Home/

Archive for February, 2012

Unraveling the Mystery of Content Marketing

Posted on February 29th, 2012 by Joey Donovan Guido

Category: Grow a Business, How To Information, Internet Marketing, Small Business News, Social Media

Content marketing, also known as inbound marketing, is based on four major marketing legs:

Social Media Channels
(Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn)
Your Blog
Your Website
E-mails and E-mail Newsletters

These legs, when used correctly, create a platform for communication with your customers and potential customers, as well as other members of your tribe (which is defined by Seth Godin as “any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, or an idea).

According to Wikipedia, “Content marketing is an umbrella term encompassing all marketing formats that involve the creation and sharing of content in order to engage current and potential consumer bases. Content marketing subscribes to the notion that delivering high-quality, relevant and valuable information to prospects and customers drives profitable consumer action. Content marketing has benefits in terms of retaining reader attention and improving brand loyalty.”

Although content marketing isn’t new, it can often feel like a mystery to a small business owner who doesn’t have much experience with it. Let’s take a closer look at each of the four legs mentioned above to help shed some light on the mystery of content marketing.

Social Media Channels

There are numerous options when it comes to social media. For the sake of this article, let’s stick to three of the most well known ones: Facebook, Twitter and Linked in. Depending on your business, and your disposition, you might find that some of these options work better for you than others.

Facebook is an excellent place to set up events pages, as well as special events or promotions. It’s also an excellent venue to disseminate your blog posts. Not just for personal use, Facebook can be a powerful tool in your small business content marketing efforts. One of things you’ll have to master is how many times per day (or week) you should post. Too much contact, and you risk being un-liked because readers are feeling inundated by you. Not enough contact will make you invisible — which makes it hard to be memorable, right? A good rule of thumb is to limit you Facebook posts to one per day. If you feel you need more, experiment with it until you get the balance right.
Twitter is a very different animal. Here, one tweet per day is not enough. Twitter is so fast paced that your posting could easily come and go in mere seconds on your followers’ home pages. How many times should you tweet per day? Unfortunately, there is no stock answer. People like Guy Kawasaki tweet hourly, while Seth Godin tweets once per day. Although they’re both wildly popular marketing gurus, they have a very different use for Twitter. Again, trial and error is your best bet in finding how many tweets per day work for you.
LinkedIn has traditionally been the content marketing destination for businesses. It’s a place to go to make business connections and promote your business. The frequency of postings on LinkedIn is similar to Facebook, but you may find that the audience you reach is very different. Which is better? Again, this all depends on what type of business you run and where your audience is spending their time.

Blog

One could argue that a blog is part of social media. To me it’s a hybrid between social media and a website. The articles you publish on your blog can gain you a readership following, and can help build trust between you and your audience. Creating quality content that’s relevant to your readers is the first step in building a successful blog. The next step is making sure you’ve created SEO (Search Engine Optimization) that helps you get found by potential readers. In addition, adhering to the Google Panda algorithm helps ensure that you’re being perceived in a positive light by Google. Breaking Panda rules could place you into what I call the black hole effect.

Website

Of all the content marketing channels we’re discussing here, your website is the most static. In other words, it doesn’t change as much. But once you’ve created a winning website, you’ll want to freshen it up from time to time — especially if your products or services are “newsy” (things that might be talked about on blogs, news sites, or in social media). This helps keep you in good standing with Google Panda (who looks for freshness in newsy web pages). An easy way to stay fresh is to include your blog on your website.

Of course, your website is an excellent place to promote your other social media outlets, promotions, etc. Often, your other content marketing channels will drive customers and potential customers to your website. Make sure it does its job well by making products or services easy to find and purchase. If you’re not selling directly on the site, make sure it’s easy for customers to take the next step toward conversion.

E-mail & eNewsletters

The final leg is e-mail and eNewsletters (disseminated through e-mails). Content marketing through e-mail is a great way to send specific messages to specific audiences. Since you control who receives each e-mail, you have the flexibility to customize your message to multiple niche groups (upping the relevance factor). You can make people aware of promotions, new products, or other relevant information. It’s also an excellent way to lead people to what’s going on in your other social media outlets.

