Many millions of dollars a year are spent on buying chemical protective gloves to use as personal protective equipment. Gloves are available in a wide selection of natural and synthetic materials and range in price from a few cents to as high as seventy five dollars a pair. Each glove has its purpose and employers need to know how to select the best chemical protective gloves to withstand exposure to chemical agents and protect the wearer. All liquids, solids, gases, vapors, aerosols, fumes, dusts and fibers are chemical agents. They are classified as chemical agents to differentiate them from biological agents, such as micro-organisms and physical agents, such as noise, vibration and friction. The law requires that employers make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to health from exposure to chemical agents at work and to do everything possible to protect the worker. This is covered by many of health and safety legislation such as OHSA. If it can be clearly shown that: 1) There are situations at work where risks to health and safety are unavoidable 2) Methods of control other than protective gloves are not reasonably practicable 3) Employers have further legal duties to provide suitable protective gloves to any employee who may be exposed to such risk. 4) Any protective gloves provided must be manufactured to the appropriate standard and marked. 5) The gloves must also be compatible with the wearer, the work to be done, and any other PPE to be worn, such as aprons, overalls or shoes. 6) Chemical resistance of protective gloves Protective gloves are available in a wide range of natural and synthetic materials. However, there is no single glove material or even combination of glove materials able to provide unlimited resistance to any individual and also the combination of chemical agents. There are three ways in which any protective glove will, at some stage, fail to protect the wearer from exposure to any chemical agent and these are: Permeation – the process by which a chemical agent migrates through the protective glove at a molecular level; Penetration – the bulk flow of a chemical agent through closures, porous materials, seams and pinholes or other imperfections in the protective glove; Degradation – a damaging change in one or more physical properties of the protective glove as a result of exposure to a chemical agent. The selection of suitable protective gloves can be a complicated procedure and the degree of protection they give is not always easy to establish. When choosing gloves, always seek expert help from the manufacturer or your distributor of the chemical agent or glove. They are best placed to provide you with glove performance test data which can be used to assist in predicting the permeation, penetration and degradation of specific glove materials by specific chemical agents. Also look to the MSDS sheets for guidance. There are four requirements which must be met for any protective glove selected to be suitable. The glove must perform the following: 1) Be appropriate for the risk(s) and the conditions where it is used 2) Take into account the ergonomic requirements and state of health of the person wearing it; 3) Fit the wearer correctly, if necessary, after adjustments; 4) Either prevent or control the risk involved without increasing the overall risk. Proper selection should therefore take into consideration the wearer, the workplace conditions and the protective glove. Employees need to be trained in the correct way to put on, wear and then take off protective gloves to ensure maximum protection. There should be adequate facilities for disposal of contaminated protective gloves. If protective gloves are selected or worn incorrectly there is every possibility that this may increase the wearer’s overall risk to health because: Contaminants may get inside the glove to reside permanently against the skin which could cause greater exposure than if a glove had not been worn at all_ Wearing a glove for extended periods can lead to the development of excessive moisture, such as sweat, on the skin which in itself will act as a skin irritant_ Wearing gloves manufactured in natural rubber or latex can cause an allergenic reaction in certain individuals. Selecting protective gloves must be part of an overall health and safety risk assessment for the job to be done. Remember gloves only protect the wearer; they do not remove the contaminant from the workplace environment. Some types of glove are inconvenient and interfere with the way people work and may cause another danger. Wearing gloves interferes with the wearer’s sense of touch. If protective gloves are used incorrectly, or are badly maintained, the wearer may receive no protection at all. The importance of using a glove material depends on the extent of exposure. For chemical groups such as strong acids, there maybe only one choice of glove material. Whereas, a range of materials may be suitable for other weak acids. Where there is a choice of glove material, the extent of exposure to the chemical agent and how it is handled. Factors such as controlled pour or splashing will determine the best selection of the glove. Where there is a choice, price can also be a significant factor in choosing a particular glove. Consideration also needs to be addressed in the removal of the glove. If the task requires the wearer to take the gloves off their hands repeatedly, the gloves either need to be washed thoroughly or disposed of. Reusing contaminated gloves will provide little or no protection. A good idea if there are many types of chemicals requiring different glove materials, is to color code the chemicals and the bin where the gloves are stored. Any employee will know the red dot on the bottle, requires gloves from the red bin. Glove selection seems to be an easy task, but in dealing with different chemical compounds the selection in the right glove can be complex. Consult with your suppliers in the chemicals and even your suppliers in safety equipment for the best advice. The MSDS will also be an excellent source of information in the chemical handling and hazards.
