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  Developing Contracts for Web Developers   As a web developer, you have a tough job, especially when it comes to maintaining project scope. Often times, your client does not have as much technical knowledge as you do, which is why they asked you to develop the website in the first place. When a customer gets confused on certain terms, they might be misled into believing that your web development contract included hosting, and maintenance, when in reality, it did not.   By creating crystal clear contracts, you will avoid many of these misconceptions and keep your project on focus and on time.

If you’re a small business searching for small business loans, you’re going to need to do a good amount of preparation before waltzing in and asking for money.  Having meticulous records and documentation are vital for getting small business loans, but first you have to figure out where to get it.    Best Options for Getting Small Business Loans – Banks   There are a plethora of places to get a small business loan; however, some options can be better than others.  Banks that you have already done business with are a great place to start since they already know your financial status and conduct.  Keep in mind that the bank will grant you a small business loan according to how likely they believe it is that you’ll pay them back.  Thus, anything you can do to appear as financially viable as possible is beneficial.   Financial Background & Paperwork is a Must   Once you’ve found a few places that might give you small business loans, make sure to prepare all the necessary paperwork.  Bring cash flow projections so that they will feel comfortable giving you the loan, and show a business plan.  Also bring any financial information you have including personal finances, credit reports, and tax returns.  The more organized you are, the more likely it is that they’ll give you the loan.   Here are some sites for finding information and quotes for small business loans:   Small Business Association (SBA.gov)   US Gov. Info at About.com – Money for Small Business   Buyerzone.com   MortgageRatesEtc.com   http://www.digital-women.com/small-business-loans.html   iBank.com

  Managing Projects Starts with Managing Your Client’s Expectations   For an experienced project manager, managing a project is easy. With the proper tools, processes and experience in place, overseeing a project from start to finish should be a breeze. There is one variable though, and that is the client. Every client is different and their expectations for the project vary from person to person. Managing your clients is more than half the battle as you navigate through any project.   In order to manage your client’s expectations, you must first understand what their expectations are. The easiest way to do this is to simply ask them. Ask what they want from this project. Ask what indicators of success they would like to see. Then make sure that your reports and final product reflect what they want. There is more than one way to skin a cat, they say, but only one of those ways is what your client wants to see and it’s your job to produce those results. Keeping your client in the loop at all times is another good way to manage their expectations. The fewer surprises that your client is hit with along the way, the more comfortable they will be with the overall project. Keep them updated weekly, bi-monthly, etc so that they always have a good feel as to how well the project is progressing.  

  Small Business Software you can’t live without   The market for small business software is enormous.  So what is it you really need when it comes to small business software?  Here are 5 very helpful tools for your small business.      Software for Accounting – Keeping track of finances is one of the most important aspects for the success of a small business.  QuickBooks small business software will keep your finances together and well organized.    Office Suite Small Business Software – Programs like Excel, Access, and Word (Microsoft Office products) will keep your small business organized and compatible with the rest of the world.    Anti-Virus Small Business Software – Unfortunately, the Internet and computers you use for your small business are prone to receiving some sort of virus.  Anti-virus software such as Norton or Mcafee is great for protecting against it.    Contact Management Software – This will keep all of your contacts organized so that you can get information quickly and easily.  Select one that is easy to use and compatible with other programs.   Email Application – This small business software will keep all of your emails organized, safe, and received the way you want it.  Programs like Mozilla’s Thunderbird 2 are great and functional.

