Monthly Archives: October 2010
Running A Small Business In Calgary
Running A Small Business In Calgary
There are a number of advantages that Calgary offers small business, making it an attractive option for small and micro businesses. The area offers low inflation and the lowest overall taxes in Canada, and small businesses do not pay PST (provincial sales tax), only GST. With a strong resource base and a highly skilled workforce, Calgary provides an employer friendly environment that has attracted a growing number of small businesses over the years.
Calgary’s geographical location provides exceptional market access, making it popular for import and export businesses with a sophisticated transportation infrastructure, and the area is considered a transportation and distribution hub. This provides many opportunities for small businesses.
The Alberta government is receptive to business investment, and has key business development initiatives in place for many industry sectors, including:
Agriculture
Architecture, engineering and construction
Building products
Chemicals and petrochemicals
Environmental products and services
Information and communication technologies
These initiatives provide support to small businesses in these areas, allowing small business to thrive.
Running a small business in Calgary can be expensive despite the tax relief offered, as employees tend to be expensive, as is real estate. With careful planning and sound business sense though, a thriving business can be achieved.
Legal requirements for starting a small business are the same as in most of Canada. A business name must be submitted and approved, then registered. A business license must be obtained, from federal, provincial and/or municipal authorities depending on the nature of the business.
GST (goods and services tax) is only payable by small businesses earning a gross annual business revenue of more than ,000. Keeping accurate business records and using the services of a small business accounting services firm will help the small business owner keep taxes and other financial issues up to date and within legal requirements.
Growth sectors in Calgary include new technologies such as advanced materials, nano technology, information and communication technologies as well as in bio-industry, and small businesses in these sectors are expected to experience considerable growth.
Associations and organizations supporting small business provide assistance and advice for both start-ups and existing businesses. This makes running a small business in Calgary less burdensome, giving the small business owner the support needed to ensure that their business succeeds. Calgary is well placed to support small business, particularly in the sectors mentioned. Environmental products and services are experiencing considerable growth, and businesses in this area are doing extremely well.
Running a small business in Calgary requires the same dedication and vision as running a small business anywhere, but the advantage of government support, a diverse population and sophisticated transport infrastructure make it a popular choice for small business owners.
To remove accounting and payroll headaches, hire a reliable small business accounting in Calgary. Hundreds of thousands of small business owners trust Padgett Business Services for their small business accounting needs.
Article from articlesbase.com
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What kind of costs will be associated with starting my own business, selling ecofriendly bags on the internet?
Question by zm: What kind of costs will be associated with starting my own business, selling ecofriendly bags on the internet?
For a project i have to come up with rent costs, utility costs, labor costs in general, costs taht have to do with starting a business…
But i dont know the costs involved( fixed and variable) and what kind of people i wold have to hire and how much to pay them??
Best answer:
Answer by imisidro
Break it down in various components:
Producing/Manufacturing the bag
- cost of designing the bag: include the designer fees, prototype creation, market testing
- materials in creating the bag
- will the bag be manufactured in the US or outsourced to China?
- if outsourced to other country, compute the cost of communication, whether you have to go to the country to inspect production, etc
Selling on the Internet
- website design including graphic artists and web programmer
- web copy writer
- website hosting
- merchant account for accepting credit card payments
- payment gateway such as Authorize.net
- SSL certificates such as Verisign or Thawte
- shopping cart system
- cost of customer care, if any
- cost of packaging
- cost of shipping
- inventory control
- employees, if any: who will maintain website
- internet marketing expert or search engine expert
- advertising and marketing costs
- logo design
- banners design
- product photography (whether you outsource this or in house)
- warehousing/storage costs, if needed
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD NOT START A BUSINESS
REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD NOT START A BUSINESS
Most people are comfortable working for someone else. Not everyone wants to be captain of a ship. Letting others take the risks and reap the rewards is their preferred way to live.
If you are of that mindset, this piece is not for you. However, if you count yourself among those seeking alternatives to your current routine, this information is food for your thought and decision making process.
There are some common reasons why many folks who desire to strike out on their own end up never doing so. They are people with some entrepreneurial bent but they tend to be very cautious and somewhat risk averse. In other words, they are interested in being their own boss but they consistently hesitate to take the plunge.
