What is SEO and What Can it Do for Your Business?

This week we have a guest blogger, Steph McGuinn


Stephanie McGuinn is a Digital Marketer specializing in Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) with additional skills in Social Media Management. She is an Account Director at Creative2, where she manages the digital marketing accounts. She is the author of the Search Engine Savvy blog.

Take it away Steph...

 “I finally have a nice website but nobody comes to it.” “We don’t have time to keep up with a blog on our website, why do we need one?” “When I search for my product or service on Google, why doesn’t my website show up?”

These are all questions that SEO companies get on a daily basis and the answer is: SEO, SEO, SEO!

What the heck is SEO anyway?
Here’s how SEO is defined by Search Engine Land:

SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” It is the process of getting traffic from the “free,” “organic,” “editorial” or “natural” listings on search engines. All major search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing have such results, where web pages and other content such as videos or local listings are shown and ranked based on what the search engine considers most relevant to users. Payment isn’t involved, as it is with paid search ads.

Companies compete for the top spots on search results pages through SEO. These sought-after positions are attained by developing a widespread presence on the web and establishing your site as a trusted source for information.

5 Ways SEO Can Bring in the Big Bucks for Your Business

With a well crafted SEO plan, you will be able to:

1. Find Customers You May Not Otherwise be Able to Reach

According to a 2010 Nelson Global Consumer Report, 81% of people research products or services online before making purchases. When people are narrowing down which store to patronize, or which company to use, they are doing it online. More specifically, as we’ll see in a moment, they are searching Google. Do you think you should be there? I do!

Many people in this market are not likely to walk into your store or meet you at a networking event. The best way to reach this population is to show up high on Google search results.

The best part? These people are already shopping for your product or service. Wahoo!

Additionally, you can use keyword research to determine what people are typing to search. For example, if you are a dentist and sell tooth implants, you might discover that people are searching for pricing information rather than where to get their implants. Answering this population’s query with a blog about average pricing can develop instant rapport and give them the feeling that they need not search any further than your dental office.

2. Get Those Site Visitors to Buy Something Already!
With a good SEO plan, you can be in front of potential customers at their point of decision, which is already a great start.

But even better, is that you can monitor their behavior once they get to your site and rework web content that isn’t resulting in sales.

A wealth of data about the behavior of visitors to your site is available merely by adding a snippet of code to your site. Easy enough, eh?

It’s important to note, though, that the amount of data is massive and complex. You’ll likely need the help of a professional or you’ll need to be prepared to spend hours upon hours learning the system on your own to be able to process and make decisions based on the data. Yikes!

3. Appear Trustworthy
“Google isn’t a search engine, Google is a reputation management system.” Clive Thompson, Wired Magazine. Google spends a huge amount of resources to ensure that its algorithms provide visitors with search results that best meet their needs. If your site appears as a top result, it provides instant credibility.

4. Get People to Come To Your Website
Managing where and how your company appears in search results will ensure that people looking for your brand will easily find you. Places you may wish to appear in addition to searches for a product or service are: within search results for your competitors’ names, and in response to common misspellings of your company’s name.

Also, as you acquire more web real estate by creating shareable content, your site will appear in more search results, websites, blogs, social networks, and directories. This will not only help in getting and keeping you top of mind with consumers, but should also build your reputation in the eyes of the customer as they see you on multiple reputable platforms.

5. Go Head-to-Head with Your Competition
Each month 87.8 billion searches are performed on Google. Your competitors are on those results pages, getting new customers, and in Google, the top results win.

Here are ten facts about how click-through traffic on results pages is distributed, courtesy of The Beginners Guide to SEO on Moz.com.

1) The first ranking position in the search results receives 42.25% of all click-through traffic
2) The first ten results (page one) received 89.71% of all click-through traffic
3) The second position receives 11.94%
4) Third position on the first page obtains 8.47%
5) The fourth placed position on page one receives 6.05%
6) The others on the first page are under 5% of click through traffic
7) The next 10 results (normally listed on the second page of results) received 4.37%
8) Third page receives a total of 2.42 %
9) The fifth page receives a total of only 1.07%
10) All other pages of results received less than 1% of total search traffic clicks.