Another thing to consider …

WHAT exactly are you supposed to be writing about? Here, your audience’s preferences are tantamount. What’s important and relevant to them? How do they talk? How do they like to be talked to? What kinds of benefits are they looking for that you offer in your products or services? What’s the best way to describe these benefits to make them appealing? Always remember, the quality of your communication should always come before the quantity. One ounce of gold is worth more than a thousand pennies.

Good luck with your content marketing!

blog

No Comments

Doing Business in Other States? Get Familiar with Foreign Qualification

Posted on February 27th, 2012 by Joey Donovan Guido

Category: Grow a Business, How To Information, Small Business, Small Business News

There’s nothing foreign about Foreign Qualification — although the name often gives the wrong impression to small business owners.

What is Foreign Qualification?

It may sound like an international concept, but in this case “foreign” has nothing to do with a business that resides outside of the United States. When a small business decides to expand out of the state they’re currently doing business in (referred to as their home state, or their domestic state), they’ll need to gain approval from each additional state they’re planning on doing business in.

Any state outside of a small business’ home state is considered foreign — hence the name Foreign Qualification. When you Foreign Qualify, you are essentially registering for a Certificate of Authority in the state(s) where your company will do business. This notifies the state that your company is conducting business within its borders. Your business will be subject to ongoing reporting requirements, fees and taxes in both your state of incorporation and state of qualification.

Do You Need to Foreign Qualify?

Although each state has different contingencies and fees, there are some core factors used to determine whether a small business needs to Foreign Qualify. They include:

Whether the company has a physical presence in the state
Whether the company has employees in the state
Whether the company accepts orders in the state
Whether the company has a bank account in the state

If you are uncertain whether your particular business needs to foreign qualify, or register to transact business in another state, it’s best to seek the advice of an attorney or accountant.

Failing to Foreign Qualify

Foreign Qualification in states where you transact business is a legal requirement. Failure to do so could result in negative consequences like:

You may face fines, penalties and back taxes for the time in which your company did business within a state without being Foreign Qualified there
Liability for back taxes for the time you were transacting business but were not qualified
Loss of access to that state’s court system, meaning that if you were sued in that state, you would not be able to defend the suit

How to Foreign Qualify

To foreign qualify your business, you may need to:

Register for a Certificate of Authority in the state(s) where you want to do business
Apply for a Certificate of Good Standing from your state of incorporation, showing that your company is in existence and has met all state requirements
Pay applicable state filing fees when you submit the Certificate of Authority filing
File annual reports, pay taxes and annual report fees in the state(s) where your small business has undergone foreign qualification

What is a Trademark? How is it Different from a Business Formation Name?

Posted on February 24th, 2012 by Joey Donovan Guido

Category: Form My Business, Grow a Business, How To Information, Small Business, Small Business News, Start A Business

What is a Trademark Forming a small business can be a lot of work. It can also be confusing and overwhelming. Once you’ve finally decided on a company name, formation type, and which state is best for you to incorporate, you might be hoping that your start-up decisions are finished (at least for a little while).

But there’s another decision to be made — yet another question to answer:

Do you need to trademark your company name?

Although important, this subject is not nearly as well known as the one’s mentioned above. So I’d like to take this opportunity to define what a trademark is, and why your small business might need one. We’ll also take a look at how a trademark is different from the business formation name
you attained from the state(s) you’re doing business in.

What is a Trademark?

We’ve all seen them. One of those little symbols (™ or ®) that sit at the end of a business or product name. Most people are aware that they represent some sort of trademark, but its exact purpose isn’t always as clearly understood.

A trademark is a way to protect what is called “intellectual property.” Traditionally, it’s denoted by the trademark symbol TM or by the federal registration symbol ® if an actual registration filing has been approved by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

There is a third symbol, called a service mark (denoted by the symbol SM), which offers virtually the same protection as a trademark but is used instead to identify and distinguish services rather than products. Typically, when the term “trademark” or “mark” is used, it is understood to include service mark as well.

A trademark is generally tethered to a brand name or a design. It can be applied to a business, a product, or can be used in connection with services.

Different than a patent or copyright, a trademark essentially prevents unfair competition. In other words, I can’t start a car company called Ford, because Ford holds a federal registration symbol on their name. They want exclusive use of their name, which can most effectively be attained by attaining a trademark on a federal level (as well as incorporating on a state level).

Trademark law protects you, the owner, from competitors stealing your identity or using a name or symbol so similar that it could cause confusion for your clients or customers. By identifying a product or service’s source, a trademark or service mark also serves to protect consumers from deception.

