Getting the word out!

I have been trying to get a better grasp on this whole blogging phenomenon but it can be a bit confusing. Of course putting anything into a goggle search on marketing will give you a hundred ways to get rich quick and drive 57 billion customers to your site. Well what I am learinig is that blogging and the use of social networks such as mybloglog, reddit, stumbleupon, digg, worldpress.org and a million others can slowly bring more visitors to your site by creating a funnel. The funnel is links from one website or blog to another (I think), then submitting anything and everything you do into other social networks like onlywire.

Things I have learned about bloggers:

1. They work there butts off.
2. They are very patient.
3. They constantly have to be thinking about topics for posts.
4. They are a diffrent breed of Internet animals than the rest of us.

Well lots to learn so off I go thanks for stopping by,
chris

Uship

Until I can get my permits from the stupid State of Oregon Department Of Transportation I have been trying to bid on shipments through a website called Uship. It is an online auction for shippers and movers that helps people get the best price for their moves. It is a cool website and I think its great when people dont have to pay $6000 dollars to move a family heirloom 500 miles, but sometimes people waping your blog nt you to move their entire house for $100 dollars not even enough to pay for gas. I have also used it to get a shipment from India for my e commerce site www.indiasessentials.com but I was quoted and paid a price for 3-5 day shipping and it took over 2 weeks to get hear. So my conclusion is that it is a great site but just like anything on the Internet its not crap proof.

A bit of a curveball!

Howdy, so I have had a little trouble with obtaining permits in the state of Oregon for moving business. However this has given me a chance to start up an eccomerce site where I sell products I purchase from India. Some of the products are Jewelry, Herbal supplements, hand creams, lotions, and more. I have my jewelry up so far. Check it out and let me know what you think.
http://indiasessentials.com/index.php

Credit card processing, and small business services.

I have decided to use Pro Pay for my credit card processing company. I can accept credit cards from my computer or any computer. ProPay has a little higher percentage charge but it is fixed. Some corporate cards and rewards cards can carry a higher percentage rate that can really add up. I also looked at Costco's credit card processing but it seemed to have more fees (monthly minimum and setup fees) on top of the percentage per transaction. Costco does have other cool services for small business such as 401k and business insurance.

Here is a list of license, registrations, and fees my business required.

1.DMV: I had to transfer title and get new tags for my moving truck. In Oregon $89.

2.Business License: You need to get a business license for most businesses. In my city it was $50.

3.State Registration: This may help protect you from others operating under your business name (liability). In Oregon $50.

4.DOT: for a transportation business you have to get licensed from the Department Of Transportation. My load is under 10,000 pounds with no hazardous material hauling so I only had to have one license, proof of insurance, and a BOC3 filing which gets you registered in other states in case of a lawsuit. License $300, BOC3 filing $65.

5. Business Insurance: Depending on your business it can have different costs. For my moving business I needed regular business liability as well special coverage for property damage. I am looking at between $1500 to $3500 a year.

Optional fees for marketing and setup.
I.Chamber of Commerce: Great idea for exposure. I got extras like putting my flyer's in their moving packets, a link to my site on their site, and flyer's in the monthly mailing. Cost of membership alone is $200, my total $400.

II. Web site hosting: I chose Bluehost at $8 a month with $10 domain name fee.

III.Business cards and Flyer's: I needed design help so a box of 250 was $85 (you can find cheaper packages online), and flyer's of 100 were $59.

