5 easy steps to build your small business using LinkedIn

Pizza box math humor

Search engines love LinkedIn, just not necessarily YOUR page - 5 steps to build your small business using LinkedIn

If you run a pizza joint that gets most of it's business from passers-by on the corner of 8th & University Place in Greenwich Village, NY (no, there's not really one there, I already checked so stop looking), then your business might not need LinkedIn. But the rest of us, that are made or broken by the connections we make with business people, do need it. Many business people have a presence on LinkedIn but they aren't really maximizing it.  There are several hidden things that will make your time spent on this great social network well worth your time.

1- Link to your website using keywords, not the pesky "Company Website" text that LinkedIn wants to force on you

See the difference in the 2 links?  One has keywords, one does not

To help boost your search engine attractiveness / searchability / affinity / magnetic-ness and all around awesome-oscity, you need to use keywords for the text of the link that points back to your website. How do you do that? See below. This is a simple way to get LinkedIn to let you use whatever text you want for your website link instead of the old stand-by of "Company website" that they default for you. Just select "Other" on the field type dropdown.

Choose "Other" from the Website dropdown to expose a text field

2- Search engines love LinkedIn, but not your page because you don't use keywords in the right places

To get found, you need to make sure that you've not only got the right keywords on your LinkedIn profile, but you've got them in the right places.  Search engines love to see keywords in important places.  Heading tags on a webpage that have keywords in them are given more weight by the search engine than those same keywords in the body of the text of the page.

Add keywords in your job title

Yeah, yeah, I know, you have an official job title and you're afraid your boss will see that you've unofficially granted yourself another one. But really, I don't think she'll care. In the job title field, go ahead and title yourself with something slightly more keyword-awesome than "Sr. Director, Finance at Initech."  How about "Sr. Director, Offshore Financing and Finance Development Consultant Lead at Initech."  With a title like that, you're far more likely to get found by Google searches or LinkedIn searches.

Add keywords to your heading field.  

Same drill. Use some different keywords here. Just keep in mind that you don't have to regurgitate your job title onto the heading field.  

3- You have a personal profile page, but you need a business page

I don't mean to say "duh" here, but.... duh. Actually, if you're new to LinkedIn it's nothing to be ashamed of.  But, go through the process of creating a business page for your company.

4- Showcase your company with video

If your company has a short video, add it to your LinkedIn company business page. How? Well one way is to use the SlideShare app on LinkedIn. 

• Create your video
• Embed your video into a Powerpoint slide
• Using the SlideShare app on LinkedIn, upload your ppt to your profile page.  
• If you don't want the video to start playing immediately, then have the first slide of your ppt be just a intro slide with text that instructs viewers to click Play.  

In PowerPoint, here's where to embed a video into a .ppt file

5- Post, and post again. Use LinkedIn like a social network like Facebook

In the same manner you'll post updates to your Facebook page, post updates to both your LinkedIn company page and personal page. Just don't spam. Your friends and business followers don't want to hear about Farmville. A lot of companies just create a business page and then leave it alone. No! It's for you to tell the world what you are up to, why you do what you do, and finally explain why your haircut looks like Rod Blagojevich.

And, when posting to LinkedIn, keep in mind that people don't want to see the exact same post you just put on Twitter with all the little Twitter hashtags and @ symbols and hoo-ha. Instead, write in a short, business-like tone, use images, and point to your article/blog. The text of your post would look something like a type-written version of what your mother used to say to you when you were little and got in trouble. You know, short, to the point, and with just a touch of color. 

Have any other great LinkedIn ideas?  Post them in the comments below.

Read next: Be glad Twitter broke up with LinkedIn

Image credit: Flickr under Creative Commons

Small Brands Up Against Big Brands

Social media marketing for your small business

As a small business owner, you’re probably happy about where you currently are. You’re chugging along like a slow train, targeting mostly your family and friends and the local community, and you’re happy with the small amount of success your brand is getting. You don’t really want to make it big. You just want to relax and enjoy having a small business…

Or maybe not. As a small business owner, you probably dream about making it big. You want to be able to compete with the big brands, to become as well known as they are. Perhaps you want to become a big brand as well…

But you’re disheartened. How can you compete with the big corporations? How can your small business brand compare with these giants? They have unlimited capital, unlimited resources, and unlimited manpower. You’re practically a one-man (or woman) show, with maybe one or two employees. You’re up to the neck in debt since you borrowed money to start your small business.  Do you even have a chance of competing against these big brands?

The fact is, no matter what you do, you simply can’t compete with these big corporations on the same terms. As a small business brand, you aren’t capable of doing that because you just don’t have the means. But don’t lose hope, because there are other ways you can compete with them – it’s all about planning and strategy.

Here are some tips to help go up against the big brands:

     1. Offer value

Honestly, you can’t compete with the big guns in terms of price. You’ll just end up burying yourself, since people may think that the products and services you offer are not up to par with the big brands. Instead, always offer value – sure, your products and services may be a bit more expensive, but it’s because you’re offering something unique, worthwhile, and valuable to the consumers.

     2. Focus on what you do best

Maybe it’s customer service, maybe it’s storytelling, maybe it’s social media… but as a small business brand, you need to focus on what you do best in order to shine and be noticed. Don’t just copy what other businesses are doing. Focus on what makes you unique and the things you can best offer to people.

Providing excellent customer service is one of the best ways to reach consumers effectively. As a small business brand, you can ensure that someone always checks your email and answers your telephone line in order to address any customer’s concerns.

Storytelling on social media sites is another way you can stand out and be noticed. People love rooting for the underdog, and if you’re going up against a big brand, then you’re definitely one—so tell them the stories that will give them cause to sympathize or cheer. In short, tell them whatever will help them identify with you and wish for your success.

     3. Be more personable

As a small business owner, you can really represent your brand in a personal way that big corporations cannot. Show off your personality, put a face behind the name, go the extra mile for your customers. This really makes your small business brand stand out. Remember that people enjoy connecting and engaging with real people, not businesses. They want to know you, and become friends with you. They want to like and trust you.

People don’t just buy from anybody anymore. They’re a lot more vigilant when it comes to evaluating businesses, and they either love a brand or they hate it. When you become personable and likeable as a small business owner, you can really connect with your customers – they will definitely prefer talking to you over a big brand. After all when they contact a big brand, they usually just talk to a random, faceless,  nameless person.

     4. Utilize social media wisely

Social media is a great equalizer – it’s really changed the way people connect with brands, which is why both small and big business brands seem to have an equal chance in this regard. Sure, big brands may have the big bucks, but most social media platforms allow you to engage with your fans and followers for free – all you need to do is devote time and effort to your page.

Maintain a blog, create a Facebook and Twitter account, and don’t forget to update them regularly and interact with your audience using these platforms. Social media marketing is an excellent way to promote your small business brand, since a single update can spread like wildfire through these sites if it’s interesting enough.

