The Great American Small Business Challenge

The agency that helps set workers’ comp rates is recommending they increase 4.4% at the start of next year. The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau in early August recommended that the average benchmark pure premium rates for all of the state’s class codes in-crease to $2.62 per $100 of payroll for policies incepting on or after Jan. 1, 2014.

A good portion of the rate increase is due to increased claims filings, as well as rises in medical costs and permanent disability benefits that partly took effect this year and take full effect in 2014.

This year, benefit increases added an-other $620 million in system costs, the Rating Bureau has estimated. In 2014, the increases will add another $590 million in costs for all workers’ comp payers in the state.

That said, cost increases are expected to be offset by savings from reforms contained in SB 863, which was signed into law in 2012 and took effect at the start of this year. Continue Reading »

Tags: insurance, worker's comp, workers comp insurance

The position of Business Analyst seems to have attained swift prominence with modern day companies that are re-engineering their own operations and embedding IT systems at the center of these business.

Professional organizations like the BCS and the IIBA have tailored internationally accepted business analysis training and certification schemes.

The role has now been refined from that of the old-school Systems Analyst from the Nineteen eighties – and as a result continues to progress. Pretty much when Business Analysis appeared to have now evolved into a suitably outlined and more mainstream management style, the use of Agile development and project management software processes is definitely forming fresh opportunities. Continue Reading »

Tags: business analyst

Article by Chris Davodi of 1 Stop Service Business Resources.

Amongst the million businesses that open up every year, some make it past their first year and churn profits while others fail in not being able to generate a profit. Perhaps it might be things that are out of your control like the state of the market or even the economy, in general.

While there is a possibility that you might not succeed due to these factors, you can probably increase your chances by making a checklist of tasks that you should complete when you open a new business.

Here are some vital tasks that can help you succeed, or help you survive when things get rough:

#1: In determining whether the business will suit your life’s goals or not, you can proceed to create a business and marketing plan while also using the break-even analysis to determine whether or not the business will succeed before jumping headlong.

#2: Finding a legal structure for your business is paramount, and this means understanding which ownership structure will suit your business, and perhaps, a lawyer will be able to help you streamline your efforts.

#3: Get a good name for your business and make sure you have the paperwork in place.

#4: It is important to find an appropriate business location so that it will stand more chances for success in its first year.

#5: Obtaining Insurance, filing for permits and licenses while also setting tax reporting and accounting are also important tasks.

Tags: business tips, new business, opening a new business

Article by Pierre Zarokian of iClimber.

One of the best things that business owners can do these days is to promote their business over the internet through social media and in particular, a website. To say the least, it opens up your products or services to a global audience, and that can mean more profitability and potential customers for your business.

However, it’s not just about making any website but one that will catch the fancy of your potential customers, and there are certain aspects of content (and writing it) that you must keep in mind in order to drive traffic to your website.

So here is a list of content writing tips that will help you enjoy a successful business that you can generate through your website:

#1: Keywords, keywords, keywords

With people looking for information regarding certain products or services by the means of search engines and entering certain keywords, you’d be smart if you incorporated those particular keywords (pertaining to your business) in the content on your website. Focus on using one keyword per web page.

#2: Striking a chord with your readers

Remember that you aren’t writing for search engine but humans so you should ensure that you use emotional language when talking about your product or service so that you are able to strike a chord with your readers, and which will cause them to show interest in buying what you have on offer.

#3: Write like you are talking

As most people would have learnt in college or school to write as if you are preparing a dissertation for your Ph.D, using this approach for the internet is not a WISE. Write as if you are talking to a friend – someone who is a curious acquaintance and wants to know more about your product.

If you are interested in professional content writing services, visit www.iClimber.com website. In addition, you may want to read more tips at the iClimber Social Media Marketing Blog.

If you are interested in professional content writing services, visit www.iClimber.com website. In addition, you may want to read more tips at the iClimber Social Media Marketing Blog

Tags: content writing

Article by Kristin Gabrieli of Total Merchants.

Charge backs are a reality that every online merchant has to deal with, and there are several reasons why this happens, one being potential fraud, but the person who has to deal with loss is the merchant as soon as the customer asks for a refund from their bank.