Knowing the ins and outs of purchase order financing is an asset to almost any small or medium sized business owner. In the sections below you will learn just exactly what purchase order financing is, the benefits, drawbacks, who can benefit the most from it, and would be likely to qualify for it. What is purchase order financing? purchase order financing is another way to get a loan for the capital you need to finance the supplies, production, and shipping of a product after you have received a purchase order from a buyer. Once you produce the finished goods and are paid, you can then pay off your invoice to the company who provided you with funding. This is a perfect solution for small start-up businesses who have orders coming in but don't have the finances required to order supplies, pay their workers, and ship the finished goods. This would also be a great opportunity for a small to medium sized businesses who have found themselves with a sudden large customer jump or are graced with a very large order. Who can benefit from purchase order financing? - Purchase order financing is great for small to medium sized businesses who usually do not have the funds for large orders that could sky rocket their sales and turn their product into a household name. Image pitching your product to a major retailer, receiving an order from them, and then not being able to produce the goods needed because you are short on funds. purchase order financing could save you from this heart-breaking, and business-breaking, blow. - A company who has received an order so large that they would need a six-digit loan. A purchase order financing company is not there to finance every single order so that a business does not have to spend any money up-front, it is merely a means for businesses to get the funds they need for an order that would otherwise be out of their reach financially. - Only those who are reselling an already made product that they have to purchase in order to send to the buyer, such as drop shippers, or are producing a product to sell may be eligible to receive purchase order financing. For example, if you are selling a service, you would not qualify to receive purchase order financing. Although it may take capital you do not have to hire employees to perform the service, it would still not qualify under most company guidelines. What are the drawbacks of purchase order financing? There are few drawbacks to receiving purchase order financing, however, there is one major qualification that could potentially stand in your way. When a company grants you funding, they assume they will be paid after your customer receives the finished product and pays you. Because of this, many funding companies will check the credit of your buyer(s) to be sure that you will not get ripped off and be left without the money to pay your invoice. Purchase order financing companies are not only taking a chance on you, they are taking a chance on your customers as well. They are the ones with the real risk if the deal goes sour. Knowing that your customer is credit worthy gives the company the peace of mind to lend to you. What to look for in a purchase order financing company You should find a company that is right for you. These guidelines may help you better understand what type of company you should apply with: - Find out what their minimum and maximum funding guidelines are to ensure that they meet your financial need. If a company only funds loans that are in excess of what you are looking for or has restrictions that are less than what you need then you are best moving on to another company. - Find out what other eligibility requirements they have to ensure that you do qualify under their guidelines before you waste any time applying for their loan. - Find out what length of time you have to repay the loan and check to see if it meets with you production and billing schedules to ensure that you will have the funds in time. - Once you have found a company that works for you, make sure that they have a fee or interest rate that your company can both afford and be comfortable with. In the world of loans and financing, purchase order financing may be a small business's best ally. They will usually have repayment terms that allow time for production of a product and it is the fastest way to receive financing without losing any investment in your business. Also, since they will check into the credit worthiness of your buyers, they may save you from producing a product for a deadbeat buyer. All in all, purchase order financing is a way to finance a large order that may get your product into the hands of a top notch retailer.