Concluding Thoughts 

As you consider how to get ahead as a small business, don’t even try to compete with big corporations on their own turf… Without their money and resources, you can never win. Instead, offer value on the products and services that you sell, focus on what you do best, be more personable, and remember to use social media wisely. These are the simple ways small business brands can compete with the big guns.

Youtoo Can Benefit You Too

Youtoo helps your personal branding

Want to be on TV? Well, today, you no longer have to be an actor to appear on TV. With Youtoo Social TV, you can have your 15 seconds of spotlight. You can even be featured in your favorite TV shows.

What exactly is Youtoo Social TV? It is currently the only Social TV platform available in the market that allows viewers to become participants in a television program from practically any location. So even if you’re on the other side of the world, as long as you have Internet, you can record using Youtoo’s app and create a high-definition video file that’s ready to upload.

Youtoo already has mobile apps for iOS and Android where you can record 15 seconds of video, which you can then upload and share with the network. Not only this, but Youtoo recently launched something even better – a Facebook to TV app.

This is the first ever Facebook to TV app that allows Facebook users to create videos of themselves and upload them so they can air on national television. The app is called “Be on TV” and it basically lets any Facebook user to have the chance to interact with their favorite TV show.

All you have to do it search for “Youtoo” on Facebook. When you find it just download the “Be on TV” app. After you record a video using the app, it will be posted on your Facebook wall so you can share it with your friends, and then it will be subject to approval by Youtoo.

Once the video is approved for airing, you will receive a Facebook notification to let you know the date and time your video will air so you can inform your friends and audience about it.

As a small business owner, getting some exposure on national television can definitely be significant for your brand. You want to promote brand awareness, you want people to know that your business exists, and you want customers and clients to know what you can offer to them. If you can get some air time, this can definitely boost brand awareness and is a great way to spread the word about your products.

Another feature that Youtoo offers is the Social Stream and Social Shout. It’s like text messaging but done a million-fold, since you’re broadcasting your text message to the entire TV audience. This is yet another feature that you can utilize for word of mouth marketing, as you aim to spread brand awareness and promote your products and services.

As Youtoo continues to grow, they continue to push out features that can benefit both people and brands. For example, during January of this year, Youtoo gave away 30-second PeopleMercials. Anyone could submit a 30-second video recording that, once approved, was aired on national television. People could talk about themselves and their business, show off their skills, and so much more. As a small business owner, you could create a short video telling how you started your business and what it’s all about. If your video is chosen to be aired, then you’ll definitely have some huge exposure for your small business.

As Youtoo continues to roll out some exciting events and features, as a small business owner, it would be to your advantage to monitor what’s coming, in order to benefit the most from the site.

Since it launched, Youtoo has broadcasted more than 90,000 videos recorded by viewers on national TV, and it has really revolutionized the concept of social TV. With its launch of “Be on TV” for Facebook users, it has truly bridged the gap between network TV and social media, enabling people to use these two platforms in one sitting.

Though social media may currently be the most popular platform for brands in today’s market, national television continues to hold a significant number of the population in thrall. Many people continue to enjoy spending their time in front of the television, whiling the hours away watching TV series, movies, game shows, and so on.

With Youtoo, you can now get exposure for your small business brand for free! Yes, Youtoo is a completely free service, but it’s important that the videos you submit for approval meet the criteria and don’t violate any of the site’s policies.

Are you wondering if you can promote your brand on national television? Yes, you can, with Youtoo’s Social TV platform. The best part is, you even have the ability to combine your social media campaigns with your exposure on TV, using Youtoo’s “Be on TV” Facebook app. So don’t ignore this site, since it may very well help you market your small business brand and increase your revenue.

Why arsonists wish they had a Google+ business page

OK, lets say you're an arsonist, hell-bent on angst, and thinking it would be cheaper to burn stuff down if you would go to the neighborhood Costco store and buy napalm in volume.  Then, the more you think about it, this whole "sneak in and burn down buildings for no reason" is actually a lot of hard work.  I mean, it's hot and you got burned that one time.  It was a big owee.  And then it dawns on you....instead of doing all this hard work yourself, why not sell napalm to other arsonists and have them do the work for you!  You could buy a pallet of napalm at Costco, and then open an online business selling it!  But wait, who would know about my new small business?  How would I get the word out to other arsonists?  Well here's one idea; create a Google+ business page.

Why would you want to create a stupid Google+ business page?  Because it's not stupid, that's why. Google+ is yet another outlet for you to grow your business. I know, I know, you're saying "another social channel for me to keep up with?"  Look, the point isn't that "you have another social channel to keep up with".  The point is that you have another social channel to grow your business with.  See the point?  Glass half empty or half full?  You might be pressed for time running your small business, but just keep your pants on long enough to read this article.  A year from now, you don't want to be looking back and wondering "what if I had just done that stupid Google+ thing a year ago."
Step 1: Create a Personal Account

OK, the first thing you need is a Google+ personal account.  When you visit the link below, if you don't have one, it's going to make you create one.  It will ask for your name and some other overly personal stuff.  Oh, and when it asks you "what is your favorite coffee?", tell it you love the Guatemalan Antigua El Valle from Allegro at Whole Foods.  Believe me, it is Fair Trade coffee that does not suck.

Here are the simple steps to create your Google+ business page 

1. Visit http://www.google.com/+/business/

2. Click the link at the top that says "for Business"

3. After that you'll click the button to Create your Google+ page

4. Next you'll tell it that your are a Company, and fill out some stuff like the name of your company and website url.

5. Add your company tagline and a logo.  Google+ wants a logo that is square in shape and is 250px x 250px.  If they don't get what they want, they cry like little girls about it until you give them the right size logo. 

That's it. You have your Google+ business page. From there on, it's up to you to spread the word about your Google+ business page.  

• Share it with the connections you make on Google+ and in your Google+ circles. 
• Add a Google+ button to your website.  This will make it easy for people to find your page and recommend it to others.  
• Add posts to your Google+ business page frequently and be sure to make them public posts.

Here's a helpful video to get you started growing your Google+ presence.

Don't forget about LinkedIn either

3 Steps to Newsjack your small business that Would Make Gordon Ramsay Jealous

Newsjacking!  

Chef Gordon Ramsay might be angry, but he actually wants your restaurant to succeed.  What the heck is newsjacking and how can I grow my restaurant (or any small business) using it?  Well, it's like Joe Cocker said, "I try with a little help from my friends...."  I'm not sure why I need a Joe Cocker reference in here. Anyway, in this case, you'll use your "friends" in the media business.  You don't have any?  Well we'll borrow them.  Newsjacking is a simple concept.  When a big news story breaks that relates to or affects your industry, you write a blog article that relates to, or incorporates that news story.  Newsjacking a story into your blog is a great form of inbound marketing, a means by which you draw attention to your small business.  You should be writing a blog for your small business anyway, and with newsjacking, you are just capitalizing on the temporary hype on the internet surrounding the breaking news story.  When a news story breaks, people everywhere start searching the internet for it.  And that's where you'll get the extra traffic to your blog article.  Not to mention the fact that if you are quick to post your blog article, some of your followers will repost your article or build links pointing to it.  

