Archive for the ‘Small Business Info’ Category

How to Get Business Trip Insurance

March 5th, 2012 webkriti

Before planning your next business trip, you might want to consider purchasing business travel insurance. Between flight delays and cancellations, unpredictable weather patterns, and other unforeseeable circumstances, travel today is as unpredictable as ever. Add that to the rising cost of airfare and gas and you could be looking at a serious financial loss for your business if your uninsured trip encounters roadblocks. Despite all the webcams, video chat, and other virtual communication options out there, sometimes you just have to travel for business, to give a meeting or an interview that personal touch. Purchasing travel insurance is the best way to get that kind of experience without the worry and stress of a canceled flight or a sudden personal emergency.

Many national insurance companies provide travel protection plans that offer valuable services like roadside assistance, identity theft protection and international health coverage that will help you deal with any emergency that can arise while you travel. Insurance agents can help you find another flight to replace one that has been canceled, insure valuable inventory you are traveling with, whether it is certified loose diamonds or electronics, help locate lost baggage, and even arrange for a medical evacuation in case of a real emergency.

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3 Easy Steps for Registering Your Business

March 1st, 2012 webkriti

The name you select for your business is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as an entrepreneur. It’s what your company will be known as to the rest of the world, so you want it to be good. It needs to reflect the image you want to portray and be memorable, too. Once you’ve selected the perfect name, after careful consideration and research, it’s time to secure it as your own by registering it. You need to protect yourself from anyone else potentially using your business name, and make sure you aren’t stepping on anyone else’s toes. Here are the three easy steps you’ll take for registering your business name.

Check for Availability
Before you do anything else, like register a domain name, print business cards, or start advertising, you have to make sure the business name you’ve selected is actually available for you to use. Maybe you haven’t heard of another Joe Schmo’s Quickie Car Clean, but that doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist. To check for availability, start with Google. It’s so simple. Just Google the name and see what comes up in Search, Images, Video, and Maps. Then, use the Google Patent Search to find out if there is already a patent for your name.

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Why Some Electronic Products Fail To Obtain FCC Approval

September 6th, 2011 webkriti

The hard work that entails developing and marketing electronic products could fail to bear fruit because of just one thing – inability to obtain approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Failure to obtain this approval means that the product has to be withdrawn from the market.

While remedial measures can be taken to address the problems, delay in marketing and sales ultimately means additional costs and loss of precious time. Fortunately, most of the problems that lead to non-compliance can be addressed at an early stage, enabling a company to avoid costly re-tests.

Failing to Pay Heed to FCC Requirements During Product Design Phase

When a company is designing a new electronic product, it is important to find out what the FCC requires with regard to the control of electro-magnetic emissions. Of critical importance to the FCC is the amount of Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) that an electronic product generates.

In its regulatory role, the FCC is mandated to make sure that the use of one electronic device does interfere with the functionality of another. To address this concern, the FCC has established standards that manufacturers should follow during the design of their products and knowing what is required of a specific product will greatly facilitate the approval of the final product.

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Getting into the Greeting Card Business

August 6th, 2011 webkriti

Running a greeting card business is not as easy as it seems. In the past, people would buy truckloads of greeting cards for every occasion, sending their warmest regards to friends and family on special days. There is something very romantic about greeting cards, with their painted covers and the lovely, handwritten message within.

But the greeting card industry is in a quandary. First of all, electronic greeting cards, text messages, emails, and social networking in general have made things quite awful for the greeting card business. Why spend time writing your messages and mailing them to loved ones, when an email would be quicker? Besides, the massive amount of lovely gifs, images, and other similar colorful designs available on the Internet means no email need ever be blah and boring ever again.

More importantly, the greeting card business requires a serious financial investment. The overhead expenses of printing and marketing can be too much for a first-time entrepreneur, especially given the dismal market situation at the moment. A proper greeting card has to be printed on quality paper and ink, which means more expenses. Finally, a person who plans to create greeting cards based on his or her original artwork will have to deal with the copyrighting costs as well.

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Legal Rights for Small Business Employees

April 22nd, 2011 webkriti

If you work in a small business, you have probably realized that you’re not entitled to some of the rights that those who work for larger corporations enjoy.  While your employer may decide to impart paid maternity leave, extend all the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (although only some are required), and offer other benefits at his/her discretion, companies that operate with a staff of fewer than 15 individuals are often exempt from such costly extras (that could tank their business over time).  However, that doesn’t mean that you are totally without rights or representation.  There are several laws in place to protect your fundamental rights as a person and an employee.  Here are few that everyone should know about.