Trademark vs. Business Formation

There’s an important distinction to be made here between federal and state — one that directly correlates to trademarks and business formations.

When you form a company in any U.S. state, or states, you are filing a business formation (LLC, S corp, C corp, nonprofit …) within each respective state. Part of this process is doing a business name check to determine if your preferred company name is available in that state.

Many small business owners believe that this is all they need to do to protect their name. In reality, there could be another company forming under the same business name in other states. The point here is that company names are being approved on a state level.

A trademark comes into play when you want to protect your name on a national (federal) level. Let’s say that Ford didn’t attain a federal registration symbol. I couldn’t go into their state and form a company with the same name, but I could file for a trademark on the federal level. As you can see, this can cause all types of problems — including lawsuits.

Forming your small business, and continuing to meet your state’s requirements, typically provides you with limited liability protection. But your company name is not fully protected unless you also attain a trademark. And if you want to build a brand like Nike, Apple or Ford, you’ve got to get a stronghold on your company name so it’s yours and yours alone.

Free Trademark Search

The United States Patent and Trademark Office offers a free search tool, called TESS Search Trademarks, to help you determine whether or not a particular name is available for trademark.

Choosing a Domain Name for Your Small Business Website

Posted on February 22nd, 2012 by Joey Donovan Guido

Category: How To Information, Internet Business, Launch My Business, Small Business, Small Business News, Start A Business

DomainNameSmallBusiness Recently, we’ve talked about choosing the perfect business name, and how to create a winning website — both important steps in the start up of a successful small business.

But have you thought about the domain name for your small business website? It’s one of the next steps you’ll need to take once you’ve found the right company name and formed a business that best suits your particular needs.

What is a Domain Name?

Simply put, it’s a website address. Typically, you’ll see them begin with www, http, or https (for secure sites), but when you’re searching for your domain name you don’t have to worry about these prefixes.

What’s important is what comes at the end of the domain name: .com, .net, .org, etc. Your domain name has to be available with one of these endings — the most popular being .com. There are many small business owners who assume that since they’ve formed a business under a certain name, it will be available for purchase as their domain name. Not true.

How to Check for Domain Name Availability

Visit a site like GoDaddy, and simply type in the name you’d like to use. Typically, if your company name is available, it’s a good idea to purchase it (at least as .com and .net), even if you want to use a variant for your website address.

With GoDaddy, you’ll be cued up for a .com domain name, but there’s a drop down menu which will give you access to other options. Click the search button to see if the name you want is available. If it’s not, available options (with endings other than .com) will be listed, as well as variants on the name itself.

If your preferred name is not available as a .com, you’ve got to decide if another choice is acceptable to you. Will customers and clients remember that you’re a .US or a .net? Or will this pose a potential problem?

Some of the GoDaddy variant options may suggest that you place a dash somewhere in the name. For example, if you company name is TechnoToys, Techno-Toys may be available. Once again the question arises whether or not people will remember to enter the dash in your domain name. There has also been talk that having a dash in one’s website address could be perceived negatively by search engines like Google and Bing.

What if Your Preferred Domain Name is Taken?

First of all, don’t panic. There’s a chance it’s being used by another company, and there’s also a chance that it’s been purchased by another company who’s looking to sell it for a profit.

With GoDaddy, you can click on “WHOIS” at the top of the page (just under where it says your domain name choice is already taken). This will give you info on who owns the domain name, as well as contact information. Next to WHOIS, you’ll find “Domain Buy Service,” which is a service that acts as an intermediary between you and the legal owner of the domain.

Another option is to brainstorm and find a domain name that is available. But gaining ownership to the exact domain name you want (especially if it’s your business name) is typically an excellent idea. You don’t want another business using it do you?

Of course, GoDaddy is not the only provider in town — it’s just the most well known. If your domain name is not available there, it won’t be available on another site that provides the same type of service.

Best of luck with your domain name and your small business!

blog

No Comments

Small Business Insights: Filing an Initial Report

Posted on February 20th, 2012 by Joey Donovan Guido

Category: Entrepreneur, How To Information, LLC, S-Corp, Small Business, Start A Business

Small-Business-Initial-Report There’s a good chance you’ve never heard of an Initial Report filing. Although it’s very similar to a small business Annual Report, it is by far the lesser known of the two.

