• Values what you do
• Is profitable for you
• Refers you

Think in terms of who already does business with you. If you’re just starting out, who do you suspect would be the most likely people to buy from you? Where do they work? What’s their title or position (manager, technician, C-level)? What top 3 industries? Where are they located specifically? What influences their selections or buying habits? On and on..
If you can’t answer  these questions with confidence, you need to do some homework. The more specifically and vividly you can describe your ideal prospect, the more likely you are to spend your marketing time and dollars talking to the right people.

Gary Smith

Gary founded and is Creative Director of Smith Creative Services, a design and advertising firm, which was incorporated in 1996. Prior to starting his own company, Gary’s corporate career spanned 17 years with three Midwest advertising agencies.

I’ve worked with writers for a long time – in various stages of their careers.  I’ve heard the reasons.  There are 5 common causes why you’re not writing your book:

1. You don’t know where to start.
2. You don’t think it’s possible to publish it.
3. The return on investment of your time and energy seems low.
4. You don’t know if you’ll ever make any money from it – and you’ve got to make a living!
5. The process of taking your book from daydream to real project is intimidating.

Recognize one of these excuses?  I’ve got ways around them – and straight through them.  Come to my free one hour class on Tuesday, April 24^th from 6pm to 7pm at Think Space Columbus to learn more about being that 1 in 8, writing your book, and, most importantly, MAKING MONEY from it.  I’ll stick around until 8pm to answer questions and speak one-on-one with attendees.

You’ve put this dream on hold for too long.  Let’s make it happen – THIS YEAR!

To find out more about me, go to http://bold-types.com.

Amanda Page

I’m a writer, part-time professor of English, and a TRAINED PROFESSIONAL CO-ACTIVE COACH. I earned my Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from a major university in the Deep South (Roll Tide). Sometimes, I teach the art of the personal essay to gifted and talented students. I was a founding member of the L.A. Writers Group (.com) in Los Angeles, California. And now I live in Columbus, Ohio, where, according to a local reflexologist and energy worker, people come to “get their sh** together.” I’m working on a novel. And I’ll help you work on your novel, too.

Crowdfunding is the practice of soliciting very small amounts of money from a very large number of individual, non-accredited investors.

There is a lot of controversy over the accredited vs. non-accredited investor dichotomy. For example, a person with a net worth of $800,000 and an annual income of $125,000 might be perfectly able to determine the risks and rewards of a particular investment, but may not qualify as an accredited investor, according to the SEC. Therefore, the entrepreneur would be heavily restricted from soliciting investments from that person.

With the JOBS Act, and the included CROWDFUND Act, Congress has directed the SEC to create an exemption that would make it easier for an entrepreneur to solicit money from a non-accredited investor, especially over the Internet. Crowdfunding can be understood in very simple terms (but rest assured, the implementing regulations will be anything but simple). For example, Inventor collects $50 from 4,500 people and has almost a quarter of a million dollars. Before the JOBS Act, compliance with the SEC disclosure, solicitation, reporting and anti-fraud provisions would have made such an effort wasteful. The Inventor would have had to treat each of the 4,500 investors with kid gloves, since those investors are non-accredited.

The JOBS Act also envisions the solicitation process taking place over the Internet. This is big news, because such solicitation qualifies as a “public offering.” Public offerings generally expose the Inventor to the strictest SEC regulations. The JOBS Act relaxes those requirements, but only to some extent.

What Will the “Crowdfunding” Exemption Look Like?

Although the particulars of the exemption will be established through the SEC’s rule-making procedures, the JOBS Act does set forth requirements that allow us to know how the exemption will work:

1. Ceiling on Aggregate Solicitation: The Issuer may solicit up to $1,000,000 in any 12-month period through this exemption.
2. Ceiling on Each Solicitation: For investors with an annual income of less than $100,000, the Issuer can only solicit up to 5% of that investor’s annual income (not to exceed $2,000). For investors with an annual income of $100,000 or greater, the Issuer can solicit up to 10% of that investor’s annual income (not to exceed $100,000).
3. Must Solicit Through a Qualified Broker: The solicitation and all advertising must be made through a broker or financial institution registered with or otherwise approved by, the SEC under the new exemption.
4. Filings with the SEC: Depending on the total amount solicited, the Issuer will be required to file information about the financial status and ownership structure of the entity (which may include audited financial statements), as well as a plan for how the solicited money will be used.