As an entrepreneur, planning and implementing the accounting system of the business that you hope is going to make you money, it is important that your accounting system must produce information that are going to be useful to you and to those who are reading it. How do you do this? Information that a business is expected to present must be: 1. Understandable. Naturally the information produced must be understandable. A guideline is to provide information that people, who are willing to understand it, can understand it: professionals or nonprofessionals. As a business owner, you have to think of the different accounting backgrounds of the different types of people who will be reading your reports and match that accordingly. 2. Relevant & Material Relevance is the capacity of information to make a difference in a decision. It is important to report and disclose information that is relevant for anyone to make a decision. Accounting information must also deal with things that are significant enough to impact decisions that are made by those who use your financial reports. 3. Reliable People must depend that the figures and the facts printed on your financial statements are true. How can you say that an information is reliable? It must be verifiable. Free from error. E. g. you can always look at a receipt to verify the amount of an expense. As you already know, when you get audited, you must verify all transactions that occurred in your business anyway. 4parable & Consistent Comparability relates to the ability of an information to be compared with those of other similar companies so that decision-makers can compare 'apples to apples' not 'apples to oranges'. However, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) allow for certain choices of different accounting methods for depreciation and inventory management. 5. Conservative This applies mostly in situations where there is uncertainty of an outcome but you have to estimate what this outcome might be. The key is to choose the less pessimistic estimate. Of course this may not always be a wise decision if the chances of the less pessimistic estimate is very minute as opposed to the other choice(s). ___________ This article was written for OrangesAndLime, to help creative individuals — artists, musicians, designers, illustrators and entertainers — build their own freelance businesses. Please note that this article serves as a guideline only. You should still seek professional advice regarding the matter because laws and practices change over time and they differ from country to country.
Quality Assurance (QA) in translation can be defined as all the systematic and planned actions established to ensure translation services adhere to client requirements and meet the expectations of the target market. The translation service provider bears the responsibility of establishing the methodologies and processes necessary to meet customer quality requirements. Language and Technical Quality: To ensure the highest quality translation, you should only accept translation jobs where you are a native speaker of the target language and possess professional expertise in the subject matter. Having a “near-native fluency” in the target language may not be sufficient to accurately relay cultural idioms or inherent language subtleties and nuances. Additionally, appropriate educational certifications and professional credentials are essential for technical translations. As part of your language and technical quality strategy, make sure your translation goes through editing and proof-reading stages, besides the translation stage. After you’ve completed your translation, have it reviewed by an editor to verify its accuracy. This final, edited version should then be proofread for the consistency, fluency and integrity of its content. Review and Prepare the Source Text Any mistakes, omissions or inaccuracy in the source text will inevitably be repeated in the target language, unless an initial review is carried out. It is essential that you analyze the linguistic and technical quality of the source text and make any necessary modifications – be they simple or extensive – to incorporate quality. Make sure you contact your client and advise them of any initial review you deem necessary. Ask Where and Why Culture is an integral part of language, so make sure you know your target audience. Ask yourself the two-simple questions of Where and Why on every single translation project your work on. Ask yourself “why translate this text”: is it to educate, persuade or sell? The objective of each translation project will determine the language register, as well as the translation style you will use. Another important question to ask is “Where to translate”? Am I translating to a French audience in France or in Quebec? Is the translation intended for professional PC expert or the casual user? An understanding of the target audience of your translation, as well as a thorough knowledge of regional as well as group-specific language variations will eliminate the risk of any misunderstanding and will assure the quality and integrity of your translation. Visual and Functional Quality It is essential to verify the quality of the presentation and functionality of the translation to make sure it accurately reflects the quality of the source material. Visual checks include the verification of typography, page flow and cross references. Functional checks test the functionality and output features of the translation, be it documentation, software or website. These may include the duplication of the functionality of the source software, compatibility with respective platforms and hardware, and correct output, such as publishing and printing standards. Establishing translation quality assurance processes does not only yield increased quality but ultimately facilitates successful translation projects and reduces turnaround times as future translation projects come into the mix.