  Top 5 Reasons Why Your Medical Practice Should Use an Attorney When Choosing a Business Form   If you’re just getting started setting up your medical practice, you may or may not be familiar with some of the more specific business aspects, such as choosing a business form. When establishing a business, there are a number of different forms to choose from. A new business can be a:     ·         Sole Proprietorship – solely owned by one person alone   ·         Partnership – shared ownership between two or three people   ·         Corporation – considered a separate legal entity with its own rights independent of ownership   ·         Limited Liability Company (LLC) – a company where shareholders are not responsible for paying more of the debt than their original investment   While the answer as to which form your medical practice should take may seem obvious, it is strongly recommended by business and insurance experts that you meet with an attorney before making any final arrangements regarding a business model.     The following is a list of the top five reasons why medical practices should consult an attorney before settling on a specific business form:     1.      Liability – this is the most important reason why medical practices, or any new business, should consult with an attorney. The laws vary when it comes to personal liability for business debts based on which business model is in use. Attorneys can help you select a business model and will offer guidance as to which type of professional or general liability insurance will be needed.   2.      Contracts – it’s important that all relationships, including employment agreements, are clearly spelled out to prevent any future lawsuits. A lawyer will ensure that all relationships, between partners, investors, shareholders and employees are clear and legally sound.   3.       Taxes – there are different tax requirements and laws that apply to different business forms. An attorney will provide guidance as to which tax laws apply to your practice and the different tax breaks and requirements depending on the business model.   4.      Control – who do you want to be in control of the medical practice? Do you want to share that control with anyone, and if so, with whom? Different business models exhibit different levels and types of control for investors.   5.      Autonomy – similar to control, who will be making all the decisions and what will they be based on? An attorney will explain to you that different business forms have different decision making protocol that you may not have previously known about.   These are only some of the big reasons. Businesses should typically have an attorney familiar with their field readily available anyway. This is because the laws are ever-changing and an attorney will be able to provide you with sound legal advice.  

It’s no secret that an extensive marketing plan is the bread and butter of any successful business.  If you don’t market your product or service to the public, then nobody will know about it.  However, almost every type of marketing technique and trick has been used up by the overflowing amount of small businesses out in the world today.  Thus, in order to build a successful marketing plan you must develop unique and broad small business marketing ideas.  Here are 5 essential small business marketing ideas to compete in today’s dog eat dog world: Website – Although this isn’t the most unique idea, it is an essential one.  With a majority of the world connected to the Internet, a Website is vital to the success of your company.  Not having a Site up and running to promote your product or service basically tells people that you don’t take your small business seriously, or that you don’t have a quality product or service.  That’s why out of all the small business marketing ideas, this is probably one of the most important ones. Search Engine Marketing – Once your Website is up and running, it’s important to make its presence known throughout the Internet.  Search engine marketing is one way to put your Website toward the top of the list on search engines like Google, and Yahoo.  An SEM firm that you hire will take you through a number of different methods and small business marketing ideas to build more traffic to your Site.  This may and probably will entail optimizing the content on your Site for certain searchable keywords, sending out press releases via PRWeb, writing articles for distribution, and more. Social Networking Sites – Though sites like MySpace may seem like a waste of time when it comes to small business marketing ideas, it is exactly the opposite.  MySpace has made it feasible to easily reach to potential customers across the globe.  Create a profile, search out potential customers, and market away.  Use as many different Websites as you can to drive traffic to your specific Website. Advertisement – Advertising is another obvious way to market your business.  However, developing an advertisement that will actually profit your product is another story.  With millions of advertisements out in the world, how will your stand out from the rest?  Those outside of your business can be very helpful in developing an advertising campaign and other small business marketing ideas.  Advertise on the Internet, papers, and other places in your niche market. Merchandise for Free! – One hit the streets small business marketing idea is free merchandise with your small business logo and Website printed on it.  Hand them out in places where your target market might frequent, give them to your clients, and use them shamelessly to promote your small business.  T-shirt printing has become a cheap way to do this along with pens, coasters, and other cool merchandise.

Software Development Timeline Helps You Develop Software.  One of the biggest roadblocks to completing your software development projects on time is staying on task with the individual pieces. Whether you are creating a brand new piece of software or simply working the bugs out of an automation system, it is important to begin creating timelines for every one of your projects. Having timelines gives you a visual representation of each project component, and will even help your employees and contractors see just how important getting their piece done on time is. Timelines allow you to see potential potholes on the road to success and give you enough warning so you can usually avoid them. Timelines also allow you to communicate more definite dates to your clients and internal supervisors. You can assure them that the projects will be completed on time since it is all laid out and scheduled accordingly.  