Finally, it should be noted that an “Issuer” as defined above must be an incorporated entity. Any entrepreneur who intends to raise money under this exemption needs to form an entity, and solicit through that entity.

Originally Posted on Worley Law’s Blog.

Caroline Worley & Julie Phillips

Caroline Z. Worley and Julie Phillips are small business attorneys with Worley Law, LLC, who represent owners, investors and entrepreneurs in all aspects of corporate, business and commercial law, contracts and negotiations, business litigation and commercial real estate.
For more information, contact Caroline or Julie at:
Worley Law, LLC
28 Westerview Drive
Westerville, OH 43081
P: 614.824.6200
F: 614.824.6201
Learn more about Caroline and Julie…

  

What is a trademark or service mark?

• A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination of words, phrases, symbols or designs, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others.
• A service mark is the same as a trademark, except that it identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than a product.

Is registration of my mark required?

No. You can establish rights in a mark based on legitimate use of the mark. However, owning a federal trademark registration on the Principal Register provides several advantages.

When can I use the trademark symbols TM, SM and ®?

Any time you claim rights in a mark, you may use the “TM” (trademark) or “SM” (service mark) designation to alert the public to your claim, regardless of whether you have filed an application with the USPTO. However, you may use the federal registration symbol “®” only after the USPTO actually registers a mark, and not while an application is pending.

Gary Smith

Gary founded and is Creative Director of Smith Creative Services, a design and advertising firm, which was incorporated in 1996. Prior to starting his own company, Gary’s corporate career spanned 17 years with three Midwest advertising agencies.

As with any new business idea, Caroline and I went back and forth on whether it was a good idea.  We developed a plan and projected financials to see if the idea made sense.  We also questioned whether the timing was right to add something new to our busy plates.  Anyone that knows Caroline and I knew the answer was going to be “yes,” as long as the numbers made sense.

With the decision made, we began to reach out to experts in their fields for help pulling it all together.  We are both firm believers that it is important to focus on what you do best as a business owner and to surround yourself with experts to help you in other areas.  We reached out to Carman Hafer, owner of We Decorate Columbus, a talented decorator who picked out the colors, carpet, and accessories and really pulled the space together.  We purchased our furniture from Darla King, owner of King Business Interiors.  Not only did we purchase fabulous furniture, but Darla donated and loaned us furniture to use until the furniture we ordered arrived.

With the room pulled together, we hosted our first event, “Planning to Funding” at the end of February.  We had 45 people in attendance!  PNC Bank sponsored the breakfast and luncheon.  The event was a great success and a wonderful way to launch the new facility.  The center named, Think Space Columbus, by our marketing company, Amanda Sage with Gong Gong Communications is now open for business, not only for use by Your Management Team and Worley Law but available for rent for workshops, seminars, board meetings, events, large meetings, and educational events on a 2-hour, half-day or full-day schedule.  In fact, Mary Relotto, owner of Dames Bond is our first business utilizing the space monthly for her Dames Bond Pro-series.  Caroline and I cannot wait for each of you to see the space.  We would love to have you use it for all your training needs.  The space is beautiful with great colors and furniture, provides amenities including projector, dry-erase wall, wireless internet, and kitchen.

It is an amazing feeling to look around and realize your idea has become a reality, and even better, that the reality exceeds your expectations.  I would like to thank everyone who assisted us in turning the vision into a reality. We look forward to sharing the space with each of you.  Check us out at:  www.ThinkSpaceColumbus.com.  Planning to host an event or workshop?  We look forward to working with you and providing a low-cost space for all your needs.

Mary McCarthy

Developer and Visionary. Mary McCarthy, President and developer of Your Management Team is a serial entrepreneur. Jumping into small business ownership twenty years ago, Mary has worked with, owned, and finally consulted with dozens of small businesses throughout her career. Mary’s strengths lie in developing start-up opportunities, implementing business processes and procedures, and forming partnerships with resources and organizations for the benefit of small business owners. Mary understands the hours, dedication and focus needed to own and manage a business.
Looking for a creative-problem solver to assist with the development and growth of your -small business?  You can reach Mary at: Mary@YourManagementTeam.com or at (614) 602-6530.

While you might have seen cache discussed in reference to your computer’s memory, or in other programs, it’s most commonly dealt with these days with web browsers.

Why Does this Information Need to be Stored?