It seems that everywhere we turn these days there is talk of a looming recession. An article by Jeannine Aversa, AP Economics Writer, says that “The unemployment rate leaps to a two-year high, record numbers of people are forced from their homes and Wall Street nose-dives again. Such is the fallout from a housing meltdown that threatens to slingshot the country into a recession.” Yikes! What to do? Where to turn? What about virtual assistance and virtual staffing? The good news is those tools exist now, which didn’t exist in recessions past, to help businesses through recession. In the old days a recession meant certain death for a good many businesses. Today, it doesn’t have to! For years now companies have embraced hiring virtual assistants through virtual staffing agencies in order to save on payroll and bricks and mortar overhead costs. Perhaps the time has come for your company to give virtual working a go before the crunch strikes so you’re primed and your business is ready for what comes next. Even in a robust economy saving money against the bottom line is a sure way to increase your company net. What happens during a recession? Typically a company may lay workers off and cut jobs to save money on payroll and hardware costs like computers, desks, electricity, telephone bills, etc. I’ll be the last person to deny that some of these are quite necessary to survival during a recession. But even in a poor economy, companies need services. We need order takers, customer service personnel, receptionists, data entry workers, appointment setters, warm callers, and so on. So how can we fight back during recession, still get all of those necessary tasks done, and keep growing our companies? How can a virtual assistant and virtual staffing help me save my business during a recession? Just save? You’re thinking too small. How about grow too? Close your eyes and imagine a business world where you could ditch the high cost of sustaining office space; pass on the daily commute and high cost of fuel for the car; give the axe to buying a bunch of expensive office equipment for everyone and her* sister; keep the kids at home and avoid daycare costs; stop paying unemployment insurance, F. I.C. A., employee income tax, and health insurance; forget about listening to the latest boy friend woes; never deal with the employee mentality again; and have your workers thank you for the work. Utopia right? Nope, just hiring virtually. When you hire a virtual assistant through a virtual staffing agency here’s what happens: 1) When you call to discuss your needs your call is answered promptly and courteously 2) You discuss the tasks in need of completion and your business’s needs with a qualified staffing consultant who is eager to understand your business and your needs 3) Once you’ve given the go ahead the consultant searches the virtual staffing agency’s database for the best possible virtual assistant for you 4) The virtual assistant is assigned to perform your business’s task 5) You immediately begin working one-on-one with the virtual assistant 6) She reports to you daily letting you know what work she’s done and cheerfully thanks you for giving her the work 7) She only “clocks in” when she’s working on your tasks. No need to pay for time not worked just because the assistant is sitting in your office waiting for tasks 8) She’ll be on call throughout the day, all week, but not billing unless you have tasks for her to work on 9) You are invoiced from one place for all of the assistance you need – whether it’s one or twenty virtual assistants Of course the virtual assistant is an independent contractor so you won’t pay for health insurance, vacation time, sick time, F. I.C. A., office space, computers, desks, or even a lunch break. You mentioned growth. What about the growth? Quite simple. What is the number one thing most businesses are missing during a recession? Cash. Cold hard cash. If you’re saving money on office expenditures and have reduced your payroll to only the essentials, what should you have more of? Cash! And what does a greater amount of cash allow a business to do? GROW! Market more, sell more and grow! At Team Double-Click® we have 33 full and part time staff members. Those staff members in the bricks and mortar world, as employees in an office big enough to house them would cost the company nearly $1.5 million per year. Instead they cost only about $200,000. A savings of 87% per year by avoiding the big office and full-time employees! Plus our workers are happier because they work from home; enjoy greater flexibility which leads to greater loyalty, greater productivity, and less down time. As if we need any more pluses to hiring and working virtually, we make very little impact on the environment when we all work and hire virtually! *For ease of writing and reading, and since most administrative assistants are female, this article is written in the feminine. No offense is intended to males who may work in the administrative assistant industry.
I was out Christmas shopping with my wife last week. We were at Best Buy looking for video games for our teenage sons. My wife asked the clerk for his opinion on the best game for teenage boys. He ran through several. He did a good job, but none of the descriptions were compelling enough to make me want to pick one up. As he and my wife went on talking, a fellow shopper came up beside me and said, "Hey, if you want a good game for teenagers, get this one." I was immediately sold. I had never seen him before and probably will never see him again, but he had instant credibility because I knew he had no reason to give me his opinion other than that he really liked that game. Referrals are powerful even if they come from a person you have never met before. Need more evidence? Anita Campbell of Small Business Trends has just released the results of her recent survey about selling to the small business market. "The survey established that a whopping 83% of vendors attract small business customers through referrals — more than twice the number that report getting customers through cold calling, direct mail and other traditional techniques." You can see the full results of the survey here ( smallbiztrends/2005/12/valuable-new-survey-data-on-selling-to-small-businesses. html). Business-to-consumer or business-to-business, there is no more powerful way to attract business than referrals. Don't leave it to chance. Give them some good reasons to talk about you and then put a megaphone in their hand. A system like PromoterZ(tm) (promoterz) helps you with both by getting feedback from your customers, asking them for referrals, and giving a way for them to refer their friends and colleagues.
: Payroll means a sequence of accounting transactions like working with the salary process of employees, holding money of employees for payment of payroll taxes, insurance premiums, etc. Payroll administration job includes receipt and analysis of payroll data. They do the actual work of tallying hours and creating the paychecks for all the employees of a client. Holding years of experience in payroll administration services, our Accounting Services provides reliable and cost effective services for any small or large businesses. Moreover our accounting service provides payroll software that enables you to transmit and receive your payroll data securely, easily and efficiently through the internet.