This is why it is so important for merchants to be careful of getting into situations where charge backs are imminent, and so here is a list of tips that will help you avoid charge backs right from the outset: Continue Reading »

Tags: avod chargebacks, avoid charge backs, charge backs, chargebacks, credit cards, merchant accounts

When summer kicks in, the frozen treats come rolling in as well. In the sweltering heat of the summer, nothing beats the cool and delicious joy brought by eating frozen treats! Whether it’s ice cream, froyo, gelato or sherbet, if it’s cool and sweet, then it’s surely a treat!

Perhaps, this love of people of frozen confections in the summertime can be a revenue generating project for you and your friends? Making ice cream is not as hard as it seems. All you need to do is mix milk, sugar and the other ingredients and freeze it while churning. Of course, ice cream making is really more of an art so you do have to put your own twists to it to make it good! If ice cream making is a bit too much for you, then perhaps you can just serve store bought ice cream and load it with delicious toppings! Bananas, walnuts, chocolate and candy sprinkles can turn plain ice cream into something even more fantastic!

This article was submitted by Gelato Products; a trusted online supplier of white paper cups and other ice cream supplies.

By Ted Dhanik 

In this digital day and age, internet users come across tons of ads every single day.  Therefore, in order to make a lasting impression, ads have to be incredibly creative and interesting.  Static, lackluster ads don’t stand a chance against witty, colorful, and engaging ads.  The key is to make interactive ads that viewers aren’t able to resist.

Game-like ads are gaining in popularity due to their interactive nature.  These ads often involve game-style keyboard controls and others take over the entire screen, appearing like an online game.  Any ad that includes variations of keyboard and mouse control, such as requiring the use of the keys to navigate, tends to garner interest.

Another idea that has proven to be wildly successful is to tell a story through an ad.  Audiences of all different types love stories.  Ads that incorporate a plot hook the interest of viewers which can lead them to check out the website link.  Some advertisers now use Filmstrip formats which include five panels.  The person viewing the ad has the choice to go to the next section of the ad in order to learn more about the story and eventually the product or service.

One popular method of advertisers is to usurp the entire content of the site with an ad.  This technique can either entertain and engage viewers or annoy them.  Movie trailers are an example of this type of ad that are often successful due to the way they grab the viewer’s attention.  It’s important for businesses to evaluate whether this type of ad will work with their product or service or not.

Author bio: Guest post is submitted by the president and co-founder of engage:BDR, Ted Dhanik.  engage: BDR offers advertisers state-of-the-art marketing solutions, advanced technology, and custom programming.  Ted Dhanik has over fifteen years of experience in marketing, business sales, and business development.  Ted Dhanik is a leading consultant when it comes to banner and display advertising.

Article submitted by Trafix Tech. They help their customers increase traffic generation by driving visibility, improving online credibility and by helping them increase their web presence all with a simple software.

When you’re in charge of a build, it can seem like challenges are coming at you from every direction. While this is an overwhelming sensation, a lot of times these are just the challenges you were expecting. A missed delivery, problems with your workers or a broken piece of machinery can all add to your level of stress. That’s why so many in your position use commercial construction software to give themselves a fighting chance.

There is plenty of software out there that can do the job when combined. For example, you can use calendar software to help remind you of what each day will entail and of upcoming deadlines. You can use accounting software to make sure you’re on top of your employees’ payments and keeping the project under budget. Using shared folders, you can make sure everyone involved is on the same page.

But that just seems like more balls to juggle, especially when you could just as easily use a platform that will have contractor accounting software, updated schedules and shared drives that relate to the progress of the build.

Commercial construction is a unique field that is much different than just about any other industry. You wouldn’t hire people from an office to help you lay a foundation, so don’t use software that wasn’t specifically designed for the needs of your field.

_____________________________________________________________________

Article submitted by Accu Build. The company specializes in providing those in the construction business with construction accounting software and other technological solutions to their business needs.

Guest post is provided by Cosmix Inc., one of the few professional schools for makeup artists in the United States.  Browse their website for more information.

One of the most important elements of becoming a top makeup artist is knowing how to market yourself.  Makeup schools in Florida and around the country are beginning to incorporate more marketing training into their curriculum.  An essential part of marketing is knowing how to present and promote yourself in all business-related conversations.  As simple as it may sound, many aren’t aware of how to do so in a concise way.