One of the main reasons for this is that it’s required by less than a dozen states (at the time of writing this article). Another reason is that it’s due rather quickly after a small business owner forms an LLC or S corp — typically between 30-120 days — depending on the state. This doesn’t leave a small business owner with a lot of time to get a handle on all there is to know about their newly formed business.

If you haven’t heard of an Initial Report, fret not. The following article will provide you with a good understanding of what it is, and whether or not you need to file one …

What States Currently Require an Initial Report Filing?

Ten states currently require that an LLC, S corp or C corp submit an Initial Report filing:

Alabama
Alaska
California
Connecticut
Georgia
Missouri
Nevada
New Mexico
Oklahoma
Washington

What Needs to be Included in the Initial Report Filing?

Typically, the report must include the following information:

Your current business address. If this changes, don’t worry. You can update your address in your Annual Report.
The name and address of your current Registered Agent. If you haven’t designated a Registered Agent, there’s a good chance it’s you. It’s a good idea to gain a clear understanding on what a Registered Agent is, so you can determine whether or not you want to delegate this responsibility to a company (like BizFilings) who is adept at handling this requirement.
Name all of your current officers, directors and members. Since the Initial Report filing is due so early in the existence of your small business, you man not have all of these players in place before you have to file. Again, no problem. Simply update this info when you submit your Annual Report.
You’ll also have to clearly state your business activity.

Each state is different. We strongly advise that you check with your home state, as well as any states in which you have a Foreign Qualification (additional U.S. states where you conduct business), to ensure that you include all required information and fees in your submission.

Speaking of Fees, What Does it Cost?

Generally speaking, Initial Report filing fees range from $30 to over $100, depending on the state. This will also be true with your Annual Report and your County Filing (if either, or both, is required).

What Happens if you Fail to Submit an Initial Report?

If you fail to file your Initial Report, your small business could fall into what is commonly known as “bad standing.” If this happens, your small business could incur additional state fees. You could also face a revoked business status, or the state could choose to dissolve your business — taking away the benefits of your company formation — including limited liability protection.

I’m sure you’ve noticed that many of the details mentioned are contingent on each particular states requirements. Something else to keep in mind is that there may be different contingencies in place depending on which type of business formation you’ve chosen. If you formed a for-profit corporation (S corp, C corp) or an LLC, these ten states may require that you file an Initial Report. If you’re a nonprofit company, you won’t have to file.

There are two main reasons why these states require new small businesses to file an Initial Report. It gives them accurate information pertaining to your business, and it provides the state with additional revenue.

What Does it Mean to be in Bad Standing?

When a company has not met all the requirements of its home state of incorporation, or any states in which it has a Foreign Qualification (additional U.S. states where it conducts business), it can fall into bad standing.

For example, a small business can fall into bad standing if it fails to file its annual report in a timely manner. Another instance would be if your Registered Agent resigns from representing your company (this typically happens when a small business has failed to pay the Registered Agent’s annual fee). In the state of California, failing to pay your franchise tax puts you in bad standing, while New York state businesses would suffer the same fate if they don’t meet the states publications requirement.

Companies that are in bad standing long enough risk being dissolved or revoked by the state. When a state administratively dissolves a corporation or Limited Liability Company (LLC) or revokes the company’s corporate or LLC status, the benefits of each company formation — including limited liability protection — are lost.

How to Reinstate Your Small Business Back to Good Standing

A company may be required to undertake the reinstatement process when it has fallen out of good standing with its home state, any state(s) in which it has a Foreign Qualification, or if it has been dissolved due to failure to comply with state rules and regulations. Reinstatement requires a company to resolve outstanding business compliance issues and submit necessary forms and fees to the state.

To follow is a list of the major requirements a business needs to meet in order to be reinstated to good standing:

First it must identify all of the steps it must take to become compliant
It must determine any and all outstanding or overdue fees due to the state
A small business must obtain and complete all necessary forms required to be reinstated
Audit these reinstatement forms, looking for any errors prior to submission
Submit completed reinstatement forms to the appropriate state agencies

Reinstating your business allows you to regain the benefits and advantages of both corporate status and the limited liability protection that comes with it. When you reinstate your business, you will gain the peace of mind that you can enter new contracts and continue running your operations without worrying that your business has an uncertain legal status.