If you want to increase traffic to your site, grow your brand, and increase online sales leads, SEO could be the right next step for you.

Choosing a Great Small Business Name

Choosing a small business name requires delicate balancing of various factors to ensure that it does not only stand out but also stays on the right side of the law. Getting the right name for a small business has got trickier with today’s tools for marketing both online and offline. Changing a business name can have serious consequences. Here is an example.

A business website should ideally feature the name of the business. Changing the name requires changing the website name and logo. While making the change may not be complicated, it creates its own complications. Search engine rankings will suffer, and the brand already associated with the business in various places, including blogs, forums and social sites will lose relevance.

Coming up with the right small business name requires time and effort. The following tips cover the important angles to consider.

Relevance

Many small businesses start out as solo or freelance operations, and the owners often choose their own names. Unfortunately, such names do not usually portray a professional image required to build brand awareness. The name must be able to scale with the growing business without becoming irrelevant.

Points to consider when choosing a small business name include:

• Appearance – on an advertisement, a logo, business card, social site and the Web at large
• Uniqueness – a name that resembles the name of an existing business will not only confuse customers but also risk charges of trademark infringement
• Sound – the chosen name must be easy to pronounce
• Clear – the name must not have potentially offensive undertones or have embarrassing spellings
• Connotations – the name must appeal to target market and reflect business philosophy

Web Readiness 

The name must include important keywords for the small business and be available. A simple search of domain names will determine whether the name has already been taken.

Trademarks

The cost associated with trademark infringement can easily break a business. Trademark search tools help to find out whether the selected name or its variations have already been registered.

If a business is to be incorporated, it can still operate under the proposed name even if another business is already using it so long as they are in different regions or offer different goods or services. However, the name must still comply with relevant state naming requirements.

When making searches, it is important to include misspelled versions of the small business name, similar sounding names and synonyms.

Domain Registration

If the desired domain name is available, it must be claimed without delay. Procrastination is risky considering the fast rate at which domain names are claimed. It is also important to claim social media identity.

Trademark Protection

Filing for a trademark helps in protecting the business name, including logos and symbols associated with it.

People often confuse this with registering a business name. Businesses operating under personal names do not have to be registered, and the registration does not offer trademark protection. The necessary steps for registering “Doing Business As (DBA)” names differ from one state to another. 

Noodle Making Machine for set up a Small Business

Chowmein Noodle Making is very good Small Business idea. You may start a Small Business at Home easily with this machine.

Demand and Market:

Noodles are very favourite food to almost all men, women and children. The demand is found all throughout the year. To make noodles you need Noodles Making Machine, Mixture Machine, Boiler Machine, Dryer Machine, Packing Machine and Weight Machine.

How to make noodles with Noodles Making Machine:

To make noodles the main material is flour. Flour is necessary to make vegetable noodles. To make non-vegetable noodles you may mix eggs. At first you have to knead flour with the Mixture Machine. There are two rollers made of steel located in the noodles Making Machine. You have to put the mixture on these two rollers. Now start the machine. The flour will contain the shape like a sheet. Now put the sheet of flour on the hatched roller. Then cut the chowmein in indicated size you want. Now boil the chowmein by vapour with the Boiler Machine so that the chowmein will not be broken. At last dry it with the Dryer machine and measure it. Then pack it and you noodles is ready.

You need 2 hp motor and 220 to 440 volts to operate these machines.

Price of the Noodles Making Machine:

The price of the Mixture Machine is approximately Rs.18, 000.

If it is made of stainless steel then the price is approximately Rs. 30,000.

The price of the Noodles Making Machine including motor is approximately Rs.36, 000.

The price of the Boiler Machine is approximately Rs. 8,000.

