Today I decided to take a walk to my daughter’s school (something a bit unusual, but not unreasonable since the gas prices went up) for a change. I was totally enjoying the break from my small office routine when it hit me — ” my neighborhood has changed. Too many small businesses had just disappeared and on their windows were signs: “For lease”

Being a small business owner myself, I know how fragile a startup can be, how easily your marketing efforts could be lost in this noisy world. There is an ocean of businesses out there, and everyone is fighting for survival.

So how can you succeed? Well…it’s easy — you have to STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD! That, of course, is easily said than done.

There is one very clever way which I strongly recommend: Use Humor! Clever humor is always appreciated and if you can make your clients smile, they will always come back to you.

Before you start, ask yourself:

1. What is the main message I want to send about my services, products, company?
2. Who are my customers?
3. What is my point of difference and how can I use humor?

Once you are clear on your goals, there are many easy, effective ways to add humor and make you stand out:

1. Get a Cartoon Logo: The logo is the very face of your business. You have to be really careful (read: not cheap) when you decide on a logo design. Too many places use the same fonts, the same colors, the same globe and whatnot. The final result? The all look the same. So set yourself apart — get a custom drawn cartoon logo. There are too many benefits to mention, but I’ll give you just one example: check out Eskimo Joe’s in Stillwater, Oklahoma. His owner Stan Clark started with a simple Eskimo and dog cartoon logo design, created by an amateur designer. Today Eskimo Joe’s is a multi-million dollar clothing company with t-shirt sales only surpassed by the Hard Rock Cafe! Now, that’s amazing!

If you want a cartoon logo, I strongly recommend http://www.humorlogos.com/

2. Humor advertising: It goes without saying - humor, at least in advertising, sells as much as sex. Just turn on the TV and observe. Do you know that the new Apple advertising campaign (Mac vs PC) is probably the most effective one ever? Why? Because it is funny, and people remember it. But there is much more to advertising… There are:

Printed ads:
- newspapers
- fliers
- Yellow pages, etc.

Online marketing:
- web sites
- viral marketing
- email campaigns

Street advertising:
- Street banners
- Vehicle wraps, etc.

If you want a humorous advertising campaign, I strongly recommend http://www.funnysells.com/

3. Who said Presentations? If you have to do presentations, always consider starting with a joke or using cartoons in them. Humor is the most effective way to break the ice and add a flavor of trust to the audience.

For PowerPoint Presentation cartoons, I recommend http://www.bettercartoon.com/

Of course, there is much more that goes into building a successful small business. But my point is - work hard, work smart and get noticed!

Good luck!

Distributed by:
Fat Loss 4 Idiots
Fat Loss 4 Idiots Review
Fat Loss 4 Idiots Reviews

If you’re a sole proprietor, perhaps you’ve considered incorporating your small business or self-employment activity.

And so maybe you’ve been wondering, “When is the best time to incorporate?”

From a legal standpoint, any time is the best time. The sooner you incorporate, the sooner you make the move from the world of unlimited liability to the world of limited liability.

From a tax savings standpoint, any time is the best time. The sooner you incorporate, the sooner you will start putting more money in your own pocket and less in Uncle Sam’s.

But from a **tax reporting** standpoint, there is one time of year that stands out as best: January 1st.

Why is that?

Assuming you have a sole proprietorship (or other entity, such as a partnership) that is up and running as of January 1, and assuming you then incorporate that existing entity on any date other than January 1, you face the possibility of filing not one but two business income tax returns for that year.

Here’s an example to clarify this important point . . .

Let’s say you’ve been operating your sole proprietorship for a few years, and in early 2006 you decide to incorporate. In January you get around to starting the paperwork, but life gets in the way and you finally get it done in late February. By the time your state processes the Articles of Incorporation, the start date of your new corporation is March 1.

For 2006, you must file a Schedule C for the period of January 1 through February 28, when your business was still a Sole Proprietorship. And you must also file a corporate income tax return for March 1 through December 31.

Maybe that’s no big deal. Maybe you enjoy filing one business income tax return so much, filing a second one doesn’t bother you. And it may be that the inconvenience of filing two tax returns in 2006 is far outweighed by the legal and tax advantages of incorporating.

Keep in mind, too, that 2006 will be the only year you have to do this “double duty”. In 2007 you will only have to file the corporate income tax return.

But if you are thinking about incorporating, the best time to do it, from a tax paperwork standpoint, is as of January 1. Only then do you have a “clean break” from the old sole proprietorship to the new corporation.

This timing issue can also be relevant if you decide to make the switch late in the year. If the effective date of the incorporation is November 15, you will have to file a Schedule C for January 1 through November 14, and a corporate return for November 15 through December 31. In that scenario, you should ask yourself, “Do the benefits of incorporating outweigh the convenience of waiting until January 1?”

So before you decide when to incorporate, take a moment to reflect on the tax reporting consequences of incorporating on January 1 vs. any other date.

Sometimes it may make sense to wait a few weeks (as in the second example), and sometimes it makes sense to “do it now”, especially when January 1 is nearby.

Distributed by:
Fat Loss 4 Idiots
Fat Loss 4 Idiots Review
Fat Loss 4 Idiots Reviews

Asking new workers about their previous safety education and work experience helps businesses ensure the workers know the basics of workplace safety. Too many accidents occur because businesses assume that everyone knows the basics. Businesses many times will find the worker did not know the basics only after an accident occurs. Ensure every new worker knows their rights and responsibilities.

Workers must know they have the right to participate in health and safety training and safety programs in the workplace. They also have the right to know about hazards they may be exposed in the workplace. They have the right to refuse unsafe work and they have the responsibility to follow safety procedures and wear any personal protective equipment that may be required by the company and that is required by law.

New employees are more susceptible to accidents than those who have experience in the business’ workplace. New workers can be classified many ways. The most obvious is any new hire; this can be permanent or temporary personnel and can include supervisors, with or without experience in the business or even the industry. Student workers, co-op placements or apprentices are also obviously new to the workplace. Less obvious are current workers who are assigned new jobs. Contractors, subcontractors, and visitors to your workplace all need to know the general safety rules of the workplace.

Orientation is more than just a tour of the workplace. It should cover emergency procedures, workplace safety rules everyone must follow at your workplace, general requirements for personal protective equipment, first aid provisions, information about where the safety board is posted and any other essential health and safety facts. If possible introduce new and young workers to the health and safety committee members or the health and safety representative during orientation and show them where their names are posted.

Supervisors need to be in regular contact with workers. With new personnel additional contact will be required. Communication should freely flow two ways between the supervisor and the worker. Questions on unsafe working conditions should be dealt with immediately. Supervisors must provide instruction and ensure safety regulations and rules are followed.

Providing a safe working environment and ensuring a safe start when new personnel come to work will ensure the workers are fully capable of performing work and in a safe manner. Safety legislation includes a general provision requiring employers to ensure their workers have been provided with proper information, instruction and supervision to protect their health and safety while they perform their jobs. These regulations are to protect all new personnel to the workplace. These regulations are also set to protect the company as long as documentation can be provided if there is an accident.

Distributed by:
Fat Loss 4 Idiots
Fat Loss 4 Idiots Review
Fat Loss 4 Idiots Reviews