Small Business Tools
Advanced small business tools help to avoid a big problems with the finance planing strategy.
Posted by Sara Lopez on May 14th, 2011 ~
0 Comments Fast, simple and fairly inexpensive. Those are the three things I want an email marketing program to do. And Boomerang has it covered.
Using their email marketing self-service feature, I can basically pick an email template, schedule an email marketing campaign, A/B test it, send it out and then check it out (Boomerang offers over 60 metrics reports). Now the thing is, I don’t have to do it this way. Boomerang has a full slate of options, so I could create my own email template if I wanted or even opt to let them do it all through their full service email marketing option.
A separate email newsletter tool called Slingshot makes producing and sending a newsletter based on your blog a piece of cake.
And pricing appears reasonable too; based on email monthly volume, for Self Service Email Marketing it starts at $9.95 USD for 500 email.
Get all the details at Boomerang Email Marketing.
Tags: Email Marketing, Marketing
Posted by Sara Lopez on May 11th, 2011 ~
0 Comments What do you think works best: the peaceful you-have-a-life company whose employees arrive at 8:30 or 9 am or so, and leave between 5 and 5:30 pm? Or the stereotypical startup sweatshop where there’s pressure to arrive earlier and stay until 7:30 or 8 pm?
I have mixed feelings. I was on the board of directors while Philippe Kahn took Borland International from zero to about $60 million annually in four years. Philippe led by example, up all night, answering emails at all times, and setting and meeting impossible deadlines for himself. It worked, and it was exciting to watch.
I’ve also seen the startup-frenzy work life turn sour. In at least two real cases I know well, people began competing with each other for body time, just being there, for as long as possible. It wasn’t productivity it was posturing, warming seats, but not really working.
I was a consultant for Apple Computer from the early 1980s, when it seemed like everybody I worked with was there from 9 or 10 in the morning until 8 or so at night, through early 90s. I wat
Read more…
Posted by Sara Lopez on May 11th, 2011 ~
0 Comments Are you one of those people who dreams of working at home?
I used to be one of those people; I dreamed about working at home for years.
And now I do!
And I can tell you that working at home is everything it’s cracked up to be; more convenient, more productive and just plain more pleasant.
But I can also tell you that if you want to work at home, you’re the one who’s going to have to make it happen. Working at home is not something that other people are going to set up for you.
Read How to Get to Work at Home to learn how to make your dream of working at home a reality.
Tags: Home
Posted by Sara Lopez on May 9th, 2011 ~
0 Comments I’m in Austin TX today looking forward to two full days judging the University of Texas’ Venture Labs business plan competition, which is something like a grand finale, bringing together 36 teams that have won other competitions.
This is the original Moot Corp, started in 1984, the first MBA-level business plan contest that I ever heard of. I’m happy to be here for the fourth year in a row. I’ve read some really good business plans, and I’m looking forward to seeing the teams pitch and take questions. And tomorrow we have a special Palo Alto Software challenge, and then the finals. I expect to be posting about this event next week.
In the meantime, some good posts from earlier this week:
- Annie Mueller of Wise Bread posted 10 Signs You Shouldn’t Be a Small Business Owner on Amex OPEN forum.
- The Osama Raid Live Tweets: This one is off my normal track, but I found it fascinating, something like watching history as it actually happens, in a Twitter sort of way. Damon Clinksc
Read more…
Posted by Sara Lopez on May 5th, 2011 ~
0 Comments One of the first decisions you have to make when you’re starting a business is about what legal structure your new business will have. In Canada, you essentially have four choices, a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation or cooperative. But which form of business ownership should you choose?
You need to give it some thought because the form of business ownership you choose will affect everything from the administrative costs of setting up and operating your business through your tax planning. Choosing a Form of Business Ownership lays out the advantages and disadvantages of each type of legal structure to help you decide.
If you are considering incorporation, you will also want to read Should You Incorporate Your Business?
Remember, though, that whatever form of business you choose, you are not locked into that form for the life of the business. Many people, for instance, start businesses as sole proprietorships and then incorporate them later when their circumstances change.
Once you’ve decided, registering your business is the next step.
Read more…
Tags: Business, Business Ownership
Posted by Brian Reed on May 5th, 2011 ~
0 Comments Looking for events to grow your business? You’ve come to the right place. The following Guide to Small Business Events lists over 50 conferences, seminars and webinars:
Small Business High Speed Growth May 9, 2011
Are you ready to position your business for rapid growth? Join the Small Business High Speed Growth sessions to get face-to-face with leading mentors in marketing, finance and business development.
Becoming the Obvious Choice for Your Customer Regardless of Price May 9, 2011, Online
Focus.com Roundtable teleconference at 11am PT/2pm ET with Niall Devitt, Craig Elias, Melinda Emerson, Susan Payton, Ramon Ray, Deborah Shane, and Ivana Taylor discussing today’s most successful strategies and tactics that will help you find your ideal customer and get them choose you, every time, regardless of price. Topics
Read more…
Tags: Business Events, Events, Small Business, Small Business Events
Posted by Sara Lopez on April 30th, 2011 ~
0 Comments Both Canadian income tax and GST/HST are due May 2nd.
Remember, if you file your income tax late, you will be charged the late-filing penalty, which is 5 percent of the balance owing and an additional 1 percent of the balance owing for each full month that your return is late, to a maximum of 12 months. (See What happens if I don’t file my income tax on time? for more details.
And here are two tips to speed up the process of filling out your income tax form for do-it-yourself people:
1) When you’re filling in your expenses on your T2125 form (Business or Professional Income form), whether or not you include the GST/HST that you paid on the expense you’re claiming depends on whether or not you’re a GST registrant and have/will be claiming the GST/HST on that expense as an Input Tax Credit. If you’re claiming it as an Input Tax Credit, deduct it from your claimed expense on your income tax form.
2) When you are claiming Capital Cost Allowance (CCA), you include the taxes etc. that you paid as part of the cost of the depreciable property.
Read more…
Tags: Canadian, Canadian Taxes