Here's an example of newsjacking.  Let's say you are an Atlanta restaurateur and you hear that the President of the United States has just arrived in town on a previously unannounced visit.  This example isn't exactly related to the restaurant business, but work with me here.  You'd write a blog article that describes how the Big Cheese is in town and how traffic is going to be a nightmare on Peachtree Street during the lunch hour.  In your blog article you offer a lunch special for everyone who comes into your restaurant and says "last week I was skewered to death in traffic when the Pres was in town."

Newsjack in three simple steps

1. Start out by monitoring your industry.  Use Google Alerts to set up email alerts to you about the subject you want to cover.
2. Write your blog article.  But as you do, try to figure out what people will be searching on, and incorporate those phrases into your blog copy.  You can use Google's keyword tool to help you.
3. Use social media to spread the word about your new blog post.  Use your Facebook business page, Google+ business page, Twitter account, your email list, your mom, whatever.  Just get the word out.

So, before Gordon Ramsay pulls a surprise visit to your walk-in refrigerator and finds that month-old chicken carcass, get in there and clean it up.  And then promote your small business with a little bit of newsjacking.

Companies' Personal Connection as Influential as Friends'

For most brands of today, social media is “THE” place to be. It’s where most people are devoting their time nowadays, which is why small business brands are adding social media to their marketing mix in order to promote brand awareness and increase consumer engagement.

The main point in using social media in your marketing mix is to engage and connect with your audience. People don’t want to be bombarded with advertisements in Facebook or Twitter – they want to keep in touch with their friends, read interesting posts and updates, watch relevant videos, and get information about sales, specials and giveaways with regards to the brands they love.

As a small business owner, you’re definitely interested in how much you’re influencing consumers through social media. You want to know if you’re really increasing brand awareness, if your website is getting traffic from these platforms, and if it’s resulting in an increase of revenue for your business.

In a survey conducted by Market Force Information, they discovered that social content posted by brands are practically as influential as social content that are posted by friends. Social content is influencing consumers’ buying decisions, whether they’re posted by friends or brands.

The recent Market Force survey interviewed adults who are into social networking, and asked if they read comments, updates, tweets, and other social media content that were posted in the past 90 days by friends and brands they follow. The results showed that 81% of these people were influenced by their friends’ posts to purchase, while a comparatively high 78% were influenced by brands. This is very significant for businesses, both small and large.

Since companies and brands who are active in social media also wield a significant influence in consumers’ purchases, then there’s really no better time than today to ensure that you’re utilizing your social media platforms properly. As a small business owner, this is data that you can’t ignore – consumers want to connect with you on social media; they want you to influence their buying decisions.

The survey also shows that consumers are now seeking recommendations and checking reviews in social networking sites. This is where they try to obtain information about restaurants they want to try, retailers they want to buy from, and other products and services that they’re curious about. About 60% of those surveyed from the US say that they rely on brand feedback they read on friends’ social media posts, while in the UK, about half do this as well.

Some other revealing data: around 76% of US respondents regularly “like” the Facebook page of a business, with the most popular ones “liked” being those involved in food, travel, entertainment, finance and retail. This is comparable to 65% of UK respondents. Nearly half of these also follow the same businesses on Twitter. The main reason given by the respondents for following the brand on social media is to be updated on giveaways, specials, discounts and other incentives given by the business.

Perhaps the best part about brands in social media is the fact that it offers a two-way interaction between the business and its audience. Communication isn’t a one-way street anymore, and even the people in the audience can interact with each other within the platform. Your audience can reply to other people’s questions and comments, and this really helps in building a community around your brand.

Though having a social media account can also open you to criticisms and negative feedback, most brands find that having a social media presence really helps spread the word about their brand in a positive way. It offers an excellent way for the consumers of your small business brand to engage with you as well as with other clients and customers.

Rather than have people talk about your brand behind your back, it’s far better that they talk about you within a platform that you can monitor. This is what a social media presence helps you do. With the site, people can post both positive and negative feedback, and it really helps you discover what you can do to improve your brand and be able to answer any criticisms that come your way.

So don’t be afraid of social media. They’re currently the most popular platforms online that can help you promote your brand and increase revenue for your business. By ensuring that you have a social media presence, you can effectively connect and engage with your audience, and convince them to buy your products and services.

Are Pinners Purchasing?

The popularity of Pinterest has led many brands to utilize it for promoting their products and services. Though Pinterest hasn’t been on the scene for very long, it has quickly signed up millions of users, and is now the third most popular social networking site, just behind Facebook and Google. Though many people are devoting their time to the virtual pinboard, the question that most marketers want answered is: “Are pinners purchasing?”

Many websites and brands are seeing an increase in traffic from their Pinterest account, but the main question remains, does this traffic result in sales? In a study conducted by Vision Critical and Emily Carr University that involved 500 Pinterest users from the US, Canada, Australia and UK, they discovered a pretty high correlation between pinning and purchasing. It seems one out of five Pinterest users has pinned an item or product that they purchased eventually.

This is definitely a big discovery for brands. As a small business owner, you can’t ignore the reach of Pinterest, since it can potentially drive revenue. If you want to have a successful social marketing campaign, you need to utilize most of the tools at your disposal.

In another study by Shopify, they discovered that Pinterest users even spend more on average compared to their Facebook counterparts. Pinterest has become the third largest referral source to Shopify’s partner sites, with Facebook and Twitter continuing to lead. And Pinterest users also tend to shop more – they spend an average of $80 per order, which is double that of what they spend on Facebook.

Though Facebook continues to be the giant among social networking sites mainly due to the fact that it has the most number of users, Pinterest’s unique image-based site definitely offers a lot of potential for social marketing. Rakuten, an e-commerce giant based in Japan, recently made a $100 million investment on Pinterest. It plans to use the site together with the Rakuten ID, which is already being used by 75 percent of Japan’s population online, or roughly around 80 million people. This puts the value of Pinterest at $1.5 billion.

Though purchases may not be frequent and constant, still, brands can’t ignore the power that Pinterest holds nowadays. A significant number of people are raving about the site, using it to showcase the things they love, and sharing these things with their followers. Since this can translate to sales, it would be disadvantages for your small business to ignore Pinterest.

Even though pinners are purchasing, however, it’s important that you use Pinterest properly in order to increase the traffic to your site as well as increase sales. You can create pinboards of all the products you’re selling, but too much self-promotion can end up backfiring on you. So it’s important that you strike a balance between promoting your products and services, and sharing what you love on the site.

Mix and match what you post. Showcase your products with other things that complement them. Find unique ways to showcase the services you’re offering. If you sell make up for example, don’t just post pin pictures of your products – you can add make up tutorials, pictures of made up people that you like, and comparisons of what make up is best for day and for night.

Even if you’re someone who offers services, not products, you can make Pinterest work for you. As a lawyer, for example, you can showcase your advocacies through pictures. You can even show a bit of humor, since this lets people see you in a more personal way.