1.       Fair pay.  The federal government has set a minimum wage (currently $7.25 per hour) that is required for all employees, regardless of the size of the business operation.  Many states offer a higher minimum pay, so check state laws to find out if you’re entitled to more money.

2.       Equal pay.  This is a little bit different than fair pay.  The Equal Pay Act of 1963 is generally geared towards the rights of women in the workplace, but it can be considered to apply to all employees.  It basically states that whether or not you share the same title, education, or experience as another worker, if you are doing the same job, you are entitled to the same pay.  This includes extras like benefits, stock offerings, and any other form of compensation, but also declares that any inequities cannot be resolved through demotion (so the offended party must be given more to compensate for the disparity).  Despite the fact that this law has been in place for nearly half a century, women are still estimated to make only about 70% of what their male counterparts earn for the same job.

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Decorating Your Home Office to Accommodate Clients

March 15th, 2011 webkriti


Although the potential of bringing a client into your home may be slim, it’s still important to be prepared in the event that you have to impress with your décor.  The catastrophe of papers, furniture, and items that really don’t belong in an office (toys, craft supplies, inflatable raft, etc.) are not likely to reassure a current or future client that you are organized and professional enough to handle their business.  So if you’re serious about growing your home-based operation, perhaps it’s time to consider taking your office to the next level with a remodel.  If you’re not sure where to start, here are just a few ways you can dress your space to impress.

1.       Get organized!  The number one problem with most home offices is a decided lack of organization.  Think about a corporate office and how it is appointed to function efficiently.  In most cases, there is a place for everything so that nothing need be out of place.  Trays hold current work, filing cabinets house older items, and there are plenty of receptacles for supplies.  So the first thing you’ll need to do is de-clutter (clear out anything unnecessary) and then get the appropriate organizers to house everything essential to your daily operations (generally out of sight).

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New HP Printers Offer Remote Printing

February 21st, 2011 webkriti

The printer is an office staple which allows you to be able to print out everything from regular documents to the kinds of documents which will help to create graphics and more. Printing from these pieces of equipment has always meant that you had to have a wire connected to a computer. The problem is that so often there are wires going from ten or more devices which have to be connected via a wire to the printer. Not too long ago the innovation was made available which allowed for computers to connect wirelessly to the printers. That technology has been taken even a step further by Hewlett-Packard with the introduction of printers that allow you to print directly from your phone, iPad, tablet or other portable devices.

The great thing about the technology being made available by HP is it embraces the kind of technology being found more often in the workplace. It seems everyone is using an iPad, a smartphone or a tablet to do work on. It is only fitting to allow the ability to print documents form these devices. The technology is very easy to understand as is the ability to use it in a variety of different applications.

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Top 3 Things to Keep in Mind for a Good Online Marketing Campaign

February 5th, 2011 webkriti

Marketing is one of the biggest keys to success for any business. As they say in marketing it is all about “location, location, location”. You have to go to where the people are at so that your marketing efforts can be seen. One of the most popular places for people of all walks of life is on the internet. It is used by those looking for business as well as pleasure. With so many people online at any given time, it can be kind of intimidating for small businesses looking to get recognition. With the right information you will see there is nothing to worry about.

There are a few things you will need to know for a successful marketing campaign online. First, you will need to decide on what kind of demographic you are looking to reach. Next you will need to decide how you want to reach your demographic. You will then need to analyze how well your online marketing program is working. By taking a closer look at these three things you will be able to make sure that you are getting the exposure that you need to grow as a company. As you grow, you will see that your marketing campaign has limitless potential when it is online.

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How to Build Credit for Your Business

January 19th, 2011 webkriti


Most of us begin building personal credit at a young age.  We get a job, sock away money, and eventually buy the car of our adolescent dreams (or more likely a junker from the used-car dealer down the street that will be with us until after college) with the help of a small bank loan and a co-sign from Dad.  And voilà; you’ve got a credit rating.  Then you start getting credit card offers, you take out student loans, and eventually, you get a job that allows you to buy a house.  Congratulations, you’re living the American dream, and all thanks to credit!  However, you may be wondering just how this corresponds to starting a business.  In truth, building credit for a business follows a similar progression, but the particulars are a bit different.  If you’re baffled as to how to get your business on track for better credit, then you should follow a few simple steps.