What follows is a listing of a few of those normal obstacles to starting a business. These are reasons why not to do a start-up and how you might want to consider them in a different light.
1. Fear of failure. To any and all who feel this way, welcome to the club. Virtually everyone suffers from a fear of not knowing what may happen should they try to start their own business. That is completely normal. But it must be said that fear of failure is failure in it’s own right. Keep in mind that it is impossible to win a competition if you never enter into it. Solution: keep your current income producing job and start a business on the side. Grow it slowly and patiently. If it gets to the point of being self-sustaining, quit what your are doing otherwise and focus full time on your new operation. No doubt going this route will require lots of hours and extra work but the outcomes can be extremely rewarding.
2. Risk versus reward. This is an important consideration to be sure. At the heart of a business is the principal that reward needs to outweigh risk. People who do not have a lot of money to invest in a business start-up might feel left out. Others with the cash required might hesitate to invest in the unknown where there are no guarantees. Solution: start a business that requires very little up front investment but offers plenty of opportunity for income. Especially valuable is the chance to earn residual income so that tending to the necessary knitting is not a 24/7 imperative. This exists and you can find it.
3. Now is a bad time to do a start-up. After all, the economy is in the dumper and government seems to be making it harder to succeed as opposed to encouraging the marketplace. Loans are hard to get and consumers are spending less. Solution: the reality is there is not best time to start your own business. But the argument can be made that one of the most advantageous times to labor your way through the start-up process is when things are down. It means that your timing will pretty much coincide with economic recovery. A start-up requires patience. Success is normally not an overnight phenomenon. In other words, about the time you get finished slogging your way through the usual start-up challenges, the economy will be on the up tick and you will be perfectly positioned.
4. No experience running a business. Most people have not a clue what is required to start or run a business. Having worked for someone else from the jump, they have no experience or expertise in business management. It all seems so complicated. Solution: the place to begin is to understand that most small business owners started with little or no experience in running a business. Yet they made it work anyway. The wisest thing to do is to get engaged in something that has your interest and thereafter find the opportunity that supplies the required training and other resources to make it all work. That is easily doable when you know where to look.
This list could go on but you get the point. What seem like solid reasons to not get involved more often turn out to be excuses to avoid change. The fact is, only change will get you to the next level.
When done wisely, starting your own business can be the path that will get you to where you want to go. When done properly, there is little downside and immense upside. See you on the next level!
I am a career entrepreneur currently involved in starting a franchising business, running a nonprofit, taking occasional contract assignments and building a work from home online business. START YOUR OWN BUSINESS
Article from articlesbase.com
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Small business grants in the state of CA?
Question by Alex R: Small business grants in the state of CA?
I’m in the process of starting a clothing line. We are a bit short on cash and are looking for grants.
Thanks in advance.
Best answer:
Answer by jdkilp
There are essentially only 3 sources for grants.
Federal grants are called Small Business Innovation Research grants. These are given primarily for some new innovation. You can find out what’s available at http://www.sbirworld.com. There is also info on this site about how to apply.
Some cities offer grants to small businesses if they will locate in the downtown area, for the purposes of building up downtown traffic. Check with City Hall.
Finally, private foundations offer grants. You can get a list of most US Foundations and private grant sources at http://www.foundations.org/grantmakers.html.
What do you think? Answer below!
Vancouver Coupons and Social Buying for Businesses
Vancouver Coupons and Social Buying for Businesses
As a business, it can be hard to know what advertising avenues will produce the best return-on-investment for your money. Social Buying has proven very popular and is a risk-free, inexpensive way to advertise your business and attract new, savvy customers with money to spend on your business.
Social Buying sites feature only 1 deal each day so your business is in the spotlight for 24 hours. These deals help increase awareness of your business, and may provide return customers who will spend well over the value of the coupon.
Benefits of Social Buying for Business:
Attracts savvy new customers that are searching for new ways to enjoy your city.
Guarantees your business money as your customers purchase your deal in advance, before even visiting your business.
Saves time as you get a real, measurable return on investment that you can monitor in real time.
Eliminates risk to your business as you only pay if the deal is activated, and you are invoiced after the campaign is over.
Provides a large group of social media savvy sales people promoting you and your deal all over town, creating viral marketing on social networks.
Social buying sites will also write your ad for you. They have professional writers on staff whose goal is to make you look good to prospective customers.