But of course, the real challenge is getting people to buy from you. Sure, it’s easy for people to follow your Pinterest account, join your contests, comment on your pinboards, like and share them on other social networking sites, and so on. But these things don’t always translate into sales.

Also, there remains the question: Are pinners purchasing what they pin, or are they pinning what they already decided to purchase? What comes first… the pin, or the plan to purchase? This is an interesting question to answer since it gives you an insight on what the users are doing. Does the pin come before the plan to purchase? Or the plan to purchase comes first before the pin?

If the pin comes first, then this can be really advantageous to brands. This means that people are pinning what they love, then they can’t resist purchasing. On the other hand, if the plan to purchase comes first, then it means that Pinterest may not exactly have anything to do with why the user is buying the product or service.

Truly, there is still a lot of uncharted territories with regards to Pinterest. As brands begin to learn what works on Pinterest or not, they can really come to engage their followers and increase their sales in the end.

SCORE can provide objective help

Q: In a recent column you suggested that SCORE can help with a makeover of a small business. How do they go about doing that?

A: That column suggested that small business owners may be “too close” to their issues, so, it is often necessary to get an independent, objective review of your business by experts who’ve seen or done it before.

SCORE has a service called the SMART Squad which can provide an objective review of your small business or help with critical problems you may be struggling with.  SCORE, “Counselors to America’s Small Business,” is a volunteer association with counselors who are experienced in virtually every aspect of business management.

“S.M.A.R.T.” is an acronym which stands for SCORE Mentoring And Resource Team.  It is a free and confidential service for owners and/or CEOs of existing businesses.  Businesses may opt to work with the SMART Squad in the form of a “Business Wellness Checkup” or may need more immediate, critical assistance with important issues like employee turnover, competing in your market place or preparing an exit strategy. The ultimate aim is to help small businesses succeed.

Initially a lead counselor will meet with the owner or manager responsible for the full operation of the business.  Then one or more SCORE counselors with the experience necessary to address your specific opportunities or issues will work with you and your people at your location.  SCORE has worked on a variety of projects of varying lengths and complexities.

The SMART Squad can help you become more focused and effective, increase bottom line profits by increasing revenues and reducing costs, or secure funding to grow, restructure or survive.

They go about it by first assessing your needs. An in-depth study of your financial, operational, and sales functions is performed leading to improvement recommendations. Finally an action plan is developed jointly with you. Then you have a free management consultant who is knowledgeable in your business and can act as a sounding board or a troubleshooter.

The SMART Squad will work with the owner or person in charge of the full operation of the business.  The typical client will have been in business for more than one year, have an established office rather than a home office, and have revenues that exceed $100,000 per year.

Learn more about SCORE and the SMART Squad by visiting www.scorehouston.org where you also can request assistance.

Does Your Business Need Moms?

There’s one group of people who are one of the most active in social networking sites and other social media platforms, it’s moms. In a social media study sponsored by Performics with nearly 3,000 participants, it was discovered that moms are more active, more present, and more engaged when it comes to using social networking sites, as compared with other women.

Here are some other statistics that came from the study with regards to usage of Facebook:

       • 85% of moms visit Facebook daily, as compared with 73% of other women

       • 82% of moms have had a Facebook account for more than a year, as compared with 76% of other women

       • 68% of moms consider their Facebook account extremely important, as compared with only 54% of other women

Also, with regards to purchasing as a result of social media, moms are also more likely to purchase because of a recommendation on a social networking site, and they are also more likely to purchase from brands and companies they “like” on Facebook and other social networks. This offers a world of opportunity for brands and businesses, and if there’s one question they should be asking themselves, it is this one: “Does my business need moms?”

The study also found that:

       • Moms are approximately 61% more likely to own a Smartphone compared to other women

       • Moms are 75% more likely to trust information from businesses in social networking sites compared to other women

       • Moms also actively champion and talk about the brands they like – 34% of them recommend brands on social networking sites, 24% of them talk about the brands they follow on Facebook, and 50% of them post interesting or relevant content about a brand

With the little spare time they have, moms are taking advantage of all the tools at their disposal. They are using their Smartphones, updating on Twitter, interacting on Facebook and Google+, creating fabulous pinboards on Pinterest, and even maintaining their own blogs. Because they devote a lot of time to these different social networking platforms, they really become excellent brand advocates and influencers, as they promote and talk about the brands and companies that they like and don’t like.

It was also discovered that one out of three bloggers are moms, according to a study by Nielsen. Bloggers are truly influential people, since many of them are posting, talking, and reviewing different brands honestly and straightforwardly. A negative review by an influential blogger can end up ruining your brand, unless you address the issue immediately.

As a small business brand, you can benefit a lot from including moms in your target audience. This is especially true if you’re in the apparel, automobile, and travel industry, since according to the Performics study, these are the main types of items that moms are ipurchasing.

Did you know that mom bloggers control around two trillion dollars worth of purchase power. This discovery revealed by this study is very significant to brands, since mom bloggers influence other moms and other people as well with regards to purchases.

Here are two questions you should ask yourself to determine if your business needs moms:

     1. Can your small business brand benefit from social marketing?

     2. Are the products and services you offer relevant to moms and families?

Most brands are likely to answer yes to these two questions, since in today’s times, all brands, whether personal or business ones, can benefit a lot from social marketing. And most products and services are relevant to moms and families today as well. From clothing and gadgets to automobiles and travel tours, there is practically no industry that a mom hasn’t expressed interest in yet.

Truly, any brand can benefit from having moms interested in their business. Because moms are highly social creatures who enjoy connecting and interacting in social media and online communities, they are the best people to spread your brand by word of mouth.
Targeting this highly active group of women can definitely be advantageous to your small business brand. So make sure your company doesn’t ignore moms! This incredibly influential group with high purchasing power can become the best brand advocates and influencers you can possibly meet!

Is Your Business a Profession?

This week we bid a fond farewell to Alexander Semin, the sometimes star forward for the Washington Capitals. Semin's agent opined this week that Alex was a bad fit for the new system installed by now former coach, Dale Hunter. That system is best described as winning hockey. Hunter's system required even team stars to play defense and block shots. I don't want to say Hunter was tough as a player, but he once cross-checked and slashed Chuck Norris on the same play. Semin is best known for his NHL record four hundred seventy million penalty minutes for pointless, retaliatory slashing penalties in the third periods of close games.

Semin will be joining Albert “Road Rage” Haynesworth, Gilbert “Quick Draw McGraw” Arenas, and Jeff “Chemistry is Overrated” George as first ballot inductees into the Washington Sports Hall of Shame. The Hall is located in a four hundred level men's room at RFK Stadium and is staffed by two winos and a bag lady with a crack pipe. The price of admission is a pint of Thunderbird. The Hall's selection committee includes Mayor for Life, the Honorable Marion Barry and Mike Wise, Washington Post sports columnist, who hates this blog.

