General

  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 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  

  Understand Your Client’s Marketing Objectives to Manage Projects Better   As any marketing consultant knows, their clients want the world, they want it now, and they want it cheap. Along with all of this, they expect the best results, whether it is from a magazine ad campaign, or a television or radio campaign. As a marketing consultant, you need to be realistic with your clients. If their budget is small, do not fall victim to nodding your head every time the client makes an outrageous assumption. Nip these outrageous expectations in the bud and make sure that your client is constantly aware of the scope of their project. Both of your budgets will thank you in the end.   Make sure that your client knows exactly what they will be getting with their program. Let them know that based on past projects, they can expect certain things. The important part is to make sure that they are on board with what you plan to deliver and what it will produce for them. Nearly every marketing project fails because of a disconnect between actual value and perceived value. If a client feels like they didn’t get what they paid for, then they will be unhappy when it is all over. Make sure that your client knows exactly what they are getting and what the value will be on the money they spent. If you have this buy-in from the very start, you will have taken a large step towards a successful project, long before the project actually begins.  

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.  

What are Small Business Web Hosting Providers?  Having a small business today means having some sort of Website to post your product or service on.  Successful small business owners have realized that business on the Internet is just as important as outside avenues.  Internet sales are constantly increasing from year to year, and consumers find purchasing via the Internet is often easier than running out to the store.  Groceries, shoes, clothes, and every other product and service you can think of are not sold somewhere on the Internet.  Thus, having a Website to promote and sell your product or service means utilizing a Web hosting provider to gain space on a server and broadcast your business across the Internet. Small Business Web Hosting Providers A Web hosting provider is essentially a service that will allow you to use their server to post your Website.  Once your Website is posted on their server it can be accessed across the Web at any time.  The server stores all the data of your Website so that it can remain functional and accessible as much as possible.  Having some Web hosting provider is necessary for any business that would like to have a fully functional Website that can be accessed from anywhere. What to look for with Web hosting providers?  When purchasing a domain name from any one of the many Web hosting providers, you’ll find a variety of different packages to choose from.  Look for the price per month according to how much disk space and bandwidth your Website will receive.  Estimate how much traffic will be going to the Site, and how much data your Site will require, and then make an educated selection.  Also look at the email limit, if any, which is put on your account.   Top Web hosting providers Though there is a huge selection of Web hosting providers out on the Internet today, there are some that get more attention than others.  Here are some top Web hosting providers to get you started on the right track: HostMonster – HostMonster is a very popular Web hosting provider that is $5.95/month, and offers 600 GB of space, with 6,000 GB of bandwidth.  It supports a variety of different programming languages and has unlimited email accounts.  This hosting provider is great for large Websites that require a lot of data storage and bandwidth. StartLogic – StartLogic is another popular Web hosting provider that is similar to HostMonster.  Here you have the benefit of hosting up to 50 different domains from 1 account and have a guarantee of 99.9% uptime.  This is also a great hosting provider for large Websites with a lot of data and bandwidth usage. GoDaddy – GoDaddy is one of the best, smaller, Web hosting providers.  They have a variety of different plans to choose from.  This provider is great for the smaller Websites that have content, but don’t require much data backup. 8ff29d38-4932-49c6-bb92-13538bc22ac5|0|.0