Advertising your next deal on a social buying site is as easy as 1-2-3:
You develop a deal that saves the customer 50-90%.
Professional writers will write your ad, post the deal on their website, and email the deal to their opt-in subscriber list.
You just sit back and watch the number of deals sold in real time. After the 24 hours, you will know exactly how successful your campaign was.
As soon as the next day, you can start seeing people redeeming the deal at your business. The power of social media is truly amazing and often helps these deals take off and fly through the roof.
Contact your local social media buying site to ask about their rates and how they can help you promote your deal and your business. Help locals and tourists alike enjoy the best that your city has to offer: YOU!
Indulge Living is one of the newest players in the group buying scene in Vancouver is Indulge Living (www.indulgeliving.com). They launch in July 2010 and their goal is to offer coupons for local places and events that friends and family can enjoy together.
Be one of the first 500 to register and received a credit towards your first coupon purchase. Email: info@indulgeliving.com
Article from articlesbase.com
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Build an Internet Home Business With Nothing
Build an Internet Home Business With Nothing
I get to see this all the time — a lot of people are looking for the magic formula, the formula to build an internet home business with nothing.
They have many reasons to search for this formula: they do not have a job, they do not have any income, and if their situation is better, they most likely have a job and an income but they have so many debts that they are always searching for the opportunity to raise their monthly income.
If you are one of these people, you can too start an internet home business with nothing. You do not have to have money to start an internet business, although money will help you make your home business stronger. You can start small and grow slowly.
Tip number one for you is not buying everything that looks good before you check it out. Read reviews, ask other business owners for their point of view on the product, check if the total cost of this product can fit your budget, and if you are completely sure that you need the product and that it is legit, buy it.
You can start your new internet home business with a few affiliate programs, meaning selling other people’s products and receiving commission just for selling it.
Nearly every new internet marketer uses affiliate programs as their internet home business. Choose a few programs, and choose some of the leading products, then promote them with free internet marketing methods like article marketing, forum marketing, blogs, and social media, and enjoy yourself.
However, affiliate marketing is not for everyone. Some people want to get paid just for the work they do, and not to rely on sales. For these people getting paid to take surveys or data entry programs is the answer.
Getting paid to take surveys or entering data is a legit work. The company pays you per project and you get paid as long as you keep working. You can use these opportunities to make quick and easy money as an extra income or even to create a budget for a growing internet home business.
The bottom line is that no matter which way you choose to make money, starting an internet home business or working to get paid, you do not have to spend money on doing it. There are many legitimate internet business opportunities and by using these opportunities you can find and learn many different internet marketing methods to promote your home business for free.
If you do have a small budget or a very tight budget, you can help your business even further. Time is money, you know, and money will save you time that you can use to write an article or do other things for the benefit of your home business.
Tanny Lahav is working from home and owns her own internet home business, http://www.Learn2Earn2.com. Browse her website for internet business ideas to start an internet home business with nothing.
Article from articlesbase.com
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Special Report: For GM IPO, the government is back-seat driver
By Clare Baldwin, Soyoung Kim and Kevin Krolicki
Read more on Reuters via Yahoo! Philippines News
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Create Your Own Economy: Buy A Business
Create Your Own Economy: Buy A Business
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No one we know of has the crystal ball to tell us precisely when the economy is going to bounce back for business owners and consumers. Times like these lead many people to take matters into their own hands, and the good news is that there are business opportunities out there and a consumer base to go with it.
If you want to hit the ground fast and hard you might want to go in the direction of buying an established business, one with a proven track record of course. Less risk is typically involved in buying a business that already exists. Reasons for this are: a profit-loss sheet is already active, live and present and it should clearly show positive cash flow and profits; customers and prospects exist and perceptions are in place; trained employees are familiar with day-to-day procedures and likely ready to help. If working, trusted employees and a working system are already in place you are good to go. There certainly may be some initial tweaks and changes in that you have your own way of doing things, are familiar with the concept and can bring new ideas, and may want to add a right-hand person(s) that you have worked with in the past.
Different types of business models carry different commitment levels. We will overview three— websites for sale, gas stations for sale, restaurants for sale – going from less commitment to more commitment:.