There are three differences between a business and a profession. First, a profession puts the needs of customers ahead of the needs of the business. In other words, the first duty of a professional is to work in the best interests of his clients. The first duty of a business is profitability. Second, a profession is responsible to the public at large. A professional must not only serve his clients. He must also consider how his services affect society. Third, a profession will never include Albert “Road Rage” Haynesworth. And, if you are a waitress, you'll never approach Prince Albert in a low cut dress. He does this thing with a credit card – allegedly.

Let's look at the first requirement of a profession by looking at a real life situation. A few years back, during the bubbliest time of the residential real estate bubble, I had a client, Joe, who bought a million dollar house. Here was the problem. Joe's annual income was only $80K. The million dollar, no down payment required mortgage had a nine percent annual interest rate when typical rates were in the six percent range. His annual interest payments of $90K exceeded his $80K annual income. Not surprisingly, Joe defaulted on the mortgage after less than a year. There are two people, who were supposedly representing his interests who should have been called to account for conflicts of interest: the real estate agent and the mortgage banker. Neither of these jerks could remotely be considered professionals.

As a true professional, the real estate agent would have had the best interests of his client in mind. He would have told Joe there was no way he could possibly afford a million dollar house on an $80K income. Joe even had a previous foreclosure a few years earlier. He bought a $500K house when his annual income was $40K. What can I say? Joe's wife likes to live the good life. In this case, the real estate agent was working solely for himself, not Joe. The agent wanted that 3% commission more than he wanted to do the right thing. I'm curious how many real estate agents would have been willing to walk away from that commission. I know a few I would bet on, but not many.

The second dude I'd like to see french kiss a Chuck Norris spinning back fist is the mortgage broker. Why would anyone make this loan? Here's the math behind why this loan was made. The mortgage company knew there was no chance Joe would pay the mortgage for long. In the interim, they were happy to collect the nine percent, above market rate, interest. They expected one of two outcomes. First, they would try to sell the loan into the sub-prime mortgage secondary market and recover their money, probably with a premium for an above market rate, even for sub-prime, loan. Second, if they weren't able to sell the loan into the secondary market, they would foreclose on Joe and resell the house for even more the the million dollar original price. Where did Joe's best interests come into play here? Of course they didn't. Ultimately the mortgage broker ended up the fool. By the time they foreclosed on Joe, real estate prices had collapsed. They not only lost money on the loan, they lost money on the house as well.

Joe's situation, with a self dealing real estate agent and mortgage broker, played out at least a hundred thousand times during the boom. This is how the real estate bubble started, and this is how it ended. If you asked Joe's buddies why they weren't looking out for Joe, they would tell you, “It's not my fault. I'm was just doing what Joe wanted. If he wanted something stupid, who was I to stop him? If I hadn't done it, someone else would have.“ Professionals? Hardly.

The second characteristic of a profession is a sense of responsibility to the public at large. As a CPA, I am not required to put a client's interests first. I am required to put a client's interests second, behind the interests of society. Banks, insurance companies, and government regulators rely on my signature on financial statements as an assurance of objectivity. If there is a conflict between a client's best interests and the best interests of society, the interests of society come first. Several times a year, a client will ask me to prepare financial statements and then say, “Frank, I really need to show good numbers to the bank. Do your best.”

My response is, “Actually having good financial results would be a good first step in showing the bank good numbers.”

My license and livelihood is at risk if I try to appease these clients. I have a responsibility to the bank even though they aren't paying me. In these situations, my likelihood of getting paid by anyone is slim. That doesn't matter. The CPA profession is about more than just making clients happy. The same responsibility applies to income tax returns. When a client isn't happy with a tax balance due, I can't just change the return to make him happy whether I get paid or not.

Here is one final example of professionalism. This one comes from my business partner and friend for over thirty years, Paul. Paul had a client, Sue, who was hell bent on owning an Italian ice franchise. The business model is that people will pay a premium price for frozen water with a little syrupy flavoring if you slap the word, Italian, on it.

If you do a little math on an Italian ice franchise, you will find that there is pretty much no way you can possibly make money anywhere north of Florida. The business is just a little seasonal. In case you haven't noticed, rents in retail shopping centers aren't seasonal. Landlords expect to get paid year round. For the business projections to work, you have to assume a Russian nuclear attack that turns Northern Virginia into a desert. Then Mel Gibson, in his Mad Max outfit, may come by in need of a cool treat in January. I once did a seminar on buying businesses for a bank where I used this business as an example of a business model to avoid. Sue was in attendance.

Sue had a fine background to run a food based business. She was a career federal worker. There is a cheap joke in there I'll avoid. Paul not only advised Sue not to purchase a franchise, but he told the bank he didn't think the business could work. Then bank made the loan nonetheless. Sue had a cosigner, her father, with some collateral.

Paul has heard from Sue intermittently over the last few years. She hasn't filed a tax return in that time. She doesn't have the money to pay for either bookkeeping or tax returns. Paul may be a professional, but he isn't a fool. He intends to get paid if we prepare the returns.

I'll leave it to you to decide if either Alexander Semin, or his agent, are professionals. Some team will be tempted into signing him as a free agent – some team that doesn't care about defense. In some brief stretches during the playoffs, he showed he could back check and contribute to the Caps defense. The shame is that his talent is only exceeded by his narcissism. Farewell to Alex.

If you are interested in having a couple of good beers, we are having an outing on June 6th after work.  We are meeting at Lost Rhino in Ashburn off Red Rum drive.  I hope to see you there.  If you want real tax and accounting advice, please visit our main S&K web site, www.skcpas.com. Thanks for reading!

Your task and your reviews can solve in Writing Expert

Writing is fun activity for describing all information. You can write anything you want when you have one of interesting topic. But when you get task from your school or university for writing papers, it can be difficult thing. You can’t write easily with your ability in writing. Writing paper not just describe the information, it is need some research and the others author that’s support your title in your writing papers. The times also make you very depress because your teacher or your lecturers give a little times. The deadline is coming in the next week makes you very worry about your task. 

You need someone for helping your writing papers. You can choose the right place for solving your problems in www.writing-expert.com. Writing Expert is one place that’s having experiences four years for writing papers service. It can be the best choices for your writing papers because it can help you for write your papers with the professional writers. You don’t worry about the deadline of your writing papers because writing expert always gives guarantee for satisfied the customers that apply. The others reason when you choose Writing Expert is writing by the professional writers that’s having qualified in variety of disciplines that help you don’t worry about the deadline. Free of the edit for your writing papers until you are getting satisfied is one of guarantee in Writing Expert. 

Writing paper also support the research methodology based on your wants. You don’t need to buy book reviews in others place. You just gives know for the service of writing expert.com for book reviews. You can get the best reviews from this place. The quality of review the book is can guarantee. You can satisfy for meet the service. Starting for 10%per page you can get the best review of books. You didn’t stressful again when you apply the writing expert.com. Your task and your reviews can solve in Writing Expert. Many kinds of writing service can you find in this place. You can get the best place for your writing papers. Many tasks of your teachers or your lectures can be simple in Writing Expert. The others kinds in writing service have guaranteed for satisfied in Writing Expert. The service is available in 24 hours and seven days a week. You can call Writing Expert in any times you want for solve your writing problems with 100% guarantee satisfied.