You can view a pre-check register to verify that the payroll is perfect at every time. Our payroll solutions offer you more control, and at the same time provides flexibility in how you manage all of your payroll-related functions. The Major Payroll administration services we provide for any business include:
Preparation of timely and accurate notifications of tax liabilities and deposits
Preparation of medical leave and payment details
Processing of various payroll accruals
Digital data processing of timesheet, commission, bonus calculation, overtime, Insurance deduction and PAYE
Calculation of net pay
Preparation of various department summaries of month-to-date payroll data
Year-end return preparation
Preparation of employee earning statements with current pay period and year-to-date wages, adjustments, and taxes
Calculation and payment of taxes at various government levels
Key Benefits while availing our payroll services are as follows :
The utmost advantage our clients get is the presence of professional expertise in Payroll Administration
However complex or voluminous be the project, our specialists will complete them within deadlines without compromising on continuity, quality, and reliability of service
We also provide highly Cost-effective services
Our Payroll administration services are usually flexible by nature and integrate themselves into the business smoothly, hence work to the advantage of the business establishment
In addition, you can acquire an Ability to focus on your core business
Payroll administration outsourcing Services can really save valuable time when it comes to working out on your payroll data
Remote monitoring allows you to make huge cost savings by reducing or even eliminating the need for on-site security personnel. It also allows you to provide the 24/7 authentication required for Police response to intruder situations. Whether CCTV is installed secretly or openly, modern digital communication technology enables SMS to monitor the situation anywhere in the world. Using telemetry, control can be maintained over cameras, lights, gates indeed any building management function. CCTV monitoring falls into two categories, reactive or proactive and both require a different level of service. Reactive CCTV monitoring involves alarm detection on site which initiates a picture transmission to the monitoring centre. Depending on the requirements and the situation the alarm is dispatched to a response agency. Proactive monitoring is real time, for example city centre or high street locations. In this instance the operator is constantly reviewing the location and informing security or the emergency services to dangerous situations. In both types of monitoring there is recorded evidence of what was seen and often this is used to assist the police in their enquiries. Historical evidence is used to supplement non related incidents, enabling the police to build a case. CCTV in the public sector is governed by the data protection act and the human rights act, it is there to protect the benefit of the public not to spy on them. CCTV is also used to supplement intruder alarm systems to provide confirmation that there is someone on site and that the alarm received is not false. All Coverer’s Remote Monitoring service give you peace of mind that your critical network devices such as your servers, routers, firewall and network services such as email, web and backup are running smoothly.
Business phone systems can be simple or complex, depending on the number of lines and desk units to be installed. With a little forethought, purchasing a business phone system can allow you to have an expandable platform that is easily capable of handling the growth your company may experience. Many business phone manufacturers make equipment that is only useful within their product line. For this reason, it is essential to examine what products are offered to make sure that your needs will be met both today and several years down the road. If you are replacing a business phone system, you may not be able to utilize parts of your current system for an upgrade if your current equipment is outdated or no longer manufactured. Some business phone systems are only expandable so far, with the number of lines being limited. For cost purposes, it is always more cost effective to upgrade an existing system than to completely replace your system, but be especially careful when doing so. Find out all the information you can on your current product line and make sure that it can be expanded even further should the need arise. Many business phone equipment retailers and wholesalers offer used or refurbished equipment that small business can use to avoid having to completely replace their existing hardware. The most important time to consider the future for your phone system is during the initial purchase. Equipment that is time tested and offers several options for expansion may be more expensive than some of the cheaper options available, but the savings you will experience in the long run can eclipse whatever many you may save now by a substantial amount. Just as a desktop terminal and server system for a business is a serious purchase that merits future needs considerations, a phone system is no different. Do your homework and you can get a business phone system that will meet your business needs for many years to come.