Compliance Tools

After you have taken the necessary steps to reinstate your business to good standing with the state, consider using a compliance management tool to notify you of upcoming compliance events for your corporation or LLC. Any small business who utilizes BizFilings as their Registered Agent has free access to BizComply, which makes it easy to remain compliant.

What if You Want to Dissolve Your Company?

If a small business is in bad standing with the state and wishes to dissolve, most states require a reinstatement to be filed prior to allowing the dissolution. As a side note, some states also allow a reinstatement to be filed if the company has dissolved but would like to reverse the dissolution to again begin transacting business under the same company.

Filing an Annual Report: An Overview for Small Business Owners

Posted on February 15th, 2012 by Joey Donovan Guido

Category: Entrepreneur, Form My Business, How To Information, Small Business, Small Business Presentations, Start A Business

Filing-an-Annual-Report

What is an Annual Report?

This is a question that’s asked by many new small business owners, as well as aspiring business owners, year after year. Understanding what an annual report is, as well as when it’s due, can help your small business remain compliant.

And, if you’re still deciding on your small business formation, understanding your companies potential annual report obligations (as well as its potential tax obligations) can go a long way in helping you clarify which choice is best for you.

Depending on the state you incorporate in, an annual report (also referred to as an annual statement) may be due if you’re a Limited Liability Company (LLC), S corp, C corp, nonprofit company, Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) or Limited Partnership (LP). Although many states require the filing of an annual report, some require biennial reports, while others require no report at all.

The best way to determine your company’s due date would be to visit the Secretary of State’s website for your home state, as well as each state in which you’ve Foreign Qualified (an annual report will be due in each). Sometimes searching online for your state’s “Department of State” can also bring you to the information you need.

In addition, small businesses that utilize us as their Registered Agent can view their annual report deadline, as well as a wealth of other information, through BizComply (a web based application that’s included in our Registered Agent Service).

Typically, annual reports ask for certain business information, which again varies by state. Commonly requested information includes:

The current principal business address
Names and addresses of the management of business (directors and officers for corporations and members/managers for LLCs). This would also include any management changes
Number of shares of stock a corporation has issued is also required
Who is your current Registered Agent?
An annual report fee, which varies greatly by state. In some instances there is no charge, however the typical range is between $50 — $400

In addition to providing the state with current business information, annual reports also serve another purpose — they generate additional revenue streams for the state. Regardless of your opinion on this, remaining compliant is the recommended way to go in order to keep your business running smoothly without any potential compliance problems.

Filing Your Annual Report Late, or Failing to File

Most states will attach a late fee to an annual report that has not been filed on time. There are some cases where the late fee is waived for nonprofit corporations.

In many cases, failure to file an annual report by a certain date will result in the administrative dissolution or revocation of the business entity on the state’s records. Reinstatement is possible, but at an additional cost (not to mention the time it will take to fill out a reinstatement application).

Demystifying the DBA (Doing Business As) Registration

Posted on February 13th, 2012 by Joey Donovan Guido

Category: Entrepreneur, How To Information, Incorporate a Business, Small Business, Small Business News

DBA

There are many reasons why a Doing Business As (DBA) filing may be a good choice for a company. In this article, we’ll define what a DBA is, what it’s not, and cover the major reasons you might want to consider filing for one.

What is a DBA?

A Doing Business As filing is an official, public way to register one’s company name with a state or a local jurisdiction (such as a county). It allows a sole proprietor or a company (LLC, S corp, C corp …) to do business under a different name. DBAs are also referred to as an assumed name, fictitious business name or trade name. There are no limits to the number of DBAs a business can register.

What a DBA is Not

DBAs are not the same as forming a business. If you file for one without first forming an LLC, S corp, or some other type of company formation, you will be perceived as a sole proprietor by the state you’re doing business in. In this case, it’s legal for you to conduct business, but you won’t have any limited liability protection.

Forming a business like an LLC or S corp typically grants the owner of a company limited liability protection, which is one of the major benefits of forming a company. If you’ve formed an LLC in a particular state, you can then file for a DBA name and retain your limited liability protection. That being said, if you plan on growing your business into additional states, you’ll need to Foreign Qualify in each respective state before filing your DBA. If you don’t, each state you have not Foreign Qualified in will perceive you as a sole proprietor.

Why File for a DBA?

To follow are seven of the top reasons why business owners file a DBA. Please note that these reasons may vary depending on a business type.