As an aspiring makeup artist, you should be able to give a 30 second bio to potential clients and employers.  During an interview with a potential employer, they may ask you to tell a little bit about yourself. A short 30 sec bio could potentially land you jobs.  As the expression goes, “A first impression is a lasting impression.”

One tip from the leading makeup schools is to break it down into 3 easy-to-remember parts:

1) Introduce your early life: You should start with a simple statement about where you were born and raised.  Make sure to keep it short and straight to the point.

2) Explain your first interest related to makeup artistry: You should be able to explain what experiences or people inspired you to get into this industry.  This is a way to connect to your audience on an emotional level.  You can talk about early experiences you had with art, dance, or theater.  You can also talk about those who helped or encouraged your dream.

3) Summarize your training, experience, and specialties: You should quickly sum up the major highlights of your career thus far.  Explain if and why you’ve chosen a specialty and make sure to customize it to the job you are seeking.

Internet merchant accounts are a very easy and simple way of improving the quality of your services online, from anywhere around the globe. With a fully featured account system, not only will your business grow and bloom with the help of a high-speed, secure, online payment processing service, but it will also save you a ton of time and money in the process.

With a fully-featured payment portal, credit card online processing can be as simple as your client specifying their order on your web store, via e-mail, or over the phone, verifying their payment details and executing the order once payment has been authorized. With an online payment portal, this process is sped up immensely, and all over a secure online portal. Through one of your Internet merchant accounts your clients can simply send their payments through your credit card online processing facility, and you can dispatch their orders within a matter of minutes. A quick approval process over a secure online server after the payment has been authorized allows you to see real-time approvals, crediting, and status reports within a matter of minutes. You can also track accurately and easily payment history, status updates and more.

Gone are the days of manual credit card processing with long wait times over the phone, or waiting weeks for your payments to arrive. With a modern online payment portal, you can receive payments online, with real-time crediting and process reports, making order payment tracking fast, simple, and hassle-free.

——————————————————————————————————————————–

Article submitted by Charge.com Payment Solutions, Inc., We offer solutions for credit card merchant services for big and small businesses alike.

Guest post is submitted by Cosmix Inc.  There are no other professional makeup schools in Florida like Cosmix and very few in the entire country.  Browse their website for more information.

One of the most important lessons taught at schools for makeup artists is how crucial it is to brand yourself as a makeup artist.  Makeup artists need to create a brand for their business in order to achieve great success in the industry.  Tailored marketing is what makes a company or business identifiable.  Branding is also what sets one makeup artist apart from the rest and it often comes down to one’s reputation.

Branding typically involves the use of slogans, colors, shapes, styles, and jingles.  Many companies use logos and slogans to make their names recognizable.  That’s exactly what every makeup artist should aim to do.  You want people to think of you and your brand when they’re in need of a makeup artist.  Branding often translates into a successful business with plenty of referrals.

An important aspect of branding that you learn as a student at a school of makeup, is defining your image.  Your appearance, style, and actions tell the world around you who you are.  It’s good to ask yourself what your current image says about you as well as how that is affecting your business.  If your image is not where you want it to be currently, how can you transform it into your ideal image?

One tip to transform your image as a makeup artist is to write out ten adjectives that currently describe you and your working style.  Next, write a list of ten adjectives that describe your ideal image.  Thirdly, write out a list of goals and action steps that you can take to make over your image.

If you brand yourself appropriately, you will surely find success in the makeup artistry industry.

By Ted Dhanik 

Display advertising is a great investment for any business looking to either branch out to find a new type of consumer or for general promotion of a product. It does this through the research and attention to detail of the company, the brand, and the target client base.

When a display advertisement is created, it is built with the target audience in mind. The ad will only be shown on those websites where the target audience spends a lot of their time. This requires extensive research on the company and their target client base, as well as research on the clients. This is a large part of what the business is paying for when they go to a display advertiser.

Display advertisers also put time and effort into ensuring the ads that are created are built to capture the attention of the viewers. This can mean using a catchy phrase or gimmick to generate interest in the brand, or using some form of comedy or humor to lure consumers into the webpage. By building display advertisements with the client in mind, the business can prepare for an increase in sales due to the focused advertising.