What's the Call to Action?

When it comes to marketing your brand, there is always a goal. You want your audience to sign up for your newsletter, follow you in Twitter and Facebook, comment on your blog posts, buy your products, and obtain your services. You want them to complete an objective – to like your posts, join your contests, and share them with friends. You want them to retweet your content, repost it on their Facebook wall, repin your pins on Pinterest. Basically, you want them to take an action, which is why using a call to action in your social marketing campaign is essential.

You may think that it’s obvious what you want people to do, but sometimes, if you don’t clearly state it, your audience will nonetheless be oblivious to it. They’ll read your social media posts, but they won’t click to “like” it, nor will they leave a comment. They’ll read your blog post, but they won’t subscribe to your newsletter. This is why you need to give them a push – a direct call to action. You have to encourage people to go a step beyond just reading your entry to actually completing these specific actions that will be beneficial to your brand marketing.

So how do you effectively create calls to action that garners the attention of your audience and makes them complete your objective? Here are some tips:

     1. State your objective clearly and prominently

If you want people to take an action, then you need to state it clearly and prominently. In a blog post, for example, you can easily end with, “What do you think? Leave a comment.” This is a direct call to action so that people can quickly realize that you want them to leave a comment about what they think. If you don’t place this action call at the end of your entry, then people are likely to simply read the blog post and then move on without doing anything.

Placing the call to action in a prominent position is also a good idea. You don’t have to put it in all caps, or use a bold font just to get attention. But make sure that it’s placed somewhere that people will definitely see it. If it’s a blog entry, ending your post with the call to action is a good idea since some people may just skim through the post, and they might miss it if it’s in the middle. This also applies to Facebook updates – you can place the call to action either in the first sentence or the last once.

If the call to action is on your website, you should place it in a position that gets attention, and also have it in a different color so that it pops out on the page. Ideally, you should put it high on the page and in a central place so that people can really see it. You don’t want it to just blend into the background where people won’t notice it.

     2. Use active language and create urgency

Since you are encouraging people to take action, you should use active language and create a sense of urgency so that people will be compelled to do it now. Examples of some active words commonly used in calls to action include:

- Buy now
- Subscribe
- Register
- Sign up
- Download

And here are some examples on how to create a sense of urgency:

- Limited time offer
- Register now and save
- Today only special
- First ten to sign up will get a free gift

The more active the language and the more urgent the offer, the better. Just remember to always deliver what you promised.

     3. Convince people to take the action

There needs to be some incentive for people to complete the call to action. Ask yourself, what will they get out of it? It can be as simple as getting them to think or laugh with you in your social media posts, or getting them to sign up for your newsletter so they can have access to exclusive discounts and offers. It’s essential that they get something out of completing the call to action. Otherwise, what’s the point, right?

When it comes to social and word of mouth marketing, calls to action are definitely essential. Sometimes people need an extra push before they do something, and a call to action done properly will be just the thing needed for them to do what you want them to do.

Make your call to action clear and prominent, use active language, create a sense of urgency, and convince people to take the step necessary to complete the desired action. These are just a few simple steps that will help you engage and connect better with your audience.

Now We Can Measure Pinterest

Pinterest is fast becoming one of the most popular social networking sites in the world. It currently ranks third with regards to the number of users, with Facebook and Twitter the first and second, respectively.

Due to Pinterest’s increasing popularity, more and more brands – business and personal ones – are signing up and using the site for social marketing. After all, brands need to be where the people are, so that they can spread the word about their brand as well as engage and connect with people.

Since Pinterest is still a pretty new platform, many brands are wondering how to measure the success of their marketing campaign within the site. Unlike other popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, where there are already various ways to measure the ROI or success of your marketing campaign using the sites, the best way to measure the success of your Pinterest campaign remains elusive.

So how do you know if your Pinterest campaign is getting the results you want? How do you measure success? Is it enough to count the number of followers you have? Is it enough to see people liking and repinning your content? Can you already say that your campaign is successful?

Even if you answered yes to those questions, how can you be certain? As a small business owner, you have to ensure that you devote your time in the most lucrative way possible, so if you aren’t sure of the results of your Pinterest campaign, should you continue to devote time and resources to it?

Maybe not.

But don’t lose hope. Now there is something interesting that has come up to help you with this problem. A monitoring and analytics platform for sites involved in social curation, such as Pinterest, recently launched – and they’ve already signed up more than 150 brands and agencies.

Curalate is entering the scene at a perfect time – with the growing popularity of socially curated sites, brands really need to have the ability to measure the success of their social marketing campaign, otherwise, what’s the point of using the site, right?

What exactly does Curalate do?

Right now, it is the only available tool in the market that helps give brands a complete picture of how successful their campaign is in socially curated sites such as Pinterest. It uses a sophisticated mixture of proprietary image-recognition techniques and analytics to make you see how effective you are in engaging your audience. You gain insight on how your brand is influenced by your activities as well as your fans. Curalate is currently the only platform that is able to measure both first and third party actions – and this really gives it an edge over other platforms.

As a small business owner, you really want to make sense of social curation. You want to benefit from it, and that’s exactly what Curalate brings you – a way to monitor, measure, and help you grow your presence in socially curated sites.

Other social monitoring tools are effective when it comes to monitoring texts, but not when it comes to visuals. This is why Curalate really stands out – it helps you make sense of today’s visual platforms.

Within the site, you can easily review and respond to mentions of your brand. This helps you connect and engage better with your audience. What Curalate does is that it finds and consolidates all the conversations about you in one place, so it’s easy for you to reply to these mentions.

Curalate also helps you discover your fans and learn who your brand advocates are. These people are the ones who promote your brand and who can influence others to like your brand, so it’s very important that you learn who they are.

Another benefit the site offers is that it helps you identify what types of content are popular with users, so that you can plan your campaign effectively. After all, with socially curated sites, visual content is the most important.

It even gives you insights on your competition – Curalate gives you reports on how your curation efforts weight against those of your competitors. This is an excellent way to determine if you need to step up your campaign in order for your small business to succeed.

The best part is, Curalate shows you the complete picture, so you know which content is driving the most traffic to your site or store. This really helps you discover which area you need to focus on in order to promote your brand effectively.

Social curation is all the rage today, which is why brands need to have the ability to measure brand engagement as well as the success of their social marketing campaign. Curalate offers you that and more, so don’t hesitate and try their free trial now.

The hottest investment of energy

Investment in solar energy is one of the hottest investments this year. It is a good reason for using solar energy. Many companies are able to produce solar energy for reducing the cost of their assets. People find more solar products in their homes for helping support reduce the energy. Because of solar energy can reduced price of the production process, many people buy solar product. That’s means more profits for solar companies can get for reduce the production. For the investors, this means that investment in energy with these companies is a great way to make profits by using solar energy. And there has never been a better time to make this investment for their profit. 