Every time your web browser visits a website, it downloads all the files that make up that webpage. You see, each webpage is made up of any number of files, including HTML, PHP, Java, Flash, image files, cascading style sheets, and more. For example, by choosing to view this blog post, your browser has saved an HTML file, a CSS file, and all the images that make the design and layout of this webpage. These files are stored on your computer (they’re most commonly known as Temporary Internet Files) until you or your browsers delete them.

Where the cache comes in to play is when you revisit a page. Say you clicked on a link and went to read another post on our blog. Without cache, your web browser would have to re-download all the images, files, etc. associated with this website. Because the cache has temporarily stored these files already, the page will load a lot quicker. This might not sound like a big deal, but trust me, if you had to wait for every file to download every time you visited a new web page, you’d notice the slowness!

Why do I Need to Clear my Cache?

Sometimes, websites will suddenly act a little wonky, especially if it’s running complex processes (like web applications, e-mail, social media networks, etc.) Clearing the cache, and thus wiping the short term memory, will frequently solve any little issues you may be having.

Another issue is when you’re on a website and you know that something has been changed on the site (perhaps it’s your website and you changed some text), but the changes aren’t displaying on your end. That’s just an issue of your browser not thinking to download a new file. Clear the cache, revisit the page, and Bob’s your uncle, the changes should be there.

How do I Clear my Browser Cache?

The very quick, simple method for refreshing a webpage with a fresh cache is pressing

on your keyboard. To do a more complete purge, view the videos below.

Microsoft Internet Explorer

Click on “Tools” from the menu, then select “Delete Browsing History”.

Mozilla Firefox

Click on “Tools” from the menu, then select “Clear Recent History”

Google Chrome

Click on the “Tools” wrench button, then click on “Options”, then “Under the Hood”, then select “Clear browsing data…”

Originally Posted on Gong Gong Communication’s Blog

Amanda Sage

Amanda L. Sage is the owner and chief gong gong of Gong Gong Communications based in Central Ohio. Gong Gong Communications provides holistic marketing and creative services to small businesses on a monthly and per-project basis, listening to the problems of the clients to create a practical, efficient, and cost-effective strategy so that their needs are met and they have more time to focus on doing what they do best. They offer a full range of services including graphic & web design, copywriting, and social media engagement.

http://www.gonggongcommunications.com

    

S= specific:  set defined not ambiguous goals.  In other words, instead of stating, “I am going to grow the business this year,” state, “I am going to grow total revenue of the business by 20%.”

M=measurable:  you cannot manage what you cannot measure.  By stating a growth in revenue by 20% you have a previous revenue number as a start and can easily calculate 20% for the growth in the coming year.  Stating a percentage for growth provides an opportunity to track and adjust throughout the year increasing opportunities to achieve goals.

A=attainable:  the goal must be realistic.  If your goal is to achieve a 100% revenue growth in one year during a down economy that goal is probably not realistic.  If you set your goal too high it can become a de-motivator during the year and instead of assisting you grow sales, achieving the reverse, causing you to stop striving for the goal.

R=realistic:  your goal has to be relevant to your overall business objectives.  A goal of increasing revenue by 20% is pertinent to the growth of your business.

T=timely:  set a timeframe to accomplish your goal(s).  20% growth by the end of the year provides an opportunity to break down the goal into monthly accomplishments, instead of saying 20% overall growth.

Knowing where you are going is an important step in getting there. How often do you get in your car and drive to a new destination without first looking up the directions or setting your GPS?  It is the same with starting a business.  Once you know where you want to go you can begin planning how to get there.

As you analyze your goals for years one through five, do they make sense?  To achieve the maximum success each year, you want to stretch yourself as much as possible, but make sure your goals are realistic.  If you set your goals so high that they are almost unachievable, it could be a de-motivator as you move through the years of ownership.

Good luck setting your goals for growth in 2012.  We would be happy to assist you with setting goals, or to review them and discuss how to accomplish them now that they are set.

Download this helpful worksheet so you can get started on setting your goals: YMT Goal Setting Worksheet

Mary McCarthy

Developer and Visionary. Mary McCarthy, President and developer of Your Management Team is a serial entrepreneur. Jumping into small business ownership twenty years ago, Mary has worked with, owned, and finally consulted with dozens of small businesses throughout her career. Mary’s strengths lie in developing start-up opportunities, implementing business processes and procedures, and forming partnerships with resources and organizations for the benefit of small business owners. Mary understands the hours, dedication and focus needed to own and manage a business.
Looking for a creative-problem solver to assist with the development and growth of your -small business?  You can reach Mary at: Mary@YourManagementTeam.com or at (614) 602-6530.