If you need links to any of these services or advertising links read on or email me.
Chris08@bendbroadband.com

My progress

Well I have had a lot of new changes since my original post. I have gotten my business license, my business registered with the state, my tax id number, I have bought a moving truck (currently putting a lift gate and trailer hitch on it), bought a membership to the local Chamber of Commerce (great deal if you can swing a couple of hundred dollars), Started up a website Oregontm.com (short for Oregon Transition Movers), bought hand trucks, moving pads, and moving supplies, as well as made up business cards and put them into folders with flyer's with an offer for the retirement communities that I will be pitching my business too. I am hoping to be all set with my insurance and my finished truck by next week. So far lots of money going out and none coming in. I have found a lot of enthusiasm for my service but I will have to see of that translates to dollars. Well I will be keeping you up to date early next week. Till then take care and feel free to send any suggestions or questions.
Chris

8 tips to start your own business

1. Research,Research,Research!!!
Find a business that will fulfill three essential areas. One, it must be a business you are passionate about. Two, It must be a business you would be good at. And three, there must be a demand for the business now and in the future. You may love knitting Cowboy hats but if there's not a market, you may go hungry. A good place to start is Forbes "Hot Ideas for 2007". This site has some good suggestions for hot new businesses now and for the future.

2. Pick an Ownership Structure.
Decide what kind of business you will have. There are specific reasons why you would pick different types of businesses . I found good definitions of the main four at Nolo's Business website. Sole Proprietors, partnerships, and LLC's (Limited Liability Corporations) are called pass through businesses, which means that the money made passes through to the owners personal taxes. Sole Proprietorships and Partnerships are easy to set up, but do not have the protection of LLC's or Corporations. LLC's have similar liability protection as corporations but generally are better for taxes. Corporations gets taxed as a separate entity usually at a higher tax rate, and have many more rules and regulations than a LLC.

3. Get a business license.
You can find out if you need a business license, and where you can apply for one at your local Chamber of Commerce web page or in person. You may also be able to apply for some license's on the web, Businessnameusa.com and Businesslicense.com are good examples but may cost you a little more. You want to make sure you have taken all of the proper legal actions you are obligated to abide by. Nothing can shut down your business faster than the government, and also taking all the necessary steps can help protect you against many law suits.

4. Check into insurance and Bonding.
Almost any business needs some kind of Liability insurance. Other types of insurance you may need are Workman's Comp. Insurance if you have employees, Unemployment Insurance, Business Interruption Insurance, and some specific Insurances for your business field. One site that talks about what you may want is Business Insurance Now, they give a good overview of the types of insurance, and the BOP (Business Owners Package) which groups different coverages you choose at a group price. Insurance can be costly, but I feel if your serious about having a long term successful business it is a necessity. Bonding can be useful to protect the business owner from losses, as well as protecting consumers against fraudulent business owners.

5. Take advantage of the Web.
There are all kinds of free advice and tools on starting a business. Some that I think you should get to know are Nolo's business site which has all kinds of legal documents and small business help, Entrepeneur.com, and the Vocational Education Center which has every business information link you could ever want. You can also use the web to compare competitors prices and services. After you decide on an industry find out if there is any associations or unions that may benefit you, just enter your industry name into a popular search engine along with the keywords associations and unions and you are likely to find these groups.

6. Explore free advertising.
There are some great free advertising out there. Check out your local Craigslist, you can advertise your business for free daily. The amount of people using Craigslist increases everyday, it is completely free and easy to use. Also Register a Blog or website with a one of the major search engines. Googles Enterprise Solutions and Yahoos Small Business page are just a couple of examples of search engines that will assist you. Also remember to rely on friends and family to help you advertise.

7. Decide what you can and cant do on you own.
Many legal matters as well as accounting can be done by you or a family member but know when to get help from a professional. As much as you may dislike lawyers they may be essential to protecting you business from lawsuits and keeping your business interests safe. There are many ways to patent your business name, logos, and ideas here is where a few hundred dollars can save you a lot of money in the long run. An accountant also may be able to save you a lot more money than they cost. Especially in the first couple of years there will be many new tax forms and new exemptions you may not be aware of. Lawinfo.com can help you locate business lawyers in your area, and most Accountants can help with your business needs.

8. Remember you are your product.
One thing that seems to be a reoccurring theme by successfully business people is that you represent your company. Some of my favorite tips I have heard or read are follow threw with what you say you will do, your appearance and attitude represent your business, operate your business with honesty and integrity (dishonest business owners may benefit in the short term, but wont have longevity), and finally practice the Golden Rule "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."