitch is how you introduce yourself at networking events, informational interviews, on your cover letter, to your friend's friends. It is how you answer that interview staple, "Tell me about yourself." It defines your brand and therefore drives your search. The pitch is critical to positioning yourself for the right role at the right level. Be memorable. Build on your strengths. Lead with results.
Caroline Ceniza-Levine helps people find fulfilling and financially-rewarding career paths, as the co-founder of SixFigureStart®, career coaching by former Fortune 500 recruiters. Caroline has recruited for leading companies in financial services, consulting, media, pharmaceutical/ healthcare, and technology. She is the co-author (along with Donald Trump, Jack Canfield and others) of the best-selling "How the Fierce Handle Fear: Secrets to Succeeding in Challenging Times" 2010; Two Harbors Press.