YMT: What’s a common misconception about financial planning that small business owners have?

MS: They think they don’t need it. They think that if they have an accountant and an attorney that they have everything covered. They don’t understand the role of financial planner or advisor play.

YMT: What is the role of a financial planner?

MS: The role of a financial planner is to help the client look at the big picture, clarify their goals and help reach them.  [The role of a financial planner] is more of an overall look, and because money is so personal, it also takes that into account. It is not just looking at business finances, but also looking at personal finances at the same time.

YMT: Why would it benefit an entrepreneur seeking funding to work with a financial planner?

MS: As a financial planner I look at an alternative way of funding using part of your retirement assets as a loan and how the loan can be structured so you’re not just making a distribution. We help make sure you are not going to be taxed and penalized, and you are keeping that retirement plan intact so you can hopefully grow it more in the future as the business starts making money, too.

YMT: What financial first steps does an individual need to take in order to start a successful business

MS:

• Get your personal finances in order including checking on and improving your credit score.
• Make sure you have enough savings or money coming from somewhere else to be able to live for the next 1-3 years.  For most small businesses it takes a few years to really get up and running, and have an income you can count on. Have things setup ahead of time to be able to take care of yourself and your expenses.
• Know your startup costs. Do a 1, 3 and 5 year projection of costs and income.
• Look at your protection plans: life insurance, disabilities and health insurance programs, and make sure you know how you are going to be able to cover those.

YMT: As a business owner, did you face financial roadblocks as a startup?

MS: Because of the nature of my business, I had very little startup costs. It was more about not having income than having a lot of costs. There were not a lot of things I needed to buy, not a lot of hard assets I needed to have. I also had other income to cover my cost of living for those first few years.

YMT: As a startup, did you pursue outside funding? If so, what did you learn from the process

MS: I did not personally, but I have helped other people try to get outside funding. One of the things that is often said to me is “Oh my gosh, they were looking at my personal records and this is a business loan.”

I always say, “You don’t have business records because you are just starting out, so as the owner of the business, they are going to look at your personal records.” It needs to be emphasized that you need to have a really good personal credit if you are going for a small business loan, a lot of people don’t think about.

YMT: What points do you plan to discuss during the alternative funding panel?

MS: I will discuss ways to tap into your traditional IRA, 401K, 403B, Thrift Savings Plan and pension from previous employment without incurring taxes and penalties, and just being prepared and having your personal finances in order.

Mary C. Slane is a Registered Representative and Investment Advisor Representative of and offers securities and advisory services through WRP Investments, Inc. Member FINRA & SIPC. Slane Financial is not affiliated with WRP Investments, Inc. Securities activities and advisory services are supervised by WRP Investments, Inc. with offices at 4407 Belmont Avenue, Youngstown, OH 44505. 330-759-2023.

Mary Slane

Mary Slane, President of Slane Financial, is an independent financial coach with over 10 years of experience. She assists her clients to change their attitude toward money from “fear and scarcity to confidence and abundance.” Mary specializes in financial planning for professional women and small businesses. She helps her clients prioritize their goals and then provides practical solutions utilizing investments and insurance.

YMT: What’s a common misconception about credit that people in small businesses have?

JH: People do not understand the actual cost of the credit. So for example if you have a credit balance of $500 and 18% interest, which is common for a credit card, and you pay the minimum payment, you’re not realizing how much you are actually paying for that particular amount. It will take you 9 years to pay this credit card off if you’re only making the minimum payment, and it will cost you $1000. Small business owners often don’t understand the cost of the credit and the importance of trying to pay it off as soon as possible.

YMT: What is the role of a certified financial counselor?

JH: We have a variety of services at Consumer Credit so my role really depends on what service we’re providing. We have several counseling services: everything from bankruptcy counseling to debt repayment, budget counseling, foreclosure prevention counseling, but the bottom line is our mission is to help people improve their financial well-being through counseling, community outreach and financial education.

YMT: Why would it benefit an entrepreneur seeking funding to receive consumer credit counseling and/or work with a financial counselor?