The price of the Dryer Machine is approximately Rs.40, 000 to Rs.80, 000.

The price of the Packing & Sealing Machine is approximately Rs.1000.

Where to buy the Noodles Making Machine:

Bharat Machine Tools Industries,

61, Ganesh Chandra Avenue,

Kolkata-700013

25 Sep, 13 KK

Thread Rolling Machine for set up Small Business

Thread Rolling Machine for set up Small Business

Demand and Market of Thread Rolls:-

You can make rills of threads with this Thread Rolling Machine and you can sell it in the market or can supply orders.

How to make Thread Rolls:-

You have to buy threads from market. It is available in of Barobazar, Basirhat, Sector-V area in Kolkata. The role of paper which is needed to make the rill of threads is available in the market of Rajabazar in Kolkata. At first you have to cut the paper and make rolls with it. You can make 4 or 6 pieces of thread rill with this Thread Rolling Machine. Now put the roll of paper on the bobbin of the machine and put the thread in the indicated place of the machine. Then start the machine. Roll of thread will be made automatically.

It needs 1 hp motor and 220 volts to operate the machine.

Price of the Thread Rolling Machine:-

The price of the Thread Rolling Machine is approximately Rs. 7000 and the price of the motor is approximately Rs.2, 500.

Where to buy the Thread Rolling Machine:-

Bharat Machine Tools Industries,

61, Ganesh Chandra Avenue,

Kolkata-700013

18 Sep, 13 KK

Buying a Business - Making an Offer, Part I

If you haven't read my previous post on break even analysis, please read it before reading this one.  It teaches determining whether you are going to make an offer to purchase a particular business.  In this post, you'll learn about putting together your offer.

You have a few decisions to make when putting together an offer to purchase a business.  First is whether to buy the assets of your target business or the business entity itself.  This is a critical decision.

If you are buying the business entity, you are buying all of the assets and all of the liabilities, known and unknown, of your target business.  If your target business is a corporation, you are buying the stock of the business.  If the business is an LLC, you are buying the actual LLC.

At first, you might wonder, "Who in his right mind would take on the possibility of unknown liabilities?"  Sometimes, however, if makes perfect sense to buy the entity, and you can mitigate the possibility of getting stuck with unwelcome surprises.

If you seek a federal government contracting company with existing contracts, buying the entity is pretty much the only choice.  Federal contracts are not assignable.  To get the contracts, you have to buy the entity.  You can't purchase the contract as a separate asset.

You do not, however, have to buy a business entity to get a valuable existing business name.  The name is a separate, valuable asset that can be purchased.

When you purchase the assets of a company, you get to pick and choose exactly what you are buying.  You can, for instance, buy the customers, inventory, and hard assets of a company without buying the accounts receivable.  You can leave those with the existing owner to collect.  If the receivables are bad, that is the previous owner's problem.  You don't have to take any of the liabilities at all.  However, if you take the receivables, the existing owner will probably insist that you take the payables that produced the receivables.  But, all of this is subject to negotiation.

Let's look at the tax differences between purchasing the business entity versus purchasing the business assets.  When you buy the entity, you get no immediate tax deduction.  Your purchase is like buying Ford Motor Company stock.  If and when you sell the stock in either Ford or your new business, you'll get capital gains tax treatment on the sale.  If fact, your seller gets this treatment as well if you buy the entity.  Sellers prefer to sell their entities for this reason.  They get lower tax bills on their sales.

When you purchase the assets of a business, each type of asset has a separate tax treatment.  For the hard assets, such as equipment, vehicles, and furniture, you get a depreciation deduction.  For inventory, you get a deduction when you sell it.  Thus, purchasing assets is typically a better tax deal for a buyer even before you consider that you don't have to risk getting unknown liabilities.

If the seller wants an entity sale, but a buyer wants an asset sale, what factors determine which happens?  To capitalize on the tax advantage of an entity sale, most sellers will accept a slightly lower price for an entity sale.