  1. Separate yourself.  You don’t want to be financially liable for loans if your business goes belly up (even though you may be putting a lot of your own money into the pot).  For this reason, it is practical to set your small business up as a limited liability corporation (LLC).  Of course, this also helps your business establish its own line of credit totally separate from your personal credit.  It’s a win-win situation.
  2. Form a sound business plan.  Before your business can become a reality, it has to make sense on paper.  Since you will probably be looking for lenders or investors to help get your enterprise off the ground (and doing it with nothing but your personal credit to show you are capable of making good on payment), you need to have solid intel in place to show that your business will be a success.  Without this, you’re not going to see a cent.
  3. Do your homework.  Knowing a lender’s requirements will help you to secure an initial loan for your business, but you also need to be aware of the standards credit bureaus set for earning a credit rating.  You can find this information online at FICO or any number of other credit-scoring bureau websites.  By staying abreast of these requirements, you can chart a trajectory that will have your business in the top tier of credit in no time (with a little luck and some hard work).
  4. Establish credit lines.  Try to keep your capital in the bank and earning as much as possible.  By establishing credit for your business (taking out business credit cards, getting lines of credit from vendors who will send your information to the credit bureau) you are paving the way to a better credit rating with every transaction (whereas paying upfront gets you nowhere).
  5. Pay on time.  This is essential.  You cannot run around town opening lines of credit that you can’t hope to pay.  It will not only destroy your credit, but your business, as well.  Instead, spend frugally but regularly and try to keep costs low (at least until you start earning).  By spending and paying in a timely manner, you’ll develop good business relationships and begin to see your credit score rise, which will ensure that if the time comes when you do need more money to keep your business afloat, you’ll have access to it.

Sarah Danielson writes for No Credit Check where you can find anything from a prepaid satellite TV to a car rental no credit check

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Save Money on Supplies for Your Small Business

January 13th, 2011 webkriti


It seems like everything is more expensive when you’re running a small business, and office supplies are no exception.  Whereas large corporations can get additional discounts for buying in bulk, you don’t have the funds to purchase a thousand boxes of paperclips (nor the space to store them).  However, if you are smart about how and where you shop, you can find all kinds of deals geared towards the small-business owner.  Here are just a few ways that you can spend less on the items you use every day in an effort to maximize the profits of your labor.

  1. Order online.  Many office supply stores (such as Staples, Office Depot, etc.) not only offer discounted prices online (especially if you’re buying a lot of a certain item), they also provide free shipping for orders that exceed a certain dollar amount.  So hold out on ordering products piecemeal and compile a large list of needed items so that you can get the best possible price when you order office supplies online.
  2. Join clubs.  Some retailers offer clubs or reward programs that provide additional benefits to those who shop with them often.  You may be able to earn points or take advantage of additional savings simply because you need more office supplies than the average consumer.  You should also see if these retailers have credit card programs that will allow you to earn extra points or additional rewards.
  3. Make friends.  So you can’t order in bulk like your corporate competitors.  But as a small business, you have the advantage of being part of an active community of like-minded entrepreneurs in your area.  So approach your local Chamber of Commerce to see if other business owners would be interested in joining you in bulk purchases (of paper and other commonly used supplies) as a way to cooperate and cut costs for everyone.
  4. Recycle.  You’d be surprised how many items in your office can be reused to cut down on waste, or recycled for profit.  Cans, bottles, and many paper items can be taken to the recycling center for cash, or in the case of paper, scrap materials can be reused for inter-office purposes.  And empty ink cartridges can be returned to manufacturers, often for no cost, and sometimes with the added bonus of a credit or discount on future purchases.
  5. Use discounts and rebates.  There are many ways to secure additional savings when it comes to purchasing office supplies.  Websites like Ebates can offer coupons or even a flat percentage of savings over shopping the official office supply website.  And joining rewards programs often means that you’ll receive special deals or coupons through mail (or email).  You can even find discounts on equipment if you don’t buy top-of-the-line (Dell has great deals on a variety of computers and components) and peripheral items like ink refills for your printer cartridges (if you want to reuse them yourself instead of sending them in to be recycled).  In short, there are tons of ways to save if you simply do your homework and get innovative when it comes to stretching every last dollar.

Sarah Danielson writes for Ink Factory, where you can find an incredible selection of HP ink cartridges and Epson ink cartridges along with a variety of other top brands.

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Get to Know the Danger of the Office Copier

December 7th, 2010 webkriti

There are many things you will pay attention to so that the security of your business can be assured. You will make sure that there is a good security system installed. One of the things many businesses never consider is the possibility that the office copier poses any risk. What many do not understand is that there has been a hard drive installed in most copiers ever since 2002. The hard drive is designed to help companies in being able to make copiers faster as well as to help those in search of criminal behavior to analyze what copiers have been used for.

The problem with the hard drive being installed in the copier machines is that all of the information is still intact when the copier is sold. The reason why this constitutes a problem is because it is very easy for someone who buys the copier to get all of the information which is contained on the hard drive. It is important that you first know what the danger is. You will then be able to understand how to prevent risk for your company and for your clients.

Understanding the Danger

The majority of risk is centralized in digital copiers.

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