Buying a website business can be rewarding if you are in the right market for you, your passion, your background in management and understanding of technology and distribution models. Almost any business, either selling a product or service or combination, can go online. But here we are talking about an established or premium website (both with vastly different cost and time commitments). If you are interested in primarily being the principal/owner of the business who is more savvy with financials and marketing, then you will need to find the technology expertise and hire that person on your team right away. When you’re ready to buy the web business, you need to communicate with the seller and get the business plan for the site, including how they attain leads, customer traffic numbers, partnering opportunities, advertising models, proof of income/revenues (monthly/yearly); ask and get answers to questions that are not in the plan.
Buying a gas station can only be similar to a website in the fact that it can be, by your own choice, a 24/7 business model. Financial review, location and trusted staffing are key components to success. The established gas station will have suppliers in place that have pricing agreements, and marketing support that can continuously help keep the business afloat and prosperous. The combination of gas and goods in an am/pm-style convenience store can be lucrative way to “own” your own economy.
If you are buying a restaurant, be sure you are ready to commit big to the love of food, people and service on all fronts, from back-of-the-house operations to front-of-the-house cosmetics and ambience. This can be a fun family commitment if other familial partners are interested, qualified and involved. Business valuation, again, and its potential down the road, is the first step to saying “yes”. In the restaurant space, you have no shortage of choices, including independents, fine dining, family/casual, quick-service, bakery/cafés, simple hot dog stands and pizza places, among others. You can also collaborate to create a website that offers your most famous restaurant items and merchandise that can safely be shipped, for instance see www.tastesofchicago.com.
BuyTradeBiz.Com is the Internet’s newest business for sale and franchises for sale listing website. This is the site if you are looking to sell a business or buy a business or buy a franchise.
Article from articlesbase.com
Factoring in appreciation and depreciation into the rent vs. buy decision.
Legitimate Home Based Business – Some Tips To Help You Find One
Legitimate Home Based Business – Some Tips To Help You Find One
Home based and internet-based business opportunities have become the new targets of scammers and con artists. No wonder, there is so many complaints about the illegitimacy of these types of business.
Finding a legitimate home based business is as hard as finding a needle in a haystack, sometimes even harder than that. This is not to say that it is impossible to find a legit business, though. Often it’s just the case of weeding the hundreds of scammers first before you find one that can actually generate income for you.
The key is to persevere in looking for a legitimate home based business for there are many of those out there. You just need to look. While you’re at it, consider the following tips:
Be on your toes.
Antlers, ready! When searching the web for a legitimate home based business opportunity, always be on your guard. You’ll never know if you are being conned or scammed for cons and scammers don’t really announce their presence.
For the most parts, they are veiled under the image of a legit businesses. This makes it easier for them to part you with your money.
Of course, there are always tell-tale signs that they are not entirely legitimate. For example, they use very aggressive sales tactics that make you feel excited while at the same time doubtful. For example, the website timers.
Website timers are there to remind you that you only have a few minutes or seconds more before the stocks of a specific product or service run out. You are being pressured here, don’t give in. If you see a timer on the website, be warned that somewhere in there is a scam waiting to happen.
Another example which is widely practiced online is the too-good-to-be-true promises such as get rich quick schemes. Especially for beginners, these promises work very well. For seasoned internet-based entrepreneurs, these are nothing more than ridiculous sales pitches. It takes time and some sense of awareness in how things work online before you can truly discriminate between real promises from empty promises.
Do your homework.
It is no secret that all businesses require some monetary investment. The same is true for online and home-based businesses.
Before you poke holes in your pocket, research for the business or product you are considering first. Look it up online and check the company’s background information. Look for any information listed on the Better Business Bureau or BBB website. If something doesn’t seem right, reconsider your decision.
Read articles, books and other resources regarding your chosen business. Talk to people who are in the same business as the one you are considering. Know the start-up costs, know the long-terms costs, know how much time is needed to put up the business and keep it running, know its market and how much profit it can bring in, determine which marketing tactics to use and whether you can handle them. Learn everything about the legitimate home based business you won’t end up closing it a few months later.
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To see if you qualify to take 1 of 8 spots a month in which you will be personally mentored by Josh, visit Internet Wealth Pros.
Josh Boxer is an internet marketing consultant and a top producer in the direct sales industry.
Article from articlesbase.com
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