A buyer can mitigate the potential danger of unknown liabilities by setting aside some of the purchase price in an escrow account.  That amount typically runs between 10% and 25% of the purchase price.  The money is released after a period of time sufficient to determine that no unknown liabilities have arisen, typically three years.

So don't completely discount the idea of purchasing the business entity, but be aware that the escrow account ensures you'll still be dealing with the previous owner until the escrow money is disbursed.  The seller and the business aren't yet completely divorced during that time period, and like an ex-wife, he'll be hanging around to make certain you give him his money.

Almost all small business sales are done as asset sales, because they are less risky for the buyer from a liability standpoint and provide for a clean split from the previous owner.

If you decide to make an offer for a business in the form of an asset purchase, you next have to determine what assets you are buying.  For small businesses, the seller typically keeps the cash, accounts receivable, and all liabilities.  The buyer gets the business name, customers, hard assets, inventory, and can choose whether to accept an existing lease.  The seller also normally agrees not to compete with you for a period of time within a specified mileage range of the business.

While you decide which assets you want to buy, you absolutely need an attorney to write the formal offer you will present.  Do not allow the seller's business broker to write YOUR offer.  As with real estate, the broker represents the seller's interests, not yours.  Most broker written boilerplate documents also have lots of legal issues.  It's your offer.  Get your representative to write it.  Paying an attorney now is way cheaper than paying one later to unwind a poorly written document.  I know from painful personal experience.

My next post will cover determining how much to offer for your target business.

As always, thanks for reading!  Your comments are appreciated and helpful to others reading the posts.  For real tax and accounting advice, please visit the main S&K web site at www.skcpas.com.  Also, please like the "How to Screw up Your Small Business" Facebook page.  I post business tips there several times daily.

Until next time, let's do it to them before they do it to us.

Small Plastic Products Making Machine for Small Business

Small Plastic Products Making Machine:-

 

Small Plastic Products Making Machine is a good idea for home based small business.

Demand and Market of Small Plastic Products:-

With this Small Plastic Products Making Machine, you can make plastic toys, hair brush, bottles, mug, tray etc. things. You can sell these things directly in the market or you can supply orders.

How to make small things with Small Plastic Products Making Machine:-

At first you have to buy plastic beads from the market. It is available in the market of Barobazar in Kolkata. The price is approximately Rs. 175 to Rs.180 per kg. Put these plastic beads on the hopper of the machine. The plastic beads will melt. Now set the dies you want and press the handle. You things will be made automatically.

It needs 220 volts to operate this Small Plastic Products Making Machine.

Price of the Small Plastic Products Making Machine:-

The price depends on its type. The price is approximately Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 60,000. The price of the fully automatic Small Plastic Products Making Machine is approximately Rs. 5 lakhs.

Where to buy the Small Plastic Products Making Machine:-

Bharat Machine Tools Industries,

61, Ganesh Chandra Avenue,

Kolkata-700013,

11 Sep, 13 KK

4 Key Lessons For Starting a Small Business Step-by-Step

The pull to become an entrepreneur and take your future into your own hands is strong for a large percentage of the population currently struggling to find fulfillment in a 9-to-5 job. Many want to learn how to start a small business and succeed with it so they can do what they really want with their life. It is important to know the steps to take to make sure the business is a profitable and manageable one once you decide what business to start. The first step is, however, deciding what type of work best suits you.

Start a small business by choosing one that suits your personality, capabilities and also offers the potential for real earnings and growth. The general rule of thumb, whether you want a brick and mortar establishment or an online company, is to find some products or services to sell that are in demand and do not have tons of competition already. If there is a lot of competition, you must be able to offer something truly unique, such as extra options, cheaper price or the best customer service anywhere. Popular options include retail or e-commerce of everything from clothing to craft supplies, service industries from auto detailing to freelance web design and businesses that provide help to people who need it.

Once you figure out what type of company to start, you need to know how to start a small business step by step.