To transact business under a different name
To transact business under a name other than the official name of the company or sole proprietorship. A DBA allows a sole proprietor, corporation or LLC to name the business something other than the legal name, which in the case of a sole proprietor is the name of the individual.

New name for new business activity
Often a Doing Business As name is used when a company wishes to enter a new line of business or to market a new product or service. As a corporation or LLC, you may eventually expand to a new area not represented by your current business name, and having a more relevant name could be beneficial.

Domain name as DBA
A DBA can be filed in order for a company to transact business under the company’s domain name. This is especially helpful when your company name is not available as a domain name.

Open a business bank account
Banks typically require sole proprietorships and general partnerships to have a DBA before opening a business bank account.

Additional business credibility
Having a DBA can lend additional credibility for sole proprietorships and general partnerships.

Public notification
Filing a Doing Business As notifies other businesses that the name is in use, as the DBA name becomes part of the public record.

A prospective client requires a DBA to award you a job
Some clients may require you to have a DBA in order to contract with you. If you’re a freelance graphic designer, for example, and you bid to do work for a local corporation, you may be required to have a DBA — but it’s more common that you’d be required to incorporate your business.

Please note that the reasons listed above may vary in relevance to your company depending on your business type. We strongly advise speaking with your accountant or attorney to determine whether or not filing for a DBA is the right choice for your business.

Filings a DBA can be tricky. Depending on the state, there are times when paperwork and fees are filed on the local or county level, while other times a particular state may require a filing with a state agency — instead of or in addition to — the county. Some states/counties may require you to publish with a local newspaper, providing public notice of the Doing Business As filing.

Tips for Small Business Branding: Creating a Winning Website

Posted on February 10th, 2012 by Joey Donovan Guido

Category: Entrepreneur, Grow a Business, How To Information, Marketing, Small Business

CreatingaWinningWebsite In a previous article, we focused on the importance of choosing the right small business name, and how this choice is the first of many branding decisions that will either add to, or take away from, the image and ultimate success of your business.

Today, I’d like to take a look at another facet of branding that plays a key role in the success of your small business: your website.

Before we get started, let’s take a look at a component that should be visible on every page of your online presence — your logo …

Logo Design

Rumor has it that a picture is worth a thousand words. If the name of your company is important, just think about how important your company logo or graphic is. When it comes to branding, your logo is at least as important as your company name. Your job is to make sure it’s eye catching and memorable — and that it supports your business name, products and overall philosophy. In other words, it’s not something you want to decide on quickly, and unless you’re an artist you’ll probably need some professional help.

Creating a Website

The question isn’t will your small business have a website, the question is what will it look like?

Every small business will have a different budget, which will in turn determine the caliber of web designer you hire to create your site. But there are some core elements that every successful website needs to have:

It Needs to Look Good
Keep your website’s design clean and uncluttered, and make sure your company name and logo are prominently, yet tastefully, on display. A small budget is no excuse to create a website that’s unfriendly or unattractive. If you want to grow a business, it needs to look nice.

It Needs to be Easy to Navigate
Your website has to have seamless function. Navigation bars and drop-down menus need to be designed with clarity and simplicity in mind, and they need to work well. It’s often tempting to want to create web pages that are very dense. Resist this temptation, or your web pages may be perceived as complex and confusing. On your website, it should be easy to find stuff, easy to pay and easy to find help. Think about the user experience. It will certainly be on the minds of your customers.

Killer Content
The copy (often referred to as content) on each page needs to contain certain components. It needs to speak in a voice that’s clear, and that your customers can relate to. Copy needs to be written in a way that’s engaging and relevant to the reader, and the benefits of your products or services need to be highlighted (and truthful). There’s also a need to have an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy in place to ensure that the search engines can easily find your website.

According to Jon Wuebben, the author of Content Rich, SEO is, “the practice of using a variety of techniques to improve a site’s ranking on the searcch engines. These things could include editing or adding HTML code and working with site navigation features and employing linking strategies.” SEO also involves the frequency, quality and placement of keywords and keyword phrases. Reading the suggested articles in the next section will shed more light on SEO.