Display advertising can also be good for general promotion in a local area. Having an ad displayed on popular local websites is great advertisement, as well as a good way for the business to build local ties. Not only do display ads connect the business to the customer, it also connects the business with other businesses to build relationships and ties.

This form of advertising is very beneficial for many reasons, and these are just a few to start the discussion about the merits of investing in display advertising.

Ted Dhanik provided this guest post. Ted Dhanik is an expert marketer who specializes in display advertising. For more information on Ted Dhanik, visit www.teddhanik.com.

There are many different types of web advertisers, but the most successful web advertising businesses follow a similar pattern. These companies are the ones who are thoroughly invested in bringing a company’s sales up, either through direct advertisement and link to the website or through informational means that drive sales into a store over the course of a set time period.

It is very important to recognize which companies will work hard for their clients and which ones are overcharging. Below are a few of the tools that a quality display advertising company will use to test the effectiveness of an advertisement, and how it can be improved to get more views and access to the company’s home page.

Impression Curve

This is used to measure how long a page must be refreshed or a link clicked on before the ad for your company pops up. If the ad doesn’t show up until after twenty other ads, the likelihood of a client purchasing your product is very small. When grading on the Impression Curve, it allows the advertiser to rate by how many clicks your ad needs to improve, so as to start getting business. In other words, when your ad falls after a certain point on the curve, it tells the advertiser how much promotion the ad needs in order to gain more traction and business.

Frequency of Ad

Yes, this may seem a bit silly or like common sense, but more work goes into this. It is important the ad doesn’t show up too frequently, to the point where it becomes a nuisance, but if it isn’t shown a certain amount of times in a set period of time, the viewer will not remember the ad.

Day-Parting/Night-Parting

When the ad appears is also vital. If people are not viewing the webpages where the ad is shown when it is shown, then it will not make a difference. The Web is most commonly used between 6 am and 11 pm, so these would be the best times to display. Based on the target audience, more specific time frames could be placed on advertisements, depending on when that specific target is on the web the most.

Position on the Page

Where an ad is shown will dictate how often it gets read. For example, with anything in a visual frame, our eyes are automatically drawn to the top left corner of the screen. Promoting something here would be more likely to be remembered by the viewers than if it was at the bottom on the left hand side of the webpage. So the position of the ad, in the context of the rest of the webpage, is very particular and should be paid attention to in detail.

Guest post provided by Ted Dhanik. Ted Dhanik is the innovative CEO of engage:BDR, provider of display advertising and high performance marketing solutions. Visit Ted Dhanik for more information on Ted Dhanik.

By Ted Dhanik

Utilizing humor as a strategy for a product’s display advertisements is a brilliant one that is highly undervalued and under-used. Listed below are some reasons why humorous advertising is a great choice for a product or business.

Engages the Consumer

Humor appeals to everybody, whether it is witty humor, physical humor, or political humor. When an advertisement is shown as part of a joke, the viewer will become involved and interested. It arouses their curiosity and interest in the joke, and will lead them to follow the ad to the next site for the business. Of course, ad engagement is the first step in increasing the potential customer to the business’ website, and a comedic and timely ad can do that.

Best Ad Consumption by Potential Clients

A recent study has shown that ads using a comedic approach are absorbed and comprehended more easily by potential customers. This is because using humor as an approach notifies the customer in a different way. That is, the ad is not making a direct sale. Instead, the ad first appeals to the human side, not the buying or purchasing side- and then, once the ad takes the customer to the business website, direct selling techniques begin. The idea is that approaching a customer as a person rather than a buying robot will garner more sales and business.

Catchy, and Attractive

Comedic ads lead people to want to know the end of the joke. If the product is either the solution or the butt of the joke, it is second in mind to the humor of what is occurring. This backwards way of getting people invested is getting them interested in the brand more than the product. If a brand is witty enough to come up with catchphrase, then customers will remember that more than a product dump or pitch.

Guest post provided by Ted Dhanik, provider of display advertising and high performance marketing solutions. Ted Dhanik is the current CEO of engage:BDR. Ted Dhanik offers his witty and insightful thoughts as a blogger.