There are many ways to invest in this type of energy when you consider yourself in almost all major reported strong fluctuations in revenues and earnings due to the initiative of everyone tries to be part of it for keep in go green. Increasing demand and prices are expected to come down to this energy has many advantages over the others. By investing in the energy sector in general have some ups and downs to be expected but things look from the perspective of most of the current stable of solar energy companies. Each state has its own clean energy and solar energy initiatives in place and tends to undermine the popularity of this business in solar energy investments. With the solar energy is something that all of investors should remember it. Energy investments are such as oil or other products that are worth the risk of becoming one of the reasons in energy investments. 

Investment in solar energy is more stable than long-term investments that give better results significant over time compared with other energy. The company is not burst and does not have a lot of ups and downs like other energy products. This makes them ideal for people who are just getting started or those who are more prudent with their investments. Take time to look at different types of actions of energy companies and other investments to specify the right decisions in your investments are doing.

Pinterest When You're a Service Provider

Lately, everyone seems to be on Pinterest. It’s really becoming one of the most popular social networking sites, as more and more people sign up to create virtual pinboards, share them with their network, as well as check out all the lovely creations of other Pinterest users.

Since more and more people are using Pinterest, this definitely puts pressure on personal and small business brands to learn the platform and use it to their advantage. Nowadays, it’s all about word of mouth marketing, as well as connecting and engaging with your clients and customers. So brands need to be where the people are, and right now, Pinterest is where many people are spending their time on.

Many personal and small business brands who sell products are taking advantage of Pinterest by creating pinboards that feature the items they sell. They host contests, interact with their followers, and basically create buzz marketing for their brand.

But what if you’re a service provider? What if your personal or small business brand doesn’t sell products, but offers services? Should you still use Pinterest in your small business marketing mix?

Before you can decide on that, here are some things you should ask yourself:

     1. Are you willing to devote time on this?
     2. Are you willing to share more about yourself?
     3. Are you willing to become a more “visual” brand?

If you answered “yes” to these questions, then you should definitely consider using Pinterest to market your brand. But how exactly do you do this? Here are some tips:

Show off your personality visually

Most people aren’t one-dimensional creatures. You may be a lawyer, an accountant, or a doctor, but it doesn’t mean that that’s your only interest. You may also be a great cook, an avid reader, or a music enthusiast. And you can definitely share these interests of yours on Pinterest.

Before you can sell your brand on Pinterest, you need to connect with the users there, which is why it’s a good idea to show off your personality and the things you like in order to create a good following. Create boards that are creative, inspiring and beautiful. Show off the things you like and love. Then once you have a good number of followers, you can start creating boards that are related to the service you provide so you can promote what you do and drive traffic to your site.

But of course, you need to utilize Pinterest on its terms first before you branch out to what Pinterest can do for your brand.

Consider your target audience

Who is your target audience? What are they most interested in? These are two important things you need to ask yourself so you can effectively promote your brand on Pinterest. You want to create pinboards that your target audience will be interested in, so that they can be directed to your website and avail of your services.

For example, as a cardiologist, your clients are likely to be people who are very concerned about managing their weight and maintaining a healthy heart, so you can create boards that are dedicated to helping people maintain their ideal weight and be heart-healthy.  One board could be about heart-healthy foods, while another board could be about exercises that are good for people with heart disease.

By becoming a good resource for your target audience, you can effectively promote your brand and sell your services.

Be active

Truly, the best way to market yourself on Pinterest as a service provider is to be active on the site. You need to regularly create boards, comment and re-pin other people’s images, encourage people to like and re-pin what you’ve posted, and so on. If you aren’t willing to devote your time to maintaining your Pinterest page, then it’s far better to just utilize other social networking sites that may help you connect and interact with your audience better.

Just like any other social networking site, time and effort needs to be devoted to Pinterest in order to successfully use it to sell your service brand.

Personal and small business brands can definitely utilize Pinterest in order to promote awareness of their brand and create buzz. Though brands who sell products definitely have the advantage since their brands are more “visual,” as a service provider, you can still create interest in your brand by showing off your personality, considering your target audience, and maintaining an active account on the site.

So don’t be afraid of using Pinterest to market your brand. Show off the things you like and love, and you can create a good following that directs traffic to your website as well as the services you offer.

Creating Good Karma with Your Contacts

The current market is extremely competitive. In addition to having to compete with large corporations, small businesses also have to jostle for positions with other small businesses that sell the same products or offer the same services. 

This is why it’s crucial for small business owners to build excellent client and customer relations. Word of mouth marketing is essential for small businesses to survive and thrive in the current market. In addition, building great customer relationships can help you get repeat customers as well as new ones. 

As your small business grows, however, it can be difficult to manage all of your contacts. To succeed in your business, you need to maintain frequent communication with your suppliers, business partners, and of course, your clients and customers. You also have to keep track of your schedule, your meetings, your business overhead and supplies, and so on. You need to juggle all of these properly to ensure that your business runs smoothly and capably. You don’t want to end up missing an important meeting, or worse, sending out the wrong order to a customer.

So how do you solve this? Well, you could create a spreadsheet and encode all the information there. You can continuously add and subtract to it, and hope that you don’t get confused with all the rows and columns you’ve added. Or you can try a customer relationship management tool. There are currently many customer relationship management tools available in the market. One of the most promising ones is KarmaCRM.

KarmaCRM aims to make your life easier. It’s basically a customer relationship management platform that’s entirely web-based, so you can access it wherever you are, whenever you need it – there’s no need to download anything. It offers a simple and easy-to-use interface to help you manage your contacts and the things you need to do without problem.

What exactly are the things you can do with KarmaCRM?

     1. Manage your contacts

KarmaCRM allows you to import contacts from external websites, and customize your contact list so it only includes those relevant to your business. You can add photos, files and tasks to your contacts, so you always know who you’re talking or transacting with. You even have access to a Google map so you can easily see where your contact is located. 

You can also assign an urgent, hot or cold status to each lead, so you know whom you need to prioritize, and customize your contact status in the settings.

     2. Manage tasks

KarmaCRM helps you easily manage the tasks you need to do, so you don’t forget any important meetings and deadlines. Within the platform, you can place due dates for each task you need to do, so you don’t find yourself rushing when it’s nearing the deadline. You can also set up email and SMS reminders when deadlines are approaching, so you don’t forget anything. How often have you forgotten an urgent task only to be reminded when it’s already due?

You can assign tasks to a contact or a member of your team. This way, they can also be reminded about their deadlines.

     3. Create cases

You may occasionally have small or large cases that need to be prioritized. With KarmaCRM, you can create a case, customize its type, status and priority, assign contacts, and add notes and tasks to the case. This makes it easy to manage each case and then close them once they’re finished so you can move onto the next task. 

     4. Manage your schedule

You can create a calendar of activities in this platform and customize the view according to your preference. You can even import and sync your calendars with your Google account, as the site integrates with many third parties. You can use it to add tasks and events easily and manage your schedule. With KarmaCRM, you won’t have to worry about ever missing a deadline, an important meeting, or an upcoming event.

