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Re: Starting my first business

DSTREET1 — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:07:04 GMT

For starters, Congrats to stepping out there on starting your business!.You can if a lot of info that will be important to you from protecting yourself to hiring and firing employees. Go www.smallbiztool.info and click on the " Watch Movie" link on lower left hand side. This should be very helpful..

Re: Starting my first business

laocial — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 03:49:03 GMT

Hello,

We are a handbag factory, mainly specialized in Ladies Handbag. We can offer producing service completely according to the original samples. You can go to see our samples on our website: www.liuxingniao.cn .If you are interested in any of our own samples, we can send it to you for confirmation in 3-5 days. Also your own samples are welcomed.

We are located in the center of handbag production base in China, that is Shiling International Leather Center. So we can offer specialized service to meet our customers� specified requirements from price to quality.

Sincerely yours,

Peter

Email: sunday_you_me@yahoo.com ; laocial@gmail.com

MSN: nono-free@hotmail.com

Skype: nono-skype1

Mobile: 86-13826039586

Re: Starting my first business

Small Biz Wiz — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 21:21:25 GMT

There is free information available on starting a business at www.GoSmallBiz.com. This site is owned by Fran Tarkenton, the former Vikings and Giants quarterback. If you like the free information and would like more services for a small membership fee, go to www.YourSmallBiz.org.

Re: Starting my first business

instance — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 02:34:17 GMT

Hello Matt, we are a Web design company and we have some experience with Web design =)

I would recommend either paypal pro or authorize.net

Look that there are different options, for example, you can accept payments in your Web site or in your merchant Web site. Paypal payments pro will allow you to process payments in your Web site (you will need a SSL certificate) and it costs something liek 24 usd a month (At least it was what it costed like two months ago) and authorize.net will allow you as well I dont remember how much it was.

Also, take a look at the % they charge you per transaction. It should be between 1.9% and 2.3% average plus like 24 cents per transaction.

Also if you need a Web site developed or an online/offline marketing campaign (you dont need that much money as it sounds like! many people get scared) let us know I'll be glad to assist you!

take care and I hope it helps!

Re: Starting my first business

42n8lady — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:18:20 GMT

For two years, Bank of America allowed me to open three business accounts with no paperwork involved. Two of them had savings, one, just checking account. I have since closed two of these accounts because I have now converted them to "real business accounts". I have recently opened (just checking) accounts for one C-Corp, an LLC and one LP with complete documentation (such as EINs, Articles, By-Laws, and the like).
I am a great loyalist fan of Bank of America and I think that by allowing new entrepreneurs to "practice" banking , this experience helps build confidence in money management and paves the way for ultimate business success. I don't think that they have changed their policies about this.

By the way, do you know that you can open these legitimate business accounts with just $100.00 each. I had bigger balances for my unregistered accounts!

Re: Starting my first business

BizWorld — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 19:20:04 GMT

Congrats Matt...

Have you thought of S-corp which can save you self-employment taxes on the profits unlike sole prop/LLC?

BizWorld

Re: Starting my first business

dollsbags — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:29:14 GMT

Thank you. There is a lot of great information/advice on here and I am happy to contribute!

Re: Starting my first business

Lighthouse24 — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:25:13 GMT

Rich, welcome to the board! You seem to have the experiences and a business owner's perspective that will benefit this community. I hope to you'll contribute your thoughts to future threads.

Re: Starting my first business

dollsbags — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 12:49:47 GMT

Hi Matt

My background is in IT and my wife and I recently started an online handbag website and a boutique in St Pete FL.

Not sure if you have decided on an e-comm application as of yet but I would highly recommend shop-script.com. I am not a sales rep for them and have no affiliation with them! LOL. However, I have investigated MANY shopping cart apps and this one was the easiest to set up and configure. I use it at my site: Http://www.DollsBags.com

As far as transaction processing goes, I have used PayPal Pro and it is good. I wasn't too fond of having to transfer funds out of PayPal to my AR account constantly, so I went with Authorize.net instead.

Regarding advertising and search engines. I have also done a LOT of research here too. Being in IT helps me quite a bit because I know a lot about how to get to the top of search engines. It takes 6 months to a year to do so effectively using FREE methods. Pay per click is OK if you write effective ads but it's tricky to beat the big guys to the top of the "Sponsored Links" column. But since you are just starting out and probably have a tight advertising budget, keep the costs down and use things like like exchange and affiliate programs.

Best of luck! Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day. What makes your business BETTER than all the other cutlery sites out there. Focus on that and you will have success!

Best Regards,

Rich Petrelli, VP
DollsBags.com

Re: Starting my first business

EagleClimateT — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:22:39 GMT

The way I was always told you is if you can succeed going forward in your business than you should go for it. I was taught that you should take failure as a success, reason I say that is if you fail doing it one way than the next time you will remember not to do it that way, so when you do it again you will find a new and better way to succeed.