It Needs to be Google Panda Compliant
Have you heard of Google Panda? In a nutshell, Google Panda is an algorithm that filters websites into two groups — sites it likes and sites it doesn’t like. The sites that Panda “likes” are upgraded in Google’s search results, while the ones it doesn’t like get downgraded. It’s critical that you understand the contingencies that Panda has in place. For a detailed analysis, please read the following articles:

These are some of the best practices to keep in mind when creating a winning website. Design, function, content and SEO all play a pivotal role in how your website will rank with the infamous Google Panda.

If this all seems daunting, you are not alone. But if you take it one step at time, you’ll have a website that serves you, and your customers, well.

blog

1 Comment

How to Name a Business: The Importance of Branding

Posted on February 8th, 2012 by Joey Donovan Guido

Category: Entrepreneur, How To Information, Launch My Business, Small Business, Small Business News, Start A Business

HowToNameABusiness

What’s in a Name?

Years ago, some companies would name a business that began with ABC or 123, so they’d be at the beginning of a yellow pages listing.

It wasn’t a good idea then, and it’s still not.

Why? Because names like ABC Plumbing aren’t memorable, nor are they descriptive of one’s company.

When you’re thinking about how to name a business, it’s important to take the time to consider a few key questions to help you arrive at the right choice. Remember, your company name is the first of many branding decisions that will either add to, or take away from, the image and ultimate success of your business.

Six Basic Questions to Ask Before You Name a Business:

What are the main benefits of the products or services my company offers, and how can I have this be evident in my company name?
Is there a single, meaningful benefit I can highlight that’s shared among all products/services?
Do I want my customers or clients to perceive the company as cool, techie, serious, smart, funny, snarky? In other words, what type of image do I want to imbue into the minds of my customers?
Should my company name be directly attached to me? If I’m a designer (even if I’m not famous yet), I’m going to want my products to be synonymous with me.
Will the company name I choose lend itself to compelling branding — both in content and aesthetically? I want my products, Website and business cards (to name a few things) to engage and connect with customers and potential customers.
Is my company name simple and easy to “get,” or is it complicated? Simple sticks.

Some of these questions may be hard to gauge so early in the process, but discussing these points with a trusted group of friends or business associates can help you effectively name a business — as well as define your company’s branding in a multitude of ways. The last thing you want to do is form a company with a boring business name, or one that has a negative connotation that you didn’t notice yourself. You’ll also want to ask your trusted group if the name you’ve chosen is engaging and relevant to them.

State Name Check
Once you’ve decided on potential names, it’s time to see if it’s available in the state you want to incorporate. We offer a free service called State Name Check, which is a preliminary check to see if your preferred name choice is available. All information is kept confidential, and there’s no commitment to incorporate your business with BizFilings. Results will be e-mailed to you within two business days.

Click here to see if your preferred business name is available.

Please note that a name check conducted before the incorporation documents are submitted is considered preliminary. The final determination of availability rests with the state, once the state has reviewed your incorporation documents and business purpose.

We’re Here to Help
Whether you need assistance with a state name check, or have questions about forming a business, feel free to give our customer service team a call between 8am and 7pm CST, at 800-981-7183. You can also visit our Contact Us page to speak with us via Live Chat during the same days and times. Or, send us an e-mail anytime. We’re always happy to help.

blog

No Comments

Archive for February, 2012

Social Media Channels

Blog

Website

E-mail & eNewsletters

Another thing to consider …

What is Foreign Qualification?

Do You Need to Foreign Qualify?

Failing to Foreign Qualify

How to Foreign Qualify

We’re Here to Help

What is a Trademark?

Trademark vs. Business Formation

Free Trademark Search

We’re Here to Help

What is a Domain Name?

How to Check for Domain Name Availability

What if Your Preferred Domain Name is Taken?

What States Currently Require an Initial Report Filing?

What Needs to be Included in the Initial Report Filing?

Speaking of Fees, What Does it Cost?

What Happens if you Fail to Submit an Initial Report?

We’re Here to Help

What Does it Mean to be in Bad Standing?

How to Reinstate Your Small Business Back to Good Standing

Compliance Tools

What if You Want to Dissolve Your Company?

We’re Here to Help

What is an Annual Report?

Filing Your Annual Report Late, or Failing to File

We’re Here to Help

What is a DBA?

What a DBA is Not

Why File for a DBA?

We’re Here to Help

Logo Design

Creating a Website

What’s in a Name?

Categories

BizFilings on Twitter

Recent Comments

Monthly Archives