One: Set Up Your Business Entity

Start a small business by registering for a fictitious name at your local government offices if you are doing business under another name. Get any applicable licenses and resellers permits that coincide with your state's sales tax laws if you are selling tangible goods or services. Decide on an accounting method and get business bank accounts.

Two: Get a Location: Real or Virtual

Whether it's office space, a retail shop or only internet space, every company needs a location. In fact, even real world locations should have a website as well, since most people shop and search online these days. Pick a location with good traffic and without too many competing businesses nearby. Have a website professionally designed.

Three: Acquire Products or Determine Services That Will Sell

You should already have some idea of the products or services you will offer before you get to this point. Make relationships with wholesalers or distributors of the product lines you wish to use, or get involved with affiliate programs for existing shops online. Affiliate marketing remains one of the most lucrative online businesses around.

Four: Marketing & Advertising

Up to this point, you've learned how to start a small business, but this is the main step in building a business that is profitable long term. Marketing, both online and offline, is the long term practice that will determine if you will still be around years from now or if your company will fail. 

Buying a Business - Break Even Analysis

The fast food workers' strike was hilarious, proof that they deserve low wages.  If you want better wages, get a better job.  That's the way the U.S. economy has worked since...since forever.  Of course, you might have to get some training.  If you aren't improving yourself, you deserve the job and the wages you have.  I'm the wrong person to gripe to about this.  I paid for my own college, additional night courses, and CPA exam review course.  Your job situation isn't my problem.  Your job situation is your problem.  President Obama's "less fortunate" is really a euphemism for "lazy."  If you don't know what a euphemism is, give me fries with my burger, please.

Once you identify a business to purchase, you determine how and whether you can make money in the business with break even analysis.  Break even analysis reverse engineers the historical financial statements of a business to determine the level of sales necessary to not lose money.  Above that level, you make money.  Below that level, you lose money.

I suggest using an average of the three most recent years of either the business tax returns or profit & loss statements.  Use either the tax returns or the financial statements.  Don't mix and match.  Sometimes the tax returns are on the cash basis and the P&L's are on the accrual basis.  You want apples to apples.

First, divide the expenses of the business into two categories: variable expenses and fixed expenses.  Variable expenses are expenses that increase when sales increase and decrease as sales decrease.  For example, the food costs of a restaurant are variable expenses.  Materials are a variable expense of a home remodeling company.

Then subtract each year's variable expenses from yearly sales. That is gross profit.  Next, divide gross profit by annual sales to get a percentage.  That percentage is your gross profit percentage.  Average the percentages from the three years.

Fixed expenses don't vary with sales.  Rent is normally fixed in amount.  For the most part, so are the salaries of a restaurant.  Another word for fixed expenses is overhead.  Ignore non-cash expenses such as depreciation.  Total the fixed expenses for each year and then compute the average.

With the average gross profit percentage and the average fixed expenses, we have the inputs to determine the break even annual sales.  We simply divide the average fixed expenses by the gross profit percentage.  That gives you the annual break even sales amount.  Simple enough?  The most important task is next.

Determine if the break even annual sales level is realistic.  If the break even number is $600K, but the business has never grossed more than $400K, what are the chances you can increase sales to get to break even, let alone profitability?

If the break even sales level isn't realistic, don't bother going further into the purchase process.  Flush this turd, and move on to the next opportunity.  If the break even sales level is realistic, use the model we have developed to determine how much in sales you need to make your desired annual profit.  This formula is a simple derivation using our break even formula.

This time, instead of dividing fixed expenses by gross profit percentage, add your desired annual profit to fixed expenses before doing the division.  This gives you the sales level necessary to reach your profit goals.

If this sales level is realistic, you are ready to consider making an offer.  The next step is determining the offer.  I'll cover that in my next post.

As always, thanks for reading!  For real tax and accounting advice, please visit the main S&K web site at www.skcpas.com.  Also, please like the "How to Screw Up Your Small Business" Facebook page.  I post snarky business tips several times daily.

Until next time, let's do it to them before they do it to us.