The public roads and highways are designed to allow people to travel safely to their destinations. Occasionally, construction or maintenance work may temporarily block or reduce access to the full use of these roads. In cases where workers must control traffic flow and perform work in close proximity to road traffic, procedures must be followed to maintain the highest degree of safety to the worker as well as drivers and pedestrians. Work that must be done on or near roads presents hazards to workers, drivers, pedestrians, equipment and property. The possible number of fatalities, serious injuries, and large amounts of property damage can be greatly reduced by instituting and complying safety procedures for road work. Each work zone is unique and can present several challenges to establishing a safe work zone. Rolling hills and curved roads reduce distance visibility and may require adjustments to the usual procedures. Other adjustments to the standard work zone procedures may also be required such as several close intersections, darkness, rainy or foggy conditions, very heavy traffic, or even the time of year. Safe work zones must have an onsite supervisor that has a clear understanding of safety procedures and regulations and assure that their workers are complying with theses requirements. All traffic controllers must be properly trained, demonstrate a clear understanding of the safety requirements and perform the necessary tasks correctly. Both the onsite supervisor and traffic controllers must assure that proper signs, markings, barriers, lighting, and traffic controllers signals are in place, being effectively used, and will continue to be used until the project is finished. All workers in the work zone who will or may come within 12 feet of any moving traffic will wear a highly visible traffic safety vest. Where any part of the project is done within 6 feet of moving traffic, a protective perimeter will be established. All work will be done inside a perimeter marked with proper cones, traffic barriers, and proper signs. No workers should cross over this perimeter into the pathway of traffic. All vehicles, both worker’s personal and construction, must be parked on the same side of the road work to eliminate the need for workers to cross the path of normal traffic. Vehicular traffic must be warned that a work zone is ahead, not only to alert the drivers to be aware of hazards, but to also warn them that lane changes, detours, or temporarily blocked streets may appear. Warning signs must be placed in advance of the work zone. One to three signs placed in both directions from the work zone may be required to adequately warn drivers. The first warning sign should be placed 300 to 500 feet from the start of the work zone. Additional signs should be placed every 100 to 250 feet, depending on environmental conditions. On sharp curves, small hills, and very congested areas, signs should be placed closer together. Signs must clearly indicate the hazard: A “Flagger” (traffic controller) sign must be used if a Flagger is used. A “Lane Closed” or “Merge to One Lane” sign must be used if there is a taper. Reflective and/or lighted signs must be used if the signs are to remain posted after sundown. Warning signs should also be placed at cross streets or intersection inside the traffic control zone. Signs must be visible to drivers over parked vehicles and other obstructions. Signs must always be removed if their message no longer applies to the work control zone. Transition areas or moving traffic out of its normal path are a dangerous hazard, causing the most number of accidents involving workers. Transition areas also create potential accident problems for vehicle drivers because of confusion, frustration, and the “stop-and-go” traffic mode. Vehicle traffic flows much better if adequate warning is given and drivers respond to the warnings. The traffic control plan must provide the proper taper and preparation for utilizing it. The taper length must be carefully designed, signage properly posted, geometry checked, and critical clearances maintained. The proper number of cones must be deployed and correctly spaced. It is critical that the taper layout and components be regularly monitored to ensure that signs and cones are replaced after being knocked down or pushed out of place. The function of channel devices are to warn and alert drivers of hazards created by construction or maintenance activities in or near the path of traffic, to protect workers in the work zone, and to guide and direct drivers and pedestrians safely past the hazards. Channel devices include cones, vertical panes, drums, barricades, and barriers. The use of channel devices is a part of the overall the traffic control plan which is developed by the onsite supervisor to maintain the orderly and safe flow of traffic through and around the work zone. The placement of channel devices should provide a smooth and gradual transition in moving traffic from one lane to another, onto a bypass or detour, or in reducing the width of the path of traffic. They should be constructed so as not to inflict any undue damage to a vehicle that inadvertently strikes them. A merging taper is used to close a lane on a multilane roadway and to direct traffic in the closed lane to merge into the adjacent lane. Adequate length must be provided for motorists to locate a gap in the adjacent traffic stream and to move into it. The taper should be long enough so that drivers of vehicles approaching side by side have sufficient length in which to adjust their respective speeds and merge into a single lane before the end of the transition. In situations where the work zone must remain intact during the dark hours, all channel devices and barricades must be marked with reflective material and, where possible or necessary, lighted. Flashing lights should be added to barricades used singly and steady burning lights added to series barricades used as channel devices.