     5. Chat with team members, store and transfer files

Also within the site, you can privately chat with the members of your team and even create unlimited group chat rooms. You can easily see who among your team members are online so you can talk to them about a task or case that’s almost due. Chat transcripts are even saved for future reference.

Files can easily be transferred from one team member to another. You can store your files and presentations so that any of your team members can access them anytime and anywhere, as long as they have an Internet connection. 

So why trouble yourself with spreadsheets and other tools when there’s an easier way to manage your contacts and ensure good customer relationships? To create good Karma with your contacts, why not try out KarmaCRM today?

How Not to Deal with the IRS

I am raising money for a new business venture. It is a man spa called Heaven for Men. Tthe staff will be either strippers or porn stars. It will be the only place in the world where you can get a shave and a lap dance at the same time. Tipping will be discouraged, except for the lap dances of course. We will employ the world's hottest stripper chef who will prepare a menu of brats, burgers, and beer – no stinking vegetables except lettuce and tomatoes for the burgers. I am auditioning, I mean interviewing, staff now. This will be the best investment since Apple Computer. Operators are standing by for your investment, VISA, MasterCard, and AMEX accepted, but single dollar bills are preferred. Make it rain, baby.

If you ever get audited by the IRS, here are some helpful hints. First, playing the aggrieved taxpayer doesn't work. Forty million or so people before you have tried that. Second, throwing out your business records, because you don't want to remember that year, is also a bad idea. I am in the middle of an IRS audit gone bad.

This audit should have been a relatively easy exercise. I have a client who lost a bunch of money in real estate a couple years ago. By a lot of money, I mean middle six figures. Not surprisingly, the IRS wanted a little look see to see if the losses were legitimate. We knew when the notice came in, that the primary issue would be supporting the real estate losses.

Normally this isn't a complicated type of issue. We keep detailed workpapers that show the calculation of the loss. We have to be able to show proof of the sales price as well as proof of the purchase price and documentation for any expenses related to the sale. I said “normally” this isn't a complicated issue. It does become considerably more complicated when the taxpayer throws out all of his records for the year. You might legitimately ask why some numb skull would toss all his records from two years ago. I asked just that question. He responded that he had moved and didn't want any reminders of his real estate losses. So he tossed the records at the dump when he moved.

This was bad news for yours truly, but not a deal breaker for the audit. We had proof of the sales price from a bank statement and a 1099 form. The problem was going to be proving the original purchase cost of the real estate. I had a plan for this. It was such a good plan. It even stood a small chance of succeeding......

However, when the IRS audits someone who owns a business, they don't just audit the obvious issues, like the real estate losses in this case. The auditor asked for a plethora of documents supporting various expenses such as materials and subcontractors for the client's construction business. She also asked for information related to mortgage interest and real estate taxes on his residence. We had the information related to his residence in our files already. However, because of the volume of information involved with businesses, we don't keep copies of all of the canceled checks and receipts for the business. Our clients are supposed to keep that. After all, we aren't a data storage facility, although a lot of days it feels like we are.

The auditor, a newbie with very little experience, conducted a routine audit test called a completeness test for unreported income. She added up all of the deposits from the client's bank statements and compared them to the income reported on the tax return. The idea behind the test is that if the deposits into bank accounts exceed the income reported on the tax return, there is income that should have been reported that was not. Somebody owes some taxes. Of course, there are a whole bunch of legitimate reasons why the bank deposits could exceed the income on the tax return. The obvious one is loans received by the taxpayer. So if you can explain why the bank deposits exceeded the income on the return, you are in the clear.

What was interesting in this instance was the the bank deposits were less than the income reported on the tax returns. This threw our newbie auditor for a loop. Any accounting major, who stayed somewhat awake during her first auditing course, knows that a completeness test only works one way. In this case, the test could reveal unreported income but nothing else. Bank deposits less than reported income means nothing. On the surface, it may look like income was over reported on the tax returns, but what it really means is that not all income got deposited into the bank account. This can be common in cash based businesses. In this case, the test results meant absolutely nothing. But our newbie auditor smelled a rat. She insisted that the test failure was significant and needed explanation.

This wasn't my first audit rodeo. I've been bucked by a few idiot auditors in my career. I had a plan to deal with this one. My plan was to admit the test failure was an unresolved issue and offer to meet with the newbie's supervisor to discuss the issue. The thing to know about IRS employees is that the higher up you move in the IRS food chain, the better your chances of finding someone with a brain. I know the supervisor is going to want to discuss this issue with me about as much as she would like a good venereal disease. She knows that the completeness test is only valid in one direction and would politely decline my request. Then she would bitch slap the newbie back into reality for wasting her time on the obvious. That was my diabolical plan.......

Despite revealing my masterful plan to the client, he became frustrated with the auditor. The completeness test wasn't the entire reason for his frustration. He was upset that she was asking for so much information that he was having difficulty producing. Of course, throwing away his records might have had just a little to do with his problems.

One afternoon during a meeting with the auditor, he went into aggrieved taxpayer mode and exploded. I have seen people go into aggrieved taxpayer mode before, and it isn't pretty. They talk about their Constitutional rights and ask why Bill Gates never gets audited. Actually we don't know if Bill Gates gets audited. Audits aren't public record. I do know the IRS at least looks at the records of a lot of large companies. When I worked at PEPCO in the 1980's, the IRS had a permanent office at PEPCO headquarters. I suspect they have one at Microsoft as well.

Facts and reason never stop someone in aggrieved taxpayer mode. It is a form of mental illness that resembles multiple personality disorder. One moment you have a sane adult in front of you. The next you have a raving lunatic mumbling about due process, the right to bear arms, and the founding fathers. My client started missing document delivery deadlines with the auditor and even pulled a no show for a meeting. There is no known cure for aggrieved taxpayer syndrome. It is frequently terminal for someone's business.

Here's something else you should know about aggrieved taxpayer mode. It doesn't work – ever. IRS auditors have an audit plan, which is a detailed set of procedures they must follow in every audit. An auditor's job is at risk for not following the plan exactly in every detail. When a taxpayer doesn't cooperate with the plan, the information requests don't just go away. They multiply. Audits are about credibility. If you can easily produce the information an auditor requests, the requests come to an end. If you can't meet the requests, you get more requests as a result and then even more requests. Aggrieved taxpayer mode finally results in a notice of assessment based on numbers compiled from failed audit tests. Surprise, surprise Gomer Pyle, when you fail audit tests, the numbers don't work out in your favor.

My dastardly plan never had a chance once the client descended into aggrieved taxpayer mode. Now I am stuck in IRS audit hell. An audit that should have been over in thirty days has taken four months, and there is no end in sight. Pray for my soul.

Last night Laura and I watched the Caps beat the Rangers at the Verizon Center in DC. I don't want to accuse the Rangers of being a bunch of wussy divers, but their team doctor is a gynecologist. I'm just sayin'....

Thanks for reading. Please visit the main S&K web site at www.skcpas.comfor real tax and accounting advice. LET'S GO CAPS!