JH: There are a lot of things to work through when starting your own business, one thing is if they want to borrow money to start their small business, the lenders will definitely look at the entrepreneur’s credit report. If their credit score is low they won’t be approved for the loan, which may make them stop dead in their tracks in terms of being able to start the small business. Consumer credit counseling can pull their credit reports for a small fee, and go through the report with them to make sure they clearly understand what is on that report. We help them decide what they can do to improve their score. It’s all about being able to raise your credit score so the entrepreneur can apply for that business loan, be approved and move forward with their business plan

YMT: What financial first steps does an individual need to take in order to start a successful business?

JH: There are so many things that go into starting your business: having a plan, having a mentor you can talk with, making sure you know how to market to get your name out there, and other obvious things. From a financial standpoint, we see that people will do the following two things: they will use a lot of credit to get started (if possible you want to borrow as little as possible) and people will often mix their money (it is really important that as income begins to come in through your business, you want to run that income through an account separate from your personal account and any expense your business takes on, you want to run that through the business account).

YMT: As a financial counselor, what types of financial roadblocks do you most frequently see?

JH: I would say one of the biggest roadblocks is people not aware of where they spend their money. When I look back on all the consumers I’ve worked with, we all know our fixed expenses, the things that are the same every month. I see is people managing their money and really not having a clue where their money goes because so much of our income is variable expenses, meaning it changes based on our behavior. This applies to business expenses also. You may rent a space and know how much you are paying each month, but you don’t pay attention to how much you are actually spending on expenses that vary based on your behavior. You need to closely track those expenses and know how much is going out in what specific areas, and know exactly how much is coming in, because if you are spending more than you are making, you are not making a profit. Not having good money management skills leads into not being eligible for a loan.

YMT: What points do you plan to discuss during the preparing your loan request panel?

JH: I will focus on the importance of understanding credit reports and how it will impact small business owners getting a loan. I will emphasize the importance of pulling a credit report as soon as possible and figuring out what they can do to make that score as good as possible, as fast as possible.

People wanting to open up a small business take a lot of time working on their business plan, but then they pull their credit report, which can stop them dead in their tracks. They can’t move forward if their score is low because then they can’t qualify for the loan. It is important for anyone seriously considering any major purchase, whether that be a small business or equipment, if you are going to need to borrow money to pull it off, you are going to have to find out about your credit report and try to make that credit report the best it can be so you are eligible for the loan at the lowest interest rate possible.

Gong Gong Communications

Gong Gong Communications provides holistic marketing and creative services to small businesses on a monthly and per-project basis, listening to the problems of the clients to create a practical, efficient, and cost-effective strategy so that their needs are met and they have more time to focus on doing what they do best. We offer a full range of services including graphic & web design, copywriting, marketing planning, and social media engagement.

  

Google Calendar is a free web application that is, you guessed it, a calendar! It is Google’s version of a digital planner that gives you the ability to organize yourself by creating several different calendars in one window and let’s you share any and all with friends, families, co-workers, and anyone else. When sharing your calendars, you have the option of letting the new viewer see some details, see every detail and event, or add his or her own events to the calendar. By sharing your calendars, you will have created a great collaboration tool for you and your family, or you and your entire company, to allow every to see when and where things are happening.

How to Access Your Google Calendar

To start using your Google Calendar, you need to log into your Google account (if you don’t have a Google account or Gmail, you can make one up using your current email). After logging in, choose “Calendar” from the top toolbar.

Syncing Your Other Programs With Your Google Calendar

Another great thing about Google Calendar is that it is compatible with many web, desktop, and smart phone applications you may already be using. This means that you can synchronize the events and details on your current applications with your new Google Calendar, and vice versa. Some software applications that are compatible include: Outlook, iCal, and a plethora of Android, iPhone, and Blackberry apps.

Other reasons why Google Calendar is a useful alternative to your planner

1. You can’t forget your Google Calendar sitting on your kitchen counter. Simply access your calendars from your smart phone or computer.
2. You don’t have to write in pencil because everything you type can be deleted, retyped and color coordinated.
3. You can be reminded about upcoming events via email or other memos
4. You can send invitations to events and keep track of the RSVPs

Gong Gong Communications

Gong Gong Communications provides holistic marketing and creative services to small businesses on a monthly and per-project basis, listening to the problems of the clients to create a practical, efficient, and cost-effective strategy so that their needs are met and they have more time to focus on doing what they do best. We offer a full range of services including graphic & web design, copywriting, marketing planning, and social media engagement.