For years, I have tried to answer this one question: What do small businesses that achieve sustained growth do differently from those that do not grow? As a senior consultant for Inc. magazine, I speak to thousands of business owners each year. I've learned that there are no silver bullets or 17-point checklists that will lead to guaranteed growth. There are, however, seven specific areas in which growth companies concentrate their efforts. 1. Strong sense of purpose. Most leaders of companies that have achieved growth discover that it takes more than the promise of increasing financial reward to fuel their aspirations and ambitions. They find a higher calling than simply the pursuit of "more money." 2. Outstanding market intelligence. This is an organization's ability to first recognize, then adapt, to fundamental changes in the marketplace. Many times, small-business owners become too myopic, seeing only a limited view of the markets in which they compete. Growth leaders see the bigger picture. 3. Effective growth planning. This is the best predictor of whether or not a business will grow. To be effective, a plan for growth does not need to be overly formal or complicated. However, it does need to be written, well-communicated and regularly updated. 4. Customer-driven processes. These days, every company I talk to believes it is customer-driven, when actually very few really are. Take a look at all of the business processes from a customer's perspective. Are they in place to make it easier for the company, or to help deliver on the promise of faster, cheaper and better for the customer? 5. The power of technology. Successful leaders don't let the boom and bust of technology cycles give them the excuse to ignore that we live in an information age. If a company is in business, it is in the technology business. 6. The best and brightest people. Growth leaders recognize that they are only as good as the people with whom they work. The ability to hire, train and retain the best and the brightest people is often the difference between success and failure. 7. Seeing the future. Few organizations take the time to regularly consider the future. Growth leaders learn how to diligently monitor and interpret the macro forces of change affecting the world in which they live.
When you have only just started your own business, you will need a lot to learn, not only about what you are going to do, but about all the small details of running your own business. There is no one who you can count on making the right decisions but you. The tips below may be more than useful for all small business owners and make it more probable to bloom instead of going bankrupt (a sad end of 80% of small companies). Profit margin First of all, remember about the profit margin. All too often we forget about making money, fascinated by all the possibilities of running one's own business. It is very easy to thwart otherwise successful business by taking too many loans, hiring too expensive lawyer or account office and generally spending too much money on less important matters. Remember: every business is about making money. Try to reduce your costs as much as possible and you will succeed. Buy an expensive car only to feel like a "real" businessman and you will never become one. Hiring friends and relatives The most delicate and potentially harmful matter in running your own business is the help you receive from your friends and relatives. At first, it is often what counts most - both for practical and psychological reasons. However many small businesses become reliant from the unpaid work of friends and/or relatives and it will sooner or later end. That's why it is highly recommended to pay them from the very beginning (even if your loved ones protest) - this will let you keep an eye on the real cost of business and won't turn you into blood-sucking monster that requires more and more but gives nothing back. Internet Internet is one of the most powerful tools in business. It is not only about eBay, but also about fast, reliable and cheap communication between you and your contractors and customers. Also, as the Internet becomes more and more useful for advertising purposes, having your own website is a must - otherwise you loose from 50% to 90% of potential customers.
: Running a wedding car business can be, although stressful, interesting and exciting. You are among beautiful cars, you often meet new people and you have the feeling that you help them have a perfect wedding day. You have to always think how to fulfil and extend your clients' wishes, while remaining competitive and increasing your income. There are some tips that you can follow. Firstly, you should have your auto park kept in best possible conditions. Enlarge the number of the cars according to the clients wishes. Most of them want limousines or old cars for their wedding day. But a lot of other cars are required for the guests. Be flexible and accept to decorate the cars according to their wishes (flowers, traditional white or colored ribbons). Secondly, make sure that you have hired the best personnel. A fully trained chauffeur is not only a must, but can add a plus to your firm's image. They have to be professional, persuasive, but friendly. Then it would be better to have different offer packages (for example transports from the bride's house to the church, from here to the restaurant and from there to the chosen hotel or the airport / railway station). It will be also a plus for your business if you assure the exclusivity of the car on the wedding day (everybody will be more relaxed and it will be plenty of time for photographs). The wedding transport plays an important part of the celebration. You and your firm have the possibility to help making the wedding day a day to remember! Visit North East Wedding Cars.