An essential part of starting a new business is preparing a small business plan. This effectively summarizes all of the operations and goals of your new organization in a clear, concise manner. Lenders, potential partners, and even the occasional client will want to see your business plan. It’s important to have a well-written business plan on file.   There are seven main parts to an effective business plan.   Executive Summary – a one to two page summary of your business plan.   Company Description – this is where you would put your mission statement and a basic description of what your company is and does.   Product or Service – describe any products and services you will provide and how you intend to do so.   Market Analysis – show why there is a need for your company in the relevant market.   Strategy and Implementation – how will you run your business? Explain how you will secure customers, resources and skilled labor. Then explain how you will implement your company’s goals.   Management Team – who will be in charge? Who will be held responsible? How will accountability and the assignment and completion of duties be managed?   Financial Plan – show and explain all anticipated income sources. How will you generate income and how will you manage expenses. Your financial plan is the most important part of your business plan. Will you be purchasing small business insurance? If yes, what type of business insurance will you need? What other expenses do you anticipate incurring? For more information on how to develop an effective business plan, or for help starting your new business, visit the Small Business Association Website.  

  Managing Scope Changes Effectively Will Help you Perform Better as a Management Consultant   As a management consultant, you have been brought in to help a company or department that is in disarray. You have a plan to get the company out of debt, get processes running smoother and increase employee efficiency. This plan has worked time and time again so you go into the job feeling confident. Things might be humming along great for the first few weeks and then you get an email… “Can we change this?, Can we move this around?” You start to feel panicky because nobody has ever questioned your strategies and management style before and you don’t know what to do.   This is where having some sort of scope change control process would come in handy. Having these procedures in place will ease the burden on you when it comes to making important changes in processes or scope of the project. These charts essentially map out the changes in manpower, resources, time, and money that it will take to successfully accomplish the change, allowing you as a management consultant to rest easier, knowing that those who requested the change are fully aware of the effect it will have on the results of the project.   With this information documented and hopefully signed, you essentially have what amounts to a “new contract” that includes the changes in the scope of the project. You will no longer be responsible for adhering to the old budget, as long as it is documented that you stated that these changes will require more monies, time, etc.  

  Small Business Taxes 101   The world of small business taxes is a complicated one.  Small business taxes that you pay will largely be determined by what type of business you have, and how many people are included in your business.  Therefore, a sole proprietorship would pay a different amount of taxes than LLC, S corporation, or a C corporation.  This applies to both Federal and State income taxes.    Federal Small Business Taxes   Federal small business taxes are complex in nature mostly because there are a variety of ways to tax the income of a small business.  Here is a quick breakdown of the various types of small businesses and what the pay is in Federal taxes.    Sole Proprietors – Sole proprietors pay both a self-employment tax and income tax at the Federal level.  Therefore, they need to fill out a Schedule C and pay 15.3% on all of their net revenue.   Partnership – Partnerships will fill out a Form 1065 and be taxed for both income and self employment.    LLC – LLC’s are a little more complicated.  If there are only one or two members in the LLC then it is possible to tax the limited liability company on a sole proprietor or partnership level.  However, the LLC can also choose to be taxed as a corporation.  Either way, all members of the LLC will pay both self employment tax, which is 15.3%, and income tax.   S Corporation – S corporations are special in that they distribute earnings through their shareholders.  Thus, the shareholders will need to pay an income tax on their earnings.  However, it is possible to avoid any self-employment taxes when operating under an S-corporation.    C Corporation – C corporations are taxed on any distribution to shareholders, and will pay income tax and need fill out a corporate return form for the IRS.     State Small Business Taxes   State taxes vary as each State has their own regulations.  Depending on your business type, and which state your small business resides in, you may pay various rates of income tax.   Additional small business tax resources     IRS Tax Help for Small Businesses   Entrepreneur.com Small Business Tax Center   NFIB Small Business Toolbox