What avenues are best to bring customers to you and increase your visibility? A very effective way to generate business, thus increasing your profits, is to talk to people you know; friends, families, neighbors, hit the pavement, spread the word to everyone you know, especially those who like your business and the products you have to offer. Be creative; if one of your products is a balloon consider going to all the restaurants in your area and make a deal to have your balloons given to the children who enter. When you go to businesses or friends take a few samples of your products to show them, leave your products with them so they can look at them while you are gone and then follow-up with them and find out what they think. Make them feel a part of your business. Networking is a great way to make business contacts and you can do this almost anywhere that you go. Your local chamber of commerce often has networking functions where you can meet other business owners in your area. You can talk to them about their business and what works for them, exchange business cards. This is a great method for making contacts. After the social function make a point to go and visit their business, develop a relationship with them. Be apart of a community with the people you want to do business with. Join the groups they congregate in. You want to be able to be a friend that provides advice and helps out. Speak to your friends and gain their trust. This will ensure that they will listen to your recommendations and will trust your instincts on this topic. The point is to make sure the people that are buying from you are not just buyers but trusted friends. They will be who brings you the most business. Word of mouth is the most powerful tool you have and is the hardest to get. This will let others in your community know that you are real and a person. Other questions to ask your self are as follows. What can I do when I have been running an online home business site for a couple of years but your profits are not as strong as you would like? One thing to do is to review that you are getting enough traffic to your site, if you are satisfied with this aspect of your business you might want to consider increasing your sales through the method of follow-up promotions. The beauty of this idea is that it does not necessarily bring more hits to your site but it does bring more people to your site that will buy more of your products and this will generate more income. If you have customers, at least 30 percent of them will purchase from you again and this number will continue to grow if you use the follow-up techniques that are presented in this article. Take a good look at your customer base and realize that you can have them buying many times from you than someone else if you follow-up with them. If they already like the product they purchased from you, there is a good chance if you offer them another product or a discount on what they already purchased, they will come back to your site and buy again, and then they will spread the news of your site to their friends. When customers like a product, they tell others. The more you follow-up and offer them items from your site the faster your profits will begin to increase. One of the techniques used in the follow-up is to reward your customers for using your site and buying your products. In addition, you can reward them for referrals to others. Special notices that say thank you for their purchase or offering a small discount if they come back or refer your business to a friend are all great ways to increase your profit margin. Another technique is when your customer signs up at your sight are sure to send confirmation messages that their request was received though instead of simply saying, “we have received your request” add a little something extra in there. This is a great time to offer them something extra from your sight or a discount off there next purchase, be creative and you will be amazed at the responses you will receive. The importance of this approach is to let your customers know that you are following-up with them to make sure they are happy with their purchase and that if they have any questions or concerns they can contact you. Do not overwhelm them with sales pitches let that become a secondary message. Make them feel like you really care about their satisfaction with your product.
Getting a corporation designated as an “S” can be a bit confusing. If you are committed to getting an “S” corporation, here is how you do it. “S” Corporation The “S” in S corporation refers primarily to a tax designation. While electing to be an S corporation does have legal implications, such as no more than 75 shareholders, the designation really concerns pass through tax issues. Put in layman’s terms, the designation simply means the corporation will “pass through” its taxes to shareholder in proportion to their ownership interests. This allows shareholders to claim profits and losses directly on their taxes and avoid the double taxation of a C corporation. To become an S corporation, you must file an election with the IRS. Typically, no documentation is require to be filed with any state entity, but make sure to check you particular jurisdiction. Regardless, the filing with the IRS is made using form “2553 – Election by a Small Business Corporation.” To fill out form 2553, you will need to supply the following information: 1. The name and address of the corporation, 2. The tax year to be covered by the election, 3. The date the corporation first had shareholders or began doing business, 4. The name, address and social security number of EACH shareholder, and 5. The signature of EACH shareholder. If you have shareholders located around the country, making an “S” election filing can be problematic. Getting everyone to sign off on the document can take time and time is not on your side. Time Requirements The IRS puts strict deadlines on filing “S” elections. In technical terms, the election must be filed before the 15th day of the third month of the tax year for which you are electing the status. Ah, the IRS is so poetic. In laymen’s terms, you should file the election within 75 days of the incorporation. From a practical point of view, I suggest you get the election signed and filed as absolutely soon as possible. You should also file the election through registered mail so you have a little proof if the IRS claims a late filing. I don’t know why, but the IRS gets cranky when it comes to S elections. If you follow the above steps and get the filing in as